Biblical Hebrew Forum

[John Ronning <ronning AT ilink.nis.za>]

Dear Bryan,

You asked,

>
> How do you like this translation of Psa 1:
>
> "Oh the blessednesses of the man who is no walker in the
> counsel of the wicked ones.  In the way of the sinning ones
> he is no stander.  In the dwelling of the mocking ones he is
> no dweller."
>
> The point is that the generic (or habitual or gnomic) sense
> is also common to the qatal as well as to the English "-er"
> word.
>

One could say:
(a) he is not a drinker, or
(b) he doesn't drink

I think (b) implies a teetotaler, but (a) does not, and that Psa 1:1 calls 
for a (b)
type translation, whereas you are giving it an (a).  The habitual doing of 
good is
described with the yiqtol in v. 2 (he meditates in the law day and night).  
Likewise
in Psalm 15 the habitual doing of good is described with yiqtol and 
participles, but
like Ps 1:1, the lo' + qatal is used for what he doesn't do (exception - v. 4 
he
swears to his own injury [qatal] but does not change it [yiqtol]; perhaps to 
be
explained, when he has sworn to his own hurt, he will not change it).

The opposite or complement of the habitual doing of good is not the 
non-habitual doing
of evil (a possible implication of your translation), but the complete 
avoidance of
evil, and perhaps the past-tense bias of the qatal is used to accomplish this 
- he has
not stood in the path of the sinner, etc. (ever).


Yours,

John