Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: 2 Samuel 8:4 ..thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen (...

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Polycarp66 AT aol.com
  • To: schmuel AT escape.com, b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: 2 Samuel 8:4 ..thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen (...
  • Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 10:10:33 EST

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


  • Re: 2 Samuel 8:4 ..thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen (..., Polycarp66, 01/02/2003

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page