Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Eliot:

One explanation is that the Masoretes were offended by the words that were
actually in the text, and so exchanged them for “bless”.

One of the uses is quoting Job’s wife, where it can be understood not as
cursing, but as blessing where after blessing Job possibly dies—look at the
condition Job was in at that time.

But that use use doesn’t explain the other use of the sons in the first
verse.

Karl W. Randolph.

On Thu, Aug 30, 2012 at 1:54 PM, Eliot Fintushel <show AT fintushel.com> wrote:

>
> I notice that the Hebrew word ordinarily translated as"bless" here seems to
> mean its opposite--curse. I know that lots of people have commented on this
> over the centuries. Can you tell me what your take is on this, or what is
> the current consensus, if any? In particular, is it simply a scribal
> obfuscation, a matter of substituting a less offensive word, or is this use
> of ברך not unique to Job, or does it possibly point to something deeper?
>
> Eliot Fintushel
> Imaginists Theatre Collective
> Santa Rosa, CA
>