Biblical Hebrew Forum

[<tladatsi AT charter.net>]

I am curious, did I understand someone to say that Hebrew 
words cannot have more than one meaning, hence pun and 
double entendres are not possible?  It seems to me that 
many parts of the Pentateuch abound in puns and double 
entendres, particularly if read with an un-pointed text.

Genesis 25:25 seems a good example.  Taking the NLT 
translation as it is close at hand, it reads: The first was 
very red at birth. He was covered with so much hair that 
one would think he was wearing a piece of clothing. So they 
called him Esau.

Esau is born red ? ?DM - and is the ancestor of the nation 
of Edom ? ?DM.   Further, Esau trades his birthright away 
for a bowl of red (lentel) stew -?DM which earned him the 
nickname ? ?DM.  Although the words are pronounced somewhat 
differently, they all look (un-pointed) exactly the same. 

Reverse ambiguity is exploited in the same story. Esau is 
born hairy - $?R.   The nation of Edom was found on the 
land of Seir - $?YR  which sounds very much like the word 
for hair -  $?R.  Also spelled somewhat differently, they 
are pronounced very similarly.

Similar double meanings are played out Eden.  The serpent 
was crafty ? ?RWM and Adam and Eve were naked ? ?RWM.  It 
was the serpents craftiness that exposed Adam and Eve?s 
nakedness.  Once more, the ambiguity in the un-pointed text 
and a very slight difference in pronunciation, is used to 
make a point.


Jack Tladatsi