Biblical Hebrew Forum

["wattswestmaas" <wattswestmaas AT eircom.net>]

JACK SAID: (In response to Karl)

I hate to make the argument from authority but every
translation I could find translates piqed as either punish
or visit inquity or charge inquity:

NLT, NIV= Punish
KJV, NASB, RSV, Webster, Darby, ASV, HNV = Visit iniquity
upon
Young = Charging iniquity upon
Vulgate = est qui reddis iniquitatem patrum in filiis ac
nepotibus in tertiam et quartam progeniem
LXX =  epagwn anomiav paterwn epi tekna kai epi tekna
teknwn epi trithn kai tetarthn genean

In * iq * ui * ties

1.      Gross immorality or injustice; wickedness.
2.      A grossly immoral act; a sin.

Of course, the phrase *visit inquity upon* is pretty
archaic terminology but it clearly means *punish*.

Jack Tladatsi

RESPONSE FROM CHRIS WATTS:

Please permit me to say that these authorities are not "Authoritative"
except by common consent.  And this is certainly well deserved but they are
not infallible.  PKD NEVER meant "punish" and never will mean punish.
HOWEVER in many contextual settings it is difficult not to translate it so.
Nevertheless its meaning conveys only the idea of visiting in either a good
or bad sense.  If the visitation is in a bad sense then we have no
justification for immediately jumping to the idea of Punishment, have we?
If God visits in a not so pleasant manner why should this be to punish.
that is my contention.  Many contexts CLEARLY have to be translated in a
final judgemental manner (ie, to inflict the punishment)  BUT, in exodus
34:7 there is NO contextual basis for construing 'punishment'.  Please show
me the contextual justification that 'Punishment' is the undeniably accurate
translation that conveys the intended meaning of this particular passage.


Regards Chris.