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  • From: JimStinehart AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Where Is Jacob's Ladder?
  • Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2007 14:51:31 EST


Dave Washburn:
You wrote: "Here we go again; I did not say this. I mentioned that the
Masoretic pointing was somewhat at odds with your translation, nothing more.
I
also pointed out that, with or without the pointing, the grammar of the
clause supports the translation "a certain place" which you reject. Hence,
your
view is at odds with the actual grammar of the passage. NOTHING is based on
"reliance on the medieval Masoretic pointing system." It's based on
grammar,
nothing more, nothing less."
I feel very bad that I seem to have misrepresented what you said. My
apologies again.
Could you please explain to me the basis for the following key contention of
yours?
"[T]he grammar of the clause supports the translation 'a certain place'…."
I am obviously missing something here. Are we looking at the same Hebrew
letters? Or am I missing the significance of one Hebrew letter in the text?

Why "a certain place", instead of "a place"?
I note that Young's Literal Translation oddly puts the word "certain" in
brackets.
"and he toucheth at a [certain] place"
Most translations do in fact say "a certain place". The JPS1917, which is
often the best translation, instead says "the place".
E.A. Speiser says: "a certain place. The attribute is implicit in the d
efinite article of Heb."
What am I missing here? Is the B considered a definite article here? Why?
And if so, why "a certain place" rather than "the place"?
My guess is that maybe I am not the only one confused about this. Could you
please explain the grammatical rule that suggests, but apparently does not
mandate, adding the word "certain" before the word "place" in Genesis 28:
11?
I am sorry that I have not yet understood the precise grammatical point you
are making. I did not mean to misrepresent what you said.
Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois



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