משׁפחות Interesting Use of the Expression on This Context

1

Jeremiah 31:1-34

(31:1)

משׁפחות – Interesting use of the expression on this context.

לכל משׁפחות[1]

(31:2)

מצא[2]

חֵן I = "favour, grace" under BDB 336a. Root חנן I = “shewfavour, be gracious”.[3]

שָׂרִיד = “survivor (from a defeat)” under BDB 975a. Root שׂרד = “escape”.[4]

רגע II = "be at rest, repose", Hiphil "give rest, cause to repose" under BDB 921a. Probably = Arbraja⁽a “return, return to rest (after wanderings)”.

עם[5]

הלוךְ[6]

(31:3)

לי[7]

אהבת[8]

רָחוֹק = “distant, far, distance” under BDB 935a. Root רחק = “be, or become, far, distant”.

משׁךְ = "draw, drag" under BDB 604a. Arm מְשַׁךְ “be extended, conduct, take”. Arm masaka “grasp and hold”. Also Akkmašku “skin (perhaps also march)”.

משׁכתיךָ חסד – Literally “I have drawn/dragged you faithful-love = I have continued my faithful love toward you”?

(31:4)

Tough verse with some unusual vocabulary.

אבְנֵךְ – Wow. Note form בנה (!) Qal prefix 1cs + 2fs suffix. The 3rdה disappears. And the connecting vowel between a prefixed form and suffix is usually (always?) I class – rather than A class for suffix form.

נבנית – Yow. Note form בנהNiphal suffix (!) 2fs. The original 3rd *י reappears with a consonantal suffix.

So “I will (re)build you and you are(? Will be?) rebuilt”. The shift from prefixed to suffix is awkward but correct.

בְתוּלָה = “virgin” under BDB 143b. Root ברל = “sever, separate”? Wait does בתולה mean virgin or young-woman-of-marriageable-age?

עדה II = "ornament, deck oneself" under BDB 725b. Arm עִידּוּת (!).Arb⁽adwa(y) “mange, scab”, ⁽idā(n) “broad stone (for covering cave)”.

תֹף = “timbrel, tambourine” under BDB 1074a. Root תפף = “drum”?

מָחוֹל= “dance” under BDB 298a.[9]

שׂחק = “laugh” under BDB 965b.

(31:5)

נטע = “plant” under BDB 642a.

כֶּרֶם= “vineyard” under BDB 501b.

חלל III = “pollute, defile, profane”, Hiphil also “begin” under BDB 320a. Arbḥalla “undo, become free, lawful, free from obligation or tie”. Arm חֲלַל. Wait! Or…?

חלל II = “play the pipe, pipe”, Piel “pipe” under BDB 320a. Denominative.Very rare.Akkḫālalu (according to Dl).So… “and they will play the pipes”? BDB does not list this instance.[10]

נטעו נטעים וחללו[11]

(31:6)

נצר = I “watch, guard, keep” under BDB 665b. Akknaṣāru “watch over, protect”. OArmנצר “protect”. Arm נְטַר. Arbnaḍara “look at, consider, examine”.

Note use of ציון without a preposition or locative ה. “Let us go (to) Zion”.

קראו נצרים[12]

(31:7)

רנן = “give a ringing cry” under BDB 943a. Note form רנןQal imperative 2mf.

שׂמחה[13]

צהל = “neigh, cry shilly” under BDB 843b. Arbnahala “neigh”.

שְׁאֵרִית = “rest, residue, remnant, remainder” under BDB 984b.

את־שׁארית ישׂראל[14]

עמךָ[15]

(31:8)

צָפוֹן = “north” under BDB 860b.

קבץ = “gather, collect” under BDB 867b.

יְרֵכָה or יַרְכָה = “flank, side, (dual) extreme parts, recesses” under BDB 438a. Root ירךְ = “(meaning dubious)”.

עִוֵּר = “blind” under BDB 734b.

פִסֵּחַ = “lame” under BDB 820b.

בם עור ופסח[16]

הֵנָּה = “hither” under BDB 244b. Perhaps from II הֵן with ־ה locative lo hitherwards!or perhaps akin to Arbhunāhinnā “here”.

(31:9)

יבאו[17]

תַחֲנוּן = (only plural abstract) “supplication for favour” under BDB 337b. Root חנן – Arm חֲנַן. Arbḥanna “yearn towards, long for, be merciful, compassionate, favourable, inclined towards”. Sabחן in PN. Ph חנן in חן “favour”. Akkannu“grace, favour”.[18]

יבל = Hiphil “conduct, bear along (especially in procession)” under BDB 384b. Arbיַבֵּל. Zinjיבל.Akkabālu “bring, conduct”. Arbwabala “run vehemently (of horse), pursue sharpe, pour down rain”. Note form אוֹבִילָםHiphilיבל prefix 1cs + 3mp suffix.

נַחַל = “torrent, torrent-valley, wady” under BDB 636a. Akknaḫlu.

כשׁל = “stumble, stagger, totter” under BDB 505a. Syr “give offence (occasion for stumbling)”. Arbkasila “be heasy, sluggish”.

בְכֹר = “first-born” under BDB 114a. Root בכר = “rise early, first-born”.

(31:10)

אִיI = “cost, region” under BDB 15b. Root אוה = “betake oneself (to a place for dwelling), be tenderly inclined”.

מֶרְחָק = “distant place, distance” under BDB 935b.

זרה = “scatter, fan, winnow” under BDB 279b. Arbḏarā “cause to fly, scatter (of wind), winnow”. Arm דְרָא.

יקבצנּו – Note heavy suffix.

עֵדֶר = “flock, herd” under BDB 727b. Root עדר III = Niphal “be lacking, fail”.

(31:11)

פדה = “ransom” under BDB 804a.

גאל = “redeem, act as kinsman” under BDB 145a.

(31:12)

מָרוֹם = “height (poetic)” under BDB 928b. Root רום = “be high, exalted, rise”.[19]

נהר II = “shine, beam” under BDB 626a. Akknûru “light”.Arbnahiru(n). Arm נְהַר “shine”. Palm נהירא “illustrious”.[20]

דָגָנ = “corn, grain (of cereals)” under BDB 186ab. Root דגן = “(dubious)”.

על־דגן[21]

תִירוֹשׁ = “must, fresh or new wine” under BDB 440b. Root ירשׁ = “take possession of, inherit, dispossess”.

יִצְהָר I = “fresh oil” (newly appeared) under BDB 844a. Rare.

בָקָר = “cattle, herd, ox” under BDB 133a.

גַן = “enclosure, garden” under BDB 171a. Root גנן = “cover, surround, defend”.

רָוֶה = “watered” under BDB 924a. Rare. Root רוה = “be saturated, drink one’s fill”.

כגן רוה[22]

דאב = “become faint, languish” under BDB 178a. Arbdaʾʾaba “toil, weary oneself”.

(31:27)

(31:28)

שׁקד = “watch, wake” under BDB 1052a. Ph שקד “be circumspect”.

נתשׁ = “pull or pluck up, root out” under BDB 684b.

נתץ = “pull down, break down, or out” under BDB 683a.

הרס = “throw down, break or tear down” under BDB 248b. Arab harasa “bruise, bray, pound, crush”.

(31:29)

בֹסֶר = “unripe or sour grapes (colloquial)” under BDB 126a. Rare. Aram בוּסְרָא. Arbbusru(n) “unripe dates”.

קהה = “be blunt, dull” under BDB 874a. Rare.Arm קְהָא.

(31:30)

(31:31)

ואת־בית יהודה[23]

חָדָשׁ = “new” under BDB 294a. Root חדשׁ = “new”.

(31:32)

חזק = “be or grow firm, strong, strengthen”, Hiphil “make strong; take or keep hold of, seize, grasp” under BDB 304a. Arm חֲזַק “bind on or about, gird on”.Arbḥazaqa “bind, squeeze”.

פרר = Hiphil “break, frustrate” under BDB 830a. JArmפְרַר. Akkparāru “destroy”, II “shatter”. Note form הֵפֵרוּHiphil affix 3cp.

בעל = “marry, rule over” under BDB 127a. Arbbaʿala “own, possess (especially wife or concubine)”. Akkbēlu.Sabבעל.[24]

(31:33)

בית ישׂראל[25]

(31:34)

למד = “exercise in, learn”, Piel “teach” under BDB 540b. Arm לְמַד (rare) “learn”. Akklamādu “learn”.

סלח = “forgive, pardon” under BDB 699a.

[1] “Septuagint τω γενει = למשׁפחַת”.

[2]“Septuagint, Symmachus 1s” so “I found”.

[3] Septuagint θερμον = חֹם (Latin lupinum = θερμον)”.

[4] “Propose ובירושׁלם שׂרידים compare a”. I do not fully understand this but the Masoretic Text as is creates some interpretive problems. James Limberg (Interpretation commentary) likes this solution. Which is…?

[5] “Septuagint, Aquila μετα = עִם”.

[6] “Read הולֵךְ compare Aquila, Symmachus”. The infinitive absolute is a little awkward here.

[7]“Septuagint αυτοω, read לוֹ”.

[8]“A few manuscripts, Septuagint אהבת”. Not a huge difference.

[9] “Septuagint (Syriac, Targum) μετασυναγωγης = בקהל compare 13a-a“. Seems a little odd here but maybe.

[10] “Septuagint και αινεσατε = והללו compare Syriac”. So…?

[11]“Addition? Compare Deuteronomy 28:30b”.

[12]“Septuagint λκησεως απολογουμενων (-νου)”. So…?

[13] “Septuagint* omits”.

[14]“Septuagint (Targum) εσωσε, read הוֹשִׁיעַ so ‘Hosea’?”

[15] “Septuagint, Targum have 3s suffix so ‘his people’”. Part of a pattern?

[16] “Septuagint εν εορτη Φασεκ = במועד פֶסַח”. Interesting!

[17] “Septuagint εξηλθον = יצְאו so ‘they will go out’”. Why “go out” instead of “come in”? Has the point of reference changed?

[18]“Septuagint καιενπαρακλησει, read ובתנְחוּמים”. Did scribe misread the text?

[19] “Septuagint εντωορει, compare Targum, Vulgate; read probably בֶהָרים and delete ציון”.

[20]“Aquila και εκστησονται”.

[21]“Septuagint επι γην σιτου (και οινου…)”.

[22] “Septuagint ωσπερξυλονεγκαρπον, compare Genesis 1:11, Psalm 148:9”.

[23] “Added - compare verse 33”.

[24] “Septuagint ημελησα and Syriacbsjt = געלתי? vel = MT? read MT compare Aquila εκυριευσα, Vulgate dominatus sum”. This is tough. Either ‘and I was a husband/master to them’ or ‘and I exiled them’.

[25]“A few manuscripts בני”. There is a serious point here. I have hypothesized that בני was the normal way to express “people/nation of” in Judahite Hebrew and בית was the normal way to express “people/house of” in Israelean or non-Judahite Hebrew (compare Assyrian references). In other words in Jerusalem people normally say “sons/children of Israel” but in the northern kingdom they would say “house of”.