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  • From: "B. M. Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>
  • To: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The translation of ehyeh
  • Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 16:24:03 -0400

Thank you Peter for adding some helpful details to the discussion.

I can also add that in all the uses of ehyeh in the Scriptures only Exo 3:14 and Hos 14:6 use the word in the clause-initial position. Most especially, I notice in YHWH's speech, ehyeh (when in an independent clause) is usually preceded by pleonastic 'ani or 'anokiy. I take this information as a signal to read Exo 3:14's ehyeh as special, suspecting that it is an expression of desire (a cohortative) rather than knowledge. I take ehyeh 'asher ehyeh to mean, "I intend to be what I always am." Of course, "be" and "am" are not entirely equivalent to the use of the root hyh in Exo 3:14.

Shalom,
Bryan

Peter Kirk wrote:
On 05/08/2005 11:12, B. M. Rocine wrote:

...


I am not sure what you mean by "sequential yiqtols." In my posts about Isaiah 52-53 and Psa 107, I tried to maintain a consistent interpretation of clause-initial yiqtols as volitive. I think there were a couple of exceptions.


...

This model has import for the study of syntax and verbal semantics. An interesting pattern emerges of we study the distribution of clause types in BH. Most of the BH genres have a mainline of communication that utilizes a verb-first clause type. Historical narrative discourse uses the wayyiqtol; Predictive narrative uses the weqatal; Hortatory discourse uses clause-initial forms based on the yiqtol like the imperative, jussive, and cohortative, to name a few.


Bryan, are you effectively saying that the volitive clause-initial YIQTOLs you refer to are jussives and cohortatives? In that case, they will typically be based on an apocopated or shortened form of YIQTOL which, at least according to one widespread theory, has a quite different origin form regular YIQTOL. And so that would explain why the same surface form has two different meanings - the forms were originally different but have come together because of phonological change.

In fact the situation is a little more complex for the first EHYEH, if this is in fact to be understood as cohortative, for this is a "lamed-he" verb which has a distinct apocopated form. The cohortative is generally formed from the (rare) 1st person of the jussive with a suffixed he. The 3rd person jussive of HYH is Y:HIY (Genesis 1:3 etc). No cohortative version is attested, but one would expect the consonants )HYH, as in Ehyeh, and probably in fact the same form Ehyeh. So the first Ehyeh could be cohortative, and the sentence could be translated "Let me be what I am", which might well mean something like "Don't try to control me!"


--
B. M. Rocine
Living Word Chruch
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13026
(W): 315.437.6744




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