Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>]

Yigal:

I hesitated getting involved in this discussion because of its obvious 
theological overtones. But there are a couple of linguistic notes to mark.

KRH as a verb seems to have the meaning of “to provide, to furnish”. It does 
not specify how the provision is made. In the case of providing a well, it is 
done by digging, though the “by digging” is left out of texts such as Gen. 
26:25, Ex. 21:33. In Pr. 16:27 that which is provided is displeasure. In Ps 
40:7 it is ears that are provided. In this I agree with you.

K)R in Ps 22:17 (16 in English) is in the place where one would expect to 
find a verb, as you mentioned below. As for what it means, there is too 
little context in Tanakh to give a certain understanding. As the text 
presently stands, the meaning “as a lion” does not fit. Are there any clues 
from cognate languages?

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Yigal Levin" <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>

> Hi Folks,
> 
> The following points:
> 1. The verb KRH/KRY means "to dig", NOT "to pierce". To pierce one's ear is
> RC(, as in Exod. 21:6.
> 2. In the wider context of Ps. 22, the speaker is surrounded by bad animals:
> bulls, lions (v. 14 [13 in English]), dogs and bad folk in our verse, and
> again dogs, lions and "reemim" (whatever they are) a few verses down. SO
> "like lions" makes perfect sense here.
> 3. However, IF K)RY is "like (a/the) lion", the verb is missing. "my hands
> and feet ARE like lions" doesn't fit the context - I'd expect something like
> "TPSW" - "like a lion they caught my  hands and feet". But that's not in the
> text. Which may be why the vorlage of the DDS and the LXX had KRW - to
> supply a verb. But what does "piercing hand and feet" mean IN THIS CONTEXT,
> unless it's about Jesus. Which it's not (at least, "king David" didn't think
> it was...).
> 4. The way I read Ps. 40:7 is, since God created us with ears to hear and to
> understand, He does not want sacrifices. KRYT, "you dug" here does not refer
> to opening up ears that were closed, but to the original creation of ears in
> our bodies.
> 
> 
> Yigal
> 

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