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  • From: "daleofberkeley" <daleofberkeley AT yahoo.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] translation help
  • Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 17:03:12 -0000

Hello Biblical Hebrew,

I have been recommended to you by the helpful folks at the Biblical
Studies Group.

I was asking for some assistance with the translation of a phrase in
the book of Daniel. At the end of the first verse of chapter 12, the
KJV has: "everyone that shall be found written in the book." I was
wondering if it would be possible to translate this as: "everyone
that finds the writing in the book." or "everyone that has found what
is written in the book." I was informed that the problem with such
alternatives as these is that the original language requires that
the "found" be in the passive voice, which, if so, I can take as a
final answer to my question. All I need to know now is what the
indicator is, in the original text, which determines a passive voice
for this verb.

My rational for considering the possibility for this alternative
translation is that the whole book seems to be very much concerned
with "secrets" and their interpretation. With God presented as
a "revealer of secrets," and the mention of the "interpretation of
hard sentences," the "dissolving of doubt" (or solving of riddles),
and the whole phantom hand "writing on the wall" episode, it is
difficult not to see a suggestion that something has been concealed,
which is intended to be uncovered through translation, presumably one
alternative to the normal, or obvious, and yet allowable within the
rules of the grammar. On top of that we are told of a mysterious
book whose "words" are "sealed," so in this context, the proposed
alternative would seem to be consistent. But, if it is impossible,
even as something deliberately intended to be ambivalent, then I
suppose it will just be another one of my ideas that didn't fly.

Thanks for any advice you might be able to give me here.

Cheers,
Dale Robertson






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