From: Kevin W. Woodruff <cierpke AT prodigy.net>
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Exodus 21:8
To: "K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 3:00 PM
Karl:We have two issues here:One is the meaning of ya'ad which in the Qal means "to designate or assign", and in this case to assign a concubine
There is a variant reading here. One (the kethiv reading) is the negative lo which "not" and the other (the qere reading) is the preposition and pronominal suffix lo' which means "to, or for him(self), which is the reading I choose here"
It basically says that a man does not have the right/power/authority to sell a woman to foreigners but must redeem her, because of his faithlessness//treacherousness /deceitfulness with her by not marrying her. In an age when women were mostly chattel and goods, this legislation gave basic human rights to wives/concubines.
Kevin
Prof. Kevin W. Woodruff, M.Div., M.S.I.S.
Library Director/Reference Librarian, Assistant Professor of Bible, Greek, Theological Bibliography and Research
Tennessee Temple University/Temple Baptist Seminary, 1815 Union Ave.
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404, United States of America
423/493-4252 (office) 812/821-4512 (cell) 423/493-4497 (FAX)
Cierpke AT prodigy.net
Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.