Gen. 18:16, שקף $QP is זקף ZQP

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Isaac Fried
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Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 8:32 pm

Gen. 18:16, שקף $QP is זקף ZQP

Post by Isaac Fried »

We read there:
וַיָּקֻמוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיַּשְׁקִפוּ עַל פְּנֵי סְדֹם
KJV: "And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom"
וַיַּשְׁקִפוּ = בא-היא-שק-היא-פ-הוּא (with the end הוּא, 'he', for the many) is from the root שקף a close relative of the root זקף, 'erect, upright, vertical', namely the men stood up הזדקפוּ and lifted their eyes to view Sodom.
Indeed, from this same root we have also the מַשְקוֹף = מה-שקוֹף = מה-זקוֹף, 'lintel', of Ex. 12.7
וְלָקְחוּ מִן הַדָּם וְנָתְנוּ עַל שְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזֹת וְעַל הַמַּשְׁקוֹף
KJV: "And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post"

Isaac Fried, Boston University
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