16b. desirable. The form mahăddîm, “desirable (things),” corresponds to the pattern of mamaqqîm of the preceding stich and the syntax is the same, “His totality is desirable things,” i.e. “He is utterly desirable.” In Ugaritic mhmd is used of “choice cedars” and of gold (lhmd is apparently a scribal error for mhmd in the expression lhmd hrs):
The mountains will bring you much silver, The hills of the choicest gold. (4[51].5.100-101)
In Ezek 24:16 mahmad ‘enekai, “the desire of your eyes,” is applied to the prophet’s wife. (
I present Pope' learned comments on this passage as it shows that no competent scholarly source supports the popular Islamic claim that this portion of v.16 is a prophecy of Muhammad. For more, see:
