Inspired by another interesting post at Erratio, I thought that I may write a little about the origin of a particular Biblical Hebrew word: one which the 9th century Tiberian scholars known as the Masoretes saw fit to edit out of the Bible. To save you any unnecessary suspense, that word is of the root √שגל (šgl) and it appears some eight times altogether: four times as a noun and four times as a verb. The noun, which means “concubine”, was not deemed offensive enough to remove; the verb, however, which refers to violating another in a sexual manner, was systematically changed to the root √שכב (škb), which simply means “to lie [with]“. In three of the four instances that this word was used, that meaning is perfectly legitimate. In a practical, legalistic tone, the authors of these texts simply inform us of such things as the consequences when a man violates a married woman, or they inform us (with prophetic perspicacity) of the violation of women by conquering enemy forces. The word works better with its erstwhile stronger meaning, but functions satisfactorily with the new and gentler verb as well. In one of the four instances, however, this word does not work very well at all.
Echoes from the Ether: