Biblical Hebrew Forum

["David Roth" <daroth AT jtsa.edu>]

Please read the previous notes for context:
James Read:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew/2005-August/025501.html
Moshe Shulman:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew/2005-August/025521.html
Joseph Lauer:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew/2005-August/025584.html

I believe the confusion comes from the fact that James Read cited Ginsburg
Volume 1, he seems actually to have been referring to Ginsburg volume 4 pp.
28-9, Ginsburg's English translation/commentary to the list found in Volume
1 #115, pp. 25-6.

The actual translation of the Aramaic found in Volume 1 gives no indication
whatsoever of any variant manuscripts, indicating simply that the word
'Adonay' appears in that form (presumably meaning (unaccompanied by the
tetragrammaton) 134 times.

In Volume 4, however, Ginsburg writes:
"We have seen that in many of the one hundred and thirty-four instanced in
which the present received text reads Adonai in accordance with this
Massorah, some of the best MSS. and early editions read the Tetragrammaton
..."

Ginsburg (Volume 4) gives no indication whatsoever that he refers
specifically to the passages from the Torah which James Read cited (as
opposed to the majority of the list, which is from the rest of Tanakh).  In
entry #113 Ginsburg cites seven examples from Psalms, and in note #1 to
entry #115, he cites Isaiah, Malakhi, and Eikhah (Lamentations).

In any case, I imagine that today, Ginsburg's opinion of the "best MSS. and
early editions" would be open to question (Leningrad and Aleppo weren't
available to him, and it seems that we hold them in quite high esteem).

I hope this clears things up a bit.

Best Regards,

David Roth