Hebrew Philological Notes (III)‪.‬

Four separate studies are presented, along with an addendum to a previous article in this series. 1) The unique word [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] in Zech 3:7 means "sacrifices," cognate to Phoenician [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] "sacrifice." 2) Contrary to three recent proposals, the final words in Psalm 22:17 [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] "like a lion, my hands and my feet" are not to be emended. Instead, the absence of a verb in this stich is indicative of the suddenness of the evildoers' attack against the psalmist. 3) The numeral "75" was expressed in a unique fashion in ancient Hebrew: it appears always as [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], and never in the expected reverse order [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] 4) The numeral [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] "two hundred two and thirty" in! 1 Kgs 20:15 is an exceptional formulation, expressed as hundreds + units + tens, contrary to either the usual descending order of hundreds + tens + units or the occasional ascending order of units + tens + hundreds. Apparently this formulation was used to distinguish this numeral from the form [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] "thirty and two" which occurs in the same chapter (1 Kgs 20:1, 16). 5) E. A. Knauf suggested that the personal name [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] "Ruth" is related to the Moabite word [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] "offering" in Mesha Stele line 12. 1 responded to this proposal in HS 40 (1999): 27-28. Here 1 note further that the reading [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] has been superceded by Andre Lemaire's reading [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] from the verb "to be," thus greatly weakening Knauf's argument. 1. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] "SACRIFICES" IN ZECH 3:7