Ten Tribes Studies (6 December, 2012. 22 Kislev, 5773)
Contents:
1. Cherie Koch: Arabs Descended from Hand-Maiden of Sarah
2. Pleased With Video Clip
3. Answer to Question Concerning Esau and Dwelling in Fertile Lands
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1. Cherie Koch: Arabs Descended from Hand-Maiden of Sarah
RE: Hebrew Nations Play Station
Hi Yair,
Enjoyed your video on Abraham, Isaac, and Esau, etc. Just an offhand comment
since you mentioned Ishmael in the video. I always thought it strange that
Arabs/Muslims very commonly name their females "Sarah", but you never hear
of their females being named "Hagar". It's as though they are unconsciously
obeying Sarah's will in the scriptures that Sarah would raise up offspring
for herself through her hand-maiden. I always find this amusing when I
encounter Middle Easterners named Sarah.
Shalom!
Cherie Koch
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2. Pleased With Video Clip
housechurches has made a comment on
Esau. Outline and Poem.
http://www.youtube.com/user/yairdavidiy?feature=results_main
Keep the videos coming brother..You work hard for God. He sees your zeal.
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3. Answer to Question Concerning Esau and Dwelling in Fertile Lands
http://www.youtube.com/user/yairdavidiy?feature=results_main
Bill Rasmussen wrote:
Yair, I would like to comment about something that was said regarding Esau and the YouTube video. You said, "Some Christian commentaries say the verse should be read: THY DWELLING SHALL BE [far away from] THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH: I do not know the source of this explanation and it does not fit the Hebrew as I understand it."
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In the Stone Edition Chumash it says in Bereshit 27:39: "Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling and of the dew of the heavens from above." The Hebrew here is "Mishmanay HaAretz", coming from the Hebrew word "Shemen" which means oil, to be fat or fertile. Another Bible I have renders it as "the earth's richness". I myself have always interpreted the verse and oil or fatness, so I guess I am confused why it would be translated differently.Â
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Am I misreading what you said in Brit Am no. 1969 or are you indeed suggesting that "fatness of the earth is a wrong rendering of the verse?
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Shalom v'b'richot, Bill Rasmussen
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Brit-Am Reply:
No. You have interpreted it correctly OR rather the sources you use have the correct interpretation. Esau was promised a rich dwelling area.
BUT some interpretations render it differently, e.g.
New International Version (NIV)
39 His father Isaac answered him,
'Your dwelling will be
away from the earth's richness,
away from the dew of heaven above.
We found a discussion of this:
BibleDiscussion.Com/Forum
Quote:
# Genesis 27: 39 via jkv states, "...Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;" The jest of this is the same in the nkjv, 21st century kjv, asv ylt, dt, and Torah. However, in the niv, it states, "...Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above." The nlt nasb, message, esv, cev, ncv, hcsb, nirv, and nrsv follow the jest of this 2nd translation. #Â End Quote
So here it says that Biblical Translations known as
niv, nlt nasb, message, esv, cev, ncv, hcsb, nirv, and nrsv
all say that Esau was to receive a dwelling "away from fertile areas". Poor Esau.
Our own explanation is somewhat different and in our opinion more correct.
Esau was destined to dwell in fertile lands, to be a warrior race, and historically very significant.
Here is what we wrote:
Esau the Warrior. Esau (Edom) and the Blessings to Jacob. Part Two in a Series
Extract:
Genesis 27:
38 And Esau said to his father, 'Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, me also, O my father!' And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:
'Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
Esau is here promised a fertile place to dwell in. The Talmud says that at one stage this was Magna Graecia or Southern Italy which was once very fertile. From there the sons of Esau moved. They were to help found the city of Rome and become important in other places.
Some Christian commentaries say the verse should be read: THY DWELLING SHALL BE [far away from] THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH: I do not know the source of this explanation and it does not fit the Hebrew as I understand it. It appears in some translations and is accepted by several Christian exegetes. It may be that the land southeast of Israel that is known as Edom is not regarded as being terribly fertile and the translators were trying to rationalize their translation and adapt the translated meaning according to their own understanding of reality as it was in the past. Against this it can be said that the Land of Edom was once much more fertile than it now is. Also Edom was scattered to several areas. A passage in an inscription from the ancient city of Ugarit on the north Syrian coast speaks of the well-watered land of Edom. There was a region belonging to Edom in the north. A region (usually ruled from Assyria) by the Habor River in Northern Syria was once known as "Idam Araz" meaning "Land of Edom" as noted by the researcher Michael Banyai.
 Edomites were to become prominent in the hierarchies of Babylon, Ugarit, Assyria, and Phoenician Tyre, and later in Europe especially Germany.