{"id":1496,"date":"2020-08-29T17:05:42","date_gmt":"2020-08-29T14:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/?p=1496"},"modified":"2020-08-29T17:07:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-29T14:07:41","slug":"jonah-41-doing-good-and-bad-in-colloquial-hebrew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/2020\/08\/jonah-41-doing-good-and-bad-in-colloquial-hebrew\/","title":{"rendered":"Jonah 4:1 \u2013 Doing Good and Bad in Colloquial Hebrew"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As we enter the final chapter of the book of Jonah in our HE102 course, we encounter this verse:<\/p>\n

Jonah 4:1<\/strong>
\n\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b5\u05a5\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05be\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u0596\u05d4 \u05e8\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05a3\u05d4 \u05d2\u05b0\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u0591\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u0596\u05d7\u05b7\u05e8 \u05dc\u05bd\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3<\/span><\/p>\n

It should remind us of something that we read in Ruth:<\/p>\n

Ruth 1:21<\/strong>
\n\u05dc\u05b8\u05a3\u05de\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05ea\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b6\u05a4\u05d0\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u0599 \u05e0\u05b8\u05e2\u05b3\u05de\u05b4\u0594\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4\u0599 \u05e2\u05b8\u05a3\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b4\u0594\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b7\u05d3\u05bc\u05b7\u0596\u05d9 {\u05d4\u05b5\u05a5\u05e8\u05b7\u05bd\u05e2 \u05dc\u05b4\u05bd\u05d9}<\/span>
\nWhy would you call me Naomi (“pleasant”) when Yhvh<\/span> has testified against me and Shaddai has {done evil to me} \/ {afflicted me} \/ {caused me distress}?<\/p>\n

Even though these verbs look so similar, the one in Jonah is in the qal and the one in Ruth is in the hiphil. If you’re uncertain of a parsing, you can look it up in Davidson’s Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon<\/span> by removing the vav<\/em> prefix and searching alphabetically (see here<\/a>). They both come from the root \u05e8\u05e2\u05f4\u05e2<\/span>. Let’s compare the parsing of four relevant forms that all come from this root.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/td>\nqal perfect 3ms<\/strong>
\nFound in: Isaiah 3:11 (in pause as \u05e8\u05b8\u05e2<\/span>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u05d4\u05b5\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/td>\nhiphil perfect 3ms<\/strong>
\nFound in: Exodus 5:23; Ruth 1:21; 2 Kings 21:11; Psalms 74:3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b5\u05ab\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/td>\nqal vav-consecutive imperfect 3ms<\/strong>
\nFound in: Genesis 21:11; 38:10; 48:17; 1 Samuel 8:6; 18:8; 2 Samuel 11:27; 1 Chronicles 21:7; Nehemiah 2:10; 13:8; Psalms 106:32; Isaiah 59:15; Jonah 4:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05ab\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/td>\nhiphil vav-consecutive imperfect 3ms<\/strong>
\nFound in: 1 Kings 16:25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

We see that the difference between \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b5\u05ab\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/span> “was<\/span> bad” and \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b8\u05ab\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/span> “caused<\/span> bad” is the tsere<\/em> in the one and the kamats<\/em> in the other. These correspond to the imperfects \u05d9\u05b5\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/span> (qal: ye\u0304ra\u02bf<\/span>) and \u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05b5\u05e2\u05b7<\/span> (hiphil: ya\u0304re\u0304a\u02bf<\/span>).<\/p>\n

The form in Jonah is in the qal, and Holladay’s Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament<\/span> (CHALOT) has the following for this root in the qal (the red is added):<\/p>\n

I \u05e8\u05e2\u05e2<\/span>\u200e: qal: pf. \u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/span>\u200e, \u05e8\u05b8\u05bd\u05e2<\/span>\u200e, \u05d5\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05bd\u05d4<\/span>\u200e, \u05e8\u05b8\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc<\/span>\u200e; impf. \u05d9\u05b5\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/span>\u200e, \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b5\u05bd\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2<\/span>\u200e, \u05d9\u05b7\u05bd\u05e8\u05b0\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc<\/span>\u200e; impv. \u05e8\u05b9\u05ab\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc<\/span>\u200e Is 89<\/sub> (but rd \u05d3\u05bc\u05b0\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc<\/span>\u200e ?); inf. \u05e8\u05b9\u05e2\u05b7<\/span>\u200e: \u2014 1. be bad<\/strong>, of no more use<\/strong> (of boughs) Je 1116<\/sub> (if txt. good); \u2014 2. ra\u02bf b\u1d49\u02bf\u00ean\u00ea<\/span> be displeasing to<\/strong> Gn 2111f<\/sub>; wayye\u0304ra\u02bf l\u1d49<\/span> Ne 210<\/sub>, \u02beel<\/span> Jon 41<\/sub>;<\/span> \u2014 3. ra\u0304\u02bfa\u0302 \u02bf\u00ean\u00f4 b\u1d49<\/span> look coldly on<\/strong> (s.one) Dt 159<\/sub>; \u2014 4. ye\u0304ra\u02bf l\u1d49ba\u0304b\u00f4<\/span> is discontented<\/b> 1S 18<\/sub>; \u2014 5. wayye\u0304ra\u02bf l\u00f4<\/span> things went wrong<\/strong> for Ps 10632<\/sub>; \u2014 6. ye\u0304r\u1d49\u02bfu\u0302 pa\u0304nay<\/span> I look sad<\/strong> Ne 23<\/sub>; \u2014 7. ra\u02bf l\u1d49 \u2026 min \u2026<\/span> it is worse<\/strong> for \u2026 than \u2026 2S 198<\/sub>.<\/p>\n

Taking this definition, which specifically mentions Jonah 4:1, we would translate the phrase \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b5\u05ab\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05be\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> as ‘and it was displeasing to Jonah.’ The KJV, NKJV, and RSV all render it identically as “it displeased Jonah exceedingly,” while the NIV says “to Jonah this seemed very wrong.” The addition of \u05e8\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d2\u05b0\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> is like the expression \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d4\u05b8\u05bd\u05d0\u05b2\u05e0\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d2\u05b0\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> ‘the men feared a great fear’ (Jonah 1:10), meaning “were very afraid.” The repetition of the root concept essentially intensifies the verb. If it means ‘it was displeasing to Jonah,’ then the addition of this phrase takes on the sense of ‘very displeasing.’ The Septuagint (LXX) translates the verb in the passive (\u1f10\u03bb\u03c5\u03c0\u1f75\u03b8\u03b7<\/span>) with Jonah as the subject (\u1f10\u03bb\u03c5\u03c0\u1f75\u03b8\u03b7 \u1f38\u03c9\u03bd\u1fb6\u03c2 \u03bb\u1f7b\u03c0\u03b7\u03bd \u03bc\u03b5\u03b3\u1f71\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd<\/span> \u2013 “Jonah was vexed a great vexing”), while the Vulgate uses a perfect passive (afflictus est Ionas afflictione magna<\/span> \u2014 “Jonah was afflicted with great affliction”). The various translations evidence the difficulty of the word but all point us in the same general direction.<\/p>\n

In Spanish, one says me gusta<\/em> (“it pleases me”) when in English we say “I like.” For example, “I like this book” would be translated into Spanish as “Me gusta este libro” in a more indirect way. This is what we see happening with this verse. Instead of saying directly that Jonah was unhappy, it takes an indirect route and says “It was displeasing to Jonah.”<\/p>\n

Jonah 4:1<\/strong>
\n\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b5\u05a5\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05be\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u0596\u05d4 \u05e8\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05a3\u05d4 \u05d2\u05b0\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u0591\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u0596\u05d7\u05b7\u05e8 \u05dc\u05bd\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3<\/span>
\nAnd Jonah was very displeased, and he became angry.<\/p>\n

Of course, the thing that “got hot” (\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u05ab\u05d7\u05b7\u05e8<\/span>) to Jonah was his nose, which is missing from phrase. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we enter the final chapter of the book of Jonah in our HE102 course, we encounter this verse: Jonah 4:1 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b5\u05a5\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05be\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u0596\u05d4 \u05e8\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05a3\u05d4 \u05d2\u05b0\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u0591\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u0596\u05d7\u05b7\u05e8 \u05dc\u05bd\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3 It should remind us of something that we read in Ruth: Ruth 1:21 \u05dc\u05b8\u05a3\u05de\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05ea\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b6\u05a4\u05d0\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u0599 \u05e0\u05b8\u05e2\u05b3\u05de\u05b4\u0594\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4\u0599 \u05e2\u05b8\u05a3\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b4\u0594\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b7\u05d3\u05bc\u05b7\u0596\u05d9 {\u05d4\u05b5\u05a5\u05e8\u05b7\u05bd\u05e2 \u05dc\u05b4\u05bd\u05d9} Why would you call me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bgseo_title":"","bgseo_description":"","bgseo_robots_index":"","bgseo_robots_follow":"","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-categories"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1496"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1554,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1496\/revisions\/1554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}