Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

On 9/23/06, Steve Miller <smille10 AT sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> > From: K Randolph Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2006 10:16 AM
> >
> > Steve:
> >
> > ...
> > As for the meaning of XTK, this is a hapax legomai. the context
> > indicates that it has the meaning of "to be determined" (as defined in
> > Lisowski Konkordanz). Looking at the LXX, the term συντεμνω has the
> > meaning of "to delimit" (i.e. cut off what is beyond as in territory
> > of a kingdom), "to shorten" as in abridging speech or of time, "to
> > limit" as in expenses, but nowhere is it used to mean "to cut into
> > pieces" (that is one of the uses of τεμνω). Assuming that the
> > translators of the LXX used the right term, and looking at its
> > context, "to determine" may best be understood in an archaic sense, as
> > in bringing to an end, limiting.
>
> [Steve Miller] What is a hapax legomai? Let me ask you this, if XTK could
> mean "cut in pieces", then would you say that it is possible for the 70th
> week to be separated from the rest? Thanks.
My teachers kept saying it as a verb, hapax legomai when the noun
derivative hapax legomenon probably is more accurate, meaning used
only once in Tanakh (or for Greek words in the New Testament, only
once there).

First of all, the context argues against NXTK meaning "to be cut into
pieces". Really, it does not make sense.

Another thing, all the spans of sevens are given in the same passage.
If one is to be cut into pieces, what is to prevent the others from
being cut into pieces as well? Why  could you insist that there be no
gap between the seven sevens and the 62 sevens when there is insisted
a gap between the 70th seven and what went on before? Either the 70
sevens is kept together or, for consistency in the passage, all groups
of sevens cannot be insisted as being contiguous. And if you can't
insist all of them be contiguous, then how can they be a predictor of
an exact date?

Karl W. Randolph.