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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 37:15

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: Vadim Cherny <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 37:15
  • Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 00:13:34 +0100

On 25/09/2005 10:18, Vadim Cherny wrote:

Can we translate Gen37:15:
A man asked him, asking, "What dost thou will?"


Not into modern English, you can't. This should be: A man asked him, "What do you want?"

Well, according to BDB there seems to be just one case in the Hebrew Bible of BQ$ Piel with just an object meaning "desire, demand", 1 Chronicles 21:3. So that meaning cannot be ruled out. But considering the context, a man finding Joseph wandering around looking for something rather than asking for anything, it seems far more probable that the sense here is the commonest one of BQ$ Piel, namely: ..."What are you looking for?"

And in either case the sense is entirely present, not future at all.

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





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