LIST854x (C) Dr Hendel, Jan-04
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List of Biblical idioms..eg FROM DAYS DAYS=YEARLY
LIST854x continues LIST854d LIST854z LIST854y
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VERSE
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BIBLICAL PHRASE
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TRANSLATION
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NOTES
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Dt17-09a
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PRIEST-LEVITES
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Priests or Levites
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*6
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-------
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-------------------
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---------------------
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-----
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Dt13-13b
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when you hear a RUMOR
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TO BE SAID over&over
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*5
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Ex35-04a
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God commandsTo TRANSMIT
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TO BE SAID over
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*5
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Nu12-13b
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Prayed/Demands RESPONSE
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TO BE SAID back
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*5
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Nu27-15b
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Prayed/Demands RESPONSE
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TO BE SAID back
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*5
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Ex20-01c
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God said:Asked RESPONSE
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Affirm will keep
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*5
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-------
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-------------------
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Dt12-28b
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Do the MORAL & PROPER
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Spiritual/Social good
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*4
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Dt12-28c
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Do the MORAL & PROPER
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Spiritual/Social good
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*4
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-------
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-------------------
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Nu26-54a
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MOUTH OF LOTTERY
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Closed Jar Lottery
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*3
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Nu21-20c
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HEAD OF THE CLIFF
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TOP of the CLIFF
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*2
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Nu13-20b
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DAYS OF GRAPE 1st FRUIT
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GRAPE HARVEST SEASON
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Nu13-32a
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Land EATS INHABITANTS
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PLAGUE RIDDEN LAND
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Lv25-23b
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Dont STICK THE SALE
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Dont sell PERMANANTLY
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No redeem
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Lv26-17a
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PLACE FACE*1
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Total attention/focus
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to punish
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Lv13-12a
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HEAD to FOOT Whole bod
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y
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Gn37-26b
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COVER BLOOD
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conceal MURDER
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COMMENTS
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*1 Rashi, Lv26-17h points out that the phrase
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PLACE MY FACE
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means
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FULL ATTENTION
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whether
- for good, to reward
- for bad, to punish.
*2 NOTE: The Hebrew word HEAD can mean both
- BEGINNING
- TOP
However in this verse
- the HEAD OF THE CLIFF contrasts with
- the VALLEY in MOAB
Hence HEAD means TOP
*3 A MOUTH LOTTERY refers to a lottery where you stick your
hand in and select an item WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE
ITEMS (In an open-box lottery you can see what you are
picking even though you see backs of cards. In a MOUTH
LOTTERY the box is covered except for a small MOUTH).
The MOUTH LOTTERY is more secure and fairer.
Hence the Rashi
The name MOUTH LOTTERY is because the box has only
a small mouth preventing you from seeing what is
inside.
---------------------------------------------------
MOUTH LOTTERY means that the LOTTERY speaks and says
this belongs to so and so
---------------------------------------------------
Of course, Rashi did not believe that LOTTERIES speak.
Rather Rashi refers to the SECURITY and FAIRNESS of
the lottery. In other words
- MOUTH LOTTERY refers to a small MOUTH on LOTTERY box
(not to a physical voice on the box)
- Since the MOUTH LOTTERY is secure it is AS IF it
screams and points to a correct fair choice
*4 Rashi is NOT explaining the meaning of the INDIVIDUAL WORDS
- GOOD
- PROPER
Indeed, GOOD can mean SOCIALLY GOOD also (See Gn26-29)
Therefore we have interpreted this Rashi as an example
of the IDIOM method.
*5 These five examples show various idiomatic meanings of
the INFINITIVE of the verb TO SAY: TO SAY can mean
- TO SAY BACK: Request for response
- TO SAY OVER: To Transmit
- TO SAY OVER AND OVER: Rumor
See LIST955m for a separate summary
*6 Thus in Dt18-01
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The PRIEST-LEVITES shall not inherit
from the conquest of Israel
-------------------------------------
the phrase PRIEST-LEVITES means
PRIESTS OR LEVITES.
Another occurrence of this phrase
occurs in Dt17-18.
In Dt17-09a Rashi does state
------------------------------------
The PRIESTS who are no longer Levites
------------------------------------
But I understand this to mean
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PRIESTS by itself means PRIESTS but
not Levites while LEVITES by itself
could mean LEVITES but not Priests--
PRIEST LEVITES means PRIESTS OR LEVITES*10
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LONGER FOOTNOTES
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*10 Dt17-09 states
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[If you have a legal question then]
ask the PRIEST-LEVITES, the Judges of
the day
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The law PREFERS that the great Sanhedrin
court in Jerusalem consist of PRIESTS.
Levites are a second choice (and Israelite
scholars are a third choice).
So it appears that Rashi's comment
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Priests but not Levites
--------------------------------------
is literal.
But in Dt18-01 the prohibition of inheriting
conquested Israelie land applies to EITHER
Priests OR Levites.
Similarly I would interprtet Dt17-09 to mean
that EITHER Priests or Levites should preferably
be on the Great Sanhedrin. That is the Biblical
law.
But Rabbinically---since Priests are more
involved with the Temple there is a preference
for Priests to be elected to the great court
vs. Levites. This preference however is rooted
in logic not in the verse. The IDIOM, PRIEST-LEVITES
means PRIESTS or LEVITES as shown.
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