Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Polycarp66 AT aol.com]

In a message dated 3/19/2003 4:21:03 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
djefferi AT chorus.net writes:

> 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...
> 

That it was recognized is obvious from 2 Sam 19.36 (Heb.  35 Eng)

B.eN_$:MoNiYM $fNfH )fNoKiY HaY.oWM Ha)"Da( B."YN_+oWB L:Rf(

To "know good and evil" is a hediadys for "to know all things".  What single 
term they may have used for the condition is what is not known.

gfsomsel
>From klowery AT wts.edu  Wed Mar 19 16:45:31 2003
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Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 16:47:10 -0500
From: Kirk Lowery <klowery AT wts.edu>
Organization: Westminster Hebrew Institute
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Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] words for fool
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Daryl F. Jefferies wrote:

> 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...

Qohelet's metaphorical poem on aging in chapter 12 might be a source 
for the language of senility....

Blessings,

Kirk
-- 
Kirk E. Lowery, Ph.D.
Director, Westminster Hebrew Institute
Adjunct Professor of Old Testament
Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia

Theorie ist, wenn man alles weiss und nichts klappt.
Praxis ist, wenn alles klappt und keiner weiss warum.
Bei uns sind Theorie und Praxis vereint:
nichts klappt und keiner weiss warum!