Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Charles Rempel" <CharlesR AT mygalaxyexpress.com>]

> >>Dave Washburn
> >>Actually, when God asks Satan "have you considered my servant
> >>Job?  Look how
> >>great he is. Makes your blood boil, doesn't it?????"  (my paraphrase,
> >>obviously) it almost appears that God is taunting Satan, daring
> >>him to make
> >>an accusation.  In both chapters, it is God, not Satan, who 
> brings up the
> >>subject of Job.  What do you do with that?
> >>
> >Charles D. Rempel
> >Actually the Hebrew says, "Have you set your heart on my servant Job?" A
> >little different perspective then is implied by the English translation.

> > D. Jim West
> True- but in a woodenly literalistic way.  Or are you suggesting that 
> satan pulled out his heart and placed it on job or that that was what 
> god was asking?  of course not- its an idiomatic phrase- quite correctly 
> rendered in english by "considered" in this context.  further- you say 
> "the Hebrew says... " and then you give an english translation.  In 
> point of fact the Hebrew doesn't say anything in English, it says it in 
> Hebrew.  More correctly you should have said, "the hebrew suggests an 
> english translation which would go something like this....."  I realize 
> that sound pedantic- and in a way it is- but its precision we should 
> strive for- and since that is what youve asked of Dave, that's what 
> should be required of you.

Actually, I had never considered the totally literal thought of taking ones 
heart out and "setting" it anywhere. While idiomatically it may well be that 
"considered" is a good translation, there is a possible inference that God is 
approaching Satan and bringing up the topic. I think that "what the Hebrew 
suggests" is that Satan had already carefully "considered" Job and therefore, 
in good English idiom, "set his heart" on testing Job.

Charles D. Rempel