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שזף $ZP, Songs 1:6

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:32 pm
by Isaac Fried
The enigmatic root שזף of Songs 1:6
אַל תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת שֶׁשְּׁזָפַתְנִי הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
KJV: "Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me"
NIV: "Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun"
ASV: "Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath [a]scorched me."
is but a variant of the roots שדף, שזף, שטף, שסף, שצף hand hence שֶׁשְּׁזָפַתְנִי is but שֶׁשְּׁטָפַתְנִי, שֶׁשְּׁדָפַתְנִי, 'that rinsed me, that washed over me, that flowed over me, that slipped over me'.
Recall Lev. 15:11
וְיָדָיו לֹא שָׁטַף בַּמָּיִם
NIV: "without rinsing his hands with water"
Also Isaiah 8:7-8
וְלָכֵן הִנֵּה אֲדֹנָי מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת מֵי הַנָּהָר הָעֲצוּמִים וְהָרַבִּים אֶת מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וְאֶת כָּל כְּבוֹדוֹ וְעָלָה עַל כָּל אֲפִיקָיו וְהָלַךְ עַל כָּל גְּדוֹתָיו וְחָלַף בִּיהוּדָה שָׁטַף וְעָבַר עַד צַוָּאר יַגִּיעַ
NIV: "therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks
and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Also Gen. 41:23
וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע שִׁבֳּלִים צְנֻמוֹת דַּקּוֹת שְׁדֻפוֹת קָדִים צֹמְחוֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶם
NIV: "After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind."
KJV: "And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them"
Also here, apparently, שְׁטֻפוֹת = שְׁדֻפוֹת
In spoken Hebrew 'plum' is שזיף, as it, indeed, appears שזוּף, 'tanned'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Re: שזף $ZP, Songs 1:6

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:52 pm
by Isaac Fried
And what about the other variant, שסף $SP, of 1Sam. 15:33
וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר שִׁכְּלָה נָשִׁים חַרְבֶּךָ כֵּן תִּשְׁכַּל מִנָּשִׁים אִמֶּךָ וַיְשַׁסֵּף שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת אֲגָג לִפְנֵי יהוה בַּגִּלְגָּל
KJV: "And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal"
NIV: "But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal"
I tend to think that וַיְשַׁסֵּף, which is a kind of וַיְשַׁטֵּף, means that Samuel severed Agag by a single, swift and forceful swoop of the sword sweeping through Agag's body.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Re: שזף $ZP, Songs 1:6

Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:39 pm
by Isaac Fried
I am inclined to think that the סתו STW of Songs 2:11
כִּי הִנֵּה הַסְּתָו עָבָר הַגֶּשֶׁם חָלַף הָלַךְ לוֹ
KJV: "For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone"
is but a modified שטף $TP, the period of the pouring rains and the running overflows.

Isaac Fried, Boston University