Biblical Hebrew Forum

[JoeWallack AT aol.com]

On Mar 22, 2007, at 7:21 PM, Harold Holmyard wrote:

> Dear  Joseph,
>
> If you don't like Gesenius, I will give you the same  information from
> Waltke-O'Connor, Biblical Hebrew Syntax (1990)  #15.5.1e, quoting:
> The article may also mark nouns definite in the  imagination,  
> designating either a particular person or thing  necessarily understood to 
be  
> present or vividly portraying  someone or something whose identity is not
> otherwise indicated . . .  .  In some cases the proper English  
> rendering is  indefinite:
>
> Gen 18:7 He gave (it) to _a servant_.


JW:
Yes, looking for examples in the Hebrew Bible is excellent evidence  for 
meaning. Regarding Genesis 18:7 though a better question than how the 
Hebrew definite article was translated is how it should 
have been  translated. For reference purposes:

(_http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/OTpdf/gen18.pdf_ 
(http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/OTpdf/gen18.pdf) ) 
 
_http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0118.htm_ 
(http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0118.htm) 
 
ז  וְאֶל-הַבָּקָר, רָץ אַבְרָהָם; וַיִּקַּח  בֶּן-בָּקָר
 רַךְ וָטוֹב, וַיִּתֵּן אֶל-הַנַּעַר, וַיְמַהֵר, 
לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתוֹ. 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender 
and  
good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hastened to dress it.
 
This wasn't just any old lad, was it? It was Abraham's servant. The  Definite 
article is what makes that clear. Once again, it sounds okay either way  in 
English so I don't see an Indefinite translation forced or even preferred  
here. 


Some Jewish Tradition appears to have attached some significance to the  
definite article here:

(_http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=8213&showrashi=true_ 
(http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=8213&showrashi=true) ) 



"7. And to the cattle  did Abraham run, and he took a calf, tender and good, 
and he gave it to the  youth, and he hastened to prepare it. 
 
       a calf, tender and  good  There were three calves, in order to feed 
them three tongues  with mustard. —      [from B.M.  86b]
 
      to  the youth  This was Ishmael, to train him to perform mitzvoth. — 
[from  Aboth d’Rabbi Nathan, ch. 13]"


Since we all agree that the Hebrew definite article for the most part,  
serves 
the same purpose as the English definite article, I'm still looking  for 
really good 
multiple examples of Hebrew usage that would clearly have an Indefinite  
English 
translation in order to support an Indefinite English translation for 7:14.  
This is 
all before we look at the surrounding Specific context of 7:14.  



Joseph




************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.