Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

> A friend asked me about the translation of the last line of Psalm 11. 
> Here's the text (apologies for my transliteration scheme; if anyone will 
> post the one we're supposed to follow, I'll be happy to use it):
> 
> YaSHaR  ([the] upright, *singular*)
> YeCHeZU (will see, *plural*)
> PaNeYMO (his face, which is *plural* in Hebrew, though singular in 
> English).
> 
> At first glance, therefore, it looks like an open and shut case. The 
> plural verb has to have the plural noun as the subject, the other noun 
> must be the object, and the sentence should be translated: "His face will 
> see the upright." 

Just as a preliminary response, I would point out that PFNIYM, 
"face," is always plural.  It never appears in the HB in a singular 
form, even though it most often carries a singular meaning.  Who 
knows why *shrug* but that's the way it is, so the fact that it's 
plural can't really tip the scales either way.

More later, I hope...


Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
A Bible that's falling apart means a life that isn't.