Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Yigal 

> Without getting into the whole debate, XRY$ and QCYR here are verbs, 
> "plowing and harvesting", which are forbidden on the Sabbath, not "you
shall 
>  rest at plowing-time and at harvest-time". 

Well, there are not verbs because of the B.
So I guess you mean that they are gerunds.

Yes, "plowing and harvesting" rather than
"plowing and harvesting (time)" is a way of reading it.

But if the only meaning was not to plough or harvest, 
then there are 27 other verbs that could have been used
for actions that are not to be performed on the Sabbath.

And these words are often used as times of the year 
(BYMY QCYR, BTXYLT QCYR) 
and are never performed together in time.

So why this combination ?

Even according to your reading the idea of 
two seasons is present.

Yaakov (J) Stein