Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 26/04/2005 16:13, Heard, Christopher wrote:

> ...
>
> (2) explaining the intrusive 'aleph--which is probably a simple explanation,
> but it is a departure from the normal spelling of כרה/KRH, which is a
> necessary step to accomplishing #1; 
>
>  
At the time of the DSS this would have been a normal spelling - the long 
A indicated by an alef mater lectionis. Such spellings are common in the 
DSS. The odd thing here is that this alef is also found in the MT, if 
only in ten out of fifteen manuscripts. There are usually no alef matres 
lectionis in MT. Perhaps this indicates that there were such alefs in 
the proto-MT, as indeed the DSS as well as this Nahal Hever text seem to 
show, and that at a later stage these alefs were purged out. And perhaps 
this alef was not completely purged because by the time of the purge it 
was being read as a root alef rather than a mater lectionis - perhaps 
because the word final vav had already been corrupted to a yod, leading 
to the understanding "like a lion".

And thank you for your comments about Psalm 40:7. You have made a good 
case for the meaning being "you removed the blockage from my ear". Maybe 
the phrase was used for clearing out ear wax. So I agree that this does 
not necessarily support the meaning "pierce". On the other hand, if the 
meaning "pierce" is established for Psalm 22:16, that leaves open an 
alternative interpretation of 40:7.

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



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