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  • From: Albert & Julia Haig <albert_and_julia AT yahoo.com.au>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Isaiah 55:5
  • Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 11:11:27 +1000 (EST)

> [PK] Yes, the text is fully marked with accents, as in most printed Hebrew
Bibles. But there is very little explanation of the accents. And that
was what Herman seemed to be promising to Steve when he wrote:

OK, my misunderstanding! For most practical purposes, it is important to know
the major accents that affect the pointing, but the more subtle accents you
can just ignore, unless you want to be able to recite it all perfectly
accurately. Maybe others will disagree, but in any case my pronounciation is
no doubt shocking anyway, so I don't see the point in trying to get the finer
points of recitation sorted out. I just don't see it as having a sufficiently
high reward for effort ratio. I'd rather spend my time learning another
ancient language.

> Why do you consider BHS rather than any other good edition essential?
Is it the apparatus, full of conjectural emendations? Is it the Masora? Is it
the small textual differences from editions based on the Rabbinic Bible? In
what other ways is BHS different from other editions?

I was assuming the choice was between BHS and a basic edition without all the
textual footnotes, such as the one which I was given by the Bible Society
when I first started studying Hebrew at Theological College. Once I got
beyond my first year of Hebrew and started doing serious exegesis, that
edition became fairly useless and I had to buy BHS. But as for BHS versus
another good edition which provides sufficient information on textual
variants, I don't have any strong preference. The important thing is not the
speculations in the footnotes - which sometimes are frankly far-fetched,
although sometimes are helpful - the main thing, which is very important, is
being able to know what manuscripts support what readings. BHS is not perfect
in this regard, especially as regards the more recent information rom the
Dead Sea Scrolls. I really, truly wish that we had an edition of the Hebrew
Old Testament that came somewhere close to what the UBS Greek NT does with
its footnotes.
Maybe one day ...

All the best,

Albert Haig.



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>From peter AT qaya.org Thu Apr 6 04:44:17 2006
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From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
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Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Isaiah 55:5
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On 06/04/2006 02:11, Albert & Julia Haig wrote:
> ...
>> Why do you consider BHS rather than any other good edition essential? =

>> =20
> Is it the apparatus, full of conjectural emendations? Is it the Masora?=
Is it the small textual differences from editions based on the Rabbinic =
Bible? In what other ways is BHS different from other editions?
>
> I was assuming the choice was between BHS and a basic edition without a=
ll the textual footnotes, such as the one which I was given by the Bible =
Society when I first started studying Hebrew at Theological College. Once=
I got beyond my first year of Hebrew and started doing serious exegesis,=
that edition became fairly useless and I had to buy BHS. But as for BHS =
versus another good edition which provides sufficient information on text=
ual variants, I don't have any strong preference. The important thing is =
not the speculations in the footnotes - which sometimes are frankly far-f=
etched, although sometimes are helpful - the main thing, which is very im=
portant, is being able to know what manuscripts support what readings. BH=
S is not perfect in this regard, especially as regards the more recent in=
formation rom the Dead Sea Scrolls. I really, truly wish that we had an e=
dition of the Hebrew Old Testament that came somewhere close to what the =
UBS Greek NT does with its footnotes.
> Maybe one day ...
>
> =20
Thanks for this.

The Bible Societies are working on a new edition to replace and update=20
BHS, called BHQ (Biblia Hebraica Quinta). The first fascicle of this,=20
the Megilloth, has already been published. See for example=20
http://rosetta.reltech.org/TC/vol07/Weis2002.html and=20
http://www.bookreviews.org/pdf/4725_4867.pdf.

--=20
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/






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