Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George F. Somsel" <gfsomsel AT juno.com>]

On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 22:03:55 +0200 "Shai Heijmans" <shaih AT post.tau.ac.il>
writes:
> Hi all,
> 
> I would like to hear your opinion about an idea I have regarding 
> Isaiah
> 8:16.
> 
> All translations identify "limmuday" with "desciples" (NRSV gives: 
> "bind
> up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples"), as do 
> HALOT
> and BDB.
> 
> Yet it doesn't really fit: if the disciples will get the law, why 
> should
> it be *sealed* in them?
> 
> I propose to interpret "limmudim" as "covering", a meaning this word 
> had
> in Mishnaic Hebrew. E.g.: 
> 
> Mo'ed Qatan 2,2: Rabbi Yehuda omer, ose lo *limmudim* bishvil shelo
> yexmats ("R. Judah says: He may make for it a covering of shingles 
> so
> that the wine shall not turn sour").
> 
> If we take that meaning of limmudim, then the verse makes more 
> sense:
> "bind up the testimony, seal the teaching with a covering"
> 
> Does anyone know if this was propsed before?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Shai
> 
_____________

Where do you get this information?   A glance a Jastrow shows

LiM.W.D, LiM.W.DiYM, LiM.W.DiYN, v. LiM.W.DW., LiM.W.DiYM

When this is viewed I see

LiYM.W.D, LiM.W.D m. (b.h. LfMaD) teaching, learning, study (interch.
with TLMYD) training, habit. Kidd. 40b . . .

There is also

LiYM.W.DiYM, LiYM.DiYN, LiM.' m. pl. (LfMaD) [junctions] 1) mortised
shingles or boards used as frames . . .

It is a bit of a stretch from "mortised shingles or boards used as
frames" to covering, but I see nothing else even that close.

gfsomsel