Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Yodan" <yodan AT yodanco.com>]

Thanks for this interesting info. There seems to be something about the age
of three. Related or not, it is the age that boys began attending Jewish
school (called Heder = room). It is also the age Jewish boys (in families
who observe this custom) get their first haircut (known in Yiddish as
Upshering) on their 3rd birthday. And, to the best of my knowledge, is the
age that is considered the time that people start remembering what's
happening in their lives. 

 

Rivka

 

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-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Bruce Prince
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 10:38 AM
To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Three again...

 

Hi Susannah

 

I once had a similar query and it involved 2 Chron 31.16.

 

I think the NASB (1999) translators are alone in rendering shalowsh =

thirty. I contacted the Lockman Foundation and they responded by saying that

they chose to use thirty because it seems likely that a transcribal error

had been made.

 

Their response went on to state that the NASB translators were well aware

that no alternate readings exist in the Hebrew for "three years". Some

commentators speculate that Levites' sons who were at least three y.o. may

have accompanied their fathers to work as observers or helpers, and as a

result may have been included in the distribution.

 

There is more detail in their response that I shan't quote here, and I'm not

all that sure if it is even relevant to your query, but yours reminded me of

mine, and I just thought I'd mention it.

 

Cheers

 

Bruce Prince

Australia

 

 

Susannah Hesslein wrote:

> I'm familiar with looking at the issue from the biological angle

> (the finger in your eye theory), but my question was more of a

> literary/textual one, or maybe even a legal one. I'm wondering if 

> the age of three has any significance, or if it is referred to 

> elsewhere in the Talmud outside of the sex/marriage/dowry issue. 

 

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