Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 29/09/2006 01:22, Moshe Shulman wrote:
> At 06:38 PM 9/28/2006, you wrote:
>   
> > On 28/09/2006 23:11, Moshe Shulman wrote:
> >     
> > > ...
> > > Harold, words mean something. KRU cannot be distorted to mean 
> > > pierced, when it means to dig (a hole). A truck is not a 
> > > wheelbarrow even though both have four wheels.
> > >
> > >
> > >       
> > Can you give evidence from biblical Hebrew of:
> > 1) The sizes of hole,
> > 2) The kinds of material in which the hole is made,
> > 3) The kinds of instrument used for making the hole
> >     
>
> No, nor are they really relevant (as I am sure you know.)
>
>   
No, I don't know. I want to know on what basis you assert so confidently 
that this KR verb (whatever the exact form) cannot be used of making 
holes through hands and feet with a sharp implement. Is it because the 
word cannot be used of holes this small? Is it because the word is only 
used of holes in the ground? Is it because it is only used of holes made 
by blunt or spade-like instruments?

The textual issue is a separate one which I don't want to go into. The 
point here is that there is a well attested Hebrew verb KRH usually 
translated "dig". Is it possible that this word, or a variant form of 
it, is being used in Psalm 22:16. This seems to have been the LXX 
translators' understanding. Do you have any grounds, other than the 
textual uncertainty, to assert that they were wrong? If I were to 
reconstruct the original text, very tentatively of course, with KRW, 
would it be unreasonable of me to translate that reconstruction as "they 
made holes in my hands and feet"?

--
Peter Kirk
E-mail:  peter AT qaya.org
Blog:    http://speakertruth.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/