Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George Athas" <george.athas AT moore.edu.au>]

Isaac Fried wrote:
 
> The thrust of my argument, though, was to make the
> point, as politely as could, that I am utterly
> convinced that kneel --> bless is first class
> nonsense, Gesenius and his disciples notwithstanding.
> I am unable to accept the fact that for such a
> sublime act as blessing, the bible would use such a
> crude act as the etiquette of falling on the knees
> before a superior.

But Isaac, do you not see that this is highly subjective? You have not
attempted to engage with the idea, but have dismissed it a priori. As Karl
alluded to in his message, there is plenty of evidence for associating
blessing with kneeling. Whether the association is watertight is another
matter, but a case can certainly be made. You do not seem to have made a
case for your stance, other than stating what you can or cannot accept.
 
At B-Hebrew, we want to engage with evidence. Our opinions are most welcome,
but they need to be based on something more substantial than personal
preference. We all need to be mindful of this when we post to the list.
 

Best Regards, 

GEORGE ATHAS 
Moore Theological College (Sydney) 
1 King St, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia 
Ph: (+61 2) 9577 9774