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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] agent or patient in Psa. 33:12?
  • Date: Tue, 11 May 2004 15:17:10 -0500

Dear Michael,

Dear B-Hebrew Listers,

In Psa. 33:12 we read:

WYHL) HWHY ñ R$) YWGH YR$)
WL HLXNL RXB M(H

It is usually translated something like:

ìHappy is the nation whose God is YHWH,
The people whom He has chosen as His inheritance.î

Now, whatís to prevent me from here understanding YHWH
as ìaffected patientî (i.e. the chosen) and Ha-AM as
ìagentî (i.e. the one doing the choosing)? This would
produce a translation something like:

ìHappy is the nation whose God is YHWH,
The people that has chosen Him to be its inheritance.î

HH: It's not what the words suggest. Do a literal translation:

Happy is the nation whose God is Yahweh,
the people he has chosen for an inheritance for himself.

HH: A literal translation doesn't lead to the idea you are suggesting. By the way, I'm used to seeing the transliteration in right-to-left word order. But thanks for providing it.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard





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