Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Randall Buth <randallbuth AT gmail.com>]

[RB]
>> When interpreting the MT, it is always good to remember that
>> the masoretes knew Hebrew.
>
> [JC}
> That's quite a bold assumption you're stating Randall! The fact that they
> felt the need to develop a system tends to suggest that controversies over
> the correct reading had gotten to a point where an authoritative group felt
> the need to formalise the 'correct' reading. This calls into question just
> how well they knew classical Hebrew.
>

Fixing the reading tradition  hardly calls into question their knowledge of
Hebrew. It does not logically follow. A person can know Hebrew and disagree
on an interpretation and vocalization of a text. In fact, in the midrashim 
this
even become a midrashic turn, 'don't read A, read B'.

...
>> [RB]
>> The consonantal text is often ambiguous,
> [JC]
> Or at least it was by the time of the Masoretes.

Communication is breaking down here. So I've stopped.



-- 
Randall Buth, PhD
www.biblicalulpan.org
randallbuth AT gmail.com
Biblical Language Center
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