Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>]

I thought that Karnaim is plural for horns, and Kranot plural for rays of 
light



Steve,

I am sorry but I am afraid you entirely misunderstood what I said,
possibly too tersely. KRANOT is just the plural of KEREN, 'horn'.

This is what I think, in plain English, is being described in
Zechariah 2:1-4:
1. The prophet is seeing four battering rams---the ultimate war
machine of his time---the epitome of mechanical evil. The machine
consisted (methinks) of some sort of a wooden structure (covered, on
wheels and with a platform for archers?) on which was mounted a
horizontal heavy beam (this is how I would have constructed it had I
been the chief military engineer of the Assyrian army), end fitted
with a strong metal horn or beak, and used to slam into walls to rock
them loose and crack them open. Namely, a kind of an ancient man-
powered bulldozer or tank. The number 4 has possibly some symbolic
value, but it eludes me now.
2. Then the prophet asks (VA-OMAR) What are these? (namely the
KRANOT), and the angel replies "those are the KRANOT that caused the
dispersion of the Jews" (and are ready for a repeat).
3. Then God shows him (VA-YARENI) four workmen, expert in wood or
metal cutting (XARASHIM).
4. Then the prophet asks (VA-OMAR) what are these (XARASHIM) coming
to do? (MAH ELEH BAIM LAASOT?). The prophet is confirmed in his
suspicion on the nefarious purpose of the KRANOT, but he wants to be
reassured on the hopeful intent of the workmen.
5. Then God says (VA-YOMER): "Those are (indeed) the KRANOT that
caused the dispersion of the Jews, (but) they (HA-XARASHIM) are here
(VA-YABOU ELEH) to rock them (namely the KRANOT) loose (LeHAXARID),
then (or comma) to cast (LeYADOT) them (namely the KRANOT) away" so
as to render the tormentors of Israel impotent.

Notice that I translate LeHAXARID as 'to rock loose', relying on the
essential meaning of the root XRD, rather then as 'frighten', which
is but a transferred  meaning (see for instance Isaiah 10:29 XARDAH
HA-RAMAH, GIBAT SHAUL NASAH.)

The root XRD is a member of the close-knit clan XRZ, XRT, XRS (HRS),
XRC, XR$ (XARASHIM, MAXRESHAH, XORSHAH?), all of great affinity to
GRD, ZRD, TRD, (CRD), PRD, XRK, XRQ, XRB, XRG, and more.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Apr 13, 2007, at 10:06 PM, Steve Miller wrote:

> Isaac,
> Can you explain what is a KRANOT? Can you tell me another place
> where it
> acts as an "and".  Thanks.
>
> -Steve Miller
> Detroit
> www.voiceInWilderness.info

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