[OT] Modern pronunciation of Old Testament names

Jeff Spector at MormonMatters notes:

One thing that has always intrigued me about the English version of the Old Testament were how the names, the Hebrew names, were modified away from a Hebrew pronunciation.  Sometimes the names are close and sometimes not even. The key to pronouncing a Hebrew name or any Hebrew word is that he accent is always syllable .

In some cases, a Greek/Latin pronunciation is used, in others, Middle English.

He has included a table including Old Testament name,  language where today's pronunciation comes from & the Hebrew transliteration.

 Check it out here.

[OT] Thou shalt surely die

"In the day you eat of it you shall die" (Gen 2:16-17). 

The serpent challenges the truthfulness of this statement, and Adam and Eve die much later.  Common explanations for God's seemingly inconstant statement are:

• Day may mean time
• Cruel conditions out of the garden may be like death
• You shall not attain the measure of life originally allotted to you (1000 years)
• You deserve death, which will be fulfilled in due time
• This is an exaggerated statement to motivate Adam from further sinning
• Adam was to die until he repented
• You are now immortal, but shall become mortal -- a type of death
• Separation from God in the garden comprises a type of spiritual death
  

Cassuto's explanation is that Adam will not be allowed to eat from the tree of life, which would have prevented him from ever dieing.  After choosing the fruit of knowledge, he was not allowed to eat of the tree of life, ensuring he would eventually die.