Dictionary:Changing Meanings/0

From AlHaTorah.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Lexical: Changing Meanings

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

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

Biblical vs. Mishnaic Hebrew

Biblical vs. Modern Hebrew