Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Moon-Ryul Jung" <moon AT sogang.ac.kr>]

I found out that four KI's in Deut 30:9-11 are variously translated. Some
as FOR and others as IF or WHEN. I would like to translate it as FOR or
BECAUSE (similar to GAR in Greek) because it best fits to the context.
It is partly because I adopt the theories of WAYYQTOL and WQATAL proposed
by Galia Hatav and Alviero Niccacci. To me both theories look  quite
similar.  [I am sorry for mistaking Hatav as he:-) ]

According to this theory, WAYYQTOL (WQATAL) places events in the
historical (potential) narrative relative to a given reference time,
and moves the reference time forward, relative to which the following
WAYYQTOL (WQATAL) places new and related events. The WHEN or IF clause
introduces a new reference time, relative to which a WQATAL clause can be
stated. But in that case, the WHEN or IF clause precedes the WQATAL
clause.
The four KI clauses do not have the WQATAL clauses to precede. 

The verb initial clause WeHoTiRKa (exceed) in 30:9, therefore, has its
own reference time introduced by the preceding discourse. The following
KI should not be taken to mean IF or WHEN, because that will introduce a
new reference time and the KI clause is not in the right place to do that.
If the intention was to update the reference time by means of KI, the KI
clause should have been moved in front of the WQATAL clause.

In summary, I would like to see if the following translation would work:

[Then] The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your
undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock,
and in the fruit of your soil.
  For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, just as he 
  delighted in prospering your ancestors.
    For you will obey the LORD your God  to observe his commandments 
    and  decrees that are written in this book of the law.
    For you will turn to the LORD your God with all your heart 
    and with  all your soul.

What do you think?

Moon
Moon R. Jung
Sogang Univ, Seoul, Korea