Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <Yigal.Levin AT biu.ac.il>]

Jim, didn't you read my whole post? I specifically wrote that I thought that 
at least the context demands "in the 13th year". In my opinion, this is more 
important than the grammar. Let's remember that the text was written by 
humans (or dictated by God "bilshon benei adam"), and human language often 
takes "literary license". However, this works both ways. So I don't think 
that the grammar "proves" anything, and I still think that your theory is 
wrong.

 

Yigal Levin

 

 

 

From: jimstinehart AT aol.com [mailto:jimstinehart AT aol.com] 
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 2:36 PM
To: Yigal.Levin AT biu.ac.il; b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Year 13 Hebrew Grammar

 

 

Prof. Yigal Levin:

 

You wrote (in part):  “…they served 12 years, they rebelled 13 years, on the 
14 year Chedorlaomer arrived.  Some (not all) of the rabbinic sources 
actually understand it that way, and Seder-Olam Rabbah (the post-Talmudic 
tract that calculates the chronology of the world, from which the Jewish 
calendar gets 5771 A.M. for the present year) actually counts this as 26 
years.”

 

Thank you so much for that invaluable information about the Seder-Olan Rabbah 
interpretation of Genesis 14: 4-5.  Much appreciated.

 

However, could you please comment specifically as to whether or not, based on 
Hebrew grammar, Genesis 14: 4 could legitimately be interpreted to say and 
mean:  “…and Year 13 they rebelled”?

 

If that is not possible in Hebrew grammar, could you explain why?

 

(Thanks again for the Seder-Olam Rabbah info.)

 

Jim Stinehart

Evanston, Illinois