Biblical Hebrew Forum

[jimstinehart AT aol.com]

Isaac Fried:

 

You wrote:  “Interpreters of the Hebrew bible fancied to discern in CAPNAT of Gen.  41:45 the root צפן CPN, a variant of ספן and שפן SPN, 'covered, hidden', as in Hag. 1:4 and Deut. 33:19. Consequently they saw פענח PANEAX as 'reveal', namely, 'the exposer of the things concealed'.”

 

That is truly fascinating.  Although that traditional Hebrew interpretation long post-dates the composition of the Patriarchal narratives, nevertheless it lends some support to my view that the ssade/C at the beginning of Joseph’s Egyptian name had long been viewed in ancient times as similar to a sin/% in sound.  As such, it suggests that such ssade is rendering the Egyptian word sA, meaning “son”, rather than the current scholarly view that such ssade should be interpreted, impossibly, as allegedly representing both D and d in Egyptian, with De-de/djed in Egyptian meaning “he said”.  Moreover, since in chapter 41 of Genesis Pharaoh seems to treat Joseph as being the “son” that Pharaoh himself never had, it makes much more sense for that ssade to mean sA/“son” in Egyptian.  We should properly suspect that the Pharaoh of the Patriarchal narratives desperately wanted a “son” of his own, but unlike Abraham Pharaoh never was successful in siring a son as his proper male heir.  And since Jacob is said to be age 13 tenfold when he meets with Pharaoh at Genesis 47: 9, that suggests Year 13 as the exact year in question.  A pharaoh who never had his own son to be his proper heir, and who had terrible troubles in unlucky Year 13, is what the Patriarchal narratives are talking about, with pinpoint historical accuracy, as recorded in writing by a contemporary Hebrew.

 

Thank you very much for that insight as to the traditional Hebrew-based interpretation of Joseph’s Egyptian name.  Fascinating, and much appreciated.

 

Jim Stinehart

Evanston, Illinois