Biblical Hebrew Forum

["B. M. Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>]

Hi Dave, 2Chr 34:10, interesting because it collocates bedoq and xazzeq:
vayyittnu 'oto `osey hammla'kah 'asher `osim bebeyt yhwh libdoq ulexazzeq
habbayit.  I take it to mean that we should be able to distinguish bedoq
from xazzeq.  I.e. the money was for reconstructing some parts of the house
and strengthening others.  See also Sirach 50:1 for niphal qatal "was
repaired."

Come to think of it, could 2Chr 34:10 libdoq ulexazzeq mean "to breach and
repair" as in to *demolish bad sections* and repair them?  When repairing a
structure, demolishing bad sections can be unavoidable, tricky, costly, and
time-consuming.  What I am saying is that maybe the 2Chr reference is really
to destructive component within the context of repairing.  That would
*eliminate* this example of libdoq meaning "repair."

I don't mean to sound like I am arguing with myself.  I am just thinking on
screen.  ;-)

Shalom,
Bryan

you wrote:

> Hi Bryan,
> Good point.  Can you offer references for the attestation with the
"repairing"
> meaning?
>
> On Thursday 11 March 2004 11:00, B. M. Rocine wrote:
> > Hi Dave,
> >
> > What's more, we don't know that we are looking at bedeq at all.  The
> > infinitive bedoq is also attested and means "a repairing."  I have not
> > understood why bedoq has not been considered except that analysts begin
> > with assumption of fake.  (I can understand the "need" for a piece
without
> > a clear custody record to be assumed a fake.  I have no problem with
that.)
> >
> > Shalom,
> > Bryan
> >
> > You wrote:
> > > On Friday 27 February 2004 12:02, Stephen C. Carlson wrote:
> > > > The latest edition of Biblical Archaeological Review has an article
> > > > by David Noel Freedman discussing the Hebrew of the so-called
> > > > Jehoash Inscription.  For one of his points, he writes: ""It would
seem
> > > > that `asah alone is the verb used in the inscription to mean
'repair,'
> > > > not bedeq, which most likely carries its Biblical meaning 'crack'."
> > > > He states this interpretation is "unusual, but not unimaginable,"
and
> > > > cites Deut 21:12 and 2 Sam 19:25 [24 in some Bibles] for comparison.
> > > >
> > > > However, the use of this verb in these verses involves body parts,
> > > > not inanimate materials or defects, so I'm not really convinced that
> > > > the examples are to the point.  Can anyone tell me what's going on
> > > > here?
> > >
> > > He wasn't just referring to `asah, but to `asah plus the entire chain
of
> >
> > noun
> >
> > > objects.  The biggest complaint about the inscription has been its
> >
> > supposed
> >
> > > use of `asah bedeq to mean "make repairs" per modern Hebrew, but this
> > > complaint takes the phrase out of its context in the inscription.
`asah
> > > apparently takes not only bedeq as its object, but all the other nouns
> > > (walls, stairs, lattices, etc.) as well.  Even if we don't give it a
> >
> > specific
> >
> > > meaning like "repair," `asah in this context appears to mean "I did
the
> > > cracks, the stairs, the walls, the this, the that, and so on."  It
looks
> >
> > to
> >
> > > me as though Cross and Greenstein, in their criticism based on
the`asah
> >
> > bedeq
> >
> > > phrase, are themselves unduly influenced by modern Hebrew idiom, in
that
> >
> > they
> >
> > > see it where it may not apparently be.
> > >
> > > What's going is that there are those who rushed to judgment on this
> >
> > artifact,
> >
> > > and now other scholars are saying "wait a minute.  Let's take another
> >
> > look."
> >
> > > I have no stake at all in whether the inscription is genuine or not; I
> >
> > really
> >
> > > don't care.  For me it's an interesting curiosity, nothing more.  But
to
> > > date, I haven't found the linguistic arguments against it convincing.
> >
> > Now,
> >
> > > it's nice to know I'm in the company of such as Freedman!
> > >
> > > --
> > > Dave Washburn
> > > http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
> > > Learning about Christianity from a non-Christian
> > > is like getting a kiss over the telephone.
> >
> > B. M. Rocine
> > Living Word Church
> > 6101 Court St. Rd.
> > Syracuse, NY 13206
> >
> > ph: 315.437.6744
> > fx: 315.437.6766
> >