Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Mark Eddy" <markeddy AT adams.net>]

On Fri 23 Sep 2005 (17:36:18), markeddy AT adams.net wrote:
> Thus the translation into English would be literally "Troubles enlarge
> my heart."

Ben Crick wrote:   Like emphysema?    ;-)

Ah yes, there's the problem of taking figures of speech literally!
Perhaps more idiomatic English would be "Troubles give me a bigger heart."
One problem with translating from Hebrew to English is that Hebrew locates
various emotions in body parts, far more than English does. So the Hebrew
word for the body part of a sacrificial animal (for example) would be the
same word used for human emotions. I think that the English concept of
"having a big heart" might catch some of the Hebrew idiom. Though in English
this tends to mean that the person is altruistic, while the Hebrew
expression seems to me to include increased courage on the part of the
writer. Wasn't there a "Richard the lion-hearted" somewhere in English
history?
Thanks for pointing out this all-too-easily-made misunderstanding.
Thanks also to Steve Miller for pointing out that examples 1) & 2) in my
original post are reversed.
Mark Eddy