Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Yaakov Stein" <yaakov_s AT rad.com>]

Karl

> I get the impression that you have an agenda that you are attempting
> to prove, and that you are closed to evidences that contradict that
> agenda. Is that true? If so, is there any reason to continue this
> discussion?

I have no agenda other than looking at a hypothetical construct
and playing around with it in an attempt to see if anything comes of it.

I think that the Samson story is riddled with word play, 
and thus that it is probable that the riddle should play out that way as
well.

But that is only a "feeling". Perhaps a feeling enforced by many years
of carefully reading the bible over and over, with sensitivity to the
hebrew words,
but still only a feeling.

I am the first to admit that without supporting evidence
my particular trial is dubious. I was hoping that someone else would
have
proposed something better. 

Your opinion that no word play is involved is certainly self-consistent,
and indeed remains the default assumption until someone
comes up with evidence to the contrary.

That doesn't mean that I should stop trying to find an interpretation
that justifies my feeling.

In another thread you were talking about scientific method.
As an active scientist (theoretical physicist to be exact) of many years
I can tell you that I have never met a mainstream scientist or
mathematician 
who bases his research programs on "scientific method".
Research is always driven by a "feeling" that something interesting 
will arise if one looks carefully enough in a certain direction.
Of course, before one publishes the feelings are covered up,
and everything proven as if it was pure mechanical deduction.
But at informal meetings, and on email lists (I participate in a few
dozen), 
people throw about wild ideas and try to convince others of them. 
Someone else will play devil's advocate and try to disprove the idea.
That is the way progress is made.

I consider this list a place to try out ideas on biblical hebrew, 
including completely unsubstantiated ones.

Yaakov (J) Stein