Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Lloyd Barre <barre AT c-zone.net>]

It seems to me that the controlling image in this passage is that of a father 
giving his sons an inheritance.  Verse 9 explicitly states that Yahweh 
received Jacob as his inheritance.  The preceding verse mentions many nations 
have been created to be an inheritance for others besides Yahweh.  Thus, we 
should find a parallel group for Yahweh to receive this other nations.  That 
would be, reading with the LXX, the sons of El.  This would then point to El 
as being the giver of the inheritances, the father of the sons.  Fathers 
gives sons an inheritance.  Thus, Elyon must be the father who gives the 
inheritances to his sons which makes him the same as El.  So,
El Elyon=the father who creates and gives the inheritance
The nations including Jacob=the inheritance itself
Yahweh and all the other sons of El=the recipients of the inheritance.

The text also makes the point that the number of nations created and given as 
an inheritance correspond to the number of Elyon's sons.

This argument is advanced on the basis of finding that my interpretation of 
the texts offers one in which the imagery of inheritance is coherent.

Lloyd Barre

Lloyd M. Barre, Ph.D.

barre AT c-zone.net
http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/AncientIsrael