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Jack Hairston
Jack Hairston Member Posts: 1,088 ✭✭✭
edited November 2024 in English Forum

The expression מַה־בֶּ֗צַע [ma-betza, "what profit"] occurs only two places in the Hebrew Bible.

  • Genesis 37:26   Judah asked, "What profit if we kill [Joseph]?"
  • Psalm 30:9        David asked, "What profit if you kill me, Lord?"

This connection uncovers strong relationships between Judah, Benjamin, David, and Saul.

Is there a Logos 8 way to search the Bible for any verses like this that uniquely share pairs of lemmas? If so, then the teacher can lead the class through the TV game show "Where Have We Seen These Words Before?" to gain unexpected insight into the Bible.

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  • Justin Gatlin
    Justin Gatlin Member, MVP Posts: 2,087

    I think this is exactly what the concordance tool was built for. Just build one for a Bible by lemma and look at low frequency words.

    Using Logos as a pastor, seminary professor, and Tyndale author

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 53,773
    https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1031913#Comment_1031913

    If Logos had built the n-tuple function into the concordance, this would be a perfect use.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Jack Hairston
    Jack Hairston Member Posts: 1,088 ✭✭✭
    https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1031913#Comment_1031913

    Justin Gatlin said:

    I think this is exactly what the concordance tool was built for. Just build one for a Bible by lemma and look at low frequency words.

    That works for unique words. I'm looking for unique pairs of words in the same verse.

    For instance, remember Pharaoh's dream where he saw seven cows that were both 

    יָפֶה (yāpeh) fair, beautiful.

    תֹּאַר (tōʾar) shape, form.

    That pair of words is also found in two other places: Genesis 29:17 (describing Rachel) and Genesis 37:6 (describing Joseph). This is the first clue to Joseph about correct interpretation of Pharaoh's dream.

    Q: So are the first seven cows Joseph-cows?

    ...they grazed...

    רָעָה pasture, tend, graze

    If the topic is "people," then the word means "shepherd."

    ...among the reeds...

    אָחוּ (ʾāḥû) reeds, rushes.

    This word appears only here and in Job 8:11. It would have made sense to Joseph as "among the brother-cows" (the seven ugly ones).

    11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?

    Can reeds thrive without water?

    אָח (ʾāḥ). Brother, relative, fellow countryman

    Now, add up the clues again. The brother-cows were shepherding with the Joseph cows. (Or were they Rachel-cows?)

    Q: When was Joseph ever shepherding with his brothers?

    Go back to the very first verse of the Joseph narrative. (Genesis 37:2) Joseph was shepherding (רָעָה) with his brothers (אֶחָיו).

    Q: Joseph-cows? Rachel-cows?

    One in a row is just interesting speculation, unless there are more clues to confirm. (There are...)

    So do you see why I would like to be able to ferret out clues like this using Logos?

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