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"First Compendious Near Eastern Grammar: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know"
Edited by A.P. Ril
Winged Bull Press, Cloth.
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"A Proto-Semitic Grammar and Textbook"
by H.J. Shem
Edited by A.P. Ril
Winged Bull Press, Cloth.
List Price: $900.00 Your Price: $720.00
"Finally, a grammar of Proto-Semitic that makes use of the latest Second Language Acquisition techniques…While the ultimate goal in studying Proto-Semitic is to read the authentic ancient texts, this grammar takes a conversation approach, encouraging students to converse in class in Proto-Semitic from the very first lesson."

"Monuments of Ancient Assyria: A complete collection"
Edited by Karen Oh
Winged Bull Press, Cloth.
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"This 12 volume work catalogues all known and unknown monuments from Ancient Assyria"

"Mazdaism and the Art of Chariot Repair: Where’d I Put that Ankh?"
by Suzuki Kawasaki
Scribes of Ecbatana, Skin.
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"This delightful philosophical romp through the ages has nothing to do with either of the things mentioned in the title. Not to be missed!"

"Pharaoh Tachos and His Nefarious Barrio Brothers:
All My Friends Have Low-Riders"
by Michael Brown
Alternate History of the Persian Empire
Old Potato Peel Press, Paper.
Your Price: 25 gold sicles
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 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם שָׂרַ֣י אִשְׁתְּךָ֔ לֹא־תִקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמָ֖הּ שָׂרָ֑י כִּ֥י שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמָֽהּ׃ 16 וּבֵרַכְתִּ֣י אֹתָ֔הּ וְגַ֨ם נָתַ֧תִּי מִמֶּ֛נָּה לְךָ֖ בֵּ֑ן וּבֵֽרַכְתִּ֙יהָ֙ וְהָֽיְתָ֣ה לְגוֹיִ֔ם מַלְכֵ֥י עַמִּ֖ים מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִהְיֽוּ׃ 17 וַיִּפֹּ֧ל אַבְרָהָ֛ם עַל־פָּנָ֖יו וַיִּצְחָ֑ק וַיֹּ֣אמֶר בְּלִבּ֗וֹ הַלְּבֶ֤ן מֵאָֽה־שָׁנָה֙ יִוָּלֵ֔ד וְאִ֨ם־שָׂרָ֔ה הֲבַת־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה תֵּלֵֽד׃ 18 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים ל֥וּ יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל יִחְיֶ֥ה לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃ 19 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֲבָל֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֗ יֹלֶ֤דֶת לְךָ֙ בֵּ֔ן וְקָרָ֥אתָ אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ יִצְחָ֑ק וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֥י אִתּ֛וֹ לִבְרִ֥ית עוֹלָ֖ם לְזַרְע֥וֹ אַחֲרָֽיו׃ 20 וּֽלְיִשְׁמָעֵאל֮  שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ֒ הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ בֵּרַ֣כְתִּי אֹת֗וֹ וְהִפְרֵיתִ֥י אֹת֛וֹ וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֥י אֹת֖וֹ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֤ר נְשִׂיאִם֙ יוֹלִ֔יד וּנְתַתִּ֖יו לְג֥וֹי גָּדֽוֹל׃ 21 וְאֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אָקִ֣ים אֶת־יִצְחָ֑ק אֲשֶׁר֩ תֵּלֵ֨ד לְךָ֤ שָׂרָה֙ לַמּוֹעֵ֣ד הַזֶּ֔ה בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הָאַחֶֽרֶת׃ 22 וַיְכַ֖ל לְדַבֵּ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ וַיַּ֣עַל אֱלֹהִ֔ים מֵעַ֖ל אַבְרָהָֽם׃

Vocabulary

Verse 15

            שרי  name: “Sarai”

            שרה  name: “Sarah”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• When adding pronominal suffixes to אשׁה, the root word takes the construct form אשׁת  (3ms suffix:  Genesis 3:20; 2ms suffix: Genesis 3:17; 1cs: Genesis 20:11).
• The second word, אשׁתך, is in ::glossary(apposition):: to the name, שרי.
• The naming formula uses a כי clause to designate the reason for the name.  In this case it is a verbless class, כִּ֥י שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמָֽהּ.

Vocabulary

Verse 16

            ברך  verb (Piel waw-consecutive perfect 1cs): “bless”

            ממנה  prepositional phrase (מִן  + 3fs suffix): “from her”

Verse 17

            צחק  verb: “laugh” (BDB, 850)

            מאה  number: “one hundred”

            תשׁעים  number: “ninety”

Verse 18

            לו  enclitic: “if only, oh that” (BDB, 530)

            ישׁמעאל  name: “Ishmael”

Verse 19

            אבל  “nay, but” (BDB, 6)

            יצחק  name: “Isaac”

Verse 20

            פרה  verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive perfect 1cs): “make fruitful” (BDB, 826)

            נשיאם  noun (mpl): “princes”

Verse 21

            מועד  “time”

Verse 22

            כלה  verb: “finish”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 16

• Notice that the prepositional phrase (“from her”) is moved forward in the clause (placed prominently after the verb) emphasizing Sarah’s blessing.
• The lamed is transformative: וְהָֽיְתָ֣ה לְגוֹיִ֔ם.
• The lack of a ::glossary(copula,copulative):: connecting the final clause (מַלְכֵ֥י עַמִּ֖ים מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִהְיֽוּ) to the previous, also known as ::glossary(asyndeton)::, indicates an ::glossary(epexegesis,epexegetical):: comment.

Verse 17

• See Genesis 18:12-15 for Sarah’s reaction of laughter צחק.
• The first word of the quotation, הַלְּבֶ֤ן, is made up of the interrogative he, preposition lamed and בֶן.
• Notice the expressions of age בן מאה שׁנה “son of X years” and בת תשׁעים שׁנה “daughter of X years.”

Verse 18

• The verb is חיה “live” and not היה “be.”

Verse 19

• See Genesis 17:2 for a description of the different verbs used with ברית and for more information on בְרִ֥ית עוֹלָ֖ם.

Verse 20

• Compare וְהִפְרֵיתִ֥י אֹת֛וֹ וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֥י אֹת֖וֹ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד with verse 2.
• Numbers usually come before the nouns they modify, שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֤ר נְשִׂיאִם֙ “twelve princes.”
• The final clauses (מְאֹ֑ד שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֤ר נְשִׂיאִם֙ יוֹלִ֔יד וּנְתַתִּ֖יו לְג֥וֹי גָּדֽוֹל) are ::glossary(asyndeton,asyndetic)::, thus ::glossary(epexegesis,epexegetical):: explaining how Ishmael will be blessed.

Verse 21

• The initial waw is disjunction “but” (waw + non-verb).
• The idiomatic expression, בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הָאַחֶֽרֶת, means “next year.”

A recent article in the National Council of Churches’ 2006 Yearbook mentions DailyHebrew.com along with several other biblioblogs (scroll down to the list at the end). The Yearbook covers two "21st century trends" in the contemporary church, namely blogging and the Emergent Church.

The article is not terribly compelling and the implication seems to be that anyone who blogs is part of the Emerging Church. However, it is nice to see coverage of the growing medium of biblioblogs. If anyone subscribes to this NCC publication would you please contact me concerning the details of the relevant article?

 כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה רָעָ֛ה אַחַ֥ת רָעָ֖ה הִנֵּ֥ה בָאָֽה׃ 6 קֵ֣ץ בָּ֔א בָּ֥א הַקֵּ֖ץ הֵקִ֣יץ אֵלָ֑יִךְ הִנֵּ֖ה בָּאָֽה׃ 7 בָּ֧אָה הַצְּפִירָ֛ה אֵלֶ֖יךָ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֑רֶץ בָּ֣א הָעֵ֗ת קָר֛וֹב הַיּ֥וֹם מְהוּמָ֖ה וְלֹא־הֵ֥ד הָרִֽים׃ 8 עַתָּ֣ה מִקָּר֗וֹב אֶשְׁפּ֤וֹךְ חֲמָתִי֙ עָלַ֔יִךְ וְכִלֵּיתִ֤י אַפִּי֙ בָּ֔ךְ וּשְׁפַטְתִּ֖יךְ כִּדְרָכָ֑יִךְ וְנָתַתִּ֣י עָלַ֔יִךְ אֵ֖ת כָּל־תּוֹעֲבוֹתָֽיִךְ׃ 9 וְלֹא־תָח֥וֹס עֵינִ֖י וְלֹ֣א אֶחְמ֑וֹל כִּדְרָכַ֜יִךְ עָלַ֣יִךְ אֶתֵּ֗ן וְתוֹעֲבוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֣ךְ תִּֽהְיֶ֔יןָ וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מַכֶּֽה׃

Vocabulary

Verse 5

            אחת  adjective (feminine form of אחד): “one, each, first, a (as indefinite article)”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• See grammar note on Exodus 5:1 for further discussion of the introductory phrase, כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה.

Vocabulary

Verse 6

            קץ  noun: “disaster, evil”

            קיץ  verb (Hiphil perfect 3ms): “awake” (BDB, 884)

Verse 7

            צפירה  uncertain meaning, perhaps “doom” (BDB, 862)

            קרוב  “near”

            מהומה  “tumult, panic” (BDB, 223)

            הד  “shouting, cheer” (BDB, 212)

Verse 8

            שׁפך  verb (Hiphil imperfect 1cs): “pour out”

            חמה  noun: “wrath, anger”

            כלה  verb (Piel waw-consecutive perfect 1cs): “bring to an end (my anger)”

Verse 9

            חוס  verb: “pity, look with compassion upon” (BDB, 299)

            חמל  verb: “have compassion” (BDB, 328)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 6

• Verse five and six end with the same two words, הִנֵּ֖ה בָּאָֽה.  This is a common idiom in Ezekiel that guarantees the surety of a future event (Ezekiel 7:10, 21:12, 30:9, 33:33, 39:8; also Jeremiah 10:22).
• The fs participle, בָּאָֽה, refers to the feminine pharse אַחַ֥ת רָעָ֖ה.

Verse 7

• The participial phrase is substantive, יוֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֑רֶץ “dwellers of the land.”
• The last two clauses are verbless, קָר֛וֹב הַיּ֥וֹם  “the day is near” and מְהוּמָ֖ה וְלֹא־הֵ֥ד הָרִֽים “tumult rather than cheer will be [on] the mountains.”

Verse 8

• The adverbial, מִקָּר֗וֹב, could be understood temporally (“shortly”) or spatially (“from near-by”).
• See comment on אף from Ezekiel 7:3.

Verse 9

• This verse is exactly parallel to verse four with the exception of three words:  (1) v. 4 specifies on whom the Lord compassion will not be, עָלַ֖יִךְ, (2) v. 4 uses the word כִּ֣י instead of a kaf preposition and (3) v. 9 adds the Hiphil participle,מַכֶּֽה.

ScienceNOW Daily News is reporting the outrage on the campus of NYU concerning the large endowment given by the Leon Levy Foundation to create the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (one archeologist has apparently resigned in protest). The controversy surrounds the unsavory tactics of collecting ancient artifacts by the founder of the philanthropic group.

Let me first make two observations. (1) The stealing of ancient artifacts should be decried by all learned men/women especially by professional educators and distinguished archeologists. (2) Hypocrisy is humanity’s ubiquitous folly.

Rebuttal: It is the height of duplicity for a university to take money without question or criticism from one business/individual/foundation and disparage the source of another’s gift. Should Vanderbilt reject moneys from its university’s founder based on manipulative business practices? Or should the University of Chicago vilify John D. Rockefeller’s philanthropy for the pollution of gasoline burning automobiles? Harvard surely should give back its original donation lest it be seen as giving favoritism to the religion of John Harvard over another.

Instead NYU should commit to using the funds to advance learning to the end that individuals would see the necessity of preserving ancient artifacts and not the stealing thereof. What an opportunity to produce a virtuous outcome from a wayward start! If that is not the mission (and vision) of the university, what is?