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  • From: Trevor Peterson <abuian AT access4less.net>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Ps.51.6
  • Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 05:43:00 -0500

Evgeny Ivanov wrote:
I'm trying to understand the relation of two parts of
Ps.51.6 "Against Thee I have sinned ..." and "You will
be just in Thy word ...". The connecting gword is
Le-MaAN, translated as "so that". Now, BDB says that
Le-MaAN "is always "in order that", not merely "so
that", but sts. in rethorical passages, the issue of a
line of action, though really undesigned, is
represented by it ironically as if it was designed".

I wonder if it helps to understand lema'an with reference to the act of confession. So not, I sinned in order that . . . , but (I confess that) I sinned, in order that . . . The point would be that the Psalmist is making this direct confession of sin, because he wants God's punishment to make sense. (I'm not saying that it doesn't make sense objectively without the confession, but the point is, if I never admit that I've offended God, I have no basis for calling his negative actions toward me a just response.) Just a thought.

Trevor Peterson
CUA/Semitics



  • [b-hebrew] Ps.51.6, Evgeny Ivanov, 03/30/2005
    • Re: [b-hebrew] Ps.51.6, Trevor Peterson, 03/31/2005

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