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  • From: Revdpickrel AT wmconnect.com
  • To: mshulman AT ix.netcom.com, b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 3:15 and order of ideas
  • Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 20:55:12 EST

In a message dated 12/21/2004 7:15:54 PM Central Standard Time,
mshulman AT ix.netcom.com writes:


>
> If one interprets when translating one can make a verse mean anything. The
> word 'conceive' is not there. The problem of the language implying the
> female having 'seed' led to a number of interesting comments by the Rabbis.
>

"zara, in both its verb and noun
Transliterated: zara'

Text: "to sow, scatter seed, make pregnant." Common throughout the history
of the Hebrew language, this root is found in various Semitic languages,
including ancient Akkadian. The verb is found approximately 60 times in the
Hebrew
Old Testament. It occurs first in Gen. 1:29 in the summary of the blessings
of
creation which God has given to mankind: "... In the which is the fruit of a
tree yielding seed...."
In an agricultural society such as ancient Israel, zara' would be most
important and very commonly used, especially to describe the annual sowing of
crops
(Judg. 6:3; Gen. 26:12). Used in the figurative sense, it is said that Yahweh
"will sow" Israel in the land (Hos. 2:23); in the latter days, Yahweh
promises: "...I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the
seed of
man, and with the seed of beast" (Jer. 31:27). Of great continuing comfort
are
the words, "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy" (Ps. 126:5). The
universal law of the harvest, sowing and reaping, applies to all areas of
life and
experience.
A good example of the need for free translation of the inherent meaning
rather than a strictly literal rendering involves zara, in both its verb and
noun
forms. This is found in Num. 5, which describes the law of trial by ordeal in
the case of a wife accused of infidelity. If she was found innocent, it was
declared: "... She shall be free, and shall conceive [zara] seed [zera]"
(Num.
5:28). This phrase is literally: "She shall be acquitted and shall be seeded
seed," or "She shall be made pregnant with seed."
An Old Testament name, Jezreel, has been connected with this root. Jezreel
("God sows") refers both to a city and valley near Mt. Gilboa (Josh. 17:16; 2
Sam. 2:9) and to the symbolically named son of Hosea (Hos. 1:4)."

Doug Pickrel
Tejas Valley
San Antonio, TX




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