Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Inflexions?

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: Trevor Peterson <06PETERSON AT cua.edu>
  • Cc: Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Inflexions?
  • Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 16:01:00 -0800

On 18/11/2003 04:41, Trevor Peterson wrote:

...

Third, few if any Hebrew roots appear in all possible binyanim. A few minutes skimming through a lexicon should confirm this fact.

See YLD, which occurs in all the basic seven binyanim in MT.


... The fact that forms are graphically indistinguishable in a writing system that does not show consonantal lengthening or most vowels should not be taken as indicative of whether or not the forms exist. You say yourself that there are some forms where the distinction can be observed, and we also have to ask whether the Masoretes made up the distinction out of thin air. ...

Masoretic distinctions can often be confirmed by looking at LXX and other ancient translations which generally agree with the Masoretic distinctions. For example, the Piel of YLD is rare in MT (unusually,the Pual is much more common than the Piel) and in fact the only non-participial use is Exodus 1:16, but LXX MAIOUSQE confirms that the LXX translators read the same causative sense as is indicated by the MT Piel. This one might be clear from the context, but there are surely other similar cases which are not, where it is clear that the same binyan distinction is being made in LXX and MT.

I also can’t tell any difference in meaning between Qal and Piel.


Perhaps you're not looking hard enough, if already think that they are nonexistent or meaningless. A lot of work has been done on the force of the Piel, and I won't rehash it all here.

If Karl can't tell the difference between giving birth and acting as a midwife, do we need to start with the birds and the bees?

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page