Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - RE: Num 14:18

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Bill Ross" <wross AT farmerstel.com>
  • To: "Biblical Hebrew \(E-mail\)" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Cc: "'Bible Translation'" <BibleTranslation AT listbot.com>
  • Subject: RE: Num 14:18
  • Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 11:53:13 -0600


<Liz>
My doctor-father, Baruch A. Levine, translates it in the Anchor Bible
Commentary thusly:

"YHWH is long-tempered, and shows great kindness. He forgives iniquity and
disloyalty, but will not grant full exoneration. Rather, he reserves the
punishment due the fathers for their children; for the third and for the
fourth generations."

I wonder if the deferral of punishment to subsequent generations implies the
dilution of the punishment among all the off-spring. The more children you
have, the less each has to bear!

<Bill>
I thank you for your post and feel somewhat affirmed in my understanding of
the verse.

The only comments I would make on your father's reading (which really
captures the main element I was seeing) are:

* "full exhoneration" seems to imply lingering guilt, while I believe the
words are "clear of punishment" which is focused more on the consequences
than the guilt (which is described in glowing terms of full forgiveness)

* "reserves punishment" seems to imply that there will be no consequences to
the perp while that is not necessarily implied in the words "but visits"

* the words "punishment due" seem to imply a "full meting out" of an
incurred penalty, thus negating the sense of the words "not cleanly leaving
unpunished" which implies just a smidgen of what was deserved!

Thanks again for the post...

Bill Ross





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page