The debate is whether אל is being used as a common or proper noun. It appears to be an attributive construction, but the phrase itself often functions as though it's a proper noun.
Not sent from my iPad (coz I don't have one) GEORGE ATHAS Director of Postgraduate Studies, Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au) Sydney, Australia From: "Donald R. Vance" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 01:40:14 -0500 To: George Athas <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Cc: B-Hebrew <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] El = God? Darn tootin' it's debated. I don't see how Gen 14:18 can be anything but a reference to the Canaanite deity. Sent from my iPad Donald R. Vance [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> On Aug 9, 2011, at 8:05 AM, George Athas <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Karl is correct, that the word אל is a common noun for 'deity'. However, it is often used practically as a Proper Name for the president or father of the gods in the Canaanite pantheon. This is confirmed in Ugaritic, for example. However, in Hebrew, it is very rarely used that way, if ever (it's occasionally debated, though). GEORGE ATHAS Director of Postgraduate Studies, Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au) Sydney, Australia _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
