Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard3 AT earthlink.net>]

Karl,
> Harold:
> I don't follow you. Do you have other examples to back you up? Where in
> Tanakh would they be found?
>   

HH: BDB says, After an oath (expressed, or merely implied) )M (the 
formula of imprecation being omitted) becomes an emphatic negative, and 
)M-L) becomes an emphatic positive.

HH: An example of an emphatic positive would be "surely."

HH: The examples BDB gives include: Num 14:28; Josh 14:9; 1 Kgs 20:23; 2 
Kgs 9:26; Isa 5:9; 14:24; Jer 15:11; 49:20; Job 1:11, and especially 
cases in Ezekiel.

> BTW the phrase is "upon" your face, not "to". A significant difference in
> Biblical Hebrew.
>   
HH: One of the meanings the preposition can have in English is "to." 
This is well known. A word in one language does not necessarily have 
only one word in another language to which it is equivalent, for the 
range of meaning of a word in one language may not match the range of 
meaning of one particular word in another language.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard