Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Steve,

You may be right that "moral system" is somewhat hyperbolic. Yet I  
suspect that also NABAL the Carmelite's death (see I Samuel 25:2-38)  
was not an accident. By the way, I tend to think that NABAL means  
'nobleman', as it is in Arabic. Possibly NEBEL, 'harp?', is an  
imposing musical instrument.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On May 17, 2007, at 10:30 PM, Steve Miller wrote:

> Pere,
> A very good question. I like your 2nd meaning better, because it  
> seems to
> fits the enormity of David's crime better, but I can't support it  
> from the
> Tanach. Isaac is correct. There are 64 verses with B(YNEYKA, and in  
> all the
> ones in which B(YNEYKA is preceded by a noun, the meaning is, as  
> Isaac says,
> "in the mind" = your 1st translation. Unambiguous examples are 1  
> Chr 19:3;
> Ps 90:4. {B(YNEYKA preceded by a verb [always "see"] means "see  
> with your
> eyes". Examples: Deut 3:27; 2 Kg 7:2}
>
> There are 8 occurances with the lamed prefix, and these all are
> unambiguously, as Isaac says, "in front of the eyes" = your 2nd  
> translation.
> Examples are Gen 47:19; Lev 25:53; Deut 4:34.
>
> Isaac,
> What other nefarious act did David commit and repent of that you  
> say this
> was his "moral system"? As he says when he was old in Ps 37, "though a
> mighty man fall, he shall not utterly be cast down, because the  
> Lord upholds
> him by His hand.", David fell many times and recovered, but I  
> wouldn't call
> any of his other stumblings a "nefarious act" except for this matter
> regarding Uriah.
>
> Zech 12:8 ... and it shall come to pass in that day that he who  
> stumbles
> among them will be like David ...
>
> The overcomers are those who, when they stumble, which is inevitable,
> stumble like David.
>
> -Steve Miller
> Detroit
> www.voiceInWilderness.info
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Isaac Fried
> Pere,
>
> Psalms 51:6 says B(YNEYKA and not L(YNEYKA. The first means 'in (B)
> the mind', and the second, 'in front (L) of the eyes'. I believe it
> is systematically so. In any event, king David has this moral system
> of first committing a nefarious act and then shedding warm tears over
> it in front of God.
>
> Isaac Fried, Boston University
>
> On May 17, 2007, at 6:51 AM, <pporta AT oham.net> <pporta AT oham.net>  
> wrote:
>
> > Dear B-H listers,
> >
> > I know that usually Ps 51:6 has been translated and understood as:
> > "I did what is evil to your eyes", ie I did a thing that you (God)
> > consider as evil or bad.
> >
> > But another possibility would be:
> > "I did a bad thing in front of you", ie "When I was doing the bad
> > ing   -namely, adultery--  you were looking at me" (lit. 'at your
> > eyes'), you saw what I was doing...
> >
> > Are there any reasons, syntactical or other, that support the
> > meaning or understanding in the first place?
> > And if there are some, what are these reasons?
> >
> > Pere Porta
> _______________________________________________