אלומה ALUMAH, Gen. 37:7

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Isaac Fried
Posts: 1783
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 8:32 pm

אלומה ALUMAH, Gen. 37:7

Post by Isaac Fried »

We read there
וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַלְּמִים אֲלֻמִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַשָּׂדֶה וְהִנֵּה קָמָה אֲלֻמָּתִי וְגַם נִצָּבָה וְהִנֵּה תְסֻבֶּינָה אֲלֻמֹּתֵיכֶם וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶיןָ לַאֲלֻמָּתִי
KJV: "For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf."

This אֲלֻמָּה = אל-הוּא-מ-היא, 'sheaf, bundle, pile, heap, stack, accumulation', is of the root אלם ALM, consisting of the two uniliteral roots L and M; L of elevation and M of mass or balkiness.
Another derivative of this root is אוּלָם ULAM, 'hall, court, large chamber' (related to hill, heal, heel, hull, and keel), as in 2Kings 7:7. Also, לְאוֹם LeOM, 'nation', as in Gen. 25:23.

ALM also exists in the sense of 'inertia, stillness ,quietness, silence, muteness, isolation', as in Isaiah 53:7
נִגַּשׂ וְהוּא נַעֲנֶה וְלֹא יִפְתַּח-פִּיו כַּשֶּׂה לַטֶּבַח יוּבָל וּכְרָחֵל לִפְנֵי גֹזְזֶיהָ נֶאֱלָמָה
NIV: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,  and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,"
Also, אלמנה ALMANAH, 'widow, mourner, grief stricken', and אלמוֹני = אלם-הוא-הן-היא, ALMONIY, 'certain, some', as in 1S 21:3.

Written with an ע ayin for distinction this root gives rise to עלם and עלמה ALMAH, 'maid, mature girl', as in Gen. 24:43. Also, the verb ALAM, 'pileup', as in Job 6:16, and then, by implication, 'hide conceal, coverup' (compare German "verbergen" and "verstecken").
And, of course, עוֹלָם OLAM, 'eternity, universe'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University
Isaac Fried
Posts: 1783
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 8:32 pm

Re: אלומה ALUMAH, Gen. 37:7

Post by Isaac Fried »

I would add the commonly used, post-biblical, אַלִּים = אל-היא-ם ALIYM, 'violent', and אַלִּימוּת =אלים-הוּא-את ALIYMUT, 'violence'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University
Isaac Fried
Posts: 1783
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 8:32 pm

Re: אלומה ALUMAH, Gen. 37:7

Post by Isaac Fried »

See the dagesh distribution in
וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַלְּמִים אֲלֻמִּים, בְּתוֹךְ הַשָּׂדֶה, וְהִנֵּה קָמָה אֲלֻמָּתִי, וְגַם-נִצָּבָה; וְהִנֵּה תְסֻבֶּינָה אֲלֻמֹּתֵיכֶם, וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶיןָ לַאֲלֻמָּתִי
1. וְהִנֵּה A dagesh in the N following a xireq.
2. מְאַלְּמִים A dagesh in the L (with a schwa) following a patax
3. אֲלֻמִּים A dagesh in the M following a qubuc
4. הַשָּׂדֶה A dagesh in the S following a patax
5. וְהִנֵּה See 1.
6. אֲלֻמָּתִי See 3.
7. נִצָּבָה A dagesh in the C following a xireq.
8. וְהִנֵּה See 1.
9. תְסֻבֶּינָה A dagesh in the B following a qubuc
10. אֲלֻמֹּתֵיכֶם See 3.
11. וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶיןָ A dagesh in the T following a patax. A dagesh in the second T (one of the BGDKPT letters) following a xireq before a schwa.
12. לַאֲלֻמָּתִי See 3. No dagesh in the A following a patax.

Isaac Fried, Boston University
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