Alward's Confused
Farrell Till jftill@midwest.net
Wed, 21 Oct 1998 10:40:02 -0700 (00909009602, 2.2.32.19981021174002.0087c068@midwest.net)
At 02:46 AM 10/21/98 EDT, JAlw@aol.com wrote:
>Joe Alward:
>
>Will somebody help me get a handle on the debate that once was raging between
>Till and Bell?
>
>Till talking to Bell:
>
>"This is about the third time you have asserted that you have "comprehensively
>refuted" my argument that "ken" in Exodus 7 was used to convey the sense of
>"the same," so please show us exactly where you have refuted that. "
>
>The verse in question is given below:
>
>22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments and Pharaoh's
>heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
>
>What I would like to know is why my Strongs source translates "did so with the
>enchantments" as "'asah lat". I don't see "ken" anywhere except in the lice
>plague story, where "lice' is given as "ken", although Strongs also shows that
>it can mean "do the same thing". Do I need a better concordance?
>
>I'm totally confused (which will delight many, I'm sure; have mercy, Farrell),
>but unashamed. If anybody will help me I would be extremely grateful.
>
>
TILL
The word for "lice" in Hebrew was also "ken," although there is some
question about whether the word used in this sense meant lice, gnats, or
mosquitoes. I referred to a Hebrew text to determine that "ken" was the
word used for "so" or "in like manner" in Exodus 7. I have checked
Strong's, which also lists #3651 [ken] as the word used for "so" in Exodus 7
and for "manner" in 7:11. Hence, "ken" was the word used where the KJV uses
"so" and "in like manner."
The word you cited above is the Hebrew word for "enchantment," but the text
says that the magicians did SO or THE SAME with their enchantments. The
issue is what the Hebrew word for "so" or "the same" meant and not what the
word for "enchantment" was.
I'm sorry if this information leaves you without another quibble to post.
Farrell Till
Skepticism, Inc.
jftill@midwest.net