Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

As I see it, Is. chapter 11 it is all about "I see", and hence the alternating between forms that appear to be future and forms that appear to be present. Verse 6 starts with W-GAR, 'and will live', then, YI-RBAC, 'will crouch', then it ends with 'and a small boy NOHEG (present) BAM'. The same pattern is repeated in verse 8, it starts with W-$IA$A, 'and will entertain himself', and ends with a present (or a past stretching into the present) HADAH 'puts'.

The KV translation:

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den."

surely misses the sublime poetry.

The WA-YI-BEN of 1K6:1 is translated as "began to build", of which I am doubtful.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On May 13, 2013, at 3:41 AM, Rolf wrote:

Isaiah 11:8,9: "and the sucking child will play (WEQATAL) near the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will stretch out (QATAL) his hand over the viper's nest. They will not do (YIQTOL) any harm or cause ruin (YIQTOL) in all my holy mountain, because the earth will be filled (QATAL) with the knowledge of YHWH, just as the waters cover (participle) the sea.

In these verses there are two YIQTOLs, two QATALs, and one WEQATAL with future reference