Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

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