1 Chronicles 20

A short chapter, sure, but it raises questions about the language that point to where I hope to see when I am finished. In part I am reading for language usage. I began because of the use of the Psalms in the Epistle to the Hebrews. I wanted to hear how Jesus heard after the manner in which the son's life and work was described in that Epistle. If we are invited to know something of mystery, and language is certainly a mystery, then we have to realize that we do not know it to begin with. Certainly it would be good if we were well taught. But even good teaching must be questioned to avoid the biases of the past.

I am wondering if a word family will emerge from גרר, a stem that seems to give rise to a number of differing concepts that may be related through sound. This may be a small enough group to see the pattern develop. BDB collects these together. My Hebrew Latin concordance equally treats מגרה as related to the gullet word, as if a saw and other cutting tools sound like the rasping of the jawbone. There seems little doubt that there are some other word-sound families that can be identified.

Does this / have I achieved what I thought I set out to achieve in 2006? (I think I should have started sooner, but there were distractions like family, work, and other obsessions.) It may not be that important in the long run. One is known rather than knowing. Knowledge can be a trap.

But this short snippet of a story, if largely ignored in the vast theological scheme of things, is still important for what it reveals about language usage.

The giants, the Raphaim must have been healers. I must find out why I have two streams of them and why I rejected giant as a gloss. I have a set called Shades and the other set called titans (no caps). And I haven't done Genesis 24 yet (though I was working there recently). This will be resolved eventually - but there must have been a reason? Perhaps it is because I started with Psalm 88.11 - so long ago

For the dead will you do wonders?
If the shades arise, will they give you thanks? Selah.

It raises questions about the puzzle as a whole when one adjusts pieces that one has already placed. Perhaps I have been influenced (by one greater than David) with a jigsaw.

But verse 4b here will give readers a tongue twister.

Only 300 more chapters to go.

1 Chronicles 20		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַיְהִ֡י לְעֵת֩ תְּשׁוּבַ֨ת הַשָּׁנָ֜ה לְעֵ֣ת ׀ צֵ֣את הַמְּלָכִ֗ים וַיִּנְהַ֣ג יוֹאָב֩ אֶת־חֵ֨יל הַצָּבָ֜א וַיַּשְׁחֵ֣ת ׀ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֗וֹן וַיָּבֹא֙ וַיָּ֣צַר אֶת־רַבָּ֔ה וְדָוִ֖יד יֹשֵׁ֣ב בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַיַּ֥ךְ יוֹאָ֛ב אֶת־רַבָּ֖ה וַיֶּֽהֶרְסֶֽהָ	1		And it was the time of the turning of the year, at the time the kings go forth, and Joab led the force of the host and destroyed the land of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah, and David sat in Jerusalem. And Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it.	3d	4B	53 12
וַיִּקַּ֣ח דָּוִ֣יד אֶת־עֲטֶֽרֶת־מַלְכָּם֩ מֵעַ֨ל רֹאשׁ֜וֹ וַֽיִּמְצָאָ֣הּ ׀ מִשְׁקַ֣ל כִּכַּר־זָהָ֗ב וּבָהּ֙ אֶ֣בֶן יְקָרָ֔ה וַתְּהִ֖י עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ דָּוִ֑יד וּשְׁלַ֥ל הָעִ֛יר הוֹצִ֖יא הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד	2		And David took the crown of their king from his head and found it weighed a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone and there it was on the head of David. And the spoil of the city he brought out was very abundant.	3d	4B	38 10
וְאֶת־הָעָ֨ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֜הּ הוֹצִ֗יא וַיָּ֨שַׂר בַּמְּגֵרָ֜ה וּבַחֲרִיצֵ֤י הַבַּרְזֶל֙ וּבַמְּגֵר֔וֹת וְכֵן֙ יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה דָוִ֔יד לְכֹ֖ל עָרֵ֣י בְנֵי־עַמּ֑וֹן וַיָּ֧שָׁב דָּוִ֛יד וְכָל־הָעָ֖ם יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם	3		And the people that were in it he brought out, influencing them to work with the saw and with the sharp flails of iron and with cutting tools, and so did David to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.	3c	4C	41 13
וַיְהִי֙ אַחֲרֵיכֵ֔ן וַתַּעֲמֹ֧ד מִלְחָמָ֛ה בְּגֶ֖זֶר עִם־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים אָ֣ז הִכָּ֞ה סִבְּכַ֣י הַחֻֽשָׁתִ֗י אֶת־סִפַּ֛י מִילִדֵ֥י הָרְפָאִ֖ים וַיִּכָּנֵֽעוּ	4		And it was after this that war stood at Gezer with the Philistines. Then Thicket the Xushty struck Threshold, from the successions of the titans, and they were brought to heel.	3c	4B	20 23
וַתְּהִי־ע֥וֹד מִלְחָמָ֖ה אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיַּ֞ךְ אֶלְחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־יָעִ֗יר אֶת־לַחְמִי֙ אֲחִי֙ גָּלְיָ֣ת הַגִּתִּ֔י וְעֵ֣ץ חֲנִית֔וֹ כִּמְנ֖וֹר אֹרְגִֽים	5		Then there was more war with the Philistines, and Elxanan child of Yair struck Lachmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, and the timber of his spear was like a weaver's beam.	3e	4B	10 27
וַתְּהִי־ע֥וֹד מִלְחָמָ֖ה בְּגַ֑ת וַיְהִ֣י ׀ אִ֣ישׁ מִדָּ֗ה וְאֶצְבְּעֹתָ֤יו שֵׁשׁ־וָשֵׁשׁ֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים וְאַרְבַּ֔ע וְגַם־ה֖וּא נוֹלַ֥ד לְהָרָפָֽא	6		Then there was more war in Gath. And there was a man of measure and his fingers were six and six, twenty four, and moreover he was born of a titan.	3e	4C	8 27
וַיְחָרֵ֖ף אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּכֵּ֙הוּ֙ יְה֣וֹנָתָ֔ן בֶּן־שִׁמְעָ֖א אֲחִ֥י דָוִֽיד	7		And he reproached Israel. And Jonathan child of Shimea, the brother of David, struck him.	3e	4B	7 15
אֵ֛ל נוּלְּד֥וּ לְהָרָפָ֖א בְּגַ֑ת וַיִּפְּל֥וּ בְיַד־דָּוִ֖יד וּבְיַד־עֲבָדָֽיו	8	d	These were born to the titan in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.	3d	4A	9 12