Open AccessLedabbēr Baššelî (2 Sam. 3: 27) “To Talk Peace”
Author(s) -
Meir Malul
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of hebrew scriptures
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1203-1542
DOI - 10.5508/jhs.2002.v4.a8
Subject(s) - root (linguistics) , vocabulary , biblical hebrew , expression (computer science) , word (group theory) , hebrew bible , meaning (existential) , philosophy , linguistics , negotiation , hebrew , semantic field , treaty , field (mathematics) , theology , biblical studies , political science , epistemology , law , mathematics , computer science , pure mathematics , programming language
Ledabbēr baššelî in 2 Sam 3:27 seems to be equivalent inits underlying meaning to such a technical expression from the vocabulary oftreaty-making as ledabbēr šālôm, and thus it too is to be identified as such atechnical expression denoting “to talk peace” in the sense “to negotiate andseal a peace treaty”. These two expressions may then be either synonyms, inwhich case the hapax šelî would be another word in biblical Hebrew denotingpeace; or the word šelî should be emended to šālôm. Since there is in biblicalHebrew the root šlh with its various derivatives, all denoting meanings from thesemantic field of peace, quietude and the like, no emendation of the word šelîis needed. It seems then that the common derivation of this word by mostcommentators from the root šlh is eminently possible.