Egyptian Dictionary Notes

Abstract

Now the obstacle to this is the structure of qrP6. As a qatil noun it has been consistently taken by the translators as of passive force. And in this they are not alone; for there is apparently a widespread supposition that this class of noun is almost identical in force with the qagol, hence obviously is passive. But how fallacious this is will be evident from a glance at any good grammar (e.g., Harper-Smith ? 91b; GK ? 84a1; Barth, Nominalbildung ? 28). It is true many words of this structure have passive force, but also the active significance of the class is beyond dispute; for the moment no more is necessary than to remind of the words nabP^ and paqidh. So, then, it is entirely legitimate to interpret qrDe as active. The description of these associates of Dathan and Abiram in their revolt against Moses is, then, that they were "announcers of the festivals," an interpretation that gains support from the fact that the men were apparently Levites and that an analogous phrase with the finite verb occurs in Lev. 23:2, 4, 37; Lam. 1:15; 2:22, where there is no mistaking the meaning. And compare too the rendering by Ges.-Buhl cited above.