ERROR: Gen. 30:20 in LHI

David Paul

No idea why, but the ZBL root in Gen. 30:20 is translated as "acknowledge". The text reads יִזְבְּלֵ֣נִי (yiz:b'leiniy...the lemma is zaabhal). This is acknowledged to mean either "exalt" or "dwell"...either is possible contextually (but not both...the context of Gen. 30:20 only allows for either/or...some lexicons and interpreters try to straddle the fence), but my money is on "exalt". My main point is that a meaning of "acknowledge" is unacknowledged, primarily because it doesn't fit any of the related contexts.

The notion "exalt" (i.e. honor) is found in Gen. 30:20 ESV, whereas the notion of "dwell" is found in Gen. 30:20 NASB (though "honor" as a meaning is footnoted).

The related noun is z'bul (cf. Psa. 49:14 & Isa. 63:15) and according to TWOT it means "habitation" or "height" or "exalted abode". "Habitation" builds on "dwell" as a meaning, whereas "height" builds on "exalt". "Exalted abode" is an example of trying to have the cake and eat it too...but this can't-make-up-one's-mind compound meaning does not fit the context of Leah's statement. Frankly, I disagree with all of the above. The meaning "exaltation" (state of being exalted) fits all five cases where z'bul is used.

A bit ironic that ESV flips from "honor" in Gen. 30:20 ESV to "dwell" in Psa. 49:14 ESV...but I guess that's the cost of being a whore to whatever is perceived to be THE CONTEXT!!!!! For some people, context is a consideration...and for others it is their pimp, and often as not it ends up slapping them around.

I hope that FL will acknowledge that "acknowledge" is a bad translation. Since LHI is a fundamental reference resource under FL control, this should be fixed/changed ASAP.