Gideon. Wait what? Well this makes sense. If his father is a Baal worshiper sure enough he gave his son a good Baal name.

Transcription

1 1 Judges 7 Notes on translation/grammar & = het $ = shin (7:1) Literally Jerubbaal he/that (is) Gideon = Jerubbaal who is ירבעל הוא גדעון Gideon. Wait what? Well this makes sense. If his father is a Baal worshiper sure enough he gave his son a good Baal name. 745a. = II spring (of water) under BDB ע י ן form. = construct ע ין helps. 1 Place name. Having trouble recognizing it? The text critical note ח ר ד encampment, camp under BDB 334a. Compare construct to absolute = מ ח נ ה form. Beginning to notice a pattern? 860b. north under BDB = צ פוֹן him. Literally was to him from the north = was to the north of היה לו מצפון name. Apparently a Place ג ב ע ת ה מּוֹר ה So the Midianites were camped in the valley, to the north of מגבעת המורה בעמק Gideon and his pals, stretching from Gibeat-moreh. There are times where a good Bible atlas can help you visualize what the story is describing. (7:2) = preposition + verb + pronominal suffix. A little tricky to analyze. Would מ תּ תּ י help? No? Not so much? This is the infinitive construct of the very תּ ת common doubly weak verb.נתן Learn it now. *tint > titt > tit > teet תּ ת but the double t reappears before a suffix. 1 a BC Αραδ.

2 2 (is) Literally great/many (is) the people who רב העם אשׁר את ך מתתי את מדין בידם with you from my giving Midian into their hand = the people with you are too many for me to give Midian into their hand. now. = conjunction lest under BDB 814b. Very common. Learn it פ ן and the full vowel under the first root ת Form? PGN? Note the infixed י ת פּ א ר letter. Good time to review the Hitpael. פאר = Hitpael glorify oneself under BDB 802a. and long i vowel. Conjugation? If you וֹ prefix and ה Form? PGN? Note הוֹשׁ יע ה have trouble remembering this common verb we have seen before you can save yourself grief and look under BDB 446a. Very important theological point being made here. G-d will פן יתפאר עלי ישׂראל not do something because the situation is such that people might think they saved themselves. The fact G-d even mentions the point is also theologically significant. (7:3) ear = א ז ן noun? = preposition + noun. Gender and number and state of ב א ז נ י under BDB 23b. 353b. (adjective) trembling under BDB = ח ר ד who? is here מ י Grammatical note. The interrogative pronoun מי ירא וחרד used as an indefinite pronoun whoever. A little tricky because weak verbs the difference between the jussive and י שׁ ב.י שׁ ב to י שׁוּב imperfect forms. Compare

3 3 depart under BDB 861b. Very rare. Might be hapax = צפר PGN? Form? ו יּ צ פּ ר legomenon. 2 name. Place ג ל ע ד Literally twenty and two thousand = 22 thousand. Note the ע שׂ ר ים וּשׁ נ י ם א ל ף syntax. {TENS} + {ONES} + {THOUSAND}. Literally and ten thousands. Interesting that the syntax is a little ו ע שׂ ר ת א ל פ ים different. = Niphal שׁאר it? could be 1cp or Niphal prefix. Which is נ The first נ שׁ א רוּ remain, be left over under BDB 983b. You should know this stem by now. (7:4) where we might expect first root letter. Would וֹ preformative and ה Note הוֹר ד 285. help you get a handle on this? Review Isbell תוֹר יד = verb + object suffix. PGN of suffix? Form? PGN? Indication of other ו א צ ר פּ נּוּ than Qal? צרף = smelt, refine, test under BDB 864a. Note the heavy 3ms suffix with an imperfect verb. This is exactly what we should see. Grammatical note This phrase shows והיה אשׁר אמר אלי ך זה יל ך את ך הוא יל ך well the forward and backward use of demonstrative pronouns. The backward or anaphoric use refers to something already mentioned. The forward or cataphoric use refers to something about to be mentioned. The 3 rd person demonstratives that begin with הוא היא הם המה הן הנה ה can only be used for something already mentioned. So and the one I say to you this one will go with you, that one will go. Notice זה refers to something about to mentioned the one who will go with you - but הוא to what was just mentioned. ישׁב cf et 4a. Phew! Corrupt. Perhaps (transpose up to ו יּ צ ר פ ם גדעון l) et ישׁב 2 a-a crrp; prp (tr ad and read) and Gideon tested them, compare Targum and 4a. What do you think?

4 4 Note that the first clause uses א תּ ך but the second uses מּ ך.ע Remember that Biblical Hebrew like most languages tries not to repeat exactly the same way. But this also tells us that the prepositions א ת and ע ם are basically equivalent in meaning. (7:5) 3 help? You יוֹר יד Form? PGN? Shortened form because of wayyiqtol. Would ו יּוֹר ד should start keeping a list of regular and shortened forms. Tough to analyze. Dagnamit we re going to have to review final geminate י לק verbs aren t we? לקק = lap, lick under BDB 545a. You might also keep a list of final geminate verbs. now. tongue; language under BDB 546a. Very common noun. Learn it = ל שׁוֹן segolates. dog under BDB 476b. Just learn it. Great for talking about = כ ל ב Grammatical note This is the generic article that indicates a class or group rather than an individual. So הכלב does not mean the dog but dogs in general. first(?) Form? PGN? Note a and long i vowel. Note also strong dagesh in ת צּ יג root letter. Wait we already met this verb in 6:37. It is worth noting that the Gideon narrative consistently uses the unusual stem יצג for.שׂים What might this suggest? What other distinctive linguistic features have we seen in this narrative so far? Form? PGN? Indication of other than Qal? Note this is the other Qal vowel י כ ר ע pattern. כרע = bow down under BDB 502b. 3 a G* + µεταστησεις αυτον καθ αυτον cf SV, prb ins ת צּ יג אוֹתוֹ ל ב ד which means something like original Greek adds compare Peshitta and Vulgate, perhaps insert you will set him aside alone.

5 5 139b. knee under BDB = ב ר ך suffix. = noun + possessive ב ר כּ יו ending which is characteristic of what וֹת = preposition + verb. Note the ל שׁ תּוֹת kind of verb? If you need help drink from Kittel verb trick #10. (7:6) preformative and מ Note.מ ל ק ק = article + verb. Inflection? That leaves ה מ ל ק קים shwa. We learned this stem in verse b. remainder, excellence under BDB = י ת ר If you have trouble with the syntax of this verse begin with the words in order. Literally and it happened (the) number of the (ones) lapping with their hand to their mouth three hundred man and all (the) remainder of the people knelt upon their knees to drink water. (7:7) place standing-place, = מ קוֹם suffix. = preposition + noun + possessive ל מ ק מוֹ under BDB 879b. As above. The words are pretty clear the only trouble might be understanding the meaning. (7:8) 4 845a. provision under BDB = צי ד ה strong, = Hiphil make חזק vowel. preformative and long i ה Note ה ח ז יק strengthen under BDB 304a. 4 a-a frt crrp ex ויקּח את כּ דּ י העם מ יּ ד ם which means something like might be corrupt, originally and he took the vessels of the people from their hands.

6 6 (7:9) help? ת קוּם Would קוּם help? ת ר ד Would ר ד Remember that the.נ ת תּ י = verb + object suffix. PGN of suffix? That leaves נ ת תּ יו suffix pulls the accent and one of the vowels reduces. (7:10) name. Personal פ ר ה 654b. boy, youth, lad; retainer under BDB = נ ע ר suffix. = noun + possessive נ ע ר ך This word has a range of uses including something like man in the sense of man/soldier/person who works for you. (7:11) subject. Form? PGN? Can you tell if this is a Qal or Hiphil? Note the ת ח ז ק נ ה your (two) hands is actually dual but ידי ך note Grammatical תחזקנה ידי ך takes the plural verb.תחזקנה Although Hebrew does have dual nouns it does not have dual verbs so dual subjects take plural verb forms. There are some scholars who argue there might be a handful of dual pronouns and perhaps even verbs. I could tell you a story about when I flew to Minneapolis(?) and tried to explain in grammatically correct Arabic to a very nice man from Egypt(?) that I have two sisters. A&uwaati? Arabic still uses dual forms. 892a. 5 end, extremity under BDB = ק ז ה 5 b-b prb crrp; prp אל קצה.ל צ פּוֹת probably corrupt, perhaps to the guards (?). The noun צ פּוֹת is not in BDB but probably related to צפה look out or about, spy, keep watch.

7 7 (adjective) in battle-array under BDB 332b. Very rare. Could also be = ח מ שׁ ים masculine plural absolute passive particle of IV חמשׁ arm (for battle) so men. 6 the armed = החמ שׁים (the) Tough to understand the meaning here. Literally קזה החמשׁים אשׁר במחנה end of the battle-array(???) which (was) in the camp. Most modern translations interpret this as the outposts of the armed men that were in the camp. (7:12) = נפל see. vowel pattern although a little hard to כוֹכ כ Inflection? Note the נ פ ל ים fall, lie under BDB 656b. Very common verb. Learn it now. 6:5? Wait. Didn t we see this expression way back in כארבה לרב 297b. sand under BDB = חוֹל שׁ we have אשׁר = relative particle + preposition. Once again instead of שׁ ע ל which is more typical of Late Biblical Hebrew. So why does it appear in certain pre-exilic(?) narratives? See Richard M Wright, Further Evidence for North Israelite Contributions to Late Biblical Hebrew, in Biblical Hebrew: Chronology and Typology (ed. Ian Young; JSOTSup 369; T&T Clark, 2003) Basically I argue that some features of Late Biblical Hebrew might have come from non-judahite Hebrew. 973b. lip, speech, edge under BDB = שׂ פ ה שׂ פ ת now. sea under BDB 410b. Very common noun. Learn it = י ם (7:13) 6 c 2 Mss.ח מ שּׁ ים Two manuscripts of Septuagint and Peshitta have fifty. Not sure how that helps.

8 8 cake, round load under = צ ל יל* Careful. We have a ketib-qere here. Read צל ול BDB 853b. Might be a hapax legomenon. ending. barley under BDB 972b. Usually takes masculine plural = שׂ ע ר ה שׂ ע ר ים infix and strong dagesh in second(?) root ת preformative and מ Note מ ת ה פּ ך letter. הפך = Hitpael turn this way and that under BDB 245b especially 246a. help? י כּ ה Would.ו יּ כּ = verb + object suffix. PGN of suffix? That leaves ו יּ כּ הוּ Form? PGN? Hint this is a doubly weak 1 st / נ 3 rd ה verb. 245a. turn, overturn under BDB = הפך suffix. = verb + object ו יּ ה פ כ הוּ 751b. higher part under BDB = מ ע ל.ה = preposition + noun + directional ל מ ע ל ה (7:14) upwards. means something like to the higher part = מ ע ל ה construct(?) not, except under BDB 116b. Nearly always in the = ב ל ת ב ל תּ י form ל תּ י.ב This is called the exceptive or limitive בלתי which often is followed by a negative clause. Literally is not this except if/except = this is not anything אין זאת בלתי אם except = this is none other than. You might remember this noun from 2 Samuel 11. David made a flippant ח ר ב remark this is eats this one and that. name. Personal יוֹא שׁ (7:15)

9 9 heard. Literally and it happened as (the) hearing of = and when ויהי כשׁמע Remember that היה + (preposition) + infinitive construct is a common way of expressing a temporal clause in Biblical Hebrew. breaking, fracture; (here) interpretation under = שׁ ב ר preposition. = noun + שׁ ב רוֹ BDB 991a. Form? PGN? This is our old friend the conjugation Hishtaphel that occurs ו יּ שׁ תּ חוּ with only one root/verb in Biblical Hebrew. This is actually an apocopated form otherwise י שׁ תּ ח ו ה. Remember that BDB does not list this as Hishtaphel of חוה but rather the Hitpael of.שׁחה That is the old way to analyze this stem. help? י שׁוּב Read this carefully. Is this wayyáa$aab or wayyáa$ob? Would ו יּ שׁ ב suffixes. = preposition + noun + possessive suffix. Good chance to practice ב י ד כ ם (7:16) divide under BDB = חצה Qal? Apocopated form. Indication of other than ו יּ ח ץ 345a. army, Literally heads but perhaps expressing head, division of ר אשׁ ים company, band under BDB 911a. all, every comes from *kull(u) and כוֹל suffix. = noun/adjective + pronominal כ לּ ם with a suffix the geminate l comes back. Rare. jar under BDB 461b. = כ ד torch under BDB 542a. One of my very first papers in graduate = ל פּ יד ל פּ ד ים school was on foreign loan-words in Biblical Hebrew. ל פּ יד was probably borrowed from Hittite(? Greek?) lampi$. The יד may be an old grammatical ending.

10 10 midst under BDB 1063b nearly = ת ו ך noun/preposition. = preposition + ב תוֹ ך (7:17).תוֹ ך always construct form ראה Literally from me you will see = look at me. A little odd that ממני תראו takes מן before object. story? Why so many in this. וּן Well well. Another 3/2mp ending ת ע שׂוּן (7:18) 1075a. thrust, clap, give a blow, blast under BDB = תקע circuit, round about under BDB 686b often used in construct as = ס ב יב ס ב יבוֹת an adverb around, round about. (7:19) Rare. watch (division of time) under BDB.1038a = א שׁ מ ר ת or א שׁ מוּר ה א שׁ מ ר ת Note the unusual א noun preformative. BDB. = article + noun. Difficult to figure out where you might find this in ה תּ יכוֹנ ה Remember that וֹן is a somewhat common noun ending in Biblical Hebrew. That leaves ת יכוֹן.תיכ = middle under BDB 1064a. Literally watch (of) the middle = the middle watch (division of אשׁמרת התיכונה time)..קום Not a form we often see. Hiphil infinitive absolute of hollow verb ה ק ם \ up?). Literally raising they raised = they had roused(? gotten הקם הקימו

11 11 = נפץ root? the 1cp or Niphal preformative or part of the נ Form? Is the 1 st ו נ פוֹץ shatter under BDB 658b. So what is the form? On rare occasions the infinitive absolute is used like a finite verb in Biblical Hebrew. Here is it used as a perfect verb. (7:20) strong, = Hiphil make חזק vowel. Form? PGN? Note a and long i ו יּ ח ז יקוּ strengthen but also take hold, grasp under BDB 305a. 969b. left, north under BDB = שׂ מאוֹל 411b. right (hand), south under BDB = י מ ין (7:21) Literally and they stood each after him = and each (man) stood ויעמדו אישׁ תחתיו in his place(?). help? י רוּץ Careful. Note the accent. Would ו יּ ר ץ Form? PGN? Note a and long i vowels. Take Kittel verb trick #H1 for a ו יּ ר יעוּ spin. Hard part might be guessing the root. רוע = Hiphil raise a shout; give a blast under BDB 929b. You should know this root.וינוסו but read ויניסו Note the ketib-qere. Written ו יּ נוּסוּ (7:22)?ויניסו but if memory escapes you can look under BDB 630b. Can it be read And if so what difference does it make? name. Place ב ית השּׁ טּ ה before ת but ה Note the place name ends in.ה = Place name + directional צ ר ר ת ה suffix. You should have this down cold by now. The feminine ending in

12 12 Biblical Hebrew originally came from at(u) and that original t reappears in many forms especially construct and before suffixes. Place name. It can be confusing and frustrating when you spend א ב ל מ חוֹל ה several minutes trying to figure out a noun or verb form only to discover it is the proper name of a place or person. What the heck is an (abel mḥo(w)lā(h)?!? name. Place ט בּ ת So do you understand at this point how Gideon and his forces defeated the Midianite army? (7:23) letter. Form? PGN? Note three full vowels and strong dagesh in first(?) root ו יּצּ ע ק 858a. = Niphal be summoned under BDB צעק review. Should be pretty simple. Straight out of our principal parts ו יּ ר ד פוּ (7:24) 249a. mountain, hill, hill-country under BDB = ה ר name. Tribe/place א פ ר י ם help? There aren t really any tricks from Kittel or elsewhere to ת ר דוּ Would ר דוּ spot a 1 st י imperative form. 6:35. You met this stem back in. ת = preposition + verb. Note final ל ק ר את 539b. capture, seize, take under BDB = לכד help? ת ל כ דוּ + verb. Would ו = ו ל כ דוּ name. Place ב ית ב ר ה

13 13 = article + Place name. If you have trouble recognizing this very familiar ה יּ ר ד ן place name try saying it with a strong Spanish accent. Seriously. Well assuming you ve noticed how the Columbian(?) wife on Modern Family pronounces yo like jo. (7:25) chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince under BDB 978a. If = שׂ ר שׂ ר י you re curious why not שׂ ר which it should be according to Hebrew short vowel rules consider that שׂ ר is cognate with Akkadian $arru. name. Personal ע ר ב name. Personal ז א ב Form? PGN? Indication of other than Qal? You should know this root but ו יּ ה ר גוּ if you can t remember and it s just killing you look under BDB 246b. now. rock, cliff under BDB 849b. Pretty common. Learn it = צוּר 428b. wine-vat, wine-press under BDB = י ק ב Think about this for a moment. Which came first? The names of the princes? Or the names of the places? preformative and long i vowel. Pretty common stem. Review Isbell ה Note ה ב יאוּ 258. We refer to it so often I no longer need to look it up. Hiphil weak verb? Isbell a. region across, beyond, side under BDB = ע ב ר