Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Heard, Christopher" <Christopher.Heard AT pepperdine.edu>]

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