Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Keith McCune" <mccunes AT gmail.com>]

Dear Sirs:

So can I ask questions now?

If so...

What is the actual discourse function of "helo'"?  I mean the word at the
beginning of the sentence whose literal translation is something like "Isn't
[it the case that]...?"

The reason I'm asking about actual function is that in many cases the
literal translation is something that in a normal modern English text we
would never say.

I think in a lot of cases the best dynamic translation might be something
like:  "Now listen."  Like, "Heads up, this is important."

What think ye?

Keith McCune