Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Nir cohen - Prof. Mat." <nir AT ccet.ufrn.br>]

dear kenneth,

the association between LEV (heart?) and KLYWT (kidneys?) in the OT
is very strong, so i stick with the traditional translation. 

below i add some material on heart-kidneys which i found on the internet.

nir cohen 

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(I) 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10213802

Am J Nephrol. 1999;19(2):101-6.
The metaphorical and mythical use of the kidney in antiquity.
Maio G.
Source

Institute for the History of Medicine and Science, University of
 Lübeck, Germany. maio AT imwg.mu-luebeck.de
Abstract

While the Syrians and the Arabs viewed the liver as the center of life, the
kidneys, 
in contrast, held a primary place of importance in Israel. In Hebrew
tradition, they 
were considered to be the most important internal organs along with the heart.
In the 
Old Testament most frequently the kidneys are associated with the most inner
stirrings 
of emotional life. But they are also viewed as the seat of the secret thoughts
of the 
human; they are used as an omen metaphor, as a metaphor for moral discernment,
for 
reflection and inspiration. This field of tension in metaphoric usage is 
resolved 
under the conception of the kidneys as life center. In the Old Testament the
kidneys 
thus are primarily used as metaphor for the core of the person, for the area 
of 
greatest vulnerability. For us today, this metaphorical use of the kidneys has
lost 
its meaning. One reason for its disappearance is certainly the monopoly of 
causal-analytic rationality in science of today. The kidney has developed from
myth 
to organ, and with this transition a variety of perspectives and ways of
looking at 
knowledge inherent in imaginative thought have been lost. But the metaphor
uncovers 
a deeper level of truth, it represents another form of reconstruction of
reality which 
needs not necessarily be subordinate to the scientific rationality. Today as
well, 
these imaginative ideas can provide an approach to an essential level of
reality which
 may otherwise remain hidden.

-------------------------------

(II) (excerpt)

http://barrynewman.wordpress.com/2010/03/21/the-heart-in-the-old-testament-part-x%CE%B9/

arry Newman's Blog
March 21, 2010
“The Heart” in the Old Testament (part XΙ)
Filed under: The Heart — barrynewman @ 9:37 pm

Translations (cont.)

Not uncommonly, where there were the same or very similar linguistic contexts,
the 
translators sometimes used quite different English words, albeit with the same
general 
meaning.  This is particularly noteworthy in the NIV.  For example “to say in 
the 
heart” is translated: “to realise’, to say to oneself”, “to think” or “to say
in the 
heart”.  “Heart of the seas” is sometimes translated: “high seas” but on 
other 
occasions: “heart of the seas”.  Sometimes an unnecessary word seems to be
added, for 
example where the NIV translates “heart” with “heart and soul” (1 Samuel
14:7).  Both 
the NIV and the ESV translate “kidneys and heart” with “heart and mind” (Psalm
26:2), 
seemingly equating the English word “heart” with the Hebrew word for “kidneys”
and the 
English word “mind” with the Hebrew word for “heart”.  The one-off 
translation of 
“spirit” for “heart” in the NIV (2 Kings 5:26) is remarkable. 

-------------------------

>>>>> De: kenneth greifer <greifer AT hotmail.com>
Para: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Data: Fri, 27 May 2011 15:45:11 +0000
Assunto: [b-hebrew] Jeremiah 17:9-10


JEREMIAH 17:1 is usually translated something like "the sin of Judah is
written with a pen of iron, by a stylus of diamond it is engraved on the
tablet of their heart...."

JEREMIAH 17:9 is usually translated something like "the heart is deceitful (is
crooked) more than everything, and it is very sick (weak). Who will know it?"

Then JEREMIAH 17:10 is usually translated something like "I the L-rd examine a
heart, I try the reins (the mind) (kaf lamed yud vav tav), (and) to give to a
man like (according to) his way, like the fruit of his deeds." I think this
part has a mistake. "Reins and" sound funny.

I think the Hebrew letters might be divided a tiny bit differently. JEREMIAH
17:10 might actually say "I the L-rd investigate a heart, examining
(infinitive) a tool (kaf lamed yud) and a mark (tav vav), to give to a man
like (according to) his way, and like the fruit of his deeds." The tool could
be the pen or stylus used to write the mark, which could be the sin, on the
tablet of the man's heart like JEREMIAH 17:1 describes.

Kenneth Greifer