Biblical Hebrew Forum

["B. M. Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>]

B-Haverim,

SCORE TIED 6-6 WITH HEBREWS WINNING?

Thanks for the discussion!  Here is a review of the "midwives" thread. 
Of course folks are weighing the evidence as they see fit.  Am I 
forgetting amything?  Any more comments?

For Hebrew midwives:

1a.  the patakh under the first lamed of _lamyalldot_ indicates 
_ha`ibriyyot_ must be an adjective.
1b.  We don't like to tamper with the MT.
2.  the LXX.
3.  other translation tradition.
4.  traditional Jewish commentary.
5.  the midwives feared God.
6.  the names are likely Semitic in origin.

For Egyptian midwives:

If we change the patakh under the lamed to hireq, the expression 
_limyalldot ha`ibriyyot_ becomes a construct chain translatable as "the 
midwives of the Hebrews."  This change would not necessitate the 
midwives being Hebrews, but it opens the door to their being Egyptians. 
Support includes:

1.  Pharaoh was surprised they didn't obey.
2.  The midwives engaged in critical talk about Egyptian women.
3.  It's easier to imagine Pharaoh would ask Egyptian women to kill 
Hebrew children.
4.  They are twice mentioned as fearing God as if it is remarkable.
5.  The expression in v. 21 "and He made them houses" seems more worth 
saying if the "them" are non-Hebrews.
6.  A rule for narration may exist whereby participants in a following 
narrative must first be introduced in the indefinite before they are named.



Shalom,
Bryan

                

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B. M. Rocine
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