Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Dahood on `ecah, derek, mow$ab

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: "B. M. Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Dahood on `ecah, derek, mow$ab
  • Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2003 11:22:38 -0700

On 01/10/2003 11:13, B. M. Rocine wrote:

B-Haveray,

Why is it that Dahood's work on Psalms (Anchor, 1965!) is not impacting
recent translations, commentaries, lexicons?

For instance, he suggests the following for 1:1--

"...has not entered the council (`ecah) of the wicked,/ Nor in the assembly
(derek) of sinners stood,/ nor in the session (mow$ab) of scoffers sat."

He says `ecah can mean council as well as counsel. That's easy enough to
take, right?

For derek, he points out a Ug. cognate drkt, meaning throne, and says that
Hb. derek can mean throne (or seat of power) in the Tanakh in passages such
as Ps 110:7 (and I might add Hos. 10:13, Pro 31:3, Ps 138:5, Jer 3:13, Ps
119:37). The idea has barely snuck into HALOT.

He says mow$ab may have a political nuance as in Ps 107:32 (and I add Gen
36:43, 1 Ki 10:5, Job 29:7, Ps 132:13).

His suggestions totally change my perception of the psalm from the
traditional analysis as an exposition on *behavior* to an exposition on
*being in the correct place* (or study). I think Dahood's analysis
presents a much more cohesive poem than we find in other English
translations.

I have not seen a hint of Dahood's ideas on 1:1 in one translation of or
commentary on Psalms since he went to press. Once again, why?

Shalom,

Bryan


B. M. Rocine
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13206

ph: 315.437.6744
fx: 315.437.6766



Perhaps it is because other scholars do not accept that speculative reconstructions from a cognate language, many centuries remote from the Psalms, take priority over all the other evidence from DSS, Rabbinic commentaries, ancient versions etc, all of which is probably closer in time to the Psalms than is any of the Ugaritic material.

Dahood's proposed meaning of "throne" for DRK seems to me just about as speculative and unnecessary as Karl's "unknown" for (LMH.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page