Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.ac.il>]

I discussed the expression שובב/השיב נפש ($obeb/he$ib nepe$) in  Safren,
Jonathan D.: "He restoreth my soul"; a biblical
expression and its Mari counterpart.   _Mari in Retrospect_, ed. G. W.
Young, (Winona Lake, 1992) 265-271. Regarding the expression, my conclusion
was that its meaning is "restore life/vitality" by means of food and drink
(cf. יצא נפש (ys' np$, "expire, die"), and in this way, and on the basis of
context, I explained the Akkadian/Amorite(?) expression napi$tam turrum
occurring twice in ARM 14.
The article also contains a discussion of the root meaning of nepe$, but, as
I don't have a copy on hand, I don't remember what bibliography or
argumentaion I used.
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Jonathan D. Safren, Editor
Mo'ed - Annual for Jewish Studies
Center for Jewish Culture
Beit Berl College
Beit Berl Post Office
44905 Israel
Tel. 972-9-7476396
e-mail: moed AT beitberl.ac.il
Tel. 972-9-7476396