Biblical Hebrew Forum

[yochanan bitan <ButhFam AT compuserve.com>]

> To all:  Today we read from Psalm 37 in class. How will you explain the
two
> qatals of v 20, the two qatals of v 28, the two qatals of v 38, and the
two
> wayyiqtols of v 40, all with future or present/future meaning?

v.20 nice poetic antithetical parallelism. yovedu 'basically future'. 'kalu
kalu' basically past, as "antithetical poetic perspective", either from
future or as general truism. LXX=aorist indicative past.

v. 28 "...they have always been preserved, but the children of the wicked
were cut off" again poetic antithetical parallelism. but here the LXX used
futures.

v. 38 not poetic antithetical parallelism. 
basic past perfectives, describing a situation that has been decided and
may be treated as a prophetic perfect: "the end of the wicked has been cut
off= will be cut off" LXX used futures.

v.40 past "and he helped and he delieved, so he will deliver and will
save". antithetic poetic parallelism, but with standard semantic reference,
either as real past or "proverbial": "he delivers so he will deliver". lxx
used futures, probably read a different vocalization.

braxot
randall buth