Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Shai Heijmans" <shaih AT post.tau.ac.il>]

Here is my suggestion:

I would emend LW to LHM, and read therefore:
"Their blemish has broght ruin upon them, his non-sons".

This is in line with many witnesses, who underline the fact that the
blemish has casued ruin upon THEM, not upon HIM, see:
Neofiti, frag. targum, ps.-jonathan, onqelos, pshitta and the sam. targum.

Accordingly, L) BANYW means: "his-non-sons", like the construction in Hos.
1:9, 2:1 - L) (MY  "My non-poeple". See specifiacally: LXX, Sym., Aq.
(Brooke-McLean p. 660), adopting this understaning of "non-his-sons".
See also midrash sifrei on numeri, para. 112: "said rabbi shmuel: ... shihet
lo lo banav mumam, when they are blemished they are not called his sons...".

MWMAM "their blemish" is the subject of the verb (singular!).

Although not flawless, such emendation is simple, makes sense
morphologically and theologically, and above all - it could have been the
basis of all the witnesses I've checked, who saw the pre-masoretic
consonantal text.

Regards,

Shai


----- Original Message -----
From: "watts-westmaas" <watts-westmaas AT zonnet.nl>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 10:16 PM
Subject: [b-hebrew] Deut 32:5 THE LAST WORD


> Dear proffessors and people, Phew what a lot of reading!!!!
>
> BUT I have an idea and would appreciate everyone's contribution.  Can each
> person submit their OWN translation of DEUT 32:5 - with a brief,
additional
> note saying why they interpret it this way, and I won't say anymore.
Thanks.