Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Noam:

This is not a construct chain with an out of place pronominal suffix or archaism for poetic reasons, but a simple sentence with an implicit “to be” verb, giving a contrast to another simple sentence. The grammar is simple with no complexities.

Those points are what give complexities when simplicity works better.

Karl W. Randolph.

On Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 8:14 PM, Zalman Romanoff <flintflintflintflint AT gmail.com> wrote:

Karl,

You read the waw of אַדְמָתוֹ as a pronominal suffix (HIS land), which
is what seems to create the syntactical problems in that segment of
the verse, as rendered by the Masoretes. But the waw does have to
signify a pronominal suffix here, but an archaic/poetic form.
וְכִפֶּר
 אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ =  וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָת עַמּוֹ.

At any rate, your reading solves the problems with syntax if one
insists that the waw of אַדְמָתוֹ is a pronominal suffix, and offers a
syntactically perfect reading, but what does it mean? What does "and
covering/price (kofer)) of his land is with him" mean in this context?

Noam Eitan

Brooklyn, NY