Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] b-hebrew tAba'

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: James Read <J.Read-2 AT sms.ed.ac.uk>
  • To: Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] b-hebrew tAba'
  • Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 00:37:04 +0100

Hi,

I extend Yigal's fine comments below.

Quoting Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>:

Dear Eva,

The Hebrew word for "father" is actually "Ab", which is totally masculine in
form. If anything, one should wonder why "Em" - "mother" - does not have a
typically feminine suffix. And like you wrote, the plural "Abot" has a
feminine ending. "Aba" is Aramaic and usually ends with an Aleph, not
feminine at all.

As far as God's gender - the world of ancient Israel and its surroundings
was purely patriarchal and male-dominated. Thus God is described as
"Father", "King" etc. To a certain extent, this is human society creating
God in its own image. While theology is not the topic of this list, I doubt
that any present-day Jewish or Christian theologian would deny, that a God
who is without physical form is neither male or female - or maybe is both.


Indeed, this is perhaps in stark contrast to, for example, Babylonian gods who usually come in male and female pairs. Now, this is definitely mankind making their gods in their own image. I suppose the most common pair is Mother Earth and Father Sky. We still refer to 'mother nature' to this day in the English language. But I guess this is one of the traces of our pagan druidic celtic roots that managed survive the process of Christianisation.

The masculine figure of Father Sky is so dominant in many ancient religions that many have tried, with limited success, to paint Elohim as Father Sky. Such arguments generally draw on accounts of the use of natural elements to carry out judgement. However, those that consider such derivations, in general, fail to consider that polytheistic ideas of a Father Sky could have come about from an originally universally accepted monotheistic religion (even if there were only 2 people in the world of that time).

The thing is that the idea of an almighty single god was quite an alien concept to most civilisations in the time of the patriarchs. Most people of neighbouring nations believed in gods and godesses of one sort or another. And believed that the offspring came about in the usual way.

It is true that we generally speak about Yhwh as 'he' even though he is clearly without gender and yet, as Yigal points out, could be considered as both as he was in no need of a godess wife to create men and angels. But it is clearly quite right that we and the prophets call him he and not she, Father and not Mother, King and not Queen.

The acts of many reverant and holy women have been recorded for our benefit. But to the best of my recollection I don't remember any one of them ever suggesting we should call Yhwh 'she', 'mother' or 'queen'. On the contrary they always showed their godly devotion through submissiveness.

James Christian

Yigal Levin

-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
thebodyofjesusthenazoraion AT juno.com
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 5:46 PM
To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] b-hebrew tAba'


tAba' fathers/ Some masculine plural nouns look feminine:

Why can't fathers be parents or male and female? In Gen. it tells us that
male and female were created in the Image of Elohim.
So why is Elohim not understood as male and female?

Eva Ritsema

____________________________________________________________
Click to become a master auto mechanic, get free information today!
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/BLSrjnsCmXNiG2i1A4mWSzHiyriX98K4
fahzAEUCkxF4jmn5RmpQghOyM4Q/
_______________________________________________
b-hebrew mailing list
b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.329 / Virus Database: 270.12.32/2117 - Release Date: 05/15/09
17:55:00

_______________________________________________
b-hebrew mailing list
b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew





--
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page