Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 05/09/2004 01:30, Karl Randolph wrote:

> George:
>
> The general term )RC did not refer specifically to the land of Canaan, rather 
> to any land. For example, Genesis 41:30, 31, 34 uses )RC which, in context, 
> refers to Egypt and not Canaan.
>
> Where a specific, named land was meant, we find )RC followed by the name of 
> the country unless the context otherwise indicates the land’s identity. I 
> don’t know when )RC when unnamed started to refer specifically to the land of 
> Israel or of Judea, but as far as I can tell, that practice started after 
> Tanakh was completed. ...

I don't know either, but there do seem to be cases in the Tanakh where 
H'RC is used of the land of Israel when not specified in the immediate 
context, e.g. Deut 1:21. Lev 19:29, Zec 12:12 (and I only looked at a 
small sample here), also in the phrase `AM-HA'AREC in Gen 23:7,12,13, 
Num 14:9, 2 Kings 11:18,19, 15:5, 16:15, 21:24, Ezk 7:27 - a phrase used 
of non-Israelites and Israelites but never of another land.


--
Peter Kirk
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peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
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