Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Andrew C Smith wrote:

> What is the meaning of this sentence? I read:
>
> Not with your fathers made YHVH this covenant,
> but with us,
> this "we", [who are] here today,
> all of us living ones.
>
> It seems like an odd sentence to me.
>

Admittedly, what I am proposing here is interpretation.  But, Andrew, if we 
recall
that 40 years had passed since the Exodus 20 account, and that nearly all the 
ones who
were more than 20 at that time had died in the wilderness, it is quite within 
the
realm of possibility that the ones hearing Moses in his Deuteronomy discourse 
were
thinking, "That was given to our parents."  Moses is making clear that the 
covenant
was made with the entire people, so, although the hearers were merely 
descendants of
the ones who actually heard the message at Horeb, they too were partakers of 
the
covenant.  Admittedly, this would be more clear if there was a limiter 
meaning "only"
after "your fathers.

However, rather than:        this "we", [who are] here today
I would suggest:                we, these [who are] here today

Paul

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

zellmer AT faith.edu.ph