Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Hi Karl,

While I would have no problem with Ezekiel using "dirty" language, in this
case, "nedah"/"nedan" really DOES just mean "gift" - in later Hebrew, this
became the word for "dowry" or "bridal gift". This fits the context
perfectly. Sometimes a rose is just a rose.

Yigal


At 01:42 AM 5/31/2003 -0500, Karl Randolph wrote:
>To all:
>
>After the recent discussion of possible euphemism in Psalm 2:12, I wonder
if there is another on in Ezekiel 16:33. I suspect that early translators
turned red from the explicit language and softened it.
>
>I read the verse as folows: “They give ejecta (semen) to all prostitutes,
and you (female) give your vagina to all your lovers, and you, in your
prostitution, bribe them to come unto you from surrounding places.”
>
>I can image that a similar euphemistic rendering in modern English would
sound like, “They sow their wild oats in all prostitutes and you give your
favors to all your lovers…”
>
>Any thoughts?
>
>Thanks
>
>Karl W. Randolph.
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Dr. Yigal Levin
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga TN 37403-2598
U.S.A.