Home on the Range of Meaning. Exodus 22:4-5 (BHS); Exodus 22:5-6 (NRSV)

 When someone causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets livestock loose to graze in someone else’s field, restitution shall be made from the best in the owner’s field or vineyard. 

When fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who started the fire shall make full restitution. 

The above verses (Exodus 22.4-5 in Hebrew BHS, 22.5-6 in NRSV) are fairly straight forward, except for one funny thing.  All the words I've underline in English are basically the same root in Hebrew.  I actually thought the first verse ought to be translated "When someone causes a field or vineyard to be burned or sets fire loose to burn someone else's field, etc., etc."  I'm still not quite sure why it isn't translated that way, but I admit, I was distracted from my research.

This is what distracted me:  the range of meanings for the simple Hebrew root בער

1.  burn
2.  graze, devastate, sweep away, remove (from the "graze" meaning, the noun, "livestock" no doubt is derived
3.  camel or cattle droppings.  These were used for fuel, so presumably the meaning is derived from #1?
4.  be stupid.  No doubt this meaning is derived from meaning #3.  How comforting!! In all civilizations, bovine (or camel!) droppings is the word for "stupid"!

The thing I don't get is "graze".  How does that become part of this group of words?  There are other Hebrew words for graze.  Do cattle (or camels) devastate a field by grazing? as if it were burnt?   I admit to ignorance on matters agricultural - maybe it makes more sense to someone else.

But the fact that BS can also mean Be Stupid just makes me giggle.

:)