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  • From: Reinier de Blois <editor AT sdbh.org>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] RE: "their altars" or "his/its altars"?
  • Date: Fri, 04 Mar 2005 08:06:16 +0100

Hi Michael,

You could argue that the singular possessive pronoun refers back to the singular YOWSHEB "inhabitant" in verse 12, which functions as a collective: a singular form with a plural meaning. Therefore neither the singular nor the plural possessives are incorrect.

Best wishes,

Reinier de Blois

Deborah Millier wrote:

Dear B-Hebrew List Members,

KiY )eT-MiZB:XoTaM TiToCW.N W)eT-MfC"BoTaM T:SfB"RW.N W)eT-):aS"RaYW TiK:RoTw.N

(Please note what I highlight in *astericks* in my
translation:)

"For their altars you [all] shall tear down, and their
standing stones you [all] shall shatter, and *his/its*
Asherahs you [all] shall cut [down]" (Exo. 34:13).

Now, of the very few English versions I checked, they
all rendered ):aS"RaYW as "*their*
Asherahs"--implying of course that the Asherahs
belonged to or were in some relationship to the listed
idolatrous inhabitants of the land (34:12). But, if
I'm not mistaken, it would be better translated "his
Asherahs" or "its Asherahs," right? Even if I'm
reading the syntax correctly, I still can't find in
the immediate context to whom or what these Asherahs
might have been related or belonged, the other nouns
in the verse being feminine and plural. My questions
then are:

1) Is there any good reason to read ):aS"RaYW here
as a plural possessive?

2) If not, then to whom or what might these Asherahs
belong or be related?

3) Any suggestions/corrections on how to better read
the raw data?

--Michael Millier
Manila, Philippines


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  • [b-hebrew] RE: "their altars" or "his/its altars"?, Reinier de Blois, 03/04/2005

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