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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Amalekites again!

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Amalekites again!
  • Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 23:13:46 +0100

On 12/07/2004 15:29, Harold R. Holmyard III wrote:

...

HH: The reason Israel is to remember Amalek is so that they will destroy them later when they are in a position to do so. God wants to judge Amalek. By destroying them Israel will as a result be instrumental in the memory of them fading.


Surely there is more to "blotting out the memory" than simply allowing them to be forgotten - something which hasn't happened, and would in fact have been more likely to happen if Moses had not commanded them to be remembered! I expect that the meaning is in fact in this context more like terminating their family line, with "memory" as a metonymy for "posterity". In fact there may be a deliberate play on words between ZEKER "memory", the word used in Deut 25:19, and ZAKAR "male". The thought is obviously similar to 1 Kings 14:10 although the exact words are different.

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





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