also garrotte, 1620s, Spanish method of capital punishment by strangulation, from Spanish garrote stick for twisting cord, of unknown origin, perhaps from Old French guaroc club, stick, rod, shaft of a crossbow, probably ultimately Celtic, but possibly from Frankish *wrokkan to twist (cf.
Barak was a war leader, not a position for a timid man. When the fighting started, he was right in it leading his men. He pursued the fleeing host and wiped them out to a man, hardly the sign of a timid and weak man. The proof of Barakâs humble meekness, I think, is shown in the song of Deborah in chapter five.
Arnon Grunberg is the author of the novels âThe Jewish Messiahâ and âTirza.â This essay was translated by Sam Garrett from the Dutch. A version of this op-ed appears in print on December 5, 2013, on page A35 of the New York edition with the headline: Why the Dutch Love Black Pete.