Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 24/06/2007 22:48, JoeWallack AT aol.com wrote:
> ... By context we seem to lack an 
> example where  randomness is clearly defined, such as Moses saying to Pharoah, 
> "Behold, I will  now pull A Rabbi out of a Ha", with the Hebrew definite 
> article used. 
>  
>   
Ha! Ha!

Seriously, and if we are talking translation rather than exegesis, it 
doesn't work in English to translate "the young woman", or "the virgin". 
According to English usage of the article, this would imply a young 
woman previously identified in the text, and there is no such young 
woman, so the sentence is effectively ungrammatical. In English we have 
to say "a young woman", or perhaps "this young woman" referring to only 
one present at the time although not previously mentioned - which is a 
possible understanding of the Hebrew article.

I say this despite many English translations using "the" here.


--
Peter Kirk
E-mail:  peter AT qaya.org
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