Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Tory Thorpe <torythrp AT yahoo.com>]

I would think "the blackish (stream)" is meant by
HA-QODRIYM. If it is elliptical the form with
the article is probably an archaism, not uncommon
in Biblical Hebrew poetry. I don't think Dalman was 
being careful here. He was actually mistaken about
melting
snow/ice creating regular seasonal swelling. The major

flow of the Jordan is in winter, during the heavy
winter
rains (Dec-Feb), not during spring. But his
observation
still holds. Whenever the river swells, from winter
rains 
or melting snow/ice, it becomes dark or blackish. And
though I've never seen it, I suppose chunks of ice in
the Jordan is not impossible during winter.

Tory Thorpe