Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] 2 Kings 18:16 - Pillars??

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Jim West <jwest AT highland.net>
  • To: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>, b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] 2 Kings 18:16 - Pillars??
  • Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 17:38:36 -0500



Peter Kirk wrote:

Not necessarily. The word as written may well be a participle of 'MN "support", and so would suggest something like "supports", rather than "doorposts" which support only doors.

And what pray tell do you think the posts are supporting?

But there are many other concepts which could fit the context. The BHS margin notes a Latin version "clypeos", meaning "shields"; the suggestion there is that this is a textual error for MAGINNOT - not the French defensive line, but the Hebrew equivalent, "shields" - but quite possible 'OMEN could mean "shield", as an extension of "what is relied upon".

Which makes no sense in the context and is dismissed by many commentators.

And from 1 Kings 14:26-28 we have evidence of gold shields associated with royalty and the temple - replaced with bronze by Rehoboam, but it is quite plausible that Hezekiah had restored gold or at least gold-plated shields.

There was no reason for the author to avoid the normal words for "pillar" for variety, as the normal words are not used in the nearby context.

So if it's not nearby its not in mind. Out of sight, out of mind authorship and exegesis eh?

Of course the same applies to the normal words for "shield". But the fact remains that we have a word whose meaning can only be guessed at, and the context gives us no good reason to prefer "pillar", "doorpost", "shield", or perhaps other suggestions.

The context gives us good reason- but we are agreed that the word is ambiguous. Only it's not as ambiguous as you would have it- apparently for the sake of argument.


LXX, by the way, translates with a passive participle, "strengthened things", although in Hebrew the participle is passive.

The LXX is to the Hebrew text what the Living Bible is to the english.

--
Jim West

Biblical Studies Resources - http://web.infoave.net/~jwest
Biblical Theology Weblog - http://biblical-studies.blogspot.com





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page