Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Robert Heard <Christopher.Heard AT pepperdine.edu>]

Dora,

The Hebrew text calls Joseph's coat a כתנת פסים [KTNT PSYM]. The same 
term is used to describe Tamar's garment in 2 Sam 13:18, 19. The 
question is what פסים [PSYM] means, since that form of the word appears 
in the Tanakh only in this construction (in Gen 37 and 2 Sam 13). There 
seems to be an Aramaic word פס [PS] which means "hand" or "palm"; see 
Daniel 5:5, 24. Thus one interpretation of כתנת פסים [KTNT PSYM] is 
"long-sleeved tunic."

The LXX translated the Hebrew phrase as χιτῶνα ποικίλον [XITWNA 
POIKILON], "variegated tunic." Hence the traditional "coat of many 
colors."

A number of translators and interpreters are now convinced that the LXX 
misunderstood its Hebrew source, and thus interpret the phrase as 
described in the first paragraph above. NRSV and JPS now have 
"ornamented tunic" or something like that. On the other hand, maybe the 
LXX was right. Who knows? As far as I know, the _linguistic_ evidence 
supports "long-sleeved tunic" better, but just slightly.

Chris

On Aug 7, 2005, at 4:49 PM, Dora Smith wrote:



Dora Smith wrote:


>The lessons for this Sunday included the story of the sale of Joseph 
into
>slavery by his brothers.
>
>MInister said that the "coat of many colors" is a translation error and 
it
>was actually a "coat with sleeves".
>
>I understood that the coat of many colors was a typical Canaanite 
garment.
>
>Which actually was it?
>
>Yours,
>Dora Smith
>Austin, Texas
>villandra AT austin.rr.com
>
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>b-hebrew mailing list
>b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
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>

-------------------------------
--
R. Christopher Heard
Assistant Professor of Religion
Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA 90263-4352
http://www.heardworld.com
http://www.iTanakh.org