Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Isaac Fried" <if AT math.bu.edu>]

Lisbeth.

First, we are dealing here with the science of language not with Talmudic 
legends about some "fallen ones" that came to us riding on shooting stars. I 
am sure that the KJV translators who wrote ‘giants’ for ‘nfilim’ knew very 
well what they are doing. In present-day Hebrew ‘DOR HaNeFILIM’ is ‘the 
founding fathers’ (and mothers, of course).

Now, 'to drop' and 'to fall' are TRANSLATIONS that seem befitting the Hebrew 
root NPL, not an EXPLANATION as to what it is. Try explaining to me, or to 
yourself, or to a student, what NPL (say the verb in its kal form NAFAL) 
means, without using, supposedly equivalent English words, nor Hebrew 
synonyms. In doing so, you need also to keep in mind that the Hebrew root 
describes a constant material state, not a process in time. In other words, 
you need to separate language from imagination.

To keep matters simple, I wish to refrain now from commenting on the subtler 
root $PL. Suffice it to say that I grew up in Israel in SHFELAT HaXOF and I 
know what it is.

Think also about the kindred root  נבל (NBL), and the fact that the name of 
the musical instrument NEVEL, harp, is derived from it. Moreover, I think 
that the name Nabal of Samuel 25:3 means ‘a nobleman’.

As far as I know we have no immediate relatives here in America. Anyway, 
whenever I see your name my heart leaps for a second.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lisbeth S. Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 4:28 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The radical letter L as marker of elevation


> Dear Isaac,
> (Are you related to my husband?)
>
> They're called Fallen Ones, because they fell from Heaven (I assume).
> The root still means to fall in the kal, in the hiphil it is to drop, to 
> cause something to fall.
> The fallen ones happened to be giants.
> The Shephelah, the foothills of the Judean highlands, are the lowlands, 
> literally, from the same root as npl.
> Liz Fried
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org 
> > [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On
> > Behalf Of Isaac Fried
> > Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 12:27 AM
> > To: Yitzhak Sapir
> > Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The radical letter L as marker of elevation
> >
> > Let us take the root נפל (NPL). In Genesis 6:4 we read about the נפלים
> > (NeFILIM), which the KJV translates as ‘giants’, namely of elevated 
> > stature.
> >
> > Isaac Fried, Boston University
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Yitzhak Sapir" <yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com>
> > To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> > Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 10:42 PM
> > Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Richard Steiner on Sin and Shin
> >
> >
> > > On 1/11/07, Isaac Fried wrote:
> > >> Every Hebrew root that contains the letter L materially refers to an
> > >> elevated state.
> > >
> > > Good examples that illustrate the above are the roots  $PL "low", NPL
> > > "fall".
> > >
> > > Yitzhak Sapir
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
> > >
> > >
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