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CONFUSING PRONOUNS |
EXAMPLE 125: Gn48-01a The pronoun HE refers to STAFF or JACOB
EXAMPLE 126: Gn48-02a The pronoun HE refers to STAFF or JOSEPH
BACKGROUND
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Pronouns, usually refer to the last mentioned person.
But if the resulting interpretation is absurd then we
should identify the pronoun based on reasonableness.
Both these approaches are sound.
THE VERSE gn48-01
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JACOB said swear to me; and Joseph swore
And JACOB then bowed to him.
Later HE told Joseph that Your father is sick
THE RASHI
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Rashi gives 2 interpretations to the pronoun HE
* It sounds as if HE=JACOB told Joseph that he was sick
This is possible: Maybe Josephs children would come to
visit Grandpa Jacob; when Jacob got sick he sent a
message thru his grandchildren that he was sick
* Or, we can base the meaning of HE on reasonableness
Someone from Josephs staff told him that Your father
was sick
Both these interpretations are equally possible.
THE LIST
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The LIST below shows 2 verses where pronouncs can be interpreted
- either as referring to the last mentioned person
- or to some person not mentioned (like a staff member)
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| VERSE |
TEXT OF VERSE WITH UNINTERPRETED CAPPED PRONOUN |
| Gn48-01a |
Jacob bowed to him;..HE said:Your father is sick *1 |
| Gn48-02a |
He told JOSEPH:Father is ill.HE said:I-ll visit *2 |
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COMMENTS |
*1 RASHI: Gn48-01 and the surrounding verses state:
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and Jacob said SWEAR TO ME and Joseph
swore and JACOB bowed to him. After these events HE said
YOUR FATHER IS SICK;
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So either
* Jacob told Joseph he was sick (E.g. Josephs grandchildren
would visit Grandpa Jacob; when he got sick he told them
to tell Joseph that he was sick)
* Someone from Josephs staff told Joseph that Jacob was
sick
*2
The verse states
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And after these things HE said to Joseph YOUR FATHER IS SICK.
& HE told Jacob your son Joseph is coming
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Again there are 2 interpretations to the pronoun HE
* Joseph announced his own coming
* Someone from Josephs staff announced his own coming
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