קוד: איי הגוים בתנ"ך
סוג: פרטים1
מאת: אבנר רמו
אל:
The general understanding of the biblical Hebrew word: איים is: “islands.” However, it appears peculiar that “islands” will be mentioned so frequently (33 times) in the writing of a people living in a country that was mostly landlocked. This state of affairs suggests the possibility that some of the איים words may have resulted through the corruption of other words.
In the Book of Isaiah we read:
קרבו גוים לשמע, ולאמים הקשיבו; תשמע הארץ ומלאה, תבל וכל-צאצאיה.
“Come near, [you] nations to hear, and attend [you] peoples; let the earth hear, and the fullness thereof, the world, and all things that come forth of it” (Is 34:1).
The association between גוים - “nations” and לאמים- “peoples” is also found in other biblical verses (Is 43:9; Ps 2:1; 44:3; 105:44; Pro 14:34).
Yet in the Book of Genesis we read:
מאלה נפרדו איי הגוים בארצתם, איש ללשנו-למשפחתם בגויהם.
“Of these were the isles of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations” (Gen 10:5; see also: Zep 2:11).
However, the Comparison between these verses suggests that איי הגוים - “iyayi hagoim) is a letter-deletion error of לאמי הגוים (leumayi hagoim) - “the peoples of the nations” or of:
אנשי הגוים - “anshayi hagoim) - “the men of the nations” (e.g. Ezr 2:2; Neh 7:7).
In the Book of Isaiah we find: שמעו איים אלי, והקשיבו לאמים מרחוק -“Listen, O isles, to me, and hearken, you peoples, from far” (Is 49:1).
However, the comparison with the previous verses suggests that here איים (iyim) is a letter-substitution error of גוים (goiim) -‘nations.”
Similarly, in the Book of Jeremiah we find: שמעו דבר-יהוה גוים, והגידו באיים ממרחק - “Hear the word of YHWH, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off” (Jer 31:9; see also: Is 41:1; 66:19).
Yet the comparison with the previous verses suggests that here איים (iyim) is a letter- deletion error of לאמים (leumim) -‘nations.”
The Psalmist wrote: והוא ישפט-תבל בצדק; ידין לאמים במישרים - “And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will minister judgment to the peoples with equity” (Ps 9:9; see also: Ps 67:5).
Yet In the Book of Isaiah we find:
הקשיבו אלי עמי, ולאומי אלי האזינו: כי תורה מאתי תצא, ומשפטי לאור עמים ארגיע.
קרוב צדקי יצא ישעי, וזרעי עמים ישפטו; אלי איים יקוו, ואל-זרעי ייחלון
“Attend to Me, O My people, and give ear to Me, O My nation; for instruction shall go forth from Me, and My right on a sudden for a light of the peoples.
My favor is near, My salvation is gone forth, and My arms shall judge the peoples; the isles shall wait for Me, and on My arm shall they trust” (Is 51:4-5; see also: Ps 97:1).
Yet the comparison between these verses suggests again that here איים (iyim) is a letter-deletion error of לאמים (leumim) -‘nations.”
In the Book of Isaiah we read: קול יהוה, משלם גמול לאיביו - “Hark! YHWH renders recompense to His enemies” (Is 66:6).
Yet seven chapters earlier we find: גמול לאיביו; לאיים גמול ישלם - “recompense to His enemies; to the islands He will repay recompense” (Is 59:18).
However, the comparison between these verses and the content of this verse suggests that here איים (iyim) is a letter-deletion error of איבים (oivim) - “enemies.”