Biblical Hebrew Forum

["B. M. Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>]

Hi Luke, you wrote:

> The Hebrew sentence in question, without the vowels, is as follows: -
> brzl bbrzl yhd w'yš yhd pny r'hw

> The dispute is over the vowel points in Hebrew word that's translated
> traditionally as 'sharpens', or possibly as 'united'. Without the
> vowel points the Hebrew word is '  yhd  ', I think (sorry if that's
> not how the MCW puts it).

Actually, I don't see what vowels have to do with it.  Even with the vowels 
as in the BHS, the word is ambiguous, meaning "together" or "it (he) 
sharpens."

> So (if you could actaully follow that!), is it possible that Prov.
> 27:17 could be read as "Iron in iron is united and a man is united to
> faces of his friend"?

I think it's possible.  We might think of this as a paraphrase:  "iron with 
iron is welded; [likewise,] a man is inseperable from his friend."


Shalom, Bryan

B. M. Rocine
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13206

ph: 315.437.6744
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