Journal of the American Oriental Society (Volume 22, No. 1) (Paperback)

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1901. Excerpt: ... indicate sin in the N. T. So in the Prayer Book we find the expression "sinful lusts." Then in Jud. 2, 17 occurs the expression "to go a whoring after other gods," which is paralleled in the next verse but one with the expression "to follow other gods." The significance of the expression "strange gods" and "other gods" has already been referred to, as if the use of zandh was not in itself a condemnation. In other passages already mentioned in Lev. and Num. the phrase indicates merely a running after anything, as we might speak of a temporary fad; an eager following of whatever caught the fancy or pleased the eyes, a self-indulgence; and so a fickleness and instability. The original meaning of zandh, like Assyrian zandnu, may be that of fulness and luxuriousness,1 developing like the Latin luxuria or luxuries which in the Scholastic Latin of the Middle Ages has a sense akin to fornicatio. It may be noted that a number of verbs in Hebrew seemed to the Masorites too objectionable to be read, e. g. DEGREESJGJV and were replaced by a Hp but zandh is not one of them. We may conclude then that among the Hebrews the metaphorical use of zandh did not convey any opprobrium, but always requires a context to determine its significance; and therefore, such a phrase as the AV. uses is not only offensive to our ears but fails to do justice to the Hebrew, which requires a word having a good sense, such as, e. g., to follow, run after, desire, etc. 1 Cf. Crit. Notes on Judges in The Polychrome Bible, p. 67, l. 44. 8 The word is not derived from this word, but must be con nected with dam and Assyr. sigrtti 'ladies of the harem'; see Crit. Notes on Ezra-Neh. in The Polychrome Bible, p. 66, l. 46; p. 67, l.11. Cf. Delitzsch, Assyr. Lesestiichs*, p. 187. Gideons Water-lappers.--By Rev. Wm. B. Mcpherson, Johns H...