Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 02/01/2007 21:01, K Randolph wrote:
> Chris:
>
> I don't have the Masoretic points before me, but the consonantal text
> could be pointed more than one way. Depending on the pointing, the
> root could be either XWL or XLL, with the context giving the deciding
> vote on which root to choose. Obviously the root indicated by the
> pointing results in nonsense, therefore a different pointing ought be
> considered.
>
> I read this as a passive from the root XLL, a reading that not only
> fits grammatically, but the context as well. Either we are dealing
> with a corrupted transmission of the tradition, or an irregular verb
> with a unique vowel pattern.
>
>   
First, when we are discussing a verse can we please include the 
reference in the subject line, or else refer to it each time in the text.

We have two parallel lines here in the Hebrew, here with the Masoretic 
vowels transliterated for your reference:

H"N-B.:(FWOWN XOWLFL:T.IY
W.B:X"+:) YEX:EMAT:NIY )IM.IY

My partial translation:
Behold, in iniquity I ??-ed
And in sin my mother ??-s me

Whatever XWLLTY means here, it appears to be in synonymous parallelism 
with something which the psalmist's mother does to him.

Also wouldn't the vav in the unpointed text XWLLTY be out of place in a 
form of XLL? It might appear in a participle of course, but this seems 
to be a finite verb. In such a case I would expect the vav to be an 
indication that the verb here is the hollow one XWL/XYL.

When we look at the attested forms of XWL/XYL and XLL in the Hebrew 
Bible, we seem to find the following, classification based largely on 
Masoretic pointing and ignoring some rare forms:

Qal forms of XWL/XYL: dance; writhe; be in labour pains
Polel/Polal forms of XWL/XYL (almost all with root consonants XWLL): 
dance; give birth
Hiphil/Hophal forms of XWL/XYL: give birth
Various forms of XLL (none with root consonants XWLL, except perhaps for 
Isaiah 51:9, a participle): bore, pierce; play the pipe; profane; begin

Thus the form would suggest the sense "give birth", as a passive. This 
understanding is not based only on the Masoretic Text. The LXX here 
(50:7) is IDOU GAR EN ANOMIAS SUNELHMFQHN "for behold in lawlessness I 
was conceived", or perhaps "...I was put together".

The psalm makes perfect sense if the verb is understood as a passive of 
"be in labour with". Of course we can't really say this in English, so 
we need to go with

Behold, in iniquity I was born

And this is the understanding of most translations:

Indeed, I was born guilty (NRSV)
Indeed, I was born with iniquity (JPS Tanakh)
Surely I was sinful at birth (NIV)

It seems to me that we should recognise "be in labour" and "give birth" 
as a real sense (used more than 20 times in the Hebrew Bible) of 
XWL/XYL, distinct from the sense "dance; writhe" even if etymologically 
derived from it - just as "labour" in this sense is distinct from 
"labour" in the sense "work hard" although obviously with a shared origin.



--
Peter Kirk
E-mail:  peter AT qaya.org
Blog:    http://speakertruth.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/