Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Jim

> Once you know what words to look for (?hear?/shama?/S-M and
?hate?/sana?
> /S-N, as the explicit puns on the name ?Simeon?/S-M-N), they?re right
there in 
> the text of chapter 37 of Genesis:
 
Yes, I can hear "$M(WN" in  "hear now"  $M(W-N)
but then again, the verb "to hear" is not uncommon.
You could equally hear it in Abraham's multiple $M(NY to Efron,
which wouldn't help your case.
I can hear the name in "&NW) (WTW" much less.

> Why should Simeon and Levi be horribly cursed for avenging their
sister Dinah's rape 
> by a man of Shechem?  That does not make sense from an early Hebrew
perspective.  

Sorry, but Jacob's word in the blessing are "for in their anger they
KILLED a man",
not "ATTEMPTED to kill a man". And "man" can be used metaphorically or
collectively for "men".

Furthermore, Jacob very clearly stated how
seriously he viewed the incident before the family had to run to Bet El.
His words were "you have made me stink to the dwellers of the land ..."
and continuing on as to his fear that the entire family would be wipred
out.
Hardly a small insignificant matter.

And you still owe us an explanation of how the oxen fit in.

Yaakov (J) Stein