The Semantics of Silence in Biblical Hebrew
Series:- Studies in Semitic Languages and Linguistics, Volume: 100
In
The Semantics of Silence in Biblical Hebrew, Sonja Noll explores the many words in biblical Hebrew that refer to being silent, investigating how they are used in biblical texts, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Ben Sira. She also examines the tradition of interpretation for these words in the early versions (Septuagint, Vulgate, Targum, Peshitta), modern translations, and standard dictionaries, revealing that meanings are not always straightforward and that additional work is needed in biblical semantics and lexicography. The traditional approach to comparative Semitics, with its over-simplistic assumption of semantic equivalence in cognates, is also challenged. The surprising conclusion of the work is that there is no single concept of silence in the biblical world; rather, it spans multiple semantic fields.
Biographical Note
Sonja Noll, D.Phil. (2017), University of Oxford, teaches at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago, having formerly taught at University College London. Her work has appeared in
Vetus Testamentum and is forthcoming in the
Journal of Semitic Studies.
Table of contents
Preface
List of Figures
Abbreviations
Introduction 1 What is Silence? 2 Silence in Modern Literature 3 Why Study Silence? 4 Silence in Biblical Hebrew
1 חרשׁ 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Biblical References: Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Extrabiblical References 5 Cognate Evidence 6 Conclusion
2 אלם 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Biblical References: Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Translations and Versions 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Semantic Field 8 Conclusion
3 חשׁה 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Biblical References: Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Translations and Versions 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Conclusion
4 דמם/דום/דמה 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical Analysis 4 Semantic Analysis 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence and Post-biblical Hebrew 7 Conclusion
5 הס 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical Analysis 4 Semantic Analysis of Biblical References 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Onomatopoeia 8 Conclusion
6 שׁתק 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical and Semantic Analysis (Qal: Cease) 4 Versions 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Conclusion
7 סכת 1 Introduction 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Translations and Versions 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Relation to Other Hebrew Roots 8 Conclusion
8 Semantic Periphery of Silence
9 שׁקט 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Versions and Translations 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Conclusion and Semantic Field
Conclusion 1 Distribution 2 Representation of the Semantic Field 3 Further Research
Bibliography Index of Hebrew Words Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Literature Index of Subjects
Introduction 1 What is Silence? 2 Silence in Modern Literature 3 Why Study Silence? 4 Silence in Biblical Hebrew
Part 1 Restraint
1 חרשׁ 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Biblical References: Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Extrabiblical References 5 Cognate Evidence 6 Conclusion
2 אלם 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Biblical References: Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Translations and Versions 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Semantic Field 8 Conclusion
3 חשׁה 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Biblical References: Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Translations and Versions 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Conclusion
Part 2 Cessation
4 דמם/דום/דמה 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical Analysis 4 Semantic Analysis 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence and Post-biblical Hebrew 7 Conclusion
5 הס 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical Analysis 4 Semantic Analysis of Biblical References 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Onomatopoeia 8 Conclusion
6 שׁתק 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical and Semantic Analysis (Qal: Cease) 4 Versions 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Conclusion
7 סכת 1 Introduction 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Translations and Versions 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Relation to Other Hebrew Roots 8 Conclusion
Part 3 Related Meanings
8 Semantic Periphery of Silence
9 שׁקט 1 Distribution 2 Lexicographical Survey 3 Grammatical and Semantic Analysis 4 Versions and Translations 5 Extrabiblical References 6 Cognate Evidence 7 Conclusion and Semantic Field
Conclusion 1 Distribution 2 Representation of the Semantic Field 3 Further Research
Bibliography Index of Hebrew Words Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Literature Index of Subjects
Readership
This work is relevant for all biblical scholars working on semantics, lexicography, figurative language, the versions or comparative Semitics. It is also relevant for anyone interested in silence more generally.