From: Henry Churchyard <churchyh AT ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>
To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
Subject: Judges 5:30
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 18:15:52 -0500 (CDT)
That reminds me, I wonder when we're going to get an honest English
translation of Judges 5:30, where _rah.am rah.amathayim_ may not
exactly be "coarse soldiers' slang" (Holladay), but probably has
some connotation of that nature. "Maiden" (RSV) is an utterly
laughably inadequate modern English translation, considering the
word's connotations of medieval chivalry and courtly love (not to
mention virginity), while "damsel" (JPS) goes even one step beyond
in absurdity. "Girl" (NRSV, NIV, Jerusalem) is kind of neutral and
bland, and does nothing whatever to capture the specificity of
_rah.am_ with respect to a more usual and general Hebrew word such
as _na`arah_.