Dictionary:Changing Meanings/0

Lexical: Changing Meanings

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Within the Biblical Period

There are many words whose meaning might have changed from one period within Tanakh to another:

• בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – In most of Sefer Bereshit¹ and the opening verses of Sefer Shemot² the term  refers to the sons of Yaakov, whereas afterwards it refers to the nation of Israel.  The turning point might be Shemot 1:9, which uniquely states "עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל",‎³ perhaps to clarify that the people have become a nation.⁴  There are several cases in which the meaning of the term is ambiguous:
• Bereshit 32:33 "לֹא יֹאכְלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה" – See the debate in Bavli Chulin 100b whether this refers to something Yaakov's sons accepted upon themselves or whether this was a prohibition first commanded to the nation at at Sinai and placed in Sefer Bereshit to provide the reasoning.⁵
• Bereshit 36:30
• שבת
• חדש – In Torah the word refers to a month, while in Neviim it also takes on the meaning of "Rosh Chodesh", the first of the month.⁶
• חתן

Biblical vs. Rabbinic Hebrew

• אמה – In Tanakh, the word אמה means either maidservant (when spelled without a dagesh) , or a unit of measure (when spelled with a dagesh in the "mem"). In Rabbinic Hebrew, it may be used to refer also to the forearm itself. See the dispute in Bavli Sotah 12b regarding the meaning of the phrase "וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת אֲמָתָהּ וַתִּקָּחֶהָ" in Shemot 2:5.
• בית - In Tanakh, this root generally refers to either a physical house or a family or household. In Rabbinic Hebrew it is also understood more narrowly to refer specifically to a wife. See Sifra Vayikra 16:32 who adopts this later meaning to Vayikra 16:17, explaining, "וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ" to mean "and he will atone for himself and his wife".
• דָּמִֽים – In Tanakh this word is related to blood /life whereas in MIshnaic Hebrew it also takes the meaning of "money".⁷  This later usage might have influenced the interpretation of Rashbam and Chizkuni to Shemot 21:1-2 who understand the phrases "אֵין/יש לוֹ דָּמִים" to mean "תשלומי דמים", perhaps combining the Biblical and Rabbinic usage of the term.  Cf. Ibn Janach who explains similarly, claiming that the verse in Shemot and the parallel phrase "אֵין לוֹ דָּם" in Bemidbar 35:27 both mean ransom.⁸
• חותן/חותנת and חם/חמות – Biblical Hebrew distinguishes between a father-in-law on the husband and wife's side, using distinct terms for each.  The wife's father is referred to as a חותן,‎⁹ while the husband's father is referred to as a חם.‎¹⁰ Rabbinic Hebrew does not preserve the distinction and uses the terms חם and חמות to refer also to the parents of the wife.¹¹  For further discussion, see חֹתֵן / חֹתֶנֶת.
• כל –
• מלאך – In Biblical Hebrew "מַלְאָךְ" refers to any type of messenger,¹² not specifically an angel. Divine messengers are singled out by the terms "מַלְאַךְ אֱלֹהִים" or "'מַלְאַךְ ה".  In Rabbinic Hebrew, in contrast, "מַלְאָךְ" takes on the much more specific connotation of "angel". It is possible that the change is usage is related to the increasing prevalence of the word "שליח". This synonym never appears in Tanakh, but by Mishnaic times it is widespread, becoming the preferred word to express a human messenger, allowing for a narrower definition of "מלאך".
• מס – Hoil MosheShemot 1:11Bemidbar 31:28About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi points out that "מס" in Tanakh refers to a labor tax rather than a monetary one,¹³ noting that the Biblical term for a monetary tribute is מנחה  or מכס.  This relates to a dispute among commentators regarding how to understand the role of the "tax officers" mentioned in Shemot 1:1. Though many assume this refers to those who oversaw the forced labor, Ralbag suggests it refers to collection of a fiscal payment.  Ralbag opines that only those who could not afford the monetary fine were forced to labor for Paroh. See discussion in Who was Enslaved in Egypt.
• מקום – Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 28:11Esther First Commentary IntroductionAbout R. Avraham ibn Ezra notes that in Tanakh, the word "מקום" never refers to Hashem and always connotes a location.  It is first the Sages who used the term to refer to Hashem due to his omnipresence.¹⁴ This leads Ibn Ezra to reject both the Midrashic interpretation that the phrase, "וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם" in Bereshit 28:11 means that Yaakov prayed to Hashem¹⁵ or that Esther 4:14, "רֶוַח וְהַצָּלָה יַעֲמוֹד לַיְּהוּדִים מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר", refers to Hashem's salvation.¹⁶
• עולם – Ibn Ezra notes that throughout Tanakh¹⁷ word "עוֹלָם" is a marker of time, connoting a long duration or eternity.¹⁸ It is only in Rabbinic sources that the word takes on the extra meaning of "world".¹⁹ [In Tanakh the world is referred to as "תֵּבֵל".]

Biblical vs. Modern Hebrew

• נִין וָנֶכֶד‎‎²⁰‎‎‎‎‎ – This pair of words appears three times in Tanakh, always in this order.  As such, in context, the terms would appear to mean child and grandchild respectively,²¹ or perhaps refer more generally to descendants (with no differentiation between the terms).²² Grandchildren and great-grandchildren (the third and fourth generations) are instead referred to as "שלש" and "רבע".‎²³  In Modern Hebrew, in contrast, נין and נכד no longer take on the general connotation of "descendant", and the chronological order is reversed and moved down a generation, with נכד referring to a grandson and נין referring to a great-grandson.

¹ See Bereshit 42:5, 45:2 and 46:5. In several other verses () the meaning of the term is ambiguous.  See discussion below.

² The phrase "בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" in Shemot 1:1 clearly refers to the sons of Yaakov but verse 7 is ambiguous and could refer either to Yaakov's sons or to the entire Israelite nation. This depends on whether the verse is still part of the opening summary of Sefer Bereshit (cf. Bereshit 47:27) or is referring to events after the brothers' death.

³ This is the only place in Tanakh in which this exact term is used and there are only two other places in Tanakh (Shemot 3:10, 7:4) where Hashem uses a similar term, "עַמִּי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל".

⁴ See R. Hirsch on Shemot 1:1 and 9 who implies this.

⁵ Compare also R"Y Bekhor Shor, Radak and Ralbag's reading of the verse.

⁶ See, for instance, Shemuel I 20:5, Melakhim II 4:23, Yeshayahu 1:13, Yeshayahu 66:23, Yechezkel 45:17, Amos 8:5, and Tehillim 81:4.  The phrase "יוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ" also refers to Rosh Chodesh and appears 4 times in Tanakh, once in Shemot 40:2, where it is accompanied by the clarification, "בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ", and in Shemuel I 20:34, Yechezkel 46:1 and 46:6.

⁷ See, for instance,  Mishna Maaser Sheni 1:5, Mishna Bava Metzia 5:3 and 5:9, and Mishna Bava Batra 2:7.

⁸ He further claims that the phrase in Tehillim 72, "וְיֵיקַר דָּמָם בְּעֵינָיו" means not life but value or worth.

⁹ See, for example, Shofetim 19:4,7,9.  It is possible that the term might refer also to a brother-in-law (or even another relative) as the term relates to the individual who contracted the marriage. [See Ibn Janach.] This bears on the identity of "חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה" mentioned in many verses, yet with reference to different individuals. See Yitro – Names and חֹתֵן / חֹתֶנֶת for elaboration.

¹⁰ See, for instance, see Bereshit 38:13,25 and Shemuel I 4:19,21.

¹¹ See, for example, see Mishna Demai 3:6, Pesachim 3:7, Yevamot 1:1, and Ketubot 1:5.

¹² See, for example, Bemidbar 20:14, Bemidbar 21:21, Devarim 2:26, or Yehoshua 6:25.

¹³ The context of many verses would support this.  See, for instance, Shemot 1:11, Devarim 20:11, Yehoshua 16:10, Melakhim 1 5:27, and Melakhim I 9:16 which all explicitly speak of a labor force. See also Shofetim 1:28-35 or Yeshayahu 31:8 which speak of people being taken as "מס".  One possible exception to this usage in Esther 10:1.

¹⁴ See, for example, Mishna Taanit 1:7, Bavli Shabbat 12b, Bavli Kiddushin 31b, or the many places which speak of "מצוות בין אדם למקום" such as Sifra Vayikra 16:30, Bavli Rosh HaShanah 17b, and Bavli Yoma 87a. 

¹⁵ See Bavli BerakhotBerakhot 26bAbout the Bavli, and more explicitly,  Bereshit Rabbah68:9About Bereshit Rabbah and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer35About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer.  This understanding is found already in PhiloOn Dreams That They are God-Sent I 63-71About Philo as well. Others understand "וַיִּפְגַּע" to mean pray while still maintaining the definition "place" for the word "בַּמָּקוֹם", translating the verse as "And Yaakov prayed in the place".

¹⁶ See Lekach Tov.

¹⁷ There are some possible exceptions in which verses might also sustain the meaning "world".  See: Tehillim 66:7, 89:3, Mishlei 10:25 and Kohelet 3:11.  In each of these cases some commentators explain the word to mean "world" and others to mean "of long duration". Ibn Ezra claims that since Tanakh does not use the word in the former manner, the prevalent meaning of "eternity" should be adopted in these instances as well. 

¹⁸ There are several possible exceptions, where the word's meaning is ambiguous and might also sustain the understanding "world".  See Kohelet 3:11

¹⁹ See, for instance, Mishna Berakhot 9:2, Mishna 15:1, Yeushalmi Berakhot 2:3.

²⁰ For a comprehensive discussion of the evolution of the terms, see Sh. Sharvit,  "הנין יהנכד - מן המקרא ללשון ימינו" in 'עיוני מקרא ופרשנות ח (Ramat Gan, 2008): 165-174.

²¹ See, for instance, the translation of Onkelos or Targum Yonatan.

²² See, for example, the Septuagint and R"Y Ibn Janach.

²³ See Bereshit 50:23, Shemot 20:4, Shemot 34:7, and Devarim 5:8