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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Zech 6:8
  • Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 08:13:42 -0600

Dear Steve,

Steve,
While your translation is possible, the following "and he spoke to me" tends to confirm the usual "and he called to me" or something like it. When in doubt (and in any case!), look at the context.
Yigal

----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Miller" <smille10 AT sbcglobal.net>To: "B-Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2005 4:56 AMSubject: [b-hebrew] Zech 6:8

> The first part of Zech 6:8, ÂÃȐÃʍÚ՗ÝÝýð™¦È, is mostly translated "And > he> cried out to me", which translates the hiphil verb as though it was qal. > And> treats the ýð™¦È as an indirect object rather than a direct object.>>>> A few translations (Jubilee2000, YLT, Stone Tanach) translate it, as "And> he called me" which is similar to the way the hiphil verb is translated in> Judges 4:10 & 13.>>>> Why doesn't any translation translate it as, "and it [or He] caused me to> cry out" which seems to be the most straightforward and the most > meaningful?> This would attach the first part of verse 8 to the end of verse 7. The> strong horses going to & fro through the earth in verse 7 caused Zechariah> to cry out due to the great suffering caused by the strong horses.>>>> Thank you,>> -Steve Miller,>>


HH: This might be a case like section 27.3c in Waltke-O'Connor describes, where a Hiphil verb expecting two objects drops one. Just as a verb that is ordinarily transitive in the Qal can appear without an object, so Hiphils that normally take two objects can appear with only one, which is usually a person. Waltke-O'Connor give the following as examples of "three place predicates" (one subject and two objects):

1) They stripped Joseph of his coat (they caused Joseph to put off his coat) (Gen 37:23).
2) You shall cause this people to inherit the land (Josh 1:6).

HH: As examples of this type of verb where one object is dropped, they give:

1) Did I not inform you (lit. "cause you to hear") (Isa. 44:8).

2) just as he showed you (lit., "caused you to see") on the mount (Ex 27:8)

3) I teach you (lit., "Cause you to know") today (Prov 22:19).

HH: So here the verb might take another object "cry," but it might be dropped:

"He caused me to hear a cry."

HH: This could be equivalent to "He summoned" me, as Kelton said, or "He implored me," "alerted me," "signaled me." Whether verbs take prepositions is often a feature of a specific language. Verbal ideas that in one language take a preposition might not in another language. So there could be in Hebrew ideas like "he yelled me," "he screamed me," or something like that (caused me to hear a yell, scream, etc.).

Yours,
Harold Holmyard














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