Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 19/08/2004 03:40, Eduard C Hanganu wrote:

> ...
>
> You mention Isaiah 28:10,13 as an example of a "deliberately 
> nonsensical passage." How did you  reach such a conclusion? In most 
> English translations this passage makes rather good sense, the way I 
> understand it. What is your reading of this text?


It is a common interpretation of the words quoted here: CAW LFCFW CAW 
LFCFW QAV LFQFW QAW LFQFW that they are in v.10 a representation of the 
speakers' incomprehensible mutterings, a bit like "rhubarb, rhubarb" in 
English, and that the point of v.13 (cf. v.11) is that their foreign 
conquerors' speech will be similarly incomprehensible.

For support, see for example JPS Tanakh "mutter upon mutter, murmur upon 
murmur", and BDB s.v. QAW "mimicry of Isaiah's words, perh. senseless". 
I have seen more elsewhere but I can't find it now.


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