Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Nir cohen - Prof. Mat." <nir AT ccet.ufrn.br>]

george,

(MWQ is "deep, impenetrable, profound". i think the context here is very 
strong 
in favor of "impenetrable" and not "profound/sophisticated". especially as 
the 
parallel is KBDY L$WN and referring to peoples who would not understand the 
prophet's message.

if you prefer non-contextual evidence, i also think that the use of (MWQ for 
"profound" (as opposed to a merely low or surrounded place) 
is talmudic and not biblical, and may be a later aramaic borrowing. 

observe that SPH/L$WN can both mean "language" or a speech organ, and the
phrase (MQY SPH WKBDY L$WN
may make sense in both. with "language" the most probable is unintelligible; 
actually, i think it is the speech organs which he evokes as figurative. i 
would translate (MQY SFH as "of sealed lip", combining with "of heavy tongue" 
to indicate the lack of (hebrew and maybe also spiritual) eloquence. in fact,
was biblical SPH used frequently as "language"?

nir cohen