Biblical Hebrew Forum

[David Hamuel <davidhamuel AT sbcglobal.net>]

> A survey question.
> How many on this list are learning Biblical Hebrew in a spoken BH 
> classroom? 


A spoken BH is one issue, and 'reading' the Bible is another. Let's see one 
little tiny issue: the word בתים Batim (houses). 

What is interesting about the word Batim is that it has  attracted a lot of 
discussions. e.g. Norzi, Radak,ben Asher, ben Naftali. About what? About the 
dagesh + the letter tav. One might ask why all the  discussions? We know that 
a letter could be rafe, with dagesh kal or hazak, right?

>From Hidayat al-Qari we learn that there is a third dagesh!!!  called dagesh 
>gadol (which is not dagesh hazak!!!, or if you want a third way of 
>pronunciation). We know from al-Qari and Kitab al-Khilaf --  variants 
>between ben Asher and ben Naftali --  that there was  a hilluf between them 
>almost about every word of Batim, Batehem (their houses) etc.  and the 
>dagesh gadol -- excluding maybe two words. And see Daniel 3: 23 (the second 
>tav+dagesh) תְּלָתֵּהוֹן

so, the main question is how to read and pronounce the word בתים? the word 
תְּלָתֵּהוֹן?

See the Talmud, Rabbi Yohanan: Anyone who reads the Scripture without a 
melody...of him the Scripture says "Moreover I gave them laws that were not 
good..." (Ezek 20:25).

That said, you don't read the Bible!!! You have to know the cantillation, how 
to chant!!!



Best,

David Hamuel
Type Designer 
Biblical Hebrew, Grammar & Cantillation Expert

Los Angeles, CA — USA