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  • From: Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] prepositions & grammar
  • Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 21:17:33 +0200


----- 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






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