Biblical Hebrew Forum

[BruceKGardner AT aol.com]

In a message dated 14/05/2003 15:09:54 GMT Daylight Time, Yigal-Levin AT utc.edu 
writes:


> Walter,
> 
> The Hebrew word used here is Parua(, which means "wild". The NRSV, "When 
> Moses saw that the people were running wild (for Aaron had let them run 
> wild, to the derision of their enemies)", is fairly close. The RSV's 
> "shame" is based on the KJV's "naked", which I assume is based on the 
> Latin, but I don't have the text with me right now. In any case, it's an 
> interpretation, not a literal translation.
> 
> Yigal
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Walter R. Mattfeld" <mattfeld12 AT charter.net>
> 
> "breaking loose to their own shame" ?
> 
> Exodus 32:25 RSV
> ***
> Whatever BREAKING LOOSE means it was evidently "SHAMEFUL" and worthy of
> being put to death by the sword by the sons of Levi to the tune of 3000 men
> (Ex 32:27-28).
> 
> 


Cf. Proverbs 29:18 KJV 'Where there is no vision, the people perish [ ypr( ]  
but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.' 

The idea seems to be that as an animal untethered wanders to its own 
destruction and goes wild so the people of YHWH, bereft of the constraints of 
the law, similarly 'wander'. This is the point in Ex 32:25 also, with the 
same word and concept. 'Nakedness' therefore, would makes little sense to us 
in a Hebrew Bible context. It is presumably imported from another language 
context in translation, but the question is which one? Yigal suspects Latin. 
Consider, therefore, the Latin of the Vulgate here:

Exodus 32:25

VULGATE: videns ergo Moses populum quod esset NUDATUS SPOLIAVERAT (stripped 
naked) enim eum Aaron propter ignominiam sordis et inter hostes NUDUM 
constituerat

And compare that to the Vulgate translation of Hebew [ pr( ] in the other 
verse:

Proverbs 29:18

VULGATE: cum prophetia defecerit DISSIPABITUR (scattered) populus qui 
custodit legem beatus est

Here we seem to have our answer, in the Vulgate translation of Exodus 32:25, 
as Yigal suspected. In the first, [ pr( ] is translated 'stripped naked', 
while, in the other, the translation is 'scattered'. A glance at LXX reveals 
no immediate sign to me why this translation was adopted. Maybe it's 
cultural.

However, Jerome actually lived in the Holy Land, so it is possible that this 
linkage of ideas is a later concept, and it would be good to pursue Mishnaic 
and Hebrew contexts, and related tongues. I do not really have the time to do 
this at present, but perhaps this gives Walter a possible line of enquiry.

Peace,

Bruce.
________
Dr Bruce K Gardner
Aberdeen, Scotland.