Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Yonah Mishael" <yonahmishael AT gmail.com>]

2006/8/23, Kerry VonDross <vondross AT execpc.com>:
> Finding "sheber shabar sheber" in the text is intriguing to me.  I was
> attempting to know with some certainty if the Tiberian tradition translation
> ("sheber. shabar sheber") of a two-fold smashing was correct.
>
> Kerry VonDross

I'm having a hard time following this thread. I do not know what
you're meaning to prove by this. The Hebrew doesn't say "sheber,
shabar, sheber." It says "shivrah ushevarah keshever" שברה ושברה כשבר.
And this is not a good division of the text. The problem is that you
are using an interlinear. Just study Hebrew grammar at a local
university for a year, and you will understand enough to bring a
challange to the Massoretic divisions. As it is, you don't have the
tools. An interlinear is not a good tool for throwing down challenges
to the Massoretes. You've got to have a good understanding of the
Hebrew language and of the versification in general.

לכן יהיה לכם העון הזה כפרץ נפל נבעה בחומה נשגבה אשר פתאם לפתע יבוא שברה
ושברה כשבר נבל יוצרים כתות לא יחמל ולא ימצא במכתתו חרש לחתות אש מיקור
ולחשף מים מגבא

The important phrase for the first שברה begins with חומה נשגבה (a high
wall) because this is the noun phrase that heads up the relative
pronoun אשר. This is why שברה has the feminine object pronoun marker
(ה-) attached to the end of it. This "hers" refers to the "wall"
(חומה), which is feminine.

--> "... a high wall *whose* breaking shall come immediately [and] all
of a sudden."

The second שברה is different. It is the regular masculine third-person
qal form of שבר with a direct object pronoun (ה-) attached and a vav
introductory (which represents a division from the first שברה).

--> "and he shall break it."

Israel of the time was this wall that had cracks forming in it because
of their idolatry (avodah zarah). Although they seemed to be (and
thought they were) strong, Isaiah was declaring that their strength
had been weakened, and their fall would come quickly. IMHO, the
Massoretic division of these two verses is perfectly in-line with the
meaning of the text and with the prophet's intention.

(Thank God that such an /avon/ ["iniquity"] has been removed from
Israel, and that idolatry no longer haunts us.)

Shalom,
Yonah

--
Yonah Mishael ben Avraham
Joplin, MO
yonahmishael AT gmail.com