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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Qoheleth 7:27

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  • From: Peter Bekins <pbekins AT fuse.net>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Qoheleth 7:27
  • Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:30:29 -0400


On Mar 15, 2008, at 1:20 PM, b-hebrew-request AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

I am working on Ecclesiastes 7:27, which uses two feminine adjectives 'echadh (not sure what transliteration scheme to use here). Is anyone aware of an independant usage of the feminine adjective to refer to something that is grammatically masculine? In other words, my inclination is to translated this as "I compared one woman to another in order to find an explanation/conclusion.

If you have some concrete examples that this should be translated as a neuter one thing to another thing, I would be interested in the verses.

I do not have any theological axe to grind here, but want to reflect what Solomon really meant.

Thanks in advance,

Ron Snider,
Pastor-teacher

As Ken replied, it is quite common in Semitic languages to use the feminine adjective for a generic "thing" (technically I wouldn't call it a neuter since neither Hebrew nor English have neuters). I just happened to be reading tonight and found a quite clear example with אחת )XT from the first part of Psalm 27:4:

‏ אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־יְהוָה֮ אוֹתָ֪הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ
)XT $)LTY M)T-YHYH )WTH )BQ$...

One thing I ask from the Lord, it I will seek...

Pete Bekins






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