Biblical Hebrew Forum

[David Kummerow <farmerjoeblo AT hotmail.com>]

Hi Bryan,

I can't remember off-hand if there are other examples of NXM as an 
intransitive piel and don't have time at the moment to check unfortunately.

Personally, I don't think venixamti reads naturally as a standard 
niphal: (a) all other occurrences of NXM in the book are "comfort" and 
not "repent"; (b) the conceptual links back to the prologue and the 
friends coming to "comfort"; and (c) I take it that Job has nothing as 
such to repent of (hence commentaries tend to tone down considerably 
what "repent" means here) as God commends what Job has spoken of him to 
the friends (42:7, 8) -- a referral which cannot be naturally taken as 
contained to the final chapters (cf. Porter's article in EQ 63 (1991)).

Maybe another rendering might be: "Therefore, I melt [in reverence] and 
receive comfort upon dust and ash."

Regards,
David Kummerow.


> Hi David,
>
> I read your article with great interest (thanks!) having written my own
> interpretation of Job (for a popular audience), which I hope will be
> published soon.  Of course, we all relish the chance to explain our take
> on the enigmatic book.
>
> Job 42:6 venixamti reads quite naturally as a standard niphal.  Do you
> know of other cases of NXM used as an "intransitive piel"?  I expect "I
> am comforted" would be nuxamti (pual).
>
> All the best,
> Bryan