Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk" <Peter_Kirk AT sil.org>]

No, Bill, I think you got it right the first time. The verse divides
much more evenly after )L, so there may well be two parallel names of
God here in a chiastic structure, so the verse reads:

"Surely good to [the] upright [is] El,

Elohim to [the] clean-ones [of] heart".

Peter Kirk

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Burks [mailto:rwburks AT flash.net]
> Sent: 12 April 2002 02:05
> To: Biblical Hebrew
> Subject: Re: Psalm 73:1
> 
> Ok I made a mistake ... I just left my computer for a moment and
realized
> the the "It has
> been proposed" should have been translated "to the straight one of
God"
> ... sorry for any
> confusion.
> 
> Bill Burks
> 
> Bill Burks wrote:
> 
> > George and Bill,
> >
> > I first want to say that I agree completely with the comments on the
> translation by
> > George:
> >
> > He wrote:
> >
> > > )aK +oWB L:Yi&:Rf)"L ):eLoHiYM
> > > L:BfR"Y L"BfB
> > >
> > > As literalistic as I can make it the passage goes
> > >
> > > Surely good to Israel [is] God
> > > to pure ones of heart.
> > >
> >
> > And I also find agreement on his comments concerning parallel ideas
in
> Hebrew.  There
> > are a couple of things I would note here.  If I am reading my BHS
codes
> correctly the
> > word  concerning the word L:Yi&Rf)"l  "It has been proposed" (prp)
> lay.f$fr   )l which
> > would render this word for Israel as "to the straight (one)".  If
this
> reading were
> > correct and the phrase "to the straight one" were to be put into the
> translation
> > provided by George it would read:
> >
> > Surely good to *the straight one" [is] God
> > to pure ones of heart.
> >
> > Also I would note that verse 2 also seems to be a contrasting
parrallel
> to the
> > information in verse 1.  The second passage goes like this ( I am
using
> the
> > rosetta.atla-centr Transliteration Codes for this if not the correct
set
> of
> > transliteration codes for the list ... please help me pick the
correct
> ones):
> >
> > wa)Aniy     k.im:(a+    nf+Uy  rag:lfy   k.:)ayin   $up.:kah
)A$urfy
> >
> > but I like (an) insignificant (one), my feet have turned aside
(qere),
> > like nothing foot steps are poured out (both qere and ketib).
> >
> > nf+Uy (ketib) qal passive part. masc. singular ... nf+fyU  (qere)
qal
> perfect 3rd pers
> > plural  ...
> > $up.:kah  (ketib) qal passive perfect 3rd person feminine singular
...
> $up.:ku.
> >
> > The above qere seem to  function .... the first is to correct number
and
> gender ...
> >
> > So it looks as though we may have the following pattern.
> >
> > (phrase1+restatement of phrase 1) contrasted to (phrase2+restatement
of
> phrase 2).
> >
> > I hope this helps ... I am just learning to use the masorah
apparatus
> and thought I
> > would look at this verse for fun.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Bill Burks
> >