qml = "to dry up"?

[Jemoh66]

The biggest support for סוּף as "seaweed" is the verb יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי. The meaning here "were wrapped around" is supported by its use in jonah 2:3, where "the waters (floods) swirled around me." The root סבב is a geminated סב, whose core meaning is "turn." Hard to see how one could apply mud to wrapping around.

[Sebastian Walter]

Jemoh 66: Sorry, I didn't see your answer (didn't realize that this topic already had two pages).

Why יְסֹבְבֵנִי? The predicate of סוּף is חָבוּש, isn't it?
Earlier I would have thought that one could say the same about חבש - that it meant "to be wrapped around" and hence isn't compatible with סוּף (when taken as "swamp, marshy ground"). But as I know that cognates of חבש are syr and aram חבש "to imprison" and arab chabasa "to take prisoner", "to wrap around" and "to saddle" seem to be secondary meanings of a word meaning originally "to tie, to imprison" (cf. e.g. KBL3 on Job 40:13; Job 28,11).
Besides, even if חבש meant only "to wrap around", it could be simply motivated by the parallelism.

But it doesn't really matter, since Rolf already answered my original question - that qamû and קמל could, at least theoretically, indeed be related. So, to all: Thanks for your answers.

Best regards,
Sebastian

[Isaac Fried]

Indeed, חבש XB$ is a variant of כבש KB$, 'subject, oppress, confine, rule over', as in Jer. 34:11 ויכבשום לעבדים ולשפחות "and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids."

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Jemoh66]

Sebastian,

Why יְסֹבְבֵנִי? The predicate of סוּף is חָבוּש, isn't it?

That is correct. I had the two predicates reversed in my mind.

Earlier I would have thought that one could say the same about חבש - that it meant "to be wrapped around" and hence isn't compatible with סוּף (when taken as "swamp, marshy ground"). But as I know that cognates of חבש are syr and aram חבש "to imprison" and arab chabasa "to take prisoner", "to wrap around" and "to saddle" seem to be secondary meanings of a word meaning originally "to tie, to imprison" (cf. e.g. KBL3 on Job 40:13; Job 28,11). "

1. to tie, wrap, or bind would suite original meanings, while imprison, take prisoner would be derivative meanings. Abstract meanings rest on concrete actions. This would suggest that the older concrete BH root preceded the cognate derivatives, unless the concrete is attested in those languages.

2. I see חבש as related to לבש, to put on, wear, clothe, be clothed.

Besides, even if חבש meant only "to wrap around", it could be simply motivated by the parallelism.

I agree, but the parallelism reinforces the idea of wrapping --> swirling around me, engulfing me, surrounded me, etc... If suf is sea weed, its purpose is to hold Jonah down. Having sunk to the bottom, he is held there unable to free himself. This is further reinforced with the bars of Sheol. Ironically, it brings us back to your idea of imprisonment. Indeed the sea had conspired with the Creator to take him captive.

Jonathan Mohler