B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

kwrandolph wrote:

Kenneth Greifer wrote:I don't understand why the verb "to be" is used with an adjective when the adjective itself has a "to be holy" verb form.

“Verb form”? When reading it in an unpointed text, one depends on the context and syntax to recognize what is its form. The context and syntax both indicate that קדש in this sentence is not a verb.

I personally lean towards קדש being a noun, that he will be a “set-apart person” all the days he has the vow.

Karl W. Randolph.

Adjective. Adjectives can function as substantives, but that does not make them nouns. It's an adjective, even if you interpret it to mean "a set-apart person."

To me, it's identical to verses like:

Leviticus 11:14
כִּי אֲנִ֣י יְהוָה֘ אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֒ וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אָ֑נִי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמְּאוּ֙ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Leviticus 19:2
דּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Just like it says קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי, a comparison is set up there.

I your God am holy. You be holy.

The fact that a verb exists in the Qal doesn't mean that it must be read into every passage. The context seems clear to me that it is saying that the Nazirite will be consecrated or set-apart to God until the end of his vow's obligation period. That is, he must be careful not to defile himself in any of the ways mentioned regarding his vow and status. He will not suddenly become a saint or an angel by taking a vow.

Jason Hare wrote:To me, it's identical to verses like:

Leviticus 11:14
כִּי אֲנִ֣י יְהוָה֘ אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֒ וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אָ֑נִי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמְּאוּ֙ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Leviticus 19:2
דּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Just like it says קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי, a comparison is set up there.

I your God am holy. You be holy.

The context in an unpointed text indicates that קדשים is a noun, while קדוש is an adjective.

The more I read, the more I think that the Masoretes were rather sloppy, or rather that they thought that the writers of the Tanakh were sloppy, not following strict spelling rules. So they tended to add points according to how they thought sloppy spellers of the Tanakh meant rather than how the text actually reads. Following the points instead of the consonantal text makes it harder to recognize subtle grammar structure.

Numbers 6:5 has the same structure as the noun in the above two passages.

Karl W. Randolph.