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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Re: agent or patient in Psa. 33:12?
  • Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 12:20:42 -0500

Dear Michael,

> > HH: Liz gave one reason, and I gave another. But
> if you want a third reason, your translation
> doesn't have YHWH as a possible object. If LW
> means "for itself," then there is no object for
> the verb "choose."
> >
Harold,
This is what I've been trying to say all along.
LW means "for itself/himself." There's no object for
"choose." To have "Him" be the object as Michael
wants, it would have to be BW.
Liz


Liz and Harold (...anyone?),

Please assume that I am totally dense and walk me
through this, okay? I am actually trying to learn
from those with more experience in the language.
Therefore, letís not work off my *translation* which
we all agree could use some work. Letís please argue
and instruct from the MT of Psa. 33:12.

Now here are my observations. Tell me exactly where
my reasoning is faulty:

1. HGWY and H(M are in synonymous parallelism ñ both
referring back to )$RY.

2. The first stiche is a verbless clause; the second
is not.

3. The verb in the second stiche is ms; YHWH and (M
are both ms.

4. Therefore the same syntactic rules apply to either
YHWHís ìchoosingî or H(Mís ìchoosing.î If one
requires a prefixed B- then so does the other.

5. But this is poetry and terse, therefore object
markers and prepositions are sometimes missing.

6. Consequently, in our little poetry world, what
applies syntactically to the ms YHWH theoretically
applies to the ms H(M. If YHWH can ìchooseî
something/one LW, then so can H(M ìchooseî
something/one LW. And visa-versa.

7. Therefore, the verse is syntactically ambiguous.

8. So the question must now go beyond the range of
syntax. Karl R. has offered some helpful thoughts
concerning who (or Who) usually does the choosing in
Israelís and YHWHís covenant relationship. It is
YHWH. Usually.

9. However, it is not always YHWH Who chooses;
sometimes people choose Him in the TaNaKH. And it is
not always Israel who is YHWHís NXLH (i.e.
inheritance); sometimes YHWH is described as Israelís
or the Levitesí, or someoneís ìinheritance.î

10. Therefore I wonder why this verse is consistently
translated one way, with Israel ending up as YHWHí
NXLH.

HH: You seem to be assuming that everything is pretty much equal, so it is just a matter of seeing which subject and object is most appropriate. But the grammar works differently in each case.

)$RY HGWY )$R YHWH )LHYW
H(M BHR LNXLH LW

HH: If God is the subject of the second clause, everything goes smoothly:

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (which the Lord is its God),
The people He chose as an inheritance for Himself.

HH: If the people is the subject, things do not proceed well.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord
The people which chose as an inheritance for itself.

HH: The verb "chose" is missing an object. How would you alter the preceding statement?

Yours,
Harold Holmyard









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