David Zitzelsberger wrote:
> Where is lest in the Babel text?
KJV, verse 4.
> It sounds like a past tense conjugation of less, just like blest came
> from blessed from bless. Unfortunately, we don't use less this way very
> often anymore. I only find myself using it if I am missquoting a 'lest'
> scripture.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary that I have on my computer
'lest' is a conjunction that means 'for fear that'. You could interpret
that verse to mean that the people wanted to make a name to recognize
each other in the event that they became scattered. Hmm, sounds like
some of them may have had a premonition of what was to come as a result
of the tower...
> I'd say
>
> X lest Y is
>
> Do X or else Y will happen
>
> or
>
> X or else Y (without the be verb)
I think my understanding of this word coincides with David's below:
>
> -In the event that Y, then X, so as to nullify (or mollify?) the effect of Y
--
=============
James Worlton
"We know by means of our intelligence
that what the intelligence does not
comprehend is more real than what it
does comprehend."
--Simone Weil