Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Kirk Lowery <klowery AT whi.wts.edu>]

Jason Hare wrote:

> I had thought it might be pausal, which I would also expect to be 
> /yishpOtu/,
> but it's not in final position. The pronoun HM follows it. Would this not
> limit the use of syllable lengthening? Wouldn't we expect to find this only
> if Y$PW+W came final in the clause?

Yes, this is why GKC calls it "anomalous," and so "explains" it as the
"retrogressive" effect of the silluq. He describes what is going on, but 
doesn't
really explain anything.

What's interesting is that it's not the only case: there are two others. That
suggests something actually is going on and that its not some sort of spelling
error or textual transmission error.

And while pause does bring lengthening of vowels, this situation doesn't 
require
"pause" as the explanation. It is indeed a lengthening of the vowel, but there
could be some other cause; in fact, since the word is not in fact in pause, we
ought to look to some other factor first.

But there's too little data for a real explanation. "Anomalous" it remains. As
happens so often in the Hebrew Bible. :-)

Blessings,

Kirk
-- 
Kirk E. Lowery, PhD, Director
The J. Alan Groves Center for Advanced Biblical Research
Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia
--
"While religion prescribes brotherly love in the relations among
the individuals and groups, the actual spectacle more resembles
a battlefield than an orchestra."
                                         -- Albert Einstein