Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 06:25:53 -0500 "Stoney Breyer"
<stoneyb AT touchwood.net> writes:
> 
> From: George F. Somsel [mailto:gfsomsel AT juno.com] 
> I hardly think the veil served to foster the impression that Tamar 
> was a
> prostitute (of whatever sort) though it would have served to 
> disguise
> her.  Rather, I think it was the fact that she was sitting beside 
> the
> road that gave this impression.  Consider Jer. 3.2
> 
> But George, the text SAYS that the veil was the source of the
> impression. It doesn't say he took her for a working girl because 
> she
> was hanging out on a street corner (though that doubtless 
> contributed to
> the impression) - it says he took her for a working girl because of 
> what
> she was wearing.
_______________________________________________

That is one meaning of K.iY, and even the one which most immediately
comes to mind; but I'm not sure it's the correct meaning in this passage
due to the fact that it seems that a prostitute's "place of business" was
beside the road and because it was not only prostitutes who wore a veil. 
Perhaps the reason it says that Judah thought she was a prostitute, if
one chooses the meaning "because" for K.iY is that he was not able to
recognize her and thereby know that she was not a prostitute.

george
gfsomsel