Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vadim Cherny" <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>
To: <kgraham0938 AT comcast.net>; <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2005 9:06 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] prepositions & grammar


> Sure. But notice the pattern correctly, not only in part: hih l is not
> "something became something else," but "something became similar to (as)
> something else." This is well established, sure, the comparative sense,
> consistent with dative (lit., 'similar to whom').
> If a pile of dust was made a living soul, then the notion "similar to" is
> inapplicable. Through patent magic, the dust actually became a living 
> being,
> not similar to it. A plausible way of reading "similar to" into the phrase
> is that the man who was 'similar to dead" from draught became 'similar to
> living' when taken to Eden.
>
> > Sorry for jumping in so late in the convo, but it seems to me that no one
> > is ignoring the preposition here.  What I find is that whenever you have
> > HAYAH + L: = Become.
> >
> > If you look at any of the examples given by Michael Abernathy, I think 
> > you
> > will discover the pattern.
> >
> > Exodus 4:3 WAY:HIY L:NAXA$ = and it became a serpent.
>
> No! The rod became like a serpent, not actually a serpent. No magic here.

How do you deduce that? It then devoured the other serpents.

> > Joshua 7:5 WAY:HIY L:MAYIM = and the heart of the people became water.
>
> Like water, of course

Of course.

> > Judges 1:33  WB"YT `A:NAT HAYW LAHEM LAMAS =  and Beth Anath became 
> > forced
> > labor for them.
>
> like slaves, not actually slaves

Why not? Assuming that "forced labor" means "slaves".

> > Ruth 4:13 VAYYIQAX BO`AZ ET RWT VATT:HIY-LW = and Boaz took Ruth and she
> > became to him.
>
> you know, she did not actually become his wife

WHAT? Of course she did. Look at the next word: Le'i$$ah. Look also at vss. 
10-11. You might not like the idea of "buying" a wife, but wife she was.


> > So, I don't think anyone is ignoring anything, just noticing a pattern.
> > That HAYAH + L: = Become.

Quite so. And sometimes used figuratively.


Yigal
>