Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Gary Hedrick" <garyh AT cjfm.org>]

לז וְעַל-אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָיו לֹא יָבִין וְעַל-חֶמְדַּת נָשִׁים
וְעַל-כָּל-אֱלוֹהַּ לֹא יָבִין  כִּי עַל-כֹּל יִתְגַּדָּל׃   

 

     Is there anything in the B-Hebrew archives regarding chemdat nashyim
(“desire of women”) in Daniel 11:37?  Many commentators say this Hebrew
phrase means the prophesied “king” will be gay; that is, he will have no
regard for the desire of women.  To me, it seems more logical to take it as
a reference to the Messiah, who was the Desire of Women in the sense that
young Jewish women wished and hoped that they might become the mother of the
promised Messiah.

 

            Doesn’t Haggai 2:7 have a similar Hebrew construction (“desire
of all nations”) as a clear reference to the coming Messiah?

 

     I guess I’m just surprised that so few commentators (almost none, in
fact) share my interpretation here.  In fact, the few times this view is
even mentioned by exegetes is in a derogatory way.  That’s why I was hoping
someone could direct me to the B-Hebrew archives (or somewhere else) for any
light the Hebrew grammar and context might shed on this issue.  Thank you,

 

Gary Hedrick

San Antonio, Texas USA

garyh AT cjfm.org