Departure of Ships? An Investigation of ‭יצ‬ in Numbers 24.24 and Isaiah 33.23

This article argues that Hebrew ‭יצ‬ is not an Egyptian loanword for ‘ship’ but a verbal noun with the base meaning ‘coming forth’, hence ‘(military) expedition’ or the like. This new understanding requires reinterpretation of two important passages in which this word appears, namely, Num. 24.23-24...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Scurlock, Joann (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2010
In: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 2010, Volume: 34, Issue: 3, Pages: 267-282
Further subjects:B Assyrians
B Cyprus
B Jerusalem
B Egypt
B Balaam
B Romans
B Ship
B Kittim
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This article argues that Hebrew ‭יצ‬ is not an Egyptian loanword for ‘ship’ but a verbal noun with the base meaning ‘coming forth’, hence ‘(military) expedition’ or the like. This new understanding requires reinterpretation of two important passages in which this word appears, namely, Num. 24.23-24 and Isa. 33.21-22. It is suggested that Num. 24.23-24 is a reference to the fall of Assyria to the Chaldeans, which both gives the passage geographical sense and marks it as a late addition to the original text. Isaiah 33.21-22 is a miniature hymn in which, it is argued, Yahweh is described as an inaccessible place of rivers and streams, a rather odd metaphor, but one expressing the concept of transcendent godhead in its original formulation.
ISSN:1476-6728
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0309089210363032