Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bill Ross" <wross AT farmerstel.com>]

Glen, I am forwarding a copy of this to the Biblical Hebrew list as well, in
the hopes that someone will have additional comment.


<Glen>
>>In order to translate Psalm 45:6 to say 'Thy throne is God' it would
require that 'Thy throne' be construct and 'God' be absolute.
Ordinarily, however, there is no difference between the masculine
singular absolute and construct, but because we have a pronomial
suffix, we can probably expect to see under the aleph a composite
sere in construct and a composite patach in absolute.

<Bill>
Hey, I appreciate your taking the time to provide this background!

Now, aren't the sere and the patach both vowels that were added by the
Masorete's relatively recently?  Perhaps as late at the 9th century. Does
your reasoningthent depend on the placement of these additions?

<Glen>
'Thy Throne' has a pronomial suffix.  Namely, the word /kisak/ (your
throne) is really /kisa/ (throne) plus /k/ (yours).  Now with this
pronomial suffix I am having a very difficult time imagining this as
being a construct form, which would be required for the translation
you speak to.  The composite patach  under the aleph (as opposed to
the composite sere) would seem to rule that out.

<Bill>
The vowel points? What if they are ignored? I always consider them
inconclusive.

<Glen>
It should also be noted, however that several early Hebrew grammars,
such as the Aben Ezra., the F. Hitzig., the the EW cluster, and the
F. Baethgen groupings (early Hebrew grammars with textural citations)
have a different reading for this verse, saying instead, 'Thy throne
is of God.'

<Bill>
That approximates my reading very well...

<Glen>
And so the only real support for the idea that it's not God who is
being addressed here, comes not from the text itself, but instead
from some early (Circa J. Calvin era or earlier) Hebrew grammars in
German, and their citations of this passage of text.

So your reading, while not without tradition, seems to be lacking
textural witness.

<Bill>
What of the Masoretic text, sans pointing?

Thanks,

Bill Ross


Notes:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/10035A.TXT