Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 73 No. 4, 2003.
Stručni rad
The Characteristics of Biblical Hebrew in Relation to Cognition and Interpretation
Adalbert Rebić
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
Hebrew is one of the oldest languages in the world that is still spoken today. In fact, it is the language spoken by the Phoenicians and Canaanites back in 4000 B.C. The Hebrews adopted the language from the Canaanites. It belongs to the Semitic group of languages, covering the territory from the Persian Gulf to North-Eastern Africa. Hebrew like other Semitic languages had its own script called the Aramaic square script, still in use by the Hebrews. Hebrew is read from right to left, while only consonants are written without vowels. Nearly all the words have three consonants (root), which like 'raw material ', with the addition of prefixes, suffixes and changeable vowels, allow for the formation of new words. In this way, an innumerable number of unique words with new meanings are formed.
Hebrew is particular as a communicative and interpretative in comparison with other languages. Thoughts and speech are expressed in very unique ways that do recognize neither abstraction nor speculation. Hebrew does not possess abstract concepts and therefore accepts only real facts and individual details. It is different from the Greek way of thinking in that it does not articulate discourse or syllogistic thoughts. Instead of thinking and expressing oneself philosophically, Hebrew is dominated by mythological reflection and verbal communication.
In the context of interpretation it is necessary to mention etymology. When the Bible describes a historical event for which no details are available, it is done so with the assistance of present events which are transposed back into history, and it is in these events that the causes (in Greek: aithia) of the present situation are identified. We come across these kinds of etymologies especially in the story of creation and in the original state of man or more aptly, in original sin (typical example found in Gen 3:14-19). The sin of first man is described in elements taken from the Canaanite cult of fertility (the snake, the holy tree). In this way, history becomes completely in the service of theology, and hence Biblical history is rightly described as a history of salvation. History is a revealing (revelation) and interpretation of God's magnificent works.
In Hebrew Biblical literature we rarely find synthesis. This is also a reflection of the Hebrew manner of expression or what is called the syntax of the Hebrew language. Just as a sentence in Hebrew is linearly formed with the aid of »i«, and with no subordinate clauses expressed with the help of subordinate conjunctions, so too is narration in the Bible simply a continuous recital of events. The reader is led to draw his own synthesis.
The verb in the Hebrew language in relation to cognition and interpretation has a unique role. It has seven forms (or conjugations) through which action can be expressed, but strictly speaking, it does not possess definite time: past tense (prefect, imperfect, aorist), present tense (present) and future tense (future). Hebrew has only perfect and imperfect accounting for completed (prefect) and incomplete actions (imperfect). The tense of the action is defined by contextual and situation, or by the so-called vav conversivum. This also depends on a particular understanding of history: past tense is interpreted as present tense, while future tense is expressed as past and present tense (prophecy).
Semantics or the meaning of distinct words, has in this respect a special meaning. In this exposition I use some particularly theological expressions used such as: dabar (word), shem (name), Torah (the Law or Teaching), hesed (love),’emet (istina), shalom (peace) and jada’ (to know).
Ključne riječi
Hebrew language; Hebrew morphology; Hebrew nouns: Hebrew verbs; Hebrew perfect; Hebrew imperfect; Hebrew syntax; dabar; shem; Torah; hesed; ’emet, shalom, jada’
Hrčak ID:
27350
URI
Datum izdavanja:
10.2.2004.
Posjeta: 7.135 *