Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - [b-hebrew] Psalm 51:7 (English versions 51:5)

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
  • To: K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Psalm 51:7 (English versions 51:5)
  • Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2007 21:56:27 +0000

On 02/01/2007 21:01, K Randolph wrote:
Chris:

I don't have the Masoretic points before me, but the consonantal text
could be pointed more than one way. Depending on the pointing, the
root could be either XWL or XLL, with the context giving the deciding
vote on which root to choose. Obviously the root indicated by the
pointing results in nonsense, therefore a different pointing ought be
considered.

I read this as a passive from the root XLL, a reading that not only
fits grammatically, but the context as well. Either we are dealing
with a corrupted transmission of the tradition, or an irregular verb
with a unique vowel pattern.

First, when we are discussing a verse can we please include the reference in the subject line, or else refer to it each time in the text.

We have two parallel lines here in the Hebrew, here with the Masoretic vowels transliterated for your reference:

H"N-B.:(FWOWN XOWLFL:T.IY
W.B:X"+:) YEX:EMAT:NIY )IM.IY

My partial translation:
Behold, in iniquity I ??-ed
And in sin my mother ??-s me

Whatever XWLLTY means here, it appears to be in synonymous parallelism with something which the psalmist's mother does to him.

Also wouldn't the vav in the unpointed text XWLLTY be out of place in a form of XLL? It might appear in a participle of course, but this seems to be a finite verb. In such a case I would expect the vav to be an indication that the verb here is the hollow one XWL/XYL.

When we look at the attested forms of XWL/XYL and XLL in the Hebrew Bible, we seem to find the following, classification based largely on Masoretic pointing and ignoring some rare forms:

Qal forms of XWL/XYL: dance; writhe; be in labour pains
Polel/Polal forms of XWL/XYL (almost all with root consonants XWLL): dance; give birth
Hiphil/Hophal forms of XWL/XYL: give birth
Various forms of XLL (none with root consonants XWLL, except perhaps for Isaiah 51:9, a participle): bore, pierce; play the pipe; profane; begin

Thus the form would suggest the sense "give birth", as a passive. This understanding is not based only on the Masoretic Text. The LXX here (50:7) is IDOU GAR EN ANOMIAS SUNELHMFQHN "for behold in lawlessness I was conceived", or perhaps "...I was put together".

The psalm makes perfect sense if the verb is understood as a passive of "be in labour with". Of course we can't really say this in English, so we need to go with

Behold, in iniquity I was born

And this is the understanding of most translations:

Indeed, I was born guilty (NRSV)
Indeed, I was born with iniquity (JPS Tanakh)
Surely I was sinful at birth (NIV)

It seems to me that we should recognise "be in labour" and "give birth" as a real sense (used more than 20 times in the Hebrew Bible) of XWL/XYL, distinct from the sense "dance; writhe" even if etymologically derived from it - just as "labour" in this sense is distinct from "labour" in the sense "work hard" although obviously with a shared origin.



--
Peter Kirk
E-mail: peter AT qaya.org
Blog: http://speakertruth.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page