Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Maurice A. O'Sullivan" <mauros AT iol.ie>]

At 08:18 27/07/2004, Yigal Levin wrote:

> The Jewish commentators, such as Kimhi, seem to understand the word as 
> meaning "to hold back", "I hold back my sorrow". This, by the way, is the 
> meaning that has been adopted into modern Hebrew.
>
> So: does BLG mean strength, comfort, cheer, sorrow or holding back?

Yigal:

You may be interested in the following note in:
Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains 
: Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.) (HGK4443). Oak Harbor: Logos 
Research Systems, Inc.

>>
_mabligit_
note: text considered difficult to derive meaning by commentators, for text 
solutions other than MT, see bhs ftn, and WBC25:137; 2. LN 25.146-25.155 
comfort, encouragement as an attitude or emotion (Jer 8:18+), note: context 
would not support well this meaning, see prior entry, or emend text <<

And long before that dictionary appeared, BDB cast doubt on the text: >>Je 
8:18 a source of brightening to me in sorrow; but text dub<<.

Maurice A. O'Sullivan  [ Bray, Ireland ]
mauros AT iol.ie