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b-hebrew - Re: Psalm 2:12 and Proverbs 31 ben/bar

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  • From: ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben and Jo Crick)
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Psalm 2:12 and Proverbs 31 ben/bar
  • Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 23:03:37 +0000


On Fri 22 Mar 2002 (00:44:32), polycarp66 AT aol.com wrote:
> Now that makes sense. The RSV and NRSV translate "kiss his feet", but
> that requires emending the text from BR to RGLYW. Maintaining the
> consonantal text is always preferable. In the oldest manuscripts the
> letters were not always separated (in fact, as I recall, they usually
> weren't). Liz, could you cite some more of Dahood's translation for
> context? I'm afraid I left most of my books in storage.

Emendation is always the last resort of the despairing. When in doubt,
reach for the scissors and paste. However, in Psalm 2:11b-12a there is a
certain attraction to the emendation proposed IIRC by Kittel. Move GiYLuW
from its place as the penultimate word in verse 11 to immediately follow
the enigmatic BaR at the beginning of verse 12. So we get
(11) `iB:DuW 'eT-YHWH BiR:'aH uWBiR:`aDaH
(12) Na&&:QuW-B:RaG:LaYW ...

With /enjambement sur la ligne/ we get the sense "Serve YHWH with reverence
and with trembling kiss his feet...".

The rendering "Rejoice with trembling" always caused me difficulty. But
the proposed emendation removes the difficult BaR, and makes good sense of
the text too. The word "son" in verse 7 is BeN (B:NiY). The newly crowned
king is adopted as "son" of God to be the theocratic ruler over His people
Israel. Submit to his rule ("kiss his feet") to evade the wrath of God at
the hands of His king.

That seems to have been the path taken by RSV and NRSV. But as you say,
maintaining the consonantal text is preferable.

Shalom
Ben
--
Revd Ben Crick BA CF, and Mrs Joanna (Goodwin) Crick
<ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>
232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm







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