Quote:
Originally Posted by mfblume
I'm just giving definition from the Hebrew...
Linguistic Roots: The word "שבוע" (shavua) comes from the Hebrew root "שבע" (sheva), which means "seven."
Please look it up.
It's typically used for 7 days in a week, but that doesn't mean that's the literal definition of it.
Jacob had to work another week, literally week, to get Rachel. And that was 7 years.
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That's not what
Genesis 29 says.
[
Genesis 29:18, 20 NKJV] 18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you seven years (sheba sanim) for Rachel your younger daughter." ... 20 So Jacob served seven years (sheba sanim) for Rachel, and they seemed [only] a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
Then,
[
Genesis 29:27-28, 30 NKJV] 27 "Fulfill her week (shabua), and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years." 28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week (shabua). So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. ... 30 Then [Jacob] also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years (sheba sanim).
Clear as water. Jacob waited total 7 years + one week to be able to be with Rachel.
The Septuagint also states it clear:
Laban said, It is not this way in our region, to give the younger one before the elder. Therefore finish the week for this one, and I will give you also this one for the work, which you will work with me yet another seven years. Jacob did so and completed the week for this one, and Laban gave Rachel his daughter, for him as wife... He loved Rachel more than Leah and served him another seven years.
The reason why the Lexicon says "seven of days or years" is because there is one book instance where "shabua" means
symbolically seven years. But that's is an interpretation of the Lexicon, not an actually meaning of the word. It is like saying "sun" also means "father" because a prophecy had the "sun" meaning "father" symbolically. The Lexicon is incorrect. The only way to defend that "seven of years" is truly part of the semantic range is by proving that there are other places where the word is used to mean so that are not in the symbolic context.