Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

James:

On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 10:51 AM, James Read <J.Read-2 AT sms.ed.ac.uk> wrote:

>
>
>> I think this just about sums up my sentiments as well. On the one hand,
> being a believer, I would like to accept everything unquestionable that
> Hebrew is a living language and that we can be 100% sure of the meaning of
> the original. This would bolster my faith immensely. On the other hand, I
> was raised a scientist and not as a Christian or as a Jew and so I have to
> take control of my emotions and analyse things as objectively as I can.
>
> James Christian
>

After years of reading the text over and over again, recognizing many places
where the text is not clearly understood (meanings of words have been
forgotten, alternate readings are possible), yet I have yet to find where an
alternate reading will change a teaching of Tanakh. For example, does Isaiah
30:14 describe an abandoned blacksmith’s smithy (a picture that jumped out
at me after doing some blacksmithing) (am I the only one on this list who
has done blacksmithing?), or something else? But it doesn’t matter whether
one uses the traditional translation or my understanding of a smithy, the
same idea of utter destruction is presented. I have yet to find where a
legitimate alternate reading is possible where an important teaching is
changed.

Karl W. Randolph.