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  • From: Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Flying or Darting in Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6
  • Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2006 07:54:24 +0200

The form "me'ofef" appears only in these two places, but the verb "ye'ofef" appears in Gen. 1:20 and Isaiah 6:2, and obviously does mean "fly". I would assume that a "flying snake" is one that stikes its prey suddenly, like a cobra.

David Kimhi (Radak), BTW, interprets "a snake that skips from place to place".


Yigal
----- Original Message ----- From: <tladatsi AT charter.net>
To: "B-Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 7:32 AM
Subject: [b-hebrew] Flying or Darting in Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6


Hello,

In Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6 the phrase "sharaf mez'wfef" is used. It is frequently translated as "flying snake". I guess flying is derived from the root 'wf. Flying snakes are not normal to say the least. So if the author intended the phrase to refer to an self-propelled airborne (winged?) snake, it would certainly be something unusual. However there is nothing in the context to suggest anything out of the ordinary about these snakes. The NIV translates the phrases as darting, I suppose a reference to the tounge of the snake (which flys out of the mouth of the snake).

Any thoughts?

--
Jack Tladatsi
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