Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Vadim Cherny" <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>]

> > > 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.

Well, I wasn't there. One reason is, of course, philosophical; no magic. 
Another is that that reading is plausible, consistent with other entries of 
hih l, and conforms to dative meaning of l.

> > > 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".

Naphtali didn't drive out Canaanites, as he had to. He lived *among* the 
Canaanites.
Another possibility is that mas here means "tributary."
Overall, Naphtali tolerated the locals against some benefits. The locals, 
however, were not tributaries in the proper military sense, nor forced labor 
as property-less 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.

It's odd to hear such things from you, Yigal. Boaz took Ruth to restore the 
seed of Elimelech (4:6). That was a standard procedure regarding a childless 
wife of one's brother. It wasn't marriage proper. Buying that obligation is 
not prescribed in Torah, but was apparently practiced.

Vadim Cherny