Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 21/11/2003 15:13, David Kimbrough (CLWA) wrote:

> Thank you for a fascinating explanation.  However there is one part I did
> not follow, the reference Psalm 40:6.  I had indicated that I believed that
> Psalm 22:16 was the only time a word derived from the root "karah" was
> translated as "pierce".  If I understand your response, you indicate that in
> Psalm 40:6 a verb (KRYH) is used in the sense of "pierce" with the object of
> the verb being the ear.  While the verb is indeed derived from "karah", I
> have checked many English translations and this word (KRYH) is universally
> translated as "open", specifically along the lines of "you opened my ears",
> rather than "you pierced my ears". ...
NIV has "my ears you have pierced".

> ... It does not seem to be used in the sense
> of "piercing the earlobe to allow the use of earrings" but rather in the
> sense of "digging out the earwax so I can hear".
>  
Not for earrings, I agree. The meaning could indeed be removal of 
earwax, but I find the link to Exodus 21:6 rather likely, with the 
meaning "you have made me your servant for life", linking with Psalm 40:7,8.

> Your translation of the ketib as "my hands and my feet are like the lion" is
> very interesting but what do you suppose it means for one's hands or feet to
> be like a lion? ...
I consider this meaningless, and so I prefer to understand "they pierced".


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Peter Kirk
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peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
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