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Today we ask the database query:
When should the word see be translated
as prophetically see.
The query uncovers
5
examples.
An examination of these
examples justifies the Rashi assertion that
When the word see is used repetitively
or without actual sight it should be interpreted
as prophetically see.
The table below presents results of the query
along with illustrations of Rashi's comment.
| Verse
| Text of Verse
| Repetition
| Translation of see
|
| Gn18-01:02
| And the Lord appeared to Abraham...
And he ... saw and, lo,
three men stood by him; and he saw ...,
he ran to meet ...
| appear, saw, saw
| And the Lord appeared to Abraham...
And he ... saw and, lo,
three men stood by him; and
he prophetically understood ...,
he ran to meet ...
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| Gn42-01:02
| Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said ....
... Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down
| saw, heard
| Now Jacob prophetically saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said ....
... Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down
|
| Ex02-12
| And he turned this way and that way, and he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him...
| turned, saw
| And he turned this way and that way, and he prophetically saw that there was no [righteous] man [descending from him], he slew the Egyptian, and hid him...
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| Dt02-31:32
| And the Lord said to me, see,
I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you;
begin the conquest to inherit his land.
Then Sihon came out ....
| see, then he came out
| And the Lord said to me, prohpetically see,
I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you;
begin the conquest to inherit his land.
Then Sihon came out ....
|
| Gn48-01:08
| And it came to pass after these things,
that one told Joseph, Behold, your father is sick;
and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim
...And Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these?
| took his two sons, saw, who are these
| And it came to pass after these things,
that one told Joseph, Behold, your father is sick;
and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim
...And Israel prophetically saw Joseph’s sons [descendants], and said, Who are these?
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In all these verses the word see is either
unnecessarily repeated, or, there is nothing yet to see,
or, in the last example, Jacob not knowing what he saw does
not make sense in context. In all these examples Rashi
interprets see as prophetically see.
The Rambam also applies this principle to derive
that certain Biblical scenes are really prophetic visions.
Thus the Rambam interprets the famous dialog of God and
Abraham on the destruction of Sedom and Gemorroh, including
the entire preceding paragraph, as a vision. Similarly the Rambam interprets
the famous passage of Bilam's dialogue with his donkey as happening in
a prophetic vision. This has important philosophic implications: For example, if
Abraham's dialogue with God took place in a dream then we cannot infer that one
should question God's orders with our logic. Rather God granted Abraham the right
to understand through prophetic vision God's reasons for destroying entire cities.
Abraham never actually questioned God just as Abraham didn't question God when he
was asked to offer his son. The prophetic vision was a means of enlightening Abraham
on God's way of running the world, not a justification to question prophetic orders.
More could be said but I simply wanted to show how this principle can be applied
exegetically.
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