Hi Karl, you wrote:
>
> My dictionary lists HWH as being "rumor, gossip, idle words that destroy".
What dictionary is that? Neither my BDB nor my HALOT says anything about
rumors. I am aware of the contexts from which you are getting the rumor
idea. As I said, it seems to me that the location of hwh inside contexts
about evil talk is anecdotal rather than conclusive proof of hwh's semantic
range.
Take Eze 7:26 as a for instance: hovah needs not mean shmu`ah any more than
"wars" means "rumors of wars." The collocation of hovah and shmu`ah means
nothing in and of itself.
>
> Where does "love" come in?
It is a hypothetical root with the Arabic cognate hawiya meaning love. It
supposedly gives us the construct state noun havat in Mic 7:3, Pro 10:3, and
11:6 meaning capriciousness or desire. So says HALOT.
Shalom,
Bryan
B. M. Rocine
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13206