Biblical Hebrew Forum

[ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben Crick)]

On Thu 28 Apr 2005 , tladatsi AT charter.net wrote:
> How do we translate *paqadetiy*?  I will punish, I will  visit iniquity
> upon, I will settle accounts, I will pay  attention to, I will charge
> guilt, I have remembered, I  have marked, I have considered - are all
> options that have  been offered.  Does changing the translation of the
> this  one verb change the general thrust of the story any?

 I must confess that I have not been following this thread very carefully,
 so others may have already made the point which I am making now.

 The point is not that the Amalekites have committed this or that sin in the
 past, but that they presented an ongoing threat to Israel. God placed a "ban"
 on them, a XeReM (Deuteronomy 25:17-19; 1 Samuel 15:3). This meant that the
 whole tribe was to be devoted to destruction unto the LORD. It was given to
 Saul to execute the ban, and he failed: although rightly he took care that
 the Kenites were not involved in the slaughter (Numbers 24:20-21). Saul
 was the one commanded to "visit" PQD the Amalekites with destruction in the
 name of the LORD.

 XeReM is the opposite to CaDDiQ. Whereas Israel was CaDDiQ unto the LORD,
 Jericho (for example) was a XeReM unto the LORD, and had to be totally
 destroyed. Only the family of Rahab the harlot was saved alive. But Achan
 took a garment, some gold and some silver for himself, and hid them under
 his tent (Joshua 7:21). This caused big trouble to Joshua and his army until
 Achan confessed and was dealt with. He too came under the Jericho ban, as did
 Hiel the Bethelite who tried to rebuild Jericho later (Joshua 6:26, 1 Kings
 16:34).

 Compare the destruction of all the earth in the Flood. Noah and his family,
 and a representative menagerie of animals were carefully spared. Methuselah
 the oldest of all had to die before it happened. All that time the ark was
 a-building, to save all who would heed the invitation to enter it and be
 saved. Only eight did so.

 Compare the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim. Righteous Lot
 preached to them until finally some angels were sent to conduct Lot and his
 immediate family to safety. Lot's wife and two sons-in-law failed to make it.

 Finally God will visit his wrath upon the objects of the XeReM. His mercy
 waits many years before the blow falls; there is a way of salvation for those
 who will take it. In wrath God remembers mercy; but now in 1 Samuel 15 time
 is up for Amaleq. Saul failed; it was an Amalekite who claimed to have killed
 him (2 Samuel 1). Saul also came under the Amalekite XeReM for his failure.

 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF                                       ZFC Lu
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