Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lee R. Martin" <lmartin AT vol.com>]

To one and all,

Please translate Joel 3:5.
My specific question: Is the RSV justified in separating the last
relative clause by means of "shall be."
It reads: "and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls."
Therefore, the RSV makes 3:5 say two things: 1) in Jerusalem shall be
escape, 2) in the survivors shall be called ones.

I prefer the following translation: "In Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there shall be escape and among those whom Yahweh shall be calling."
Another way to write it would be "In Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, in the
God-Called-Survivors there shall be escape."

The last clause uses the participle because the action of calling is
simultaneous with the "escape" earlier in the verse.  The escape becomes
more specific/narrow-focused as the verse comes to a close.  Escape will
be in Mt. Zion, which is Jerusalem, but more specifically, escape will
be among the God-Called-Remnant.

Also notice the repetition of "call,"  and the synonyms for "deliver/
escape."

Any comments?  Ideas?