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  • From: "JAMES CHRISTIAN READ" <JCR128 AT student.anglia.ac.uk>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] 1 Sam 17:16
  • Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:06:38 +0100

Hi Karl,

sorry for not participating earlier. I've read your
presentation and your reasoning but, admittedly, haven't
taken the time to verify your reasoning by examining the
text in question. If what you say is true, that a noun
would be expected instead of a verb, then I would put my
money on your instincts of reading the unpointed text. As
you have rightly noted the masoretes were demonstrably
wrong in a number of places and their pointing should, at
best, be considered a good starting point for beginners
that can't be bothered learning how to read an
unpointed text.

This brings us on to another point worthy of discussion
on this list. I personally, am against pointed text,
for the reason which you have amply illustrated with
this example. I have thought about compiling a beginners
course in biblical hebrew which teaches the reader, from
the very outset, to read unpointed text in the hopes that
students will be raised with good instincts and the
ability to rely on them rather than a pointed text.
Would that be a project you be interested in participating
in Karl?

James Christian Read
BSc Computer Science (thesis: concept driven machine translation using the
Aleppo codex)
http://www.lamie.org/hebrew
you have rightly noted the masoretes were demonstrably
wrong in a number of places and their pointing should, at
best, be considered a good starting point for beginners
that can't be bothered learning how to read an
unpointed text.

This brings us on to another point worthy of discussion
on this list. I personally, am against pointed text,
for the reason which you have amply illustrated with
this example. I have thought about compiling a beginners
course in biblical hebrew which teaches the reader, from
the very outset, to read unpo





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