Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <Yigal-Levin AT utc.edu>]

At 02:52 PM 3/19/2003 -0600, Daryl F. Jefferies wrote:
>Jim,
>
>M.V. Fox lists "...in a continuum from ingrained moral defect and 
>unchangeability to relative innocence and improvability": 'ewil, 
>letz, kesil, hasar leb, ba'ar, and peti (Anchor Bible, Prov. 1-9, pp. 
>38-39).  I'm not sure which one is used for senility...
>

Actually, none. "Senility" comes from the Latin and means "old age". In
Hebrew (as in other ANE cultures), age (ziqnah) was taken for wisdom, not
foolishness or forgetfulness. Modern Hebrew was forced to adopt the English
(pronounced "seniliyut").

Yigal


Dr. Yigal Levin
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga TN 37403-2598
U.S.A.
>From djefferi AT chorus.net  Wed Mar 19 16:18:40 2003
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Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 15:16:30 -0600
To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
From: "Daryl F. Jefferies" <djefferi AT chorus.net>
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] words for fool
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Yigal,

The "senility" comment was in reference to Jim's original post (an 
attempt at humor), i.e.,
>  > im slipping into senility and can only recall 3 words normally used in
>  > proverbs for fool- letz, kesil, and pethi.  what am i forgetting?

But since you mentioned it, is there no recognition of the slipping 
of faculties with age in the HB?  The DSS take into account the loss 
of abilities as people age.  Maybe someone on the list has looked 
into biblical attitudes towards aging...

Daryl Jefferies


>At 02:52 PM 3/19/2003 -0600, Daryl F. Jefferies wrote:
>>Jim,
>>
>>M.V. Fox lists "...in a continuum from ingrained moral defect and
>>unchangeability to relative innocence and improvability": 'ewil,
>>letz, kesil, hasar leb, ba'ar, and peti (Anchor Bible, Prov. 1-9, pp.
>>38-39).  I'm not sure which one is used for senility...
>>
>
>Actually, none. "Senility" comes from the Latin and means "old age". In
>Hebrew (as in other ANE cultures), age (ziqnah) was taken for wisdom, not
>foolishness or forgetfulness. Modern Hebrew was forced to adopt the English
>(pronounced "seniliyut").
>
>Yigal
>
>
>Dr. Yigal Levin
>Dept. of Philosophy and Religion
>University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
>615 McCallie Avenue
>Chattanooga TN 37403-2598
>U.S.A.
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