Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Polycarp66 AT aol.com]

In a message dated 1/2/2003 8:50:12 AM Eastern Standard Time, schmuel AT escape.com writes:

> 2 Samuel 8:4
> And David took from him a thousand chariots,
> and seven hundred horsemen, 
>
> JPS-1985
> David captured 1,700 horsemen
>
> =======================
> The KJB breaks up the two numbers, 1000, and 700, and applies the 
> 1000 to an implicit, not explicit, rehkeb/chariots, separating it from the 700.
>
> 2 Samuel 8:4
> And David took from him a thousand chariots,
> and seven hundred horsemen, 
> and twenty thousand footmen:
> and David houghed all the chariot horses, 
> but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.
>
> Could I have your views on this implied "chariots" in the KJB
> .....grammatically, the numeric separation of the 1000 from the 700, and contextually,
>
> If you wish to address the verses consistency with 1 Chronicles 18:4,
> that would be interesting, also, as many translators take
> issues like internal consistency into account...
>
> e.g. there are various attempts at harmonization without claiming "scribal error" in the MT.
>
> Either type of explanation (of the text or by claiming scribal error) tends to work with one reading and not the other.. and I gather the     "scribal error" claim has no easy method of actual explanation... (ie. you can't claim a "0" dropped off, as in our numbers :-)


Two things should be noted:

1.  The Hebrew does read "one thousand [and] seven hundred horsemen" which is the translation given by the JPS TANAK and other translations.  The construction is a usual one for numbers in excess of 1,000 -- see Nu 2.4

W.C:Bf)oW W.P:QuDeYHeM )aR:B.f(fH W:$iB:(iYM )eLeP W:$"$ M")oWT

2.  The structure of the sentence would indicate that it is speaking of the men whom David is said to have captured, not men and material.


gfsomsel