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וְכָל־הַבְּאֵרֹ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י אָבִ֔יו בִּימֵ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֑יו סִתְּמ֣וּם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיְמַלְא֖וּם עָפָֽר׃ 16 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ אֶל־יִצְחָ֑ק לֵ֚ךְ מֵֽעִמָּ֔נוּ כִּֽי־עָצַֽמְתָּ־מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מְאֹֽד׃ 17 וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מִשָּׁ֖ם יִצְחָ֑ק וַיִּ֥חַן בְּנַֽחַל־גְּרָ֖ר וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב שָֽׁם׃

Vocabulary

Verse 15

            באר  noun: “well; pit” (BDB, 91)

            חפר  verb: “dig” (BDB, 343)

            סתם  verb (Piel perfect 3mp w/ 3mp suffix): “stop up” (BDB, 711)

            עפר “dirt, dust”

Verse 16

            עצם  verb: “be mighty; make numerous” (BDB, 782)

Verse 17

            חנה verb: “encamp”

            נחל “river, wadi”

            גרר name (of a place): “Gerar”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 15

• Sentence Typology 1 (וְכָל־הַבְּאֵרֹ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י אָבִ֔יו בִּימֵ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֑יו סִתְּמ֣וּם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים): O-V-O-S
• The initial fronted phrase included modification with the relative, אשׁר חפרו עפרו עבדי אביו בימי אברהם אביו).
• The 3mpl pronominal suffix on סתמום is co-referential with the initial fronted object phrase, כל הבארת.  The divergent gender reference may be an attempt to disambiguate the verbal suffix ending from a pronominal ending (cf. GKC 60h).
• Embedded Typology A (חָֽפְרוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י אָבִ֔יו בִּימֵ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֑יו): V-S-M
• The beth introduces a temporal phrase.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיְמַלְא֖וּם עָפָֽר):
• As in the previous clause, the 3mpl pronominal suffix refers to כל הבארת and the agent is the same, פלשׁתים.
• The loss of dagesh is typical when the following letters are followed by a reduced vowel—the sibilants (שסצז) and כמנאלב.
• The Piel of מלא is used with two objects (“accusatives”) to indicate the entity filled and the substance with which it is filled.  The Qal stem of this same root typically takes one accusative.

Verse 16

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ אֶל־יִצְחָ֑ק לֵ֚ךְ מֵֽעִמָּ֔נוּ כִּֽי־עָצַֽמְתָּ־מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מְאֹֽד): V-S-IO-O
• The object clause is direct speech.
• Embedded Typology A (לֵ֚ךְ מֵֽעִמָּ֔נוּ): V-M
• The compound, מעמנו, includes the prepositions מן and עם along with the 1cpl pronominal element (= “away from us”).
• Embedded Typology B (כִּֽי־עָצַֽמְתָּ־מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מְאֹֽד): V-M
• The preposition מן is used as a comparative—“too numerous for us.”

Verse 17

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מִשָּׁ֖ם יִצְחָ֑ק): V-M-S
• משׁם is a compound of מן “from” and שׁם “there.”
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיִּ֥חַן בְּנַֽחַל־גְּרָ֖ר): V-M
• The final weak verb, חנה, apocopates (i.e. loses) its final syllable because of the stress change of the waw-consecutive imperfect.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב שָֽׁם): V-M

וַיִּזְרַ֤ע יִצְחָק֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֔וא וַיִּמְצָ֛א בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַהִ֖וא מֵאָ֣ה שְׁעָרִ֑ים וַֽיְבָרֲכֵ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה׃ 13 וַיִּגְדַּ֖ל הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ הָלוֹךְ֙ וְגָדֵ֔ל עַ֥ד כִּֽי־גָדַ֖ל מְאֹֽד׃ 14 וַֽיְהִי־ל֤וֹ מִקְנֵה־צֹאן֙ וּמִקְנֵ֣ה בָקָ֔ר וַעֲבֻדָּ֖ה רַבָּ֑ה וַיְקַנְא֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

Vocabulary

Verse 12

            זרע  verb: “to sow”

            שׁער  “measure” (BDB, 1045)

Verse 13

            גדל verb: “to become great”

Verse 14

            מקנה  verb: “cattle, livestock”

            קנא verb: “be jealous, zealous”

            עבדה  “service” (BDB, 850)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 12

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיִּזְרַ֤ע יִצְחָק֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֔וא): V-S-M
• The verb, זרע, may be used as a transitive verb with one or two complements or intransitively without an object as in this context.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיִּמְצָ֛א בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַהִ֖וא מֵאָ֣ה שְׁעָרִ֑ים): V-M-O
• The lexeme מצא can indicate the finding of a thing or acquisition thereof; the latter meaning is in view here.  One must determine from context whether the result is unexpected or not (cf. BDB 593; meaning 3a).
• Other examples of plural substantives following the singular absolute form of מאה are 1 S 18:25, 2 S 16:1 and 1 K 18:4 (GKC 134g).
• BDB suggest that the hapax legomenon, שׁער “measure,” derives from a different root than שׁערה “barley;” however, it may be preferable to propose a bi-form meaning the standard measurement of barley.
• Sentence Typology 3 (וַֽיְבָרֲכֵ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה): V-O-S
• The verbal pronominal suffix references יחצק from the first clause.

Verse 13

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיִּגְדַּ֖ל הָאִ֑ישׁ): V-S
• In this context, ויגדל, connotes the bringing into existence a state of greatness on account of wealth.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְגָדֵ֔ל): V-M
• The verbal hendiadys with a finite verb complemented by subsequent infinitives absolute is found commonly with verbs of motion, especially הלך and קום.  The construction is used to indicate ongoing contemporaneous action (cf. Lambdin 129.2).
• Sentence Typology 3 (עַ֥ד כִּֽי־גָדַ֖ל מְאֹֽד): V-M
• See GKC 164f for the temporal conjunction, עד־כי: “Clauses introduced by עַד, עַד־כִּי or עַד־אֲשֶׁר, sometimes express a limit which is not absolute (terminating the preceding action), but only relative, beyond which the action or state described in the principal clause still continues.”

Verse 14

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַֽיְהִי־ל֤וֹ מִקְנֵה־צֹאן וּמִקְנֵ֣ה בָקָ֔ר וַעֲבֻדָּ֖ה רַבָּ֑ה): V-SC
• The construction with היה and lamed indicates possession.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיְקַנְא֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים): V-O-S

Those of you who follow this blog regularly know that I limit this site to things related to the Hebrew Bible and attempt to refrain from engaging in personal assertion and opinionated propaganda (i.e. politics).  However, this post requires a comment on the intersection of these two conversations. 

A recent AP report, concerning archeological playing cards being issued to US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, reads:

Some 40,000 new decks of playing cards will be sent to troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan — as part of an awareness program so troops can help preserve the heritage of those countries…It's aimed at making troops aware they shouldn't pick up and bring home artifacts and also to avoid causing damage to sites — such as an incident after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when U.S. troops built a helicopter pad on the ruins of Babylon and filled their sandbags with archaeological fragments from the ancient city

Setting aside the pedestrian messages on the cards (see the image on the right), one must admit that the protection of the said artifacts and archeological sites is an admirable goal.

This brings to mind a comment made in one of my archeology classes by Mac Gibson, one of the foremost Mesopotamian archeologists of the last century, in which he said that when a country assumes the responsibility of regime change it takes on the duty to protect not only the country’s economic but also its cultural assets.  Regardless of what you think about the merits of the Iraq situation, whether good or ill, we all must agree that the protection of Iraq’s archeological heritage is absolutely essential.  The question should not be, as the seven of clubs queries, “This site has survived 17 centuries. Will it and others survive you?” but ‘Why have these cards not been issued earlier?’

***UPDATE***  Jim Eisenbrauns has written a memoriam for Dr. O'Connor. 

Stephen Cook is reporting that Dr. Michael Patrick O'Connor of Catholic University has succumed to liver cancer.  Our prayers go out to his family in this difficult time.

One wonders what this sad news combined with the departure of Dr. Gropp to Westminster will mean for the Semitics program at Catholic.

Douglas Gropp and Tim Lane join faculty
The Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Douglas M. Gropp professor of Old Testament at the Texas Campus, effective July 1.  Dr. Gropp currently teaches Semitics at Catholic University of America.  He holds degrees from Duke University (B.A.), Westminster (M.Div.), and Harvard (Ph.D.).

from wts.edu

The Evangelical Textual Criticism blog notes that several classic dictionaries are online at Tyndale House.  

• Gesenius' Hebrew dictionary
• Jastrow's Aramaic dictionary
• Payne Smith's Syriac dictionary
• Crum's Coptic dictionary

Each dictionary is indexed alphabetically and displays the appropriate page from a scanned image.  When a letter is selected from the left, an list of page initial words for this letter is displayed in the abutting frame. The pages load reasonably fast considering each is a separate image file.

Be sure to bookmark each for easy reference when you might not have access to print versions.