Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Paul Zellmer <zellmer AT cag.pworld.net.ph>]

This is carried over from the Virginia list.  (It also is a reposting,
since I somehow had sent it out in HTML before.  I apologize, but
realize that I will still have to bear my full punishment. ;^>  Harry
[Harm], I will be very happy to send you an off-list copy of the other
posting that I messed up if you like.  It was only forwarding a request
for information about the home page.)

Trevor Jenkins wrote:
> Could I crave your collective indulgences and ask someone for a
literal
> translation of Daniel chapter 11 verse 32, which in the KJV is
translated as
> "... the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do
exploits."

> Regards, Trevor

> --

> <><; Re: deemed!

Trevor,

Maybe it would be easier if you just asked the question raised in your
mind, since any time you get a "literal" translation, you will have a
tendency
to lose any of the idiomatic possibilities of a text.  Anyway, here's
the text under consideration:

W:(aM YoD("Y )eLoHfYW YaXaZiQW. W:(f&W.

which I would translate word-for-word:

and-(the)-people the-(ones-)knowing-of gods-his they-will-seize
and-they-will-do

I take the first word as an absolute with no expressed definite article.

The next two words describe the people.  The second word in the clauses
is the masculine plural construct, to which, for literal translations,
I append "of".  (It is definite because the absolute in the construct
chain has the personal pronoun attached.)  The third is the word which
I really feel would be better translated "God" in the English, and it
has
the third masculine singular pronoun attached.  (This pronoun is
probably
referring to "people," treating it as a collective noun in this case.
This
raises the question, however, as to why the "knowing" is plural and the
"his" is singular.  I suppose another idea would be a personalization
of God to each member of the group.)  Then we have a 3rd person common
plural yiqtol in the hiphil stem joined by a conjunction with a 3rd
person
common plural yiqtol in the qal.

So, Trevor, what's the question?

HTH,

Paul

--
Paul and Dee Zellmer, Jimmy Guingab, Geoffrey Beltran
Ibanag Translation Project
Cabagan, Philippines

zellmer AT faith.edu.ph