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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Leviral marriage

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: bill.rea AT canterbury.ac.nz
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Leviral marriage
  • Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 23:07:04 +0100

On 25/10/2005 21:29, Bill Rea wrote:

George wrote:-


2 Samuel 12.8 (ESV) - Yahweh's words to David through Nathan:

And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your
arms ...


I have noticed that some translators go weak at the knees with this
verse. I'll only cite one, the NASB:-

8.`I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into
your care,

Hmmm, care? How polite!


Actually it seems that ESV's "arms" is the polite version. The word is XEYQ, "bosom". Of course the word has metaphorical senses, but they relate not to anything sexual, but to care. The same word is used in verse 3 of how the lamb slept in the poor man's bosom, which clearly implies care rather than bestiality, cf. also Isaiah 40:11. So, while NASB is unusually non-literal here, this is a justifiable explanation of the metaphor.

It is worth remembering that Saul's wives would probably have been rather old by the time David succeeded Saul, old enough to be David's mother and including the mother of his friend Jonathan. David already had his own nubile young wives. Why would he have taken Saul's wives to be his own wives? It makes much more sense that he took on caring for them as widows.

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





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