Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Polycarp66 AT aol.com]

In a message dated 3/5/2003 3:42:31 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk writes:

> 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.
> 
As you rightly note, there is a difference in meaning when )L is used rather 
than (L with QR).  I generally do not favor using other versions when the MT 
makes perfectly good sense.  In this case it would seem to be a pronouncement 
of judgment if one reads with the MT which is in keeping with Dt 24.15

W:Lo)_YiQ:Rf) (fLeYKf )eL_YHWH

I think I would stick with the MT.

gfsomsel
>From cisbell AT cox.net  Wed Mar  5 16:23:35 2003
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From: "Charles David Isbell" <cisbell AT cox.net>
To: "Ben and Jo Crick" <ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>,
        <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
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Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Jonah 1:2
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 15:24:49 -0600
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Ben,
With 1.2, you should compare 3.2, which in fact does have the ALEF for )el.
I think this is little more than a euphonic variation rather than a serious
textual problem.
Perhaps you know of my article “Why Jonah Is Read On Yom Kippur,” Central
Conference of American Rabbis Journal (Summer 1998): 84-99.
Good luck with Jonah.
Charles