The 6 usages of the word >THE<:#17 of 35
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RULE
====
The words >THE< can be used in 4 ways

--THE can refer to a proper noun


--THE can refer to something that is mentioned nearby

  eg Dt04-32c >Has anyone heard THE GREAT THING-that God
  saved a nation enslaved in another nation with great miracles<

  Thus the phrase >THE GREAT THING< refers to the verse that
  follows >That God saved a nation enslaved in another nation<
  In other words the >GREAT THING< is Gods freeing one nation
  from another.



--THE can refer to a concept, story or thing mentioned
  ELSEWHERE (but not immediately afterwards)

  eg Nu13-33a >We saw there THE Nefilim<
  This refers to the NEFILLIM nation mentined in Gn06-04



--THE can refer to the best known of a class

  eg  Dt01-07e >THE Mount< -- This refers to The Kings Mountain






GOALS:
=====
A person completing this module will be able to correctly
identify the specific usages of >THE< in the Bible.




TODAYS UNIT
===========
In the next few days we bring examples where
>THE< refers to the >BEST KNOWN< or >SPECIAL<
item of a class.





REFERENCE:
=========
This module comes from the following digest in the
Rashi-is-Simple series


http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n14.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n16.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n18.htm (Up next Sunday)


#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

------------------------------------------------------------
  In the following verses >THE< refers to the BEST & SPECIAL
------------------------------------------------------------


EXAMPLE 40: Gn09-24a
====================
Gn09-24a >THE younger< RASHI: >THE younger< = YOUNGEST *1




EXAMPLE 41: Dt07-07b
====================
Dt07-07b >THE smaller< RASHI: >THE smaller< = SMALLEST *1




-------------------------NOTES---------------------------------
*1 The words >YOUNGEST< or >SMALLEST< can equally mean
   ---physically smallest/youngest
   ---emotionally immature
   ---spiritually humble

   But in the verses at hand it is
   --not the case that NO nation is smaller in numbers than the
     Jews
   --At least 3 verses suggest that CHAM was >NOT< the youngest
     Gn05-32, Gn06-10. Finally Gn10 lists the descendants in the
     following order
     ---YEFETH (Gn10-01:14)
     ---CHAM   (Gn10-15:20)
     ---SHAYM  (Gn10-21:32)
     Furthermore Gn10-21 explicitly states that YEFETH, the
     first mentioned son in Gn10, was in fact the oldest!

     This implies that CHAM was not the youngest but rather
     SHAYM was youngest. Hence if Gn09-24a refers to CHAM
     as >THE YOUNGEST< it should preferably be translated as
     >THE MOST IMMATURE<.

   Similarly since the Jews dont have to be the >SMALLEST< we
   are justified in interpreting Dt07-07 as meaning that
   the Jews were >HUMBLE<.


EXAMPLE 42: Dt07-07a
=====================
   Rashi applies this spiritual-emotional
   interpretation (>SMALLEST< = HUMBLE) in both Dt07-07a and
   Dt07-07b. Rashi reads Dt07-07 as:

   >God did not chose you because
   of your HAUGHTY ambitions (to conquer nations) because you
   Jews are a HUMBLE nation...rather God chose you because of
   His Love of you and because of the oath to the Patriarchs...<

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*