Biblical Hebrew Forum

[ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben and Jo Crick)]

 Haverim,

 This weekend I am starting a series on Jonah. Immediately there is a textual
 crux in 1:2 "Arise go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry *against* it, for
 their wickedness is come up before me" (KJV).

 The LXX has ... POREUQHTI IES NINEUH THN POLIN THN MEGALHN, KAI KHRUXON *EN
 AUTHi*....

 The Vulgate has ... vade in Nineven civitatem grandem et praedica *en ea* ...

 The BHS has ... LeK 'eL-NiYN:WeH Ha`iYR HaGG:DoWLaH uWQ:Ra' *`aLeYHa* ...

 Could it be that an original Aleph has been substituted by an `ayin in the
 BHS, the scribes taking Jonah's view (4:2) that mercy should not be preached
 to the Ninevites, but rather Wrath be preached against it?  There is no
 footnote in the App: Crit: of the BHS to this effect.

 I would be very grateful for any learned comments on this.

 Shalom
 Ben
--
 Revd Ben Crick BA CF, and Mrs Joanna (Goodwin) Crick
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