Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Appears to me that רקע RQ( is 'smooth', and that the רקיע  
RAQIYA is but the
apparently smooth (no mountains no valleys) canopy overhead. How  
something is made
smooth is, in my opinion, but an extraneous anachronistic technical  
argument.

The verb שחק $AXAQ is also 'to smooth' (possibly by rubbing and  
wearing away, as in Job 14:19), and hence the שחקים $XAQIYM of  
Deut. 33:26.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Sep 10, 2012, at 7:48 PM, Jerry Shepherd wrote:

> The burden is on you to demonstrate that there
> are occurrences of RQ( or RQY( that deviate from the idea of  
> “beating out”
> or “beaten out” (or something in the same semantic field: beating,
> hammering, stamping, etc.).