PORNEIA/ERVAT DAVAR
Roberto Dam (rad@infonet.com.py)
Fri, 03 Oct 1997 10:50:19 -0700
Your questioning led me to dig further into the matter, and this is what
I ran into, so far. Let us see what you guys think.
Ervat is Strong Number 6172, which Chavez says in his Biblical Hebrew
Dictionary: "Nudity or genital areas of both sexes (Gn. 9:22)·"
(Diccionario de Hebreo Biblico, Mundo Hispano, p. 525) so it could an
either/or thing.
Then I went to Rav. Rashi«s commentary on Gn. 9:22, and he says
something intriguing re the word ervat in relation with Cham, Canaan«s
father: "There are those who say he had relations with him." And a
footnote adds: "Sanhedrin 70a. Verse 24 says that Noah "realized what
his small son had done to him," which implies that he suffered the
effects of an act. Morely being viewed does not constitute having
something done to him."
(Rashi«s Commentary of Be Reshit/In the Beginning/"Gn." 9.20, Mesorah
Publications, april, 1997, p. 96.)
Then I got into thinking about the passages on Vaikrah/And He
called/"Lev." 18:14. Again I turned to Rashi, and what does this very
reputable Torah commentator of the 12th Century say? "The nakedness of
your father«s brother you shall not uncover." And what is his nakedness
which is meant here? The verse goes on to explain:" ishto lo tikrav/ do
not approach his wife"(i.e., do not have sexual relations with your
wife).
To sum up, it is apparent that "nakedness", i.e., ervat-cum-genital is a
Hebraic euphemism for "sex".
Julio Dam
Messianic Pastor,
Beit Shalom Messianic Congregation,
Asuncion, Paraguay
http://www.geocities./com/Athens/Acropolis/7775/BEITSHA2.HTM
email:rad(a)infonet.com.py