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+--- Thread: Confused about verb genders in Ruth 1:8 (/showthread.php?tid=547)
Confused about verb genders in Ruth 1:8 - Atbash - 11-25-2020
Hello everyone,
I am new and glad to be here. I am also rusty at the Hebrew language. I was going through Ruth, when I got to chapter one, verse eight. It looks like Ruth is talking to her two Moabite daughters-in-law. But when she refers to the kindness that these women have shown both to herself, and to her sons, the verbs change to masculine. Am I missing something here? I appreciate any help. Thanks.
Blessings,
Atbash
RE: Confused about verb genders in Ruth 1:8 - searchinmyroots - 11-25-2020
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RE: Confused about verb genders in Ruth 1:8 - Atbash - 11-25-2020
Thanks! And to clarify, I meant the verb and the pronoun both switch to masculine. I also just found that this switch happens seven times in Ruth. I wonder if it has anything to do with the blessing that the women proclaim in 4:15, where they declare that Ruth has been to Naomi better than seven sons?
RE: Confused about verb genders in Ruth 1:8 - robrecht - 11-25-2020
Welcome, Atbash. Good question. I looked at a couple of commentaries. Apparently this happens several times in the book of Ruth and elsewhere. Some say it is a tendency of later, colloquial Hebrew, but others believe it may be an archaic remnant of an earlier Hebrew dual suffix.
RE: Confused about verb genders in Ruth 1:8 - Atbash - 11-25-2020
Thanks!
RE: Confused about verb genders in Ruth 1:8 - Jason - 11-26-2020
What verse are you talking about?
Ruth doesn't have Moabite daughters-in-law. Naomi has them. Ruth is one of the daughters-in-law of Naomi.