Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Mark Eddy" <markeddy AT adams.net>]

In Psalm 25:17 just about every translation takes the first word ZaROTH as a
construct, depending on LBaBiY, which they then take as the subject of the
verb HiRCHiYBU. But that requires them either 

1) to amend the text by dropping the waw at the end of the verb, turning it
into an imperative, or 

2) to change the meaning of the hiphil into a hophal, or passive sense.

The translation of 1) becomes: The troubles of my heart are enlarged (ESV) 

while the translation of 2) becomes: Relieve the troubles of my heart
(NRSV).

Why should not the Hebrew text be read without emendation or changing the
meaning of the verb by reading ZaROTH as the subject, LBaBiY as the object,
and HiRCHiYBU in the normal hiphil sense "enlarge"?

Thus the translation into English would be literally "Troubles enlarge my
heart."

This latter idiom is also used in Psalm 119:32 TaRCHiYB LiBBiY: "You will
enlarge my heart."

The idiom also appears in Greek in 2 Corinthians 6:11.

The problem appears to be visualizing what this means.

It appears to me that the Hebrew is using antonyms. ZaROTH are "tight spots"
or something narrow. While the Hebrew root RCHB refers to something wide. So
the Psalmist seems to be saying that what appear to be troubles actually
widen my experience, as I learn to get through them. I can do this when God
answers the prayer of the last half of the verse and leads me out of
MZUQOTHaY, my distress.

Why can I not find any author who understands the text this way?

Mark Eddy