Biblical Hebrew Forum

[JimStinehart AT aol.com]

George: 
1.  You wrote:  "The word *na`ar*  does not have as its basic meaning someone 
who is
young of age.  Rather, it has the sense of someone who  is inexperienced.  
This often  corresponds with people who are young in age, and therefore who 
are  
inexperienced in life, but not always. It might also refer to someone who is  
inexperienced at a trade or profession (i.e., a trainee or apprentice).  In  
any case, it generally is indicative more of social status than actual  age." 
(a)  The Internet sources all seem to say that "na'ar" means what you say it  
does not mean:  "someone who is  young of age".   
Strong's definition of "na'ar":  "a boy…, from the age of infancy to 
adolescence;  by implication, a servant…: -- babe,  boy, child,…lad, servant, 
young 
(man)." 
Blue Letter Bible:  "a boy,  lad, youth, servant, retainer". 
Gesenius:  a boy or a  servant. 
(b)  But let's go with your  view that the primary meaning of "na'ar" is 
"someone who is inexperienced".  However, I hope you will agree that a  male 
age 8 
– 13 would be a "na'ar" in any event, regardless of how experienced  or 
inexperienced he might be.  Fair  enough? 
Now we ask the key question.  Is Joseph described in this text as being 
"inexperienced"?  Here is what the text says: 
"And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand  all the prisoners 
that were in the prison;  and whatsoever they did there, he was the  doer of 
it.  The keeper of the  prison looked not to any thing that was under his 
hand, 
because the LORD [YHWH]  was with him;  and that which he  did, the LORD 
[YHWH] made it to prosper.  And it came to pass after these things, that the 
butler 
of the king of  Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt.  …
And he put them in ward in the house of  the captain of the guard, into the 
prison, the place where Joseph was bound.  And the captain of the guard  
charged 
Joseph to be with them, and he ministered unto them;  and they continued a 
season in  ward."  Genesis 39: 22-23;  40: 1,  3-4 
On those facts, how can you view Joseph as being  "inexperienced"?  Joseph is 
running  the most important jail in Egypt.  "[W]hatsoever they did there, he 
was the doer of it.  The keeper of the prison looked not to  any thing that 
was under his hand…." 
When these two high Egyptian officials have been thrown into jail, Joseph  is 
not their servant.  Rather,  Joseph is their jailkeeper.  "And  the captain 
of the guard charged Joseph to be with them, and he ministered unto  them; 
and 
they continued a season in ward." 
Conclusions 
(1)  Joseph is not  "inexperienced".  Joseph is running  the most important 
jail in Egypt. 
(2)  Joseph is not a servant  of the Egyptian high officials who have been 
thrown into jail.  Rather, Joseph is their  jailkeeper. 
(3)  Why then does the  innocent, honest Egyptian high official (the cup 
bearer/butler) later refer at  Genesis 41: 12 to Joseph as having been a 
"na'ar"?  
Because, using the 6-month "year"  concept, Joseph was age 13 years, in 
regular, 12-month years, at the time.  Joseph was a "na'ar" only in the sense 
 of 
his age. 
(4)  If Joseph had been a  middle-aged man, age 28 in regular, 12-month 
years, which is the scholarly view,  then Joseph would have failed all three 
tests 
of being a "na'ar".  Joseph is not inexperienced, Joseph was  not a servant 
of 
the jailed Egyptian officials, and a middle-aged man age 28  regular years 
would not be a "young" person. 
2.  You wrote:  "For this reason, I think you're engaging in  special 
pleading to make
your 6-month year work. Just because you can provide  an explanation for many 
aspects of something does not mean that your explanation  is probable." 
My theory of the 6-month "year" explains  every single stated age in the 
Patriarchal narratives, beginning at Genesis 11:  26.  How can that be 
"special  
pleading", when it explains 100% of the stated ages in this  text? 
3.  You wrote:  "In conclusion: I  still don't buy your theory - you haven't 
convinced
me  yet." 
We  have seen that Ishmael is a "na'ar" who is carried by his mother into  
exile.  Certainly the scholarly view  that Ishmael was age 16 regular years 
at 
that time makes no sense.  On the 6-month "year" view, Ishmael was  age 9½ 
regular years, which makes perfect sense.  We have seen that Joseph is a 
"na'ar"  
who is the jailkeeper of high Egyptian officials.  Joseph cannot be age 28 
regular years,  as the scholarly view would have it, or else the formerly 
jailed 
official would  not describe middle-aged Joseph, his former jailkeeper, as 
being  "na'ar".  No, Joseph is a "na'ar" because, under  the 6-month "year" 
view, 
Joseph was age 13 regular years at the time.  Sarah doesn't give birth to 
Isaac at age  90 regular years, as the scholarly view would have it.  No, on 
the 
6-month "year" view, Sarah is  age 45 regular years.  Sarah is not  
attractive 
to Pharaoh at age 65 regular years, as the scholarly view would  
nonsensically have it.  No, Sarah is  age 32½ regular years.  Isaac is not  
age 37 regular 
years when he is referred to as a "na'ar" at Genesis 22: 5, 12,  and he 
innocently asks his father:  "'Behold  the fire and the wood;  but where is  
the 
lamb for a burnt-offering?'"  Genesis 22: 7  On the 6-month  "year" view, 
Isaac 
is age 15 regular years.  Jacob/"Israel" does not wait until he is  in his 
70s 
to marry, for heaven's sake.  Joseph isn't a mere helper to his half-brothers 
by his father's minor  wives at age 17 regular years, nor would Joseph tattle 
on those brothers at age  17 regular years.  Rather, Joseph is  a mere boy, 
age 8½ regular years, at the time, which makes perfect  sense. 
Note that the scholarly view of the ages of the people in  the Patriarchal 
narratives consistently is nonsensical and directly contradicts  what the 
Hebrew 
text plainly says, whereas all ages make perfect sense on the  6-month "year" 
view. 
"[Y]ou haven't convinced me  yet." 
Have I at least convinced you that (i) the  scholarly view of the ages of the 
people in the Patriarchal narratives makes no  sense at all, based on what 
the Hebrew text clearly says, and that (ii) all ages  make perfect sense on 
the 
6-month "year"  view? 
The text of the Patriarchal narratives is  perfect, as is.  We just need to  
re-examine our interpretation of this text. 
Joseph, as the jailkeeper of the most  important prisoners in Egypt, was not 
"inexperienced", nor was Joseph a servant  of those officials who had been 
thrown into Joseph's jail.  No, Joseph was a "na'ar" because, on the  6-month 
"year" view, Joseph was age 13 regular years at the time.   
Jim  Stinehart 
Evanston,  Illinois



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