Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Jim:

This is a difficult verse, so it needs to be analyzed with care.

On Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 1:54 AM, Jim Courter <jim.courter AT gmail.com> wrote:

> ... It seems
> at least possible to translate the way I think may be valid:  "I will shake
> all nations and they will come (to) the delight(ful place) of all the
> nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says YHWH of hosts.".
> With
> this rendering, the "delight of the nations" refers to the temple, so would
> then be parallel to 'this house' in the second part of the verse. To come
> or
> enter without the prepositions 'to' or 'in' following the verb ba' is not
> at
> all unusual in the Tanakh. I would appreciate any input and discussion on
> this.
>
> Jim Courter
>
> Jerusalem


This is not  really poetry, so we don't need to worry about poetic
parallelisms. Verses six through nine make up a unit.

The first word of the verse is a hiphil, causative, "And I will cause all
the nations to quake"

In the context of the phrase, XMDT KL HGWYM is a plural. XMDH comes from the
root indicating specific desire as for a particular object, as contrasted to
generalized desire referred by T)WH. What those specific desires are, are up
to interpretation. So the translation of this portion of the verse comes out
as, "and the specific desires of all the nations will come"

"To come" is a qal, not a hiphal, so this does not mean that these specific
desires are being brought by the nations, just that they are coming.

The final part of the verse, "and I will fill this house with honor says
YHWH of hosts."

What makes this verse so difficult is not the words used, rather what does
it mean?

Here's where the context comes into play. "Mine is the silver and gold..."
implies that the specific desires are not for these precious metals, or
similar objects. Rather I think the specific desires are summed up in the
final phrase of the section "and in this place I will give fullness,
declares YHWH of hosts." $LWM fullness, comes from the root meaning to make
whole, as in fulfilling promises and payments. It is not the same as the
modern Hebrew word "peace", in Biblical Hebrew $Q+ meant peace. So I suspect
that the specific desires of the nations is for the wholeness that God will
give in that place.

I personally think this is a messianic prophecy, to be fulfilled before the
destruction of the second temple, but that's off subject, so I won't say
anymore now.

Karl W. Randolph.