Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Hi all, 
 
I was wondering if anyone can explain the derivation of the word )NH in
piel form
that appears in Exodus 21:13 and is usually translated something like
"cause to happen".
 
My concordance lists this word as unique to this meaning
and defines it as "ZIMN".
The KJV has "deliver into his hand" while the revised standard version
has "came about by an act of God".
 
It seems that all the translations derive the meaning from context.
 
Of course there could be a connection to )NH meaning "please",
i.e. God "asked" the person to be at that place.
 
Alternatively, the word L)N meaning "where" and the 
word )NH as in ")NH W)NH" or ")NH HLK DODK" 
could give a clue. This could mean that God sent the
person to the place where be would be killed. 
 
It is interesting that  )NH is also used for time, as in the expression
"(D )NH"
used in Numbers 14:11. So perhaps the original meaning is "place and/or
time",
in which case the meaning of the piel would be to cause someone to
appear
at a given place and time.
 
 
Yaakov (J) Stein