Hadi Taqavi, Ehsan Roohi, Hadi Sabouhi, University of California-Irvine

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Italy, Rome, July 5th

Working with Biblical Manuscripts (Textual Criticism)

Semantic Changes in Pre-Masoretic Hebrew:

Case Study of The Word Meod Meod
Hadi Sabouhi, Hadi Taqavi, University of California-Irvine , hsabouhi@uci.edu

Introduction

 The repetition of nouns appears for different reasons in HB, of which

the intensification of attributes could be named.
 Such implementation is very rare, and according to Gesenius (1786 –

1842) belongs rather to rhetoric than to syntax, e.g. Ecc 7:24 ‫עָ מ ֹק‬
‫“(עָ מ ֹק‬exceeding deep”), 1 Sam 2:3 ‫“( ְב ָ ֹ֣הה גְב ֹהָ֔ ה‬very proudly”), Prov
20:14 ‫“( ָרע ָרע‬bad bad”).
 The one and only term, which its iteration appears 12 times in M and

once in Sira, is the adverb ‫“( מְ א ֹד‬exceedingly”).

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Rome July 2019

 Hadi Taqavi, Ehsan Roohi, Hadi Sabouhi, University of California-Irvine

Introduction
Literature Review
 Such amount of usage looks as if unprecedented which calls for further

examination.
 Several Hebrew grammatical scholars and Bible exegetes, studied duplicated nouns,

for instance meod meod, but none of them have taken into account its extraordinary
frequency of appearance in the bible. (John Calvin (1509–1564), Moses Stuart (1780–1852), George
Bush (c. 1839), Hyman Hurwitz (1770–1844), Isaac Nordheimer (1809-1842), Heinrich Ewald (1803–1875).

 The discovery of the preponderance of old MSS. such as DSS, Nash Papyrus and

Cairo Geniza fragments in the 19th and 20th century, subsequently, facilitated further
detailed studies through providing scholars with new evidences for fulfilling more
in-depth investigations.

Introduction
Scope and Methodology of The Study

 So, this discovery leads to shedding light on various orthographies of

meod, as well as possible distinctions once repeated.
 In this paper, the occurrence of meod meod in non-biblical MSS up to
late-ninth century has been explored.
Pre-Masoretic Period (Before 500 CE):

 ‫ מאד מאד‬has appeared in 5 manuscripts, of which in ascribed Ben

Sira poem or its interpretation in Mishna, it occurs four times.

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Rome July 2019

 Hadi Taqavi, Ehsan Roohi, Hadi Sabouhi, University of California-Irvine

Pre-Masoretic Period (Before 500 CE)

 The repetition of meod in the ascribed poem to Yeshua Ben-Sira is

apparently just to avoid distortion to the rhythm, and not based on
the syntactic grounds. (Axford, Bodleian Library; Biblioteca, Palatina, ca. 1240 A.D.): Debarim
Rabba; New York, Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS))

 One more appearance is in Mishna commentary of Deut 6:5.

 In the segment of Mishna,‫ בכל מאד מאד‬an uncommon genitive

occurrence of ‫ מאד מאד‬has been observed, which cannot be an

adverb in the sense of (much/exceedingly).

Masoretic Era (500-900 CE)

 ‫ מאד מאד‬appears in 8 manuscripts, of which happens twice in the poem ascribed

to Ben Sira. (Cambridge University Library, T-S Collection; Budapest, Magyar Tudomanyos Akademia, MS.
Kaufmann)

 The third instance is ‫“( הדבר קשה למאד מאד‬the matter is (unto) exceedingly

difficult”), while Jewish rabbinic literature has in some way recorded this
segment differently, ‫ מאד‬other than ‫למאד מאד‬. (Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica ebr.)
 In Hekhalot Rabbati (c. 6th C.E.), the fourth appearance happens as ‫ראייה‬

‫“( מופלאה ומשונה מאד מאד‬Happy is the eye that is sustained by and gazes on this
wondrous light”) and (“a wonderful and strange sight, meod meod”). (Davila, J.,
2013; Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica ebr.)

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Rome July 2019

 Hadi Taqavi, Ehsan Roohi, Hadi Sabouhi, University of California-Irvine

Masoretic Era (500-900 CE)

 The last part is translated by Davila as, “A very very wondrous and strange
sight”.
 In addition, Morton Smith renders it as “A vision wonderful and exceeding
strange!”
 Both translators have grammatically reckoned ‫ מאד מאד‬as adjective, though it is
originally an adverb.
 On the contrary, by considering ‫ מאד‬as (“praised rather than very”), ‫מאד מאד‬
would mean (the most praised (One)), which makes the verse perfectly sensible.
 The fifth occurrence is in the Piyutim of Eleazar Kalir (c. 570 – c. 640) the
Byzantine Jew and Hebrew poet.

Masoretic Era (500-900 CE)

 ”‫“( “מאד מאד ליהודים היתה אורה‬meod meod for the Jews was light”).
(Cambridge, University Library, T-S Collection)

 Comparing this piece with the Hebrew text of Esther, it could be

concluded that the whole verse is extracted from Esth 8:16, in which
no trace of ‫ מאד מאד‬can be found: ‫הי ְתָ ה א ָרה ו ְ ִ מְ חָ ה ו ְ ָ ֖ ֹן‬
ֽ ָ ‫ַל ְה דִ ים‬
,‫“( ו ִיקָ ר‬For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honour.”) .
 Furthermore, to show the intensification, M attributes ‫( ָד ל‬Isa 9:1, Ps

136:7) to ‫( אור‬light), rather than ‫מאד מאד‬, and the combination of ‫מאד‬
‫ מאד‬and ‫ אור‬light never occurred in M.

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Rome July 2019

 Hadi Taqavi, Ehsan Roohi, Hadi Sabouhi, University of California-Irvine

Masoretic Era (500-900 CE)

 Consequently, disregarding inserting ‫ מאד מאד‬in this poem solely as a
matter of poetic license, the sense of exceedingly remains controversial,
herein.
 Meod meod’s sixth and seventh occurrences are in Piyutim of yom

Kippur of Kalir, i.e. ‫“( במאד מאד מוטבך‬by meod meod would be your
redemption.”)

 Comparing these verses with the ones of the fifth occurrence, it could

be assumed that Kalir has reckoned meod meod as the hidden gleam;
identical to The Jews Light of Redemption.

Masoretic Era (500-900 CE)

 The eighth appearance of ‫ מאד מאד‬is the segment ‫ גדודי במאד מאד‬in

a poem composed by Yehudah, a poet lived between the sixth to the

eighth century. (London, British Library, Or. 5557C)

 This poem narrates the story of Balak, the Son of Zippor when he

observed the flag-bearers (of Amorites) were shaken by the powerful

Army of Israel.

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Rome July 2019

 Hadi Taqavi, Ehsan Roohi, Hadi Sabouhi, University of California-Irvine

Masoretic Era (500-900 CE)

 Consequently, this poem narrates the Moab was in great

dread of the troops. (The poem links to Num 22:2, 3);

And finally,

 ‫ במאד מאד‬apparently hints at (an army which was) very

strong, so there is not duplication of “very”.

Conclusion

On the basis of the non-biblical evidences of ‫ מאד מאד‬in The

Historical Dictionary Project of the Hebrew Language, it can be
concluded that the occurrence of ‫מאד מאד‬:

1) in pre-Masoretic texts was extremely rare.

2) in the texts of Masoretic era slightly increases, but still

remains scarce.

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Rome July 2019

 Hadi Taqavi, Ehsan Roohi, Hadi Sabouhi, University of California-Irvine

Conclusion

3) up to the end of 9th century was mainly in the poetry and liturgical
hymns.
Duplication of ‫ מאד‬in these poems could be solely a matter of poetic
license, and the sense of exceedingly for ‫ מאד מאד‬remains
controversial.

4) The term ‫ מאד‬has been employed in the sense of ‫טוב‬

(“good/pleasant/praised”) in some cases, referring to The Jews Light of
Redemption or The Dawning Light.

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Italy, Rome, July 5th

Working with Biblical Manuscripts (Textual Criticism)

Semantic Changes in Pre-Masoretic Hebrew:

Case Study of The Word Meod Meod
Hadi Sabouhi, Hadi Taqavi, University of California-Irvine , hsabouhi@uci.edu

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Rome July 2019

Hadi Taqavi, Ehsan Roohi, Hadi Sabouhi, University of California-Irvine

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Italy July 2019

To have a copy of this presentation, please send an email to:

Hadi Sabouhi
University of California-Irvine,

hsabouhi@uci.edu

SBL 2019 International Meeting, Rome July 2019