Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Paul Zellmer" <pzellmer AT sc.rr.com>]

On what source(s) do you base your statements concerning the level of
language skills (note, this is different from literacy)?  So far, in all
your discussions, you have yet to give any.  Because, in my experience, most
people would have a higher language skill in their native language than
David Kolinsky demonstrated in his description.  This is because Hebrew is
not his native language.  They would have automatically understood the
distinctions without having to think through the base meaning of the words
and then apply it to the context.  And the language of Deuteronomy is not
complicated.  In fact, it is rather straight forward.  And the vocabulary is
neither unique nor technical.

 

As for the last paragraph, the connection is not evident to me.  What is the
impact on determining the definition of words and significance of syntax if
we knew whether or not the "average" citizen at the time could understand
the text?  This seems to be of importance to you, and I'm trying to figure
out if I am missing some aspect of my Hebrew study that will help me better
understand the text that I have been studying for years.  So far, I see no
significance at all.

 

Paul Zellmer

 

From: fred burlingame [mailto:tensorpath AT gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 6:44 PM
To: Paul Zellmer
Cc: B-Hebrew
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] guess work

 

I am saying that language comprehension does not come in a fixed container
or packet, but rather exists on a continuum. Some people have first grade
language skill; some people have high school language skill; and some people
enjoy graduate school language skill.

 

The deuteronomic legal code ("Code") can be consumed at different levels of
language skill, with corresponding greater or lesser degrees of
comprehension.

 

And I am saying, as I said before, that most consumers of the Code, then and
now, enjoy not the level of language skill that david possesses; or that is
possessed by the Code. Hence, the job of priest/lawyer includes boosting the
consumer level of comprehension for particular laws.

I also am given to understand that the levitical priests were constituted as
a dedicated profession, to be supported by the state "tax" revenue.

 

That the above relates the purposes of this forum is self evident.