Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Joe Friberg" <JoeFriberg AT alumni.utexas.net>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Polychroni 
> Sent: Friday, July 16, 1999 3:04 PM

> I have proposed a translation of a very commonly used OT verse in 
> the Orthodox Christian Church that differs from the accepted 
> translation.  It has not been well received.  The verse, translating 
> from the LXX is:
> 
>     ~EulogEmenos ho erkhomenos en onomati Kyriou~  
>      (Ps.  117:26a (LXX); 118:26a (MT).

> Recasting the whole verse, we have:  ?He that comes is blessed in 
> the name of the Lord.?  The meaning being very different, not that 
> the person is coming in the name of the Lord, but that he is blessed 
> in the name of the Lord.

The crux of the question is: is the prepositional phrase "en onomati 
Kyriou" within the scope of the verb "EulogEmenos" or the verb 
"erkhomenos"?  By proximity, it falls strongly within the scope of 
"erkhomenos".  I would expect the prepositional phrase to precede "ho 
erkhomenos" in order to support your translation.  Likewise for the 
Hebrew.

God bless!
Joe Friberg
Alrington, TX
JoeFriberg AT alumni.utexas.net
MA Linguistics,
MA Theology student