Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dan Wagner <Dan.Wagner AT dstm.com>]

The parallelism in 49:6 (parallel passage & same idea as in 42:6) of "I will
give you for a light of/to the Gentiles" with "to be my salvation to the
ends of the earth" seems to support the common translations. The L-inf.
constr. from HYH makes identification of the servant (as "salvation")
explicit in the final stich, implying the same for "light." (Syntactic
parallels for L on 2nd accusative of NTN in Isaiah include 8:18; 40:23;
42:24?; [49:8]; also 43:28 looks like it could be taken 2 different ways.)

At least that's the way i would tend to take it. Isa. 42:6 by itself could
be interpreted as you suggest. 

Related also is Isa. 49:3 which identifies the servant as "Israel," though
he is also distinct from the nation, esp. in ch. 53. I think the intended
idea is that since national Israel failed in its corporate mission to bless
the Gentiles (Gen. 12:2-3; 18:18; 26:4; 28:14; Ex. 19:6 & Hos. 4:6 as a
priest-nation to mediate grace), the ideal, ultimate "Israel"-Servant was
prophesied to finally fulfill that mission (cf. Psm. 72:17; Isa. 55:3-4).

Dan Wagner

-----Original Message-----
From: Liz Fried [mailto:lizfried AT umich.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 10:49
To: Biblical Hebrew
Subject: Is. 42:6


Why is this translated "I give you *as* a covenant of the people, a light of
nations?"
Why isn't it "I give you *to* a covenanted people, *to* the light of
nations?
The verb NTN routinely takes L to indicate the recipient.
In this way, the servant then is given *to* Israel, and is not Israel
himself.
Comments?

Thanks.
Liz

Lisbeth S. Fried
Visiting Scholar
University of Michigan
Department of Near Eastern Studies
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
lizfried AT umich.edu

Spem successus alit.


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