Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Tory Thorpe <torythrp AT yahoo.com>]

On Jul 16, 2007, at 11:54 AM, dwashbur AT nyx.net wrote:

> It's hard to tell the actual sequence of events, especially from  
> the language of verse 3.  Why
> would he first rape her, and then fall in love with her and ask his  
> father to arrange the
> wedding?  It looks as though the LXX translators had the same  
> question and assumed he
> did his tenderness thing before he violated her, which would  
> explain why they used
> PARQENOS to render NA(AR.

First you said the word PARQENOS occurs in v. 3 before the rape, as  
if this was fairly clear. Now you are saying the sequence of events  
is not clear. The sequence is clear in the Hebrew and the Greek  
translation. If it is as you say, the Hebrew text of Gen. xxxiv 2-3  
is in a state of disorder.

> In any case, I suspect Karl is right: what we have here is nothing  
> more than a case of poor
> translation.  It certainly doesn't make your case.

Yes, well, Karl sees christian doctrine forcing changes in the  
meaning of Hebrew words among native Hebrew speakers, where no such  
changes can be demonstrated empirically. It is the ultimate non- 
falsifiable - any evidence that points away from the conspiracy is  
turned into more evidence supporting the conspiracy.

Tory Thorpe