Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Hi Shoshanna,

I would say that not only is the Torah very specific, but I would say 
that we should (at least temporarily) assume the choices a 
speaker/writer has made in *any* document are purposeful. This mental 
giving of oneself to any text is really only another term for *reading* 
or *close reading*.

Unfortunately there are a lot of linguistic choices the writers of the 
Tanakh have made that are not commonly even noticed, let alone 
appreciated or understood.  We can hardly get past the first verse or 
two of Bere'shit before we are stumped as to why Moshe used the 
linguistic options he did.  In my more discouraged moods it makes me 
wonder if we can read Hebrew.  In my encouraged moods, it makes reading 
the Tanakh like a pioneering adventure or like mining for gold.

Case in point:  Why did Moshe use qatal of HYH in Gen. 1:2 veha'arets 
hayetah tohu vabohu rather than a noun sentence?

Did you ever hear Orson Well's old radio broadcast of "War of the 
Worlds"?  As NYC being put in a death sleep by the poison gas of 
invading Martians a lone human voice keeps repeating over a two-way 
radio "Is anybody there?  Is anybody there?"

Shalom,
Bryan

Shoshanna Walker wrote:
> The Torah is very specific at all times, every word, every letter, 
> every time there is a large letter, or a small letter, or a missing 
> letter - it is always for a reason, never random.
>
> Shoshanan
>
>
>
> >
> HH: I don't know that there has to be a difference. In Greek, too, there
> can be verbless sentences or EIMI can be used. I have never noticed a
> real difference. There are different ways of saying things in English,
> such as using contraction or not with verbs. These different ways don't
> have to imply a difference in meaning but could reflect the writer's
> style, his mood, his flow of thought, the tone he wants to create, the
> rhythm, or even his space on a line of writing material.
>
> Yours,
> Harold Holmyard

>

--
B. M. Rocine
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13026
(W): 315.437.6744