Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com>]

On 15/07/2003 11:56, Karl Randolph wrote:

> Dear Yigal:
>
> After reading several verses where the text made better sense using different 
> dots than what the Masorites inserted, I started reading an unpointed text. 
> Therefore in this question, an unpointed text supports a plural reading as 
> well as singular, and the plural fits the context better.
>
> In the face of what I think is overwhelming contextual evidence that “my 
> servants” should be read as plural, does anyone have any clue why the 
> Masorites made this a singular?
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
>
>  
Don't blame the Masoretes. LXX has a singular here, many centuries 
before the Masoretes. Presumably this was the reading tradition from an 
early date. By ignoring the Masoretic pointing you are ignoring this 
very ancient reading tradition, one which may go back to the original 
authors.

--
Peter Kirk
peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com
http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/