Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dave Washburn <davidlwashburn AT gmail.com>]

On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 1:17 PM, Stewart Felker <stewart.felker AT gmail.com> wrote:

וְדִבֶּר שָׁלֹום לַגֹּויִם וּמָשְׁלֹו מִיָּם עַד יָם וּמִנָּהָר עַד אַפְסֵי אָֽרֶץ

I have two issues here. משלו here is to be understood as "his dominion" - the object of דבר, correct? So, "and he will proclaim peace to the nations and [proclaim] his ruling/dominion..." Most major translations seem to be obscure this, supplying that his dominion "will extend" or "will be" from sea to sea.

וּמָשְׁלֹו מִיָּם עַד יָם looks more like a verbless clause to me: He will proclaim peace to the nations, and his dominion is/will be from sea to sea etc.  I'm not sure the grammar will support it as an object of דִבֶּר. It reads more naturally as a separate clause.

Also, is it possible that the waw connecting מים עד ים with מנהר עד אפסי ארץ is epexegetical?

I tend to think so. "From sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth/land" appears to be a rather extensive way of saying "everywhere."

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Dave Washburn

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