Hebrew word study: Comparing a Hebrew word with other Semitic languages

Harper, Jacob D. said:

Good evening,

I am working on an assignment where I need to compare the spellings and basic meanings of a certain word in Hebrew (נעם) in other Semitic languages. Is this something that can be done in Logos or will I need to look at outside resources?

Thanks in advance,

Jacob

There are Hebrew scholars that populate these forums. I'm not one of them. But, the resource I would consult in this instance is TDOT.I

leave you with a sample of the quality of the work. I hope some one more qualified chimes in.

I. Etymology. The root, listed as nʿm I in lexicons of Biblical Hebrew (cf. also nʾm and nḫm/nḥm), is also found in Middle Hebrew and other Semitic languages: Arabic (naʿima, “enjoy, rejoice”), Amorite (PN nḫm), Ugaritic (nʿm, “lovely, good,” “attractiveness, something attractive, a lovely place,” “well-being, health”; nʿmt, “loveliness”; nʿmy, “loveliness, delight”; nʿmn, “lovely, good,” also a PN), Phoenician and Punic (nʿm, “good, friendly, lovely,” “joy, goodness”; nʿmt, “good, beneficial,” “goodness,” etc.), Postbiblical Aramaic (e.g., n^eʿîmtāʾ, “loveliness”; also a PN), and Syriac (n^eʿîmāʾ, “lovely, beloved”; also a PN).¹

This root is distinct from nʿm II, which appears not only in Middle Hebrew (hiphil: “sing, accompany”; n^eʿîmâ, “song, sound,” etc.), but also, e.g., in Arabic (naǵama, “hum, sing”; naǵma, “sound, melody”), Aramaic (e.g., n^eʿîmtāʾ, “melody”), and Syriac (e.g., naʿm^atānāyāʾ, “pertaining to the modulation of the voice”). In the OT this root is attested only in derivatives (esp. n^eʿîmâ, “song, music,” Sir. 45:9; the PN naʿ^amâ I may mean “[female] singer,” but it may also derive from nʿm I and mean “lovely” or “friendly”; cf. also the roots nʾm and nḫm).

 Kronholm, T. (1998). נָעַם. G. J. Botterweck, H. Ringgren, & H.-J. Fabry (Eds.), D. E. Green (Trans.), Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Revised Edition, Vol. 9, p. 468). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Denise said:

Beloved's TDOT is good; also HALOT.

Not answering this thread but related:

https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Etymological-Dictionary-Language-Readers/dp/965220093X 

Carta, no less! (a 2015 available)

I have Klein's Dictionary. It is just a dictionary, so it doesn't discuss matters per se. There are two entries (I & II). The meaning of I is "pleasant" with variations of "agreeable", "delightful", and "lovely". There are associations with Aramaic, Ugaritic, Arabic, & Old South Arabic, specifically:

Aram. -- n'`iymaa' [written in pointed H. text; this is my translit]
Ugar. -- n`m
Arab. -- na`ima & 'an`ama
OSArab. -- n`m

The meaning of II is "to sing; to compose or play music". This entry has Syriac associations, specifically:

Syr. -- na`eim (= he sang), ne`emtaa' ( = sound, song, voice) and a reference to the Aram. entry above, that is, to the meaning "pleasant". [Again, these entries are my translits]

Harper, Jacob D. said:

Is this something that can be done in Logos or will I need to look at outside resources?

Logos is certainly up to the task if you own the requisite resources. You can do a basic search of your Hebrew Lexicons either transliterated or by typing in Hebrew on the word. See my results.

+1 for Tawil and more OT/lexicographe resources. https://community.logos.com/forums/t/146684.aspx 

With the TDOT entry that Beloved posted above, you probably have all you need, but I don't think anyone mentioned TWOT (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament). It's one of my favorite Logos resources. Not as complete as TDOT, but you get most of what you will want for a much cheaper price...assuming it's still available in Logos. It comes and goes. Grab it if you can.

https://www.logos.com/product/1102/theological-wordbook-of-the-old-testament

Word of caution: although I use this resource constantly, it is unfortunately riddled with typos. I actually went ahead and purchased a hard copy of it (two vols.) just so I could check to see which mistakes are Logos OCR issues (some) and which are baked into the works (most). Moody should be ashamed of letting this thing out into the world in the shape it's in. That said, still highly recommended, particularly if you are just studying from it (as opposed to quoting it in print, a process that will make you sic).

Beloved Amodeo said:

https://www.logos.com/product/2001/gesenius-hebrew-chaldee-lexicon-to-the-old-testament 

What is your opinion of this resource? I'd be interested to know.

I have Gesenius, but I don't turn to it very often. That's not a knock at all. I am a fan of much 19th century scholarship, mainly because they have a depth and breadth that doesn't seem to get replicated in newer, recent works. With public domain pricing, it's hard to resist and worth having on hand when doing a deep dive on a particular subject. There are times when it has what I need when other resources don't, so it's definitely worth having. Because it's 170 years old, it's got some disadvantages associated with not being up-to-date, but it's a tool that has it's uses and occasionally is the only thing that gets the job done. If someone is considering it, I would recommend getting the Gesenius Bundle, because the Gesenius Hebrew Grammar is still frequently cited in modern works. Again, depth and breadth is the advantage.

https://www.logos.com/product/6559/gesenius-hebrew-bundle

That said, this bundle is part of many base packages, and many folks can probably get the G. bundle plus a few other items for not much more than the bundle alone.