Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Van Parunak <van AT parunak.com>]

HALOT derives these forms from the more common )MR I meaning "to say," 
but follows Smend and Vriezen in suggesting that the unusual Hifil form 
is a "covenant formula." I don't have access to the studies by Smend and 
Vriezen, but would observe that one important characteristic of the 
covenant under discussion (the one concluded at Sinai) is that neither 
contracting party dealt directly with the other. The people asked Moses 
to represent them to the Lord, and the Lord spoke to the people through 
Moses. Note, for example, Exod 19:7, 8; 20:19; 24:7. In this case, the 
Hifil construction can be read as active and transparent rather than 
frozen formalism: "you have caused [Moses] to declare the Lord to be 
your God ... the Lord has caused [Moses] to declare you to be his people."

This explanation might lie behind a formulaic explanation, as well. It 
might well be that most covenants were in fact negotiated "in the hand 
of a mediator" (Gal 3:19), which case it would be natural to speak of 
each party "causing to be declared" its assertions, rather than 
declaring them directly.

Van Parunak
www.cyber-chapel.org

> > Joel:
> >
> >   
> >     
> > > From yesterday?s Torah reading, in Deut. 26:17?18:
> > >
> > > Rabbi S.R. Hirsch suggests instead that these are forms of the root ???,
> > > that ??? ?? ?????? means ?You have caused it to be said about God that??.
> > >
> > > What is the view of the list members?
> > >     
> > >       
>
> HH: Here is an entry from Holladay's lexicon, giving this form and then:
>
> Hiphil: cause to say, proclaim ( covenant formulation), {Deu.26:17}
>
> So a literal translation could be: "The Lord you have proclaimed today 
> to be for you for God."
>
> Yours,
> Harold Holmyard
>
>
>   
> > > ?Joel
> > >     
> > >       
> > Without really getting into it, I think Rabbi Hirsch is in the main correct.
> >
> > Karl W. Randolph.
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> End of b-hebrew Digest, Vol 81, Issue 8
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