Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Maurice A. O'Sullivan" <mauros AT iol.ie>]

At 14:46 31/10/2002, Chosefu Chemorion wrote:

> However, going by what Howard has done in his translation, one would
>      imagine that "the anger of the Lord" is a separate person from the
>      Lord in this context.In Sabaot language, it is hard to translate "the
>      anger of the Lord" without identifying this anger with the Lord
>      himself being angry. Therefore the Sabaot rendering of "the anger of
>      the Lord" would be "God was angry at..."

Could I point out that the JPS translation [ Jewish Publication Society. 
(1997, c1985). Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures : A new translation of the Holy 
Scriptures according to the traditional Hebrew text. Philadelphia: Jewish 
Publication Society. ] renders 2 Sa 24:1
>> The anger of the Lord again flared up against Israel; and He incited 
David against them, saying, Go and number Israel and Judah. >>

You might like to consult: Scherman, Nosson, ed. The Prophets. Vol. 2. The 
Early Prophets: I - II Samuel, New York: Mesorah Publications, 2000.

This has a commentary "anthologized from the rabbinic writings", and at 
this juncture points to b.T Beracoth 62b as giving the reason as to why 
"He" should have incited David.
It goes back to 1 Sa 26:19, and the commentator writes: << The reason God 
_incited_ David was in retribution for a misstatement of his. In his last 
confrontation with Saul, when he said once again that he bore Saul no 
malice,  David said " _If it is HaShem  Who has incited you against me 
...... _ ." 1 Sa
26:19

The Talmud passage reads:
<< If it be the Lord that hath stirred thee up against me, let Him accept 
an offering. R. Eleazar said: Said the Holy One blessed be He, to David: 
Thou callest me a 'stirrer-up'. Behold, I will make thee stumble over a 
thing which even school-children know, namely, that which is written, When 
thou takest the sum of the children of Israel according to their number, 
then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul into the Lord. ... 
[that there be no plague among them] etc. Forthwith, Satan stood up against 
Israel; and it is further written, He stirred up David against them saying, 
Go, number Israel. And when he did number them, he took no ransom from them 
and it is written, So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the 
morning even to the time appointed.<<

The reference to Satan is 1 Chr 21:1, and the commentator notes that Radak 
renders it " an evil impulse ".

Maurice A. O'Sullivan  [ Bray, Ireland ]
mauros AT iol.ie