Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear Karl,

>  > HH: It's believed to be a different word in Hebrew, from a different
>  > root having to do with what is split, pierced, or slit.
>
> Where's the evidence for such a root? What other words
> is that alternate root used in?


HH: Here's the HAL note on it:

II h‡rm: Arb. hÓarama to split, pierce, }ahÓram 
with a perforated nasal septum; Akk. n.m. 
HÓurummu (Holma Personennamen 59).
		qal: pt. pass. (or adj., BL 471u, 
w; Sam. {a¦rom) h‡a¦ru®m with a slit nose Lv 
21:18: ˜ h‡ƒru®map‰. Ý
		hif: pf. heh‡§r–îm: to divide (a 
part of the sea, cf. Ex 14:16 Driver JTS 32:251, 
alt. cj. heh‡§r–îb‰): Is 11:15. Ý
        Der. II h‡e¦rem, h‡*re¦m, h‡a¦r§ma¦h, h‡ermo®n (?).

HH: So other texts are Isa. 11:15 and Exod 14:16, 
but Driver's idea in Ex 14:16 seems wrong, where 
it is the Hiphil of RWM. This root was recognized 
when BDB was put together; it mentions an Arabic 
cognate meaning to "perforate, pierce, slit the 
partition between the nostrils, or the lip, or 
the lobe of the ear." The Dictionary of Classical 
Hebrew also recognizes the root, as do 
translations (NET, HCSB).

                                        Yours,
                                        Harold Holmyard