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  • From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
  • To: Calvin Lindstrom <pclindstrom AT yahoo.com>
  • Cc: B Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The meaning of TAM in Gen. 25:27
  • Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:36:27 -0400

B-Listim

By three routes we arrive at the meaning of TAM: By context, by family, and by the lack of an R---the Hebrew [also the IE languages?] marker of aggregation and dispersion. The near relations of the toot TMM [consisting of the two fundamental concepts or existence markers, AT-TA and AM-MA, by which we are able to relate TAM to the separate personal pronoun ATEM, 'you'] are DMM, [see psalms 107:29], ZMM, [see deuteronomy 19:19], SMM, CMM, [see Isaiah 47:2], $MM [see 2 Kings 13:20]. Essentially they all mean 'solid, inert [not violently rushing, non aggressive, not belligerent], stable, grave, stationary, sluggish, tame, docile, quiet, kind, withdrawn, peaceful, simple, shy, mild, deliberate, innocent, harmless, non threatening, wholesome, compact, complete, perfect'.
TMM is also related to TMH, ,astonish, amaze, stun' as in Genesis 43:33. The remarkable Hebrew word EMET, 'true, solid, stable' [opposed to RA, 'flimsy, shaky, fragile'] contains TM in reverse, as does MUT, 'die'.
TAM provides an interesting example of how Hebrew [as do, I suppose, all other languages] expresses the abstract idea of 'nothing' [no- thing] in terms of the concrete idea of 'everything' [every-thing]. If something is full, then no free space is left, and nothing can be added to it. Consider Genesis 47:18

וַתִּתֹּם, הַשָּׁנָה הַהִוא וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא- נְכַחֵד מֵאֲדֹנִי כִּי אִם-תַּם הַכֶּסֶף

Here TAM is 'finished, exhausted, came to an end'. VA-TI-TOM HA-$ANAH means the year completed itself, came to a close, and consequently nothing was left of it---time was up. Consider also Psalms 37:19

סָפוּ תַמּוּ

where SAPU is from the roots SUP [related to SOP, 'end'] or SPH, related to the roots YSP, )SP, SPP, $PH. $P(, CPH, all of positive connotation.
Such is also the word KALAH, 'finished, perished' from the root KLH, related to the root KLL, 'include', once more, of an entirely positive connotation.
Another example is the root )PS, related to )BS, as in Genesis 47:15

אָפֵס כָּסֶף

money is depleted, where depleted = de-plet-ed is the opposite of completed = com-plet-ed.

Isaac Fried, Boston University


On Jul 11, 2007, at 11:18 AM, Calvin Lindstrom wrote:

For a number of years I have wondered about the translation of TAM
describing Jacob in Gen. 25:27. In contrast to Esau, a hunter and man
of the field, Jacob is described as being ISH TAM dwelling in tents.

Is there justification for translating TAM as:
ESV: quiet
NET: even-tempered
NKJV: mild
Tyndale: simple
new JPS: mild

It seems that the translations define the word in an attempt to make
a contrast with Esau make more sense than to translate the word based
on how it is used in the rest of the Tanakh. James Jordan comments
that translating the word TAM as it normally is used puts the story
of Jacob and Esau into a different perspective than how the story is
often told.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Calvin Lindstrom
Church of Christian Liberty
Arlington Heights, IL
www.christianliberty.com




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