Biblical Hebrew Forum

[fred burlingame <tensorpath AT gmail.com>]

Hello Karl:

Thanks for your comments.

Please allow me to respond.

The משל or parable or proverb or metaphor, populates the masoretic
text ("MT") with much frequency.

Hence, we need to examine the hebrew language for multiple layers of
meaning.

In the verse in question, the author employs the popular mechanism of
parallel thoughts; "an kingdom of priests; and a nation holy."

Leviticus 11:44 and surrounding verses amplify the meaning of the hebrew
word קדוש . It applies to all the people and by comparison in Exodus
19:6, the כהנים can apply to all the people.

On one level the the priests represent the ones physically close to the ark
who offer sacrifice, the political ruling class. On another level, the
priests represent all the people behaving in accordance with torah, in a
manner קדוש .

Once again, I am constrained to qualify my above remarks as made only within
the boundary of the forum rules, to wit:

a. the MT represents the universe of this forum; and

b. the forum allows not the assertion of truth or falsity of the MT story.

So, my comments mean: that's just what the story says, not what exists in
real life.

regards,

fred burlingame


On Sat, Oct 30, 2010 at 2:37 PM, K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com> wrote:

> Fred:
>
>  On Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 10:16 AM, fred burlingame 
> <tensorpath AT gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> An interesting theory, the secular nature of the biblical hebrew language;
>> but one bereft of factual support. Indeed, the sole witness to the
>> language
>> includes a highly religious document, aka the masoretic text; and its dead
>> sea scrolls fragmentary predecessor. The internal testimony of that
>> document
>> further confirms the intended religious nature of the language itself,
>> given
>> the announced purpose of the nation writing the language.
>>
>> ואתם תהיו לי ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש
>>
>>  שמות 19:6
>>
>
> If your theory is correct that literacy was connected to the ruler classes,
> then this verse assumes universal literacy, as the whole nation was counted
> among the ruler classes.
>
>>
>> regards,
>>
>> fred burlingame
>>
>> Karl W. Randolph.
>