Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

On Sun, 8 Aug 2004 22:09:58 -0400 John Cordaro <jcordaro AT intergate.com>
writes:
> Can someone please elaborate on Eccl 12:1 and Isaiah 54:5. Is it true 
> 
> that "Creator" is plural in Eccl 12:1 and "husband" and "Maker" are 
> 
> plural in Is 54:5?
> If so, how does one determine it is plural and how should we then 
> understand these verses? Is it similar to a plural of majesty or are 
> we 
> to believe there are two Creators (or more) which is contrary to Is 
> 
> 44:24 which states YHWH created "alone" and by Himself?
> 
> Thanks,
> John
> 
> _______________________________________________

Eccl. 12.1
W.Z:CoR )eT_B.oWR:)eYKf B.iYM"YM"Y B.XW.RoTeYKf . . .

Is 54.5
K.iY Bo(a:LaYiK . . . 

In both these passages there is a common phenomenon -- the words with
which you are concerned are masc. pl. parts. in the construct state with
suffixes.  This is evidenced by the Yod preceeding the suffix.   I would
recommend that you study the changes that occur when a word is in the
construct state.

george
gfsomsel
>From jacksonpollock AT earthlink.net  Mon Aug  9 02:26:21 2004
Return-Path: <jacksonpollock AT earthlink.net>
Delivered-To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Received: from invasion.mail.pas.earthlink.net
        (invasion.mail.pas.earthlink.net [207.217.120.254])
        by happyhouse.metalab.unc.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP id 20F3420018
        for <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>; Mon,  9 Aug 2004 02:26:21 -0400 
(EDT)
Received: from dialup-4.242.39.48.dial1.seattle1.level3.net ([4.242.39.48])
        by invasion.mail.pas.earthlink.net with asmtp (Exim 4.34)
        id 1Bu3bw-0000Js-GA; Sun, 08 Aug 2004 23:26:21 -0700
User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.1.2418
Date: Sun, 08 Aug 2004 23:27:45 -0700
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Hebrew plural
From: "C. Stirling Bartholomew" <jacksonpollock AT earthlink.net>
To: John Cordaro <jcordaro AT intergate.com>,
        <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <BD3C6771.1F31%jacksonpollock AT earthlink.net>
In-Reply-To: <BD3C4FC9.1F2B%jacksonpollock AT earthlink.net>
Mime-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
X-ELNK-Trace: 
4a003e31c918500651d1d9fd3a13d0e594f5150ab1c16ac08f4233f47979de26ab04f40cc4eb2f48f419008e4a773a24350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c
X-Originating-IP: 4.242.39.48
Cc: 
X-BeenThere: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.4
Precedence: list
List-Id: Hebrew Bible List <b-hebrew.lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew>,
        <mailto:b-hebrew-request AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew>
List-Post: <mailto:b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Help: <mailto:sympa AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=HELP>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew>,
        <mailto:b-hebrew-request AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 09 Aug 2004 06:26:21 -0000

On 8/8/04 9:46 PM, "C. Stirling Bartholomew" <jacksonpollock AT earthlink.net>
wrote:

> RE: Eccl 12:1
> 
> BR) shows up as a participle in the following places:
> 
> Is. 40:28 Is. 42:5 Is. 43:1 Is. 43:15 Is. 45:7 Is. 45:18 Is. 57:19 Is. 65:17
> Is. 65:18 Amos 4:13 Psa. 102:19 Eccl. 12:1
> 
> Only in Eccl 12:1 is it a plural.

BR) as a finite verb shows up as a plural only in Nifal (passive).

Ex. 34:10 Is. 48:7 Psa. 148:5 Psa. 104:30

I could find no infinitives of BR) with a plural agent.

I am no expert on ANE cosmology but searching my memory on pagan creation
myths I could not remember any with multiple creators. Perhaps someone else
can provide an example.


greetings,
Clay Bartholomew