Biblical Hebrew Forum

[dwashbur AT nyx.net]

On 28 Sep 2009 at 11:15, Dianne Burke wrote:

> Dear Sirs,
> 
> I wanted to thank you for your previous help in my discussions with
> my
> opponent regarding Samson.  His arguments were so over the top, that
> I just
> didn't know where to begin.  I know that this discussion list is
> not
> designed for the purpose of helping people who are debating others. 
> So many
> thanks.
> 
> My next question is still regarding Samson and it's a personal
> question.
> 
> In my previous email, I asked about Judges 16:1
> 
> I wrote:
> 
> >
> > >It has been brought up that Samson in Judges 16:1, did not
> actually have
> > >sexual intercourse with the harlot, yet from my understanding "he
> came on
> > >unto her" is an idiom used for sexual intercourse.
> > >
> >
> 
> 
> Randall Buth responded:
> 
> 
> >
> > Yes. That is what *"bo eleha"* means, and of course that is what a
> zona
> > prostitute does.
> > Again, a flawed character.
> >
> > blessings
> > Randall Buth
> >
> 
> Unfortunately I don't have an online bible where I can see the
> Hebrew lined
> up with the English.  I noticed in the www.blueletterbible.org that
> it only
> lists "bo" and not "eleha".
> 
> Is there any significance to this omission?
> 
> Does the Hebrew actually read  "bo eleha"?

In a manner of speaking.  It reads wayyabo' eleha.  Same idea, different 
grammatical form.  
Wayyabo' is "he went" while "eleha" is a compound of two parts, "el" meaning 
"to" or "into" 
and "ha" meaning "her."  The reason the Blue Letter Bible doesn't list this 
word in its 
Strong's material is because it's a specific grammatical form of a 
preposition that appears 
hundreds of times in the Hebrew Bible.  Strong tended to omit such words from 
his listings.

HTH,

Dave Washburn

http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur