Three Notes in Hebrew Lexicography

Abstract

The Massoretic reading ,t?? 1 CU'1 which is translated into English by 'he poureth out of the same' has been generally considered unsatisfactory, and thus some modern critics, following the Greek and Syriac versions, have suggested the emendation Mth Mt that is, 'he poureth out from one (cup) into another.' But need hardly say that this emendation does not render the expression less ambiguous and cumbersome. venture, therefore, to offer the following new explanation of the term MM. We need only slightly to alter the vowel points of the word, reading MM instead of the present n to see that the Massoretic text is on the whole correct. ,tD is not the demonstrative Mt with the particle 7n, but it is rather the substantive M? with the pronominal suffix A. The phrase 7tM V may thus be rendered 'and he poureth out her to.' As to the meaning of the term t?, we may, in the first place, conjecture from its context that it is synonymous with I ION, 1n D, all of which occur in the same verse, meaning 'wine.' Furthermore, in Arabic, too, this term, invariably written muzz, muzzat, mizza', means 'wine.' It is mentioned in the Tahzib al-Alfa4z and in the Lisan al-'Arab among the words meaning 'wine.' The native Arab lexicographers illustrate this meaning of the term In by many citations from ancient poets, for which may refer to the Tahzib just cited.