Genesis DONE! I did it!

That was a very satisfying exercise!   Finished off chapter 50 of Genesis (Joseph dies, extracts promise from brothers to take his bones home) and even figured out that little Hebrew verse at the end of the chapter in the BHS (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia) which I am pretty sure says that I have just completed 1534 verses.  It is unpointed Hebrew (no vowel marks) and I suspect might not even be BH, since I couldn't find some words in HALOT.   Maybe it's Rabbinic Hebrew or Mishnaic Hebrew or one of the other Hebrew dialects?

Regardless.  I READ THE BOOK OF GENESIS IN HEBREW!!   ALL OF IT!!!

I am very pleased with myself and am looking forward to Exodus.

My study of Waltke & O'Connor is coming along nicely too.  The introductory matter is not all my cup of tea (history of the language), but some of it is exactly my cup of tea (writing systems, linguistics).  Fun, fun, fun!!

Verses that caught my eye in Genesis 49 and 50:

Verse 49:11, "he washes his garments in wine and his robe in the blood of grapes"
The word for robe (or garment) is סוּת.  Which is pronounced... er... "suit".  That struck me as really funny!

49:25, ...by the God of your father, who will help you,

by the Almighty who will bless you

with blessings of heaven above,

blessings of the deep that lies beneath,

blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 

The word for breasts is the root word for Almighty and the word for womb is the root for compassion/mercy.  Keep that in mind, Oh ye who think of God in purely masculine terms.

Chapter 50 surprised me with all the embalming going on, but I guess since they were in Egypt it makes perfect sense.

I also discovered (at Gen 49.23) a great expression for archers:  בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּם, ba'aley hhitsim, masters of arrows!

Amazing how much I learn when I give up daytime TV for Lent!