Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - [b-hebrew] change in meaning of TWR

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Yaakov Stein" <yaakov_s AT rad.com>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] change in meaning of TWR
  • Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:38:12 +0300

I noticed an interesting possible change in meaning over a mere 2
chapters.

In Numbers 13 the word TWR is used in a neutral or positive sense.
The 12 men were sent to "spy out" the land, to see the land and bring
back a (positive) report.

After the spies bring back a negative report,
Numbers 15:39 uses the same root TWR in a distinctly derogatory sense,
i.e. that our eyes may "lead us astray".
(I assume that translation would have a hard time in using the same word
here.)

History seems to have caused the word to acquire a bad connotation.

Yaakov (J) Stein






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page