WAS ORPAH IMPREGINATED LIKE THE VIRGIN MARY? IF NOT, WHO WAS THE FATHER OF GOLIATH. AND WHO IS HARAFA?
LINDA DAVIS, BROOKLYN, NY - USA
You ask if Orpah was impregnated like Mary. The answer depends how you believe that Mary was impregnated.
According to the sources that we have, Orpah was a profligate Moabite woman who had relations with many men, and thus Goliath did not even know who his father was.
Y. Shaw
D.A.F.
Jerusalem, Israel
THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN IT SAYS THAT ORPAH WAS IDENTIFIED WITH HARAFA - WHO OR WHAT IS HARAFA - I CANNOT FIND IT ANYWHERE IN THE BIBLE.
AGAIN THANK YOU.
LINDA DAVIS
You will need to study the Bible in its original language in order to answer your question, as there are many mistakes and misleading words in the translations.
In Samuel II, ch. 21, v. 16, it is written, "Ishbi-venov, who was one of the children of Harafah, and whose spear weighed three hundred copper weights and who was girded for his initiation, declared that he would strike David." Ishbi-venov was a brother of Goliath.
"Harafah" and "Orpah" are the exact same person, just with two different names. "Harafah" in Hebrew is spelled almost identical to Orpah, with the exception of the first letter: Orpah is spelled "ORPH" and Harafah is spelled "HRPH." The Talmud discusses these two names and their meanings.
I hope this was helpful.
Y. Shaw
D.A.F.
Jerusalem, Israel