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  • From: "David Kimbrough (CLWA)" <dkimbrough AT clwa.org>
  • To: "'b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org'" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] 22 nd Psalm
  • Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 13:53:50 -0800

I am new to this board so bear with me. I have a question on the last part
of the 16th verse of the 22nd Psalm . I you will forgive my crude
transliteration, the ketib reads: "K'ariy Yadiy Regeliy". The qere
substitutes "Kari" (no aleph) for "K'ariy" (with an aleph). K'ariy would
seem to mean "like a lion" although I have read some translations that make
it plural. The ketib then seems to lack a verb. The qere would seem to be
from the root "karah" and is universally translated into English as "they
pierced". However if I am not mistaken, "karah" means "to dig" (qal) not
"pierce". This would be consistent with the Septuagint which translates the
same phrase (which is listed in the LXX in Psalm 21:17) as "orukan xeirav
mou kai podav". Oruko means "to dig". I believe this is the only place in
the Old Testament where a word from the root 'krh" is translated as
"pierce". Everywhere it is usually translated as "dig".

Is "like a lion" a reasonable translation? It looks singular to me but is
there some reason to translate it as a plural? Is "kari" a third person
plural perfect qal of k-r-h? If so, is it more reasonable translated as
"they dug" or "they pierced"? If not, what might it mean? Is this just
hopelessly corrupted?

Thanks in advance for your patience.


Dotsuwah
dkimbrough AT clwa.org





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