Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

b-listim,

In Genesis 4:22 we read: " TUBAL QAIN LOTE$ KOL XORE$ NXO$ET U- 
BARZEL". Since the root LT$ [related to the roots *BT$, QT$, NT$, PT 
$---from which PATI$, 'hammer' is derived] is devoid of the letter R  
it does not specify, in my opinion, a dispersed state, or describe an  
act of fabrication involving the removal of material by tearing,  
rubbing, scraping, rasping, scratching or grating. By letter  
permutations we relate LT$ to the roots $LT, 'oppress, dominate', and  
$TL, 'plant, elevate'.
For the latter fabrication mode we have: XR$, QR$, XRC, XRQ, PCR,  
QCR, MRQ, MRT, NSR, RDD, RC(, RCC, QR(, RQ(, GRD, GRZ and *GRT---from  
which *GRUTAH, 'scrap [scraped] metal' is derived. All containing the  
letter R.
By contrast, the root RT$, "V-(OLLEYHEM YRUT$U", Isaiah 13:16,  
contains the letter R and it does describe a dispersed or aggregated  
state. Correspondingly, the act RATA$ means 'to rend, to rip apart,  
to tear to pieces'. By letter permutation we relate RT$ to SRT,  
'lacerate, scrape' [from which *SERET, 'ribbon [rippon?] is derived,  
corresponding to *RCU(AH from the root RC(] , and STR, 'shred, bury,  
assimilate, absorb, garble, scramble, secret, hide'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University