Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Dear Karl,

> I understand this verb to refer to sentencing something to 
> destruction, which for living things is a sentence of death. 
> For something devoted to the Lord, to the giver it is the 
> same as dead or destroyed in so far as he can no longer make 
> use of it.

To the giver, yes. The priests can make use of it though, in some cases
(Num. 18:14; Ezk. 44:29)
 
> Is there connection between this and a (fish) trap?

If there is a relation it is an etymological one. The basic meaning of
X-R-M is "to split" (Lev. 21:8; Isa. 11:15). This word may have
developed in two directions:

(1) to split > to set apart for God
(2) to split > to separate (e.g. by leading into a fish trap?)

Synchronically though, we can simply conclude that the noun XEREM has
two meanings, whether etymologically related or not:

(1) fishing net, fish trap
(2) state of having been set apart

Best wishes,

Reinier de Blois
United Bible Societies