Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Trevor Peterson <06PETERSON AT cua.edu>]

>===== Original Message From Tony Larsson <tony.larsson AT cling.gu.se> =====
>Now, what is the meaning of the B:(OZ:RAY compound? The KJV takes it as
>"The LORD taketh my part with them that help me", with B as "among" and
>the AY as a plural of people.

I would be inclined to read it this way, although I might not translate it 
quite the way the KJV does.
>
>But other translations, both modern and the venerable LXX, apparently
>understands the AY to be some kind of majestic plural of the participle
>(OZ"R, and then perhaps the B could mean something like "in the function
>of" - or am I mistaken? Does the word signify that the Lord is the
>psalmist's helper, or that he fills the position as his "help", an
>abstract noun like "salvation"?

It may be that some of these versions are just giving what they think is a 
logical gloss of the same underlying structure that the KJV handles somewhat 
more literally. The NET, for instance, translates it as "my helper," notes 
that the Hebrew is literally, "among my helpers," and goes on to explain the 
possibilities.

Does anyone know of other examples of the use of bet to mean "in the function 
of?" I guess I'm just having a hard time thinking of it actually being used 
this way.

Trevor Peterson
CUA/Semitics