Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

The act BATAX, from the root BTX, seems to be 'to spread, to put  
over, to lean over', and so the ABATIAX of Nu. 11:5 is apparently the  
fruit (cucumber, watermelon?) of a plant that grows on a vine  
spreading itself directly on the ground.

Similarly, מבטיחי MABTIXYI, of Ps. 22:9-11
כי אתה גחי מבטן מבטיחי על שדי אמי
עליך השלכתי מרחם מבטן אמי אלי אתה
seems to me to be simply 'places me' (upon my mother's breasts).

The variant BATAQ, 'cleave', is found in Ez. 16:40
ורגמו אותך באבן ובתקוך בחרבותם

Another (from Aramaic?) useful variant is PATAQ, 'to tear', from  
which we have the present-day PITQAH or PETEQ, 'a slip of paper, a  
torn piece of paper'.

As for the פיסח רגלים PISEAX RAGLAYIM, of 2S 9:13
והוא פסח שתי רגליו
it is clearly a PISEQ RAGLAYIM, 'a parter of legs', as in Ez.16:25
תפשקי את רגליך לכל עובר
"and you spread your legs to every passer-by".

Isaac Fried, Boston University


On Apr 18, 2012, at 7:27 PM, Isaac Fried wrote:

> The root פתח PTX is apparently a variant of (BDX, BZK), BZQ, BTX,
> BCQ, BTQ, PSG, PSX, PCX, P$X, P$Q, (PSQ), PTX
> בזך, בזק, בטח, בצק, בתק, פסג, פסח, פסק,
> פצח, פשח, פשק, פתח
> with acts connoting 'spread'.
>
> So, פיסח PISEAX, as in 2S9:13 appears to mean 'spread-legged'
> where the spread is due to a limpness of the legs.
>
> Related are the מפשעה MI-P$A-AH, 'crotch', of 1Ch. 19:4, and the
> amorous פישוק רגליים of Ez.16:25.