The Hard ‘Sell’ in Nah 3:4b

Abstract

The standard meaning of מכר is incongruous in the context of Nah 3:4. It is suggested that the problematic המכרת in Nah 3:4 is the consequence of a מ/נ scribal confusion mitigated by similarity between מכר and נכר, as well as the מ in preceding כשפים. הנכרת has the sense of “she that acquires,” in accord with Hos 3:2. Such an approach would also help with understanding of 1Sam 23:7. It is also possible to construe הנכרת in the sense of “she that alienates,” though this grammatical form of נכר is not attested in the Hebrew Bible