>>If my memory serves me correctly (I don't have a Hebrew text at
>>wants a son through Hagar.work) another is Gen 16:2 where Sarah is wanting a son through Hagar,
yet the text does not explicitly say so. That meaning comes from
understanding the word play, which I recall as depending on a single
word. In one sense it means to be built up, but it also means Sarai
>HH: Why do you think the text does not say so? It seems perfectly
explicit.
I checked three tranlation-commentaries last night. These are their
respective comments:-
Speiser, Comment: ``...it is an obvious word play on ben `son' alluding to
`I shall have a son'...''
Plaut, Translation: ``...perhaps I shall have a son through her.''
Comment: ``Have a son. Literally `be built up', a word play on
ben, son and banah, build up''
Alter, Comment: ``The Hebrew 'ibaneh puns on ben `son' and so means "I
will be sonned through her".''
Their colective opinion is that we learn of Sarai's specific desire
for a son, not merely for a child of either sex, by understanding the pun.
I'm not saying this is obscure, Plaut thinks it is so clear he puts the
punned meaning in his translation rather than relegating it to a comment
as do Speiser and Alter.
I think this is a good example because both meanings are so clear.
If we took 'ibaneh out of context and asked what it means we could say
its first person, refers to the future, and means I will be built up.
However, in context, it has a clear second meaning by virtue of it
sounding similar to ben, son.
The writer had a choice of several words which are more directly
related to childbearing that he could have picked from. It seems
clear to me that he chose 'ibaneh over the other options because
of its ability to carry a double meaning in this context.
I'm open to suggestions of other verses which you think would
be better examples.
From Awohili AT aol.com Mon Sep 12 17:45:18 2005Return-Path: <Awohili AT aol.com>
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