Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryan Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>]

Hi Bill, you wrote:
> <Bryan>
> >>>>>In the case of Gen 15:6, for better or worse, the
writer is
> assuming we know who is doing the xabashing
(accounting)...
>
> <Bill>
> What do you make of this writer's view?:
>
> "The second part of this verse records Yahweh's response
to Abram's
> exercise of faith: "he credited it to him as
righteousness." But even
> here there is a degree of ambiguity. Who credited whom? Of
course, one
> may say that the NT settles the issue, for Paul expressly
identifies the
> subject as God and the indirect object as Abram (Rom.
4:3). If we follow
> normal Hebrew syntax, in which the subject of the first
clause is
> presumed to continue into the next clause if the subject
is unexpressed,
> then the verse's meaning is changed...Does he, therefore,
continue as
> the logical subject of the second clause? The Hebrew of
the verse
> certainly permits this interpretation, especially when one
recalls that
> sedaqa means both "righteousness" (a theological meaning)
and "justice"
> (a juridical meaning). The whole verse could then be
translated: "Abram
> put his faith in Yahweh, and he [Abram] considered it [the
promise of
> seed(s)] justice."
>
> Victor P Hamilton, New International Commentary on the Old
Testament Vol
> 1, Eerdmans Page 425
>

There is definitely a degree of ambiguity.  But while the
writer is mining for possibilities, it is only fair for him
to mention that the weqatal clause that has Abraham as
subject stands somehow outside of the mainline of the
narrative.

Blessings,  Bryan


B. M. Rocine
Associate Pastor
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13206

(office) 315-437-6744
(home) 315-445-3085