Biblical Hebrew Forum

["David Kimbrough (CLWA)" <dkimbrough AT clwa.org>]

I am new to this board so bear with me.  I have a question on the last part
of the 16th verse of the 22nd Psalm .  I you will forgive my crude
transliteration, the ketib reads:  "K'ariy Yadiy Regeliy".  The qere
substitutes "Kari" (no aleph) for "K'ariy" (with an aleph).  K'ariy would
seem to mean "like a lion" although I have read some translations that make
it plural.  The ketib then seems to lack a verb.  The qere would seem to be
from the root "karah" and is universally translated into English as "they
pierced".  However if I am not mistaken, "karah" means "to dig" (qal) not
"pierce".  This would be consistent with the Septuagint which translates the
same phrase (which is listed in the LXX in Psalm 21:17) as "orukan xeirav
mou kai podav".  Oruko means "to dig".   I believe this is the only place in
the Old Testament where a word from the root 'krh" is translated as
"pierce".  Everywhere it is usually translated as "dig".

Is "like a lion" a reasonable translation?  It looks singular to me but is
there some reason to translate it as a plural?  Is "kari" a third person
plural perfect qal of k-r-h?  If so, is it more reasonable translated as
"they dug" or "they pierced"?  If not, what might it mean?  Is this just
hopelessly corrupted?

Thanks in advance for your patience.


Dotsuwah 
dkimbrough AT clwa.org