Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Is it possible that אַפְסֵי אָֽרֶץ is more specifically 'the high mountains, 

the apex of the earth'? I would compare the root אפס APS to the 

root אבס ABS, of which we have אבוּס ABUS, 'fattened, made plump, 

swelled', as in Prov. 15:17 and 1Ki 5:3. 

Today we use EPES for 'zero', but this is merely an example for language 

using the positive (a thing) to express the, otherwise difficult to express, 

negative (nothing = no–thing), as the 

הוֹי מַגִּיעֵי בַיִת בְּבַיִת שָׂדֶה בְשָׂדֶה יַקְרִיבוּ עַד אֶפֶס מָקוֹם

KJV: "Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, 

till there be no place"

of Is. 5:8, where אֶפֶס מָקוֹם (namely, אֶבֶס מָקוֹם ) is at once 'no place', 

and 'a full place with no space left free'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Aug 14, 2013, at 6:11 PM, Dave Washburn wrote

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."

My answers are free, and well worth it.