Archive for December, 2006

Dec 15 2006

Genesis 25:16-18

Published by Hardy under Genesis

אֵ֣לֶּה הֵ֞ם בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ וְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמֹתָ֔ם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְטִֽירֹתָ֑ם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר נְשִׂיאִ֖ם לְאֻמֹּתָֽם׃ 17 וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיִּגְוַ֣ע וַיָּ֔מָת וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו׃ 18 וַיִּשְׁכְּנ֨וּ מֵֽחֲוִילָ֜ה עַד־שׁ֗וּר אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו נָפָֽל׃ פ

Vocabulary

Verse 16

            ישׁמעאל  name: “Ishmael”

            חצר  “village”

            טירה  “encampment” (BDB, 377)

            אמה  “tribe” (BDB, 52)

Verse 17

            היים  noun (mpl constr): “life”

            גוע  verb: “expire, die” (BDB, 157)

            עם  “kinsman” (BDB, 769)

Verse 18

            שׁכן  verb: “settle”

            חוילה  name: “Havilah”

            שׁור   “Shur”

            אשׁור  name: “Asshur, Assyria”

 

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 16

  • Sentence Typology 1 (אֵ֣לֶּה הֵ֞ם בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙): S-P
    • Notice that this asyndetic clause (i.e. not coordinated to the previous clause by waw) is connected to the previous verses. 
    • The construction אלה הם is unusual (cf. 1 Samuel 4:8).
    • The independent personal pronoun may be considered appositional or marking a demonstrative with the following noun phrase (as in Aramaic; Ewald §314b).
  • Sentence Typology 2 (וְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמֹתָ֔ם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְטִֽירֹתָ֑ם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר נְשִׂיאִ֖ם לְאֻמֹּתָֽם):  S-P
    • The typology above considers the noun phrase, “the twelve princes,” as filling the same slot as “their names.”  The syntax of this clause may be analyzed alternatively as two clauses.
    • The regular form of the tens component for numbers between ten and twenty modifying a mpl noun is עָשָֹר.  It may precede or follow the noun.
    • The meaning of the locations, חצר and טירה, is not entirely clear (the former may indicate a long-term and the latter a temporary settlement).

Verse 17

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים):  S-P
    • The plural noun, חיים, is singular in English, “life.”
    • The idiom of age may be represented variously.  See Adam (5:5), Noah (9:29), Sarah (23:1), Abraham (25:7), Isaac (35:28), Jacob (47:28) and Joseph (50:26).
  • Sentence Typology 2 (וַיִּגְוַ֣ע): V
    • This verb גוע coordinated with מות is used two other times in Genesis (25:8; 35:17).
  • Sentence Typology 3 (וַיָּ֔מָת): V
  • Sentence Typology 4 (וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו): V-M
    • This idiom is used commonly for burial.

Verse 18

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וַיִּשְׁכְּנ֨וּ מֵֽחֲוִילָ֜ה עַד־שׁ֗וּר אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה): V-M
    • The verb, שׁכן, sequenced with מן and עד delimits the area of settlement.
    • The term, פני, is used as a cardinal direction—“east of.”
  • Sentence Typology 1 (בֹּאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה):  V-M
    • The verbal-adjective is used to elaborate on the direction, “as one goes to Assyria.”
    • The final he is directive.
    • The dagesh in the beth is a conjunctive dagesh.
  • Sentence Typology 1 (עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו נָפָֽל):
    • The idiom, נפל על, may refer metaphorically to geographical or to “attack, death.”

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Dec 14 2006

Genesis 25:12-15

Published by Hardy under Genesis

וְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּלְדֹ֥ת יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָלְדָ֜ה הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרָ֖ה לְאַבְרָהָֽם׃ 13 וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל בִּשְׁמֹתָ֖ם לְתוֹלְדֹתָ֑ם בְּכֹ֤ר יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ נְבָיֹ֔ת וְקֵדָ֥ר וְאַדְבְּאֵ֖ל וּמִבְשָֽׂם׃ 14 וּמִשְׁמָ֥ע וְדוּמָ֖ה וּמַשָּֽׂא׃ 15 חֲדַ֣ד וְתֵימָ֔א יְט֥וּר נָפִ֖ישׁ וָקֵֽדְמָה׃

Vocabulary

Verse 12

            תולדות  noun (fpl constr): “generations” (BDB, 410)

            ישׁמעאל  name: “Ishmael”

            הגר  name: “Hagar”

            מצרי  name: “Egypt”

            שׁפחה  “maid, female servant”

            שֹרה  name: “Sarah”

Verse 13

            תולדות  “generations” (BDB, 410)

            נביות  name: “Nebaioth”

            קדר  name: “Kedar”

            אדבאל  name: “Adbeel”

            מבשֹם  name: “Midsam"

Verse 14

            משׁמע  name: “Mishma”

            דומה  name: “Dumah”

            משֹא  name: “Massa”

Verse 15

            חדד  name: “Hadad”

            תימא  name: “Tema”

            יטור  name: “Jethur”

            נפישׁ  name: “Naphish”

            קדמה  name: “Kedemah”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 12

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּלְדֹ֥ת יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָלְדָ֜ה הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרָ֖ה לְאַבְרָהָֽם): S-P
    • The demonstrative pro-form is predicative to the following construct phrase.
  • Sentence Typology A (אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָלְדָ֜ה הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרָ֖ה לְאַבְרָהָֽם): V-S
    • An appositional description follows the proper name, הגר.
    • The suffix of המצרית is the feminine singular gentilic ending, “the (female) Egyptian.”
    • The relative replaces the object
  • Sentence Typology i (לְאַבְרָהָֽם):  P
    • This is an unmarked relative (a.k.a. asyndetic relative clause).
    • The lamed preposition denotes possession, “belonging to Abraham” (or “that is Abraham’s wife, Sarah”).

Verse 13-15

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל בִּשְׁמֹתָ֖ם לְתוֹלְדֹתָ֑ם): S-P
    • The construction is similar to the first clause of the previous verse.
    • The phrase, בשׁמתם לתולדתם “by their names according to their generations,” probably refers to a chronological listing of sons.
  • Sentence Typology 2 (וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל בִּשְׁמֹתָ֖ם לְתוֹלְדֹתָ֑ם בְּכֹ֤ר יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ נְבָיֹ֔ת וְקֵדָ֥ר וְאַדְבְּאֵ֖ל וּמִבְשָֽׂם׃ וּמִשְׁמָ֥ע וְדוּמָ֖ה וּמַשָּֽׂא׃ חֲדַ֣ד וְתֵימָ֔א יְט֥וּר נָפִ֖ישׁ וָקֵֽדְמָה): S-P
    • After the initial clause, the following proper names present the children in descending order of birth—then Kedar and Adbeel, etc.
    • The grouping of the names is interesting.  The first six are linked each with an intial waw followed in the last verse by two and three names sequenced with only the final element having the waw.

 

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