Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>]

Thanks, Ben and Bryant:

Looking at the verses you mentioned, Psalm 10:3 
still has the idea of blessing, but in the case of 
blessing ill gotten gains. This is in parallel to 
the wicked boasting about his desires.

Job 1:11 and 2:5 I have always understood as 
referring not to Job cursing, rather that his 
blessing would stop. I.e. you hurt him, and he 
won't bless you to your face.

Job 2:9 Job's wife cries out in exasperation "You 
bless God and die" with the implication that Job 
should stop it (she was not as "frum" as Job).

So that leaves only Job 1:5 to add to 1 Kings 21. 
And even there the context indicates not that the 
sons actively curse God, rather that they do not 
give God his proper respect. Notice the phrasing, 
that they erred, not a rebellion. I see this as an 
unintentional slight and not an intentional curse.

Could it be that we are not dealing with a curse 
per se, rather that not proper respect is intended? 
Look at the action involved with kneeling: it is a 
descending down to be lower than the other. It is 
an acknowledgment that one is inferior to the 
other. So is it that Naboth was accused of treating 
God and the king as lower than himself?

Karl W. Randolph.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net>
> 
> Dear Karl,
> 
> BDB, " barak," p. 139, "piel," #5, says" 'bless, with the antithetical 
> meaning
> curse (Thes) from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to , 
> taking leave of;
> but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as vulgar English as 
> well
> as in the Shemitic cognates: I K 21:10.13; Jb 1:5.11, 2.5, 9; Ps 
> 10:3.'"  In the
> passage I Kings 21:9-14, reference is made in the Hebrew Text to 
> "beni-belial,
> 'sons of belial.' This would tell me that any so-called "blessing" coming 
> from
> evil people is, in reality and fact, "a curse." Also the LXX in 
> both places in I
> Kings 21:10, "EULOGHSE," and "EULOGHKAS" in verse 13. This is 
> reasonable in that
> EULOGEW is used to translate BRK in the LXX. Again, the LXX uses "hUIOS
> PARANOMWN" in verse 10, and "hUIOI PARANOMWN" in verse 13 that reinforces 
> the
> idea of the "Sons of the Evil One" claiming the "blessing" Naboth supposedly
> gave was a "curse."
> 
> Rev. Bryant J. Williams III

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