Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Reinier de Blois" <r.de.blois AT solcon.nl>]

Dear Chris,

I doubt whether Ch-R-M is part of the same semantic domain as "to curse"
at all, even though some translations render CHEREM as "curse" in some
contexts. It may be closer to Q-D-SH (see Lev. 27:21,28; Num 18:14).

By the way, since CH-R-M means death for living creatures the idea of
being separated from God is not entirely absent.

Best wishes,

Reinier

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wattswestmaas [mailto:wattswestmaas AT eircom.net] 
> Sent: maandag 7 juni 2004 18:52
> To: Reinier de Blois; b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: RE: [b-hebrew] Verbal Root - CHET-RESH-MEM
> 
> 
> Thankyou Jullie and Reiner,
> 
> Can I then assume that it would be not in keeping with this 
> understanding of 'CH-R-M' to use this word to mean: "cut off 
> from God"? As this would present a paradoxical perspective in 
> view of the other verbs that are commonly used to express 
> being "cursed" which clearly mean -  'seperated from God'.  
> My intention is not to be pedantic but to appreciate how on 
> the one hand a person or thing is "consecrated to God for 
> destruction" and on the other hand "seperated from God" which 
> leads also to the same outcome.
> 
> Regards Chris.
>