Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Chris and Nel" <wattswestmaas AT eircom.net>]

YITZHAK ASKED:
I don't understand the comment.  Could you explain the point he is trying
to make?

"vay$allaxu: )et-kato:net happassi:m" is perfectly fine.
However, "vayy?:vi:)u:" has no object to explain what they brought.  This
appears very unusual to me.

Yitzhak Sapir
==================================

Yitzhak, Alter is simply pointing out an example of where English 
translations have failed to convey the hebrew where there was no excuse 
whatsoever.  Although his book is about the art of biblical narrative and 
NOT the critiscism of english translations.  I interpret his point here in 
demonstrating that there is no justification for declaring that Jacob's sons 
brought the coat to their father - IE, directly! but rather that they had 
the coat brought to their father, this lends the reader a more active 
insight into their nervousness and fear over their deception and how they 
manipulate their father which is not clearly brought out in english but is 
clearly demonstrated by the hebrew syntax, and continued in the following 
verse.

Best Regards

Chris Ireland.