Seeking Meaning in the Hebrew Bible: A Lexicographical Study of בקש and דרש using Structuralist and Cognitivist Linguistic Tools.

This thesis integrates lexical and grammatical aspects of Biblical Hebrew with insights from contemporary Structuralist and Cognitive Linguistics, to present an original diachronic analysis of the relationship between the Hebrew Bible’s verbs of ‘Seeking’ and their semantic interdependence. Key concepts from Cognitive Linguistics – such as Embodiment, Inter-subjectivity, and Motion-Space – alongside Prototype Theory and Lexical Fields (from a Structuralist perspective) were applied to reveal the connotations and nuances of the two verbs, בקש and דרש. Although these two approaches are usually considered to be methodologically opposed, this research demonstrates the fruitfulness of drawing on the tools of both for studying an ancient language. It also addresses a long-standing gap in scholarship regarding the precedence and development of these verbs in Biblical Hebrew, shedding light on their emergence and interconnection. The study examined all 225 occurrences of בקש and the 164 instances of דרש in the Hebrew Bible, from a syntagmatic and paradigmatic perspective. It then proceeded to describe and define the Prototypical Meaning of ‘Seeking’ in בקש and דרש, and analysed both verbs through cognitive frameworks, proposing six dimensions for understanding their semantic value: PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, DIALOGICAL, VOLITIVE, EXISTENTIAL/ETHICAL, and RELIGIOUS/THEOLOGICAL. It additionally proposes a definition for each verb. The Thesis concludes with a case study of Psalm 24, focusing specifically on v. 6 and its use of both verbs, בקש and דרש , demonstrating how the research’s findings can be applied to enhance the linguistic and exegetical understanding of a biblical text. The conclusion further suggests expanding the research and its methodology to extra-biblical Hebrew sources, as well as exploring how the Ancient Versions can contribute to the discussion of the topic.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Cambridge

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• De Lima, Pablo

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Gray, Alison R

• Biblical Hebrew
• Biblical Studies
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Hebrew Bible Linguistics
• Linguistics and Biblical Studies
• בקש
• דרש

Licence

• https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/c3b425bb-41a2-4225-8d20-c6fe155346ec/download
• http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved

Language dc:language

eng

DOI dc:identifier.doi

https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.127310

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/398463