Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Hedrick Gary <GaryH AT cjfm.org>]

If we try too hard to avoid the appearance of bias, and that affects our 
translation, isn't that a sort of bias in and of itself?

Gary Hedrick
San Antonio, Texas USA

On Feb 13, 2011, at 2:48 AM, Lewis Reich wrote:

> Ms. Chan suggested that "'People untrammeled by earthly authority generally
> end up in conflict with others' is one such bias."
> 
> As the writer of the quoted observation, I'm not sure I perceive any bias in
> what seems to me a reasonably supportable sociological observation.  People
> who do not accept authority (and the rule of law that goes with it)
> generally do end up in conflict with others. Against whom does the
> observation express any bias?
> 
> Lewis Reich
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of B Chan
> Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2011 3:31 AM
> To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Gen 16:12 Hand Against?
> 
> 
> Karl: could you share with me the occurrences of yd b- with me, please? I
> would like to look at the verbal constructs. I know one occurrence in Ruth,
> but I'm not aware of the others.
> 
> Everybody: I guess what I want to arrive at is what would be a fair
> translation if we were to do this "ex nihilo" as it were, relying on
> previous translations as a guide but not slavishly tending to negative
> connotations that have been the hallmark of extant English translations.
> 
> 
> The issues for us are:
> 
> 1. He will be a (wild ass? wild stallion? free-ranging horse? "free
> spirit"?) of a man
> 2. His hand will be (against? in co-operation? in trade?) with all and all
> with him.
> 
> 
> What, really, are the arguments for and against each of the choices? Harsh
> as it may sound, I suspect that extant translations have some biases at
> play. "People untrammeled by earthly authority generally end up in conflict
> with others" is one such bias I think is inconclusive. Would the angel be
> describing "warlike Bedouin tribes" or "powerful Arab traders"?
> 
> May I state the issue for discussion this way: if we were Hagar, listening
> to this encouragement/prophecy/pontification without explanantion, without
> hindsight, what would we have understood as the literal meaning of all this?
> 
> 
> I am enjoying this discussion, and I look forward to many more of your
> erudite comments.
> 
> 
> Betty Chan
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2011 06:19:54 -0800
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Gen 16:12 Hand Against?
> From: kwrandolph AT gmail.com
> To: bh-chan AT hotmail.com
> CC: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> 
> B Chan:
> 
> 
> On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 11:29 PM, B Chan <bh-chan AT hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> The entry for "Yado bakol" at
> http://www.learnhebrew.org.il/print/2010/july5.htm is strangely ironic.
> 
> It claims that the etymology comes from Genesis 16:12 which (it asserts) was
> a "definitely negative" meaning.
> 
> Then it goes on to say that "in recent years it has turned semi-positive".
> 
> Alas, what did the Genesis original communicate to Hagar!
>