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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Placeholders: )$R w/o antecedent

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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Placeholders: )$R w/o antecedent
  • Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2004 16:52:18 -0500

Dear Peter,

... The )$R in both clauses is probably substituting for the people. That's what I'm used to seeing. Fairly literally it is : "For thus says the Lord God, 'See, I am giving you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those from whom your soul is alienated.'"

Well, fairly literally, but more literally "For thus says the Lord God, 'See, I am giving you into the hand which you hate, into the hand from which your NEPE$ is alienated.'" Your "of those" is an interpretative addition, although the plural MHM, which doesn't go with the singular hand, suggests the plurality. (And as you see, I don't like to gloss NEPE$ as "soul".)

HH: But your "more literal" translation did not include the plurality of MHM. If you include that plurality in the translation, you have to change the sense of )$R from "which" to "those." Just because something is interpretive does not necessarilymake it less literal. Also, I have studied NP$ at length, reading a long essay on it in addition to encyclopedia articles. NP$ means all sorts of things, and one of its meanings is "soul." That is well accepted although somewhat out of favor.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard






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