Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George Athas" <george.athas AT moore.edu.au>]

Jim,

Firstly, don't fall into the trap of the etymological fallacy, whereby
the etymology of a word is read into every occurrence of that word. If
someone is called a *na`ar* in a text, it's because the person has
chosen to call them that. It may well be the case that the person is
not really that much of a *na`ar*, but the point is that someone else
has chosen to call them that for some reason. If someone in authority
calls an underling a *na`ar*, it does not necessarily mean they are
young - it just means they are viewed as an inferior.

Also, you might want to reconsider the analytical tools you use to
examine Hebrew. Internet resources and Strongs are not really the best
choice of tools. Go for something like Koehler & Baumgartner's HALOT,
or at least BDB.

Finally, your argument about *na`ar* still does not convince me about
the 6-month year theory.

 

Best Regards, 

GEORGE ATHAS 
Moore Theological College (Sydney) 
1 King St, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia 
Ph: (+61 2) 9577 9774