Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Jerry Shepherd <jshepherd53 AT gmail.com>]

Hi Karl,


Several problems with this post, which I can only see as a heaping up of
desperation moves.



(1)  With regards to Exod 39:3 you say “this can be done by hammering, or
other methods.”  Could you elaborate?  Perhaps other methods were utilized
in addition, but some kind of beating or hammering was always involved.



(2)  With regard to Isa 40:19, you say, “This is covering with gold leaf.
Gold leaf is spread out, ot hammered, but softly rubbed into place. This
example is enough to call your whole argument into question.”  First, of
all, even if you were right, this would by no means call my whole argument
into question.  But, second, you are wrong.  In ancient times gold plating
was done, by rubbing, pressing, AND hammering.  This may not be so much the
case today.  But it was then.  The hammering was needed to make sure that
the gold plating filled all the pits and fissures.  I don’t think your
modern blacksmithing and coppersmithing experience is a reliable guide to
ancient goldplating methods.



(3)  With regard to Jer 10:9, you say, “Again the spreading of silver and
gold leaf onto a statue.”  No, you are wrong here as well.  Indeed, no
plating is talked about in this verse.  RQ( here is used to refer to beaten
out silver plates brought from Tarshish, and possibly, by ellipsis, the
verb might apply to the gold as well.  RQ( is not used here to refer to the
plating process, but to the process of making the silver and gold plating.  
And
this was done by beating and hammering out.



(4)  With regard to 2 Sam 22:43, you try to extend the first verb $XQ onto
the occurrence of RQ( in the verse.  But RQ( only has to do with mud in the
streets.  That this mud can be dried out, turned into dust, and float in
the air is completely extraneous to the use of RQ( in this verse.  It is
not mentioned at all.



(5)  With regard to Job 37:18, when you say, incredibly, that the verse can
be translated “as firm as a vision in a mirror,” are you really being
serious?  As “firm as a vision”?  Really?  I’ll have to remember that the
next time I play similes, and if someone asks, “As firm as” I’ll know the
answer is “a vision”!  Karl, come on!   Is there a translation in the
entire world that does this?



(6)  For Ps 136:6; Isa 42:5; 44:24; Ezek 6:11; 25:6 – all of these
plausibly refer to actions that can be characterized as beating, hammering,
stamping, etc.



(7)  For Ezek 1:22-26, it doesn’t always have to be metal plates, just
something that can be beaten out.  The passage does not say that it was
made of glass, only that it sparkled like “ice” or “crystal.”  Nor, in this
case, is there any hint that the RQY( is dome-shaped.  But it is solid; the
living creatures support it, and it in turn supports the throne.



(8)  Finally, no Karl, there are no occurrences in the Hebrew Bible of
either RQ( or RQY( referring to the existence of something non-solid.  Not
a single occurrence.  None.


Blessings,

Jerry Shepherd
Taylor Seminary
Edmonton, Alberta
jshepherd53 AT gmail.com