Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Noam:

On Sat, Dec 8, 2012 at 6:09 PM, Zalman Romanoff <flintflintflintflint AT gmail.com> wrote:

In this week's Torah Portion, בראשית פרק מ verse 11 appears the word: וָאֶשְׂחַט

I checked a concordance - this verb appears nowhere else in the
tanakh. What is the source of the modern usage of the verb with a
samekh instead of with a sin as in this verse? Is it mishnaic?

First of all, it’s a Sin instead of a Shin, there’s no Samekh there.

Secondly, the phrase “blood of grapes” is found, e.g. Genesis 49:11, so it’s not a stretch to consider a metaphorical “slaughter of grapes” to make wine.

Thanks

Noam Eitan,

Brooklyn, NY

Karl W. Randolph.