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  • From: Harold Holmyard <hholmyard3 AT earthlink.net>
  • To: "b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] barak (bless? curse?) in the Book of Job
  • Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:29:48 -0600

John,
Thanks for all the answers, gang.

What about the use of BRK in 1 Kings 21:10. Parkhurst and others have argued that it
means "bless" in this context, and that the blasphemy committed involved
blessing false gods (elohim) and Molech. Does this interpretation have any merit?

HH: As the text stands, with the Masoretic pointing, it is "blessed God and king." Since "blessed" is inappropriate, it is a scribal emendation for the same reason as in Job, to avoid the offensive idea of cursing God. Also, there is no mention of false gods in the context, so elohim should have its normal reference to the Lord. And since Molech is a false god, it would be redundant to say that Naboth blessed false gods and Molech. Since the critical apparatus offers nothing different for "king," the idea that the pointing should indicate Molech is based on speculation about a pre-Masoretic text.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard





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