Difference between revisions of "Dictionary:Changing Meanings/0"
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<li>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 Mishnaic Hebrew, it may be used to refer also to the forearm itself. See the dispute in Sotah 12b regarding the meaning of the phrase "וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת אֲמָתָהּ וַתִּקָּחֶהָ". in Shemot 2:5.</li> | <li>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 Mishnaic Hebrew, it may be used to refer also to the forearm itself. See the dispute in Sotah 12b regarding the meaning of the phrase "וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת אֲמָתָהּ וַתִּקָּחֶהָ". in Shemot 2:5.</li> | ||
<li>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".</li> | <li>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".</li> | ||
| − | <li>מס – With the possible exception of , "" in tanakh refers to a labor tax rather than a monetray one.  the term for a monetray tribute is מנחה</li> | + | <li>מס – With the possible exception of , "מס" in tanakh refers to a labor tax rather than a monetray one.  the term for a monetray tribute is מנחה</li> |
<li></li> | <li></li> | ||
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Version as of 07:06, 29 September 2020
Lexical: Changing Meanings
Within the Biblical Period
There are many words whose meaning might have changed from one period with 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
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 Mishnaic Hebrew, it may be used to refer also to the forearm itself. See the dispute in 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".
- מס – With the possible exception of , "מס" in tanakh refers to a labor tax rather than a monetray one. the term for a monetray tribute is מנחה
