Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 02/12/2003 17:32, Deborah Millier wrote:

> ...
>
> Some of the Midrashim got creative with the MT, but
> nothing that is exegetically compelling:
>
> ”My hands and my feet they made repulsive [from Heb.
> K’AR—ugly, repulsive]” . According to R. Judah, Esther
> [the supposed author of Psa 22] said: "Though Haman's
> sons practiced sorcery on me so that in the sight of
> Ahaseurus my hands and feet were repulsive, yet a
> miracle was wrought for me, and my hands and my feet
> were made to shine like sapphires. 
>  

This one looks interesting. Is there really a Hebrew K'AR "ugly, 
repulsive"? It doesn't seem to be attested elsewhere in the Bible, but 
if it is later Hebrew it may well have been in occasional (perhaps 
dialectal or informal) use earlier. But the meaning is more likely to be 
"my hands and my feet were repulsive", with the adjective interchanging 
with a stative verb.

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