Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Philip Engmann" <phil-eng AT ighmail.com>]

1) 2 Samuel 8:12,13: MT 'RM, LXX IDUMAIA. (In this case there is some 
Hebrew MSS support for 'DM, plus Syriac support). The LXX reading is 
clearly based on a Vorlage 'DM, and confusion between dalet and resh is 
a well attested process.
 
So the LXX Vorlage has 'DM, and the Proto-MT has 'RM. But which one is
correct? In this case there is some Hebrew MSS support for the LXX
Vorlage, 'DM, plus Syriac support. So which reading is more likely to be
correct?
 
2) Genesis 1:9: MT MQWM, pointed MAQOWM, LXX SUNAGWGHN. The easiest 
reconstruction here (as in BHS) is that the LXX Vorlage was MQWH, 
MIQWEH, which also makes sense in the context and is used in the next 
verse. MQWM and MQWH are plausible corruptions of one another, and we 
cannot be sure which was original.
 
Precisely my point. We have two ancient witnesses, the LXX Vorlage and
the Proto-MT; and where they disagree, we cannot be sure which was
original.