Biblical Hebrew Forum

[JimStinehart AT aol.com]

NZYR at Genesis 49: 26:  b-hebrew Digest, Vol 69, Issue 23 NAZIYR
 
As to NZYR in Joseph’s blessing at Genesis 49: 26, Gesenius and other sources 
say that NZYR can mean either “separated” or “consecrated”.  In Joseph’s 
context, “separated” makes perfect sense.  Joseph certainly was “separated” 
from his brothers and father, as Joseph spends most of his life in Egypt, “
separated” from Joseph’s brothers and father, who by contrast spend most of 
their 
lives in beloved Canaan.
 
It is hard to see in what sense Joseph could be said to be “consecrated”.  
Joseph is  n-o-t  named to be the leader of the next generation of new 
monotheists.  Rather, that great honor goes to Judah.  Joseph, like Judah’s 
full-brothers, must bow down to his older half-brother Judah:
 
“‘Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise; …thy father's sons shall bow down 
before thee.’”  Genesis 49: 8
 
In fact, Joseph’s lengthy blessing is a long, awkward explanation of why 
Joseph is  n-o-t  being named the leader of the next generation of new 
monotheists.  Although Joseph has great individual merit and is a fine 
person, Joseph is 
not “consecrated” by the Hebrews or YHWH.  Note that Joseph’s mother, Rachel, 
is the only Matriarch or Patriarch who is not buried in honor at Hebron.  
Genesis 37: 19;  48: 7  That is a big hint as to why Joseph is  n-o-t  
consecrated, and is  n-o-t  named the leader of the next generation of new 
monotheists.  
No matter how much we ourselves may like and admire heroic, handsome Joseph, 
the fact of the matter is that Judah, not Joseph, is the winning son who is 
named the leader of the next generation of new monotheists.
 
Rather than the first Hebrews or YHWH, it is a monotheistic-friendly Egyptian 
 P-h-a-r-a-o-h  who thinks that Joseph should be consecrated:
 
“‘And Pharaoh said unto his servants: 'Can we find such a one as this 
[Joseph], a man in whom the spirit of God is?'”   Genesis 41: 38
 
But the considered judgment of Jacob/“Israel” is quite different, as Jacob 
follows well-established Patriarchal tradition (alluded to at the beginning 
of 
Genesis 49: 26) in selecting Judah over Joseph to be the leader of the next 
generation of new monotheists.
 
Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois




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