Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dave Washburn <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

On Wednesday 21 July 2004 16:17, Karl Randolph wrote:
> To All:
>
> This is a hapax legomai lexeme in Tanakh, do we have any clues as to its
> definition?
>
> “A gift in secret ??? anger, and a bribe in the bosom (???) strong fury.”
>
> Why is the gift in secret, unless neither the giver nor the givee want it
> to be known that the gift was made? Why wouldn’t they want the gift to be
> known? Similarly, a bribe in the bosom is being hidden. Why, if not to
> pervert justice?  What is the typical reaction when people see injustice
> being practiced, if not fury?

A "gift in secret" is a clear term for a bribe.  It's obvious, then, why they 
don't want the gift to be known.  The part about perverting justice is a bit 
of eisegesis that isn't in the text.  The question is, whose 
wrath/anger/fury/whatever?  The most likely candidate is the one receiving 
the gift or bribe.

> Hence, from the context, I read this term as having the definition of
> “excite” or “inflame”.

Uh-uh.  Every lexical tool available indicates that both the root and the 
surface word mean "pacify," from a base meaning of "bend."  Hence, the bribe 
turns away or appeases anger.

-- 
Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
Insert clever epigram here...or not