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  • From: "Heard, Christopher" <Christopher.Heard AT pepperdine.edu>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] physical attributes, was Doctorates (PhD or ThD?)
  • Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2005 11:35:54 -0700

Karl,

Personally, I think that your description below of the _function_ of phrases like "upraised arm" and "open eyes" and so on is quite correct, and is extremely useful when translating the text, especially if one is aiming at a "dynamic equivalence" type of translation (a sort of work with which I am involved, on the back end, in the production of "easy to read" versions in various languages). Yet I don't think that really answers the question of whether writers who used such locutions really believed that God had an "arm" to "lift," or "eyes" to "open," etc.

Chris

On Sep 6, 2005, at 7:47 AM, Karl Randolph wrote:

I have read a third option, with which I
agree, which states that often the
references to body parts refer not to the
physical objects, but to actions. An
"upraised arm" is one that is involved with
action, such as work or warring. "Open eyes"
are looking. A reference to "feet" points to
movement. And so forth.

I wonder if metaphor is a sufficient term to
apply to such thinking? In a society where
action seems to have been the basis of
thought (contrast to most Western philosophy
where form, hence also physical, forms the
basis of consideration), would not much that
we would take as descriptions of form be
references to actions? It seems so to me.

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Kirk" <peterkirk AT qaya.org>


On 06/09/2005 02:08, Kevin Graham wrote:

...



Ancient Judaism understood God anthropomorphically. He had human
form. Yahweh was enthroned in the temple, and had humanity
created after his image. This eventually took a drastic turn
towards the abstract, however, when Judaism became hellenized.
Particularly with Arisobulus.



I think you would have to work hard to support your thesis that anyone,
at least in the theological mainstream which condemned idolatry,
believed that Yahweh had literal body parts, that the language about his
body parts is to be understood as anything other than metaphorical.
Sure, the Hebrew Bible authors could write for example that God had eyes
- but also that these eyes run around, 2 Chronicles 16:9 and Zechariah
4:10. This can only be metaphorical language.


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


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--
R. Christopher Heard
Assistant Professor of Religion
Seaver Fellow in Religion
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California 90263-4352
Professional Web Page: http://faculty.pepperdine.edu/cheard
Internet Resource Index: http://www.iTanakh.org
Personal Web Page: http://www.heardworld.com





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