Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

On Tue, August 28, 2007 1:50 pm, Bill Rea wrote:
> Dave wrote:-
>
>>"unknowingly"???  Unless Boaz was dead drunk at the time, and there's not
>>even a hint in the text that he had imbibed so much as a drop,
>
> Ruth 3:7: And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he
> went to lie down ... (KJV)
>
> Ruth 3:7 Boaz ate and drank and being tipsy, he went and lay down ...
> (my paraphrase)
>
> The phrase ``his heart was merry'' is a common euphemism for having
> drunk enough alcohol to be at least a bit tipsy if not outright drunk.
> Which is why in my rather non-literal translation I put that he was
> tipsy.
>
That's what I get for relying on passing memory instead of looking the
passage up, especially when my mind is actually on the upcoming scuba
diving *blush*  Even so, having been this "tipsy" (a good word for it), I
can attest that I would not have woken up wondering whether I had had sex
or not!  And I sincerely doubt that Boaz was that drunk, either.  Hence, I
stand behind my objection to the idea that he might have slept with her
"unknowingly."  On the drinking at all matter, I stand corrected.


-- 
Dave Washburn
Why do it right when you can do it again?