Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 09/01/2007 21:22, Bill Rea wrote:
> Peter asked:-
>
>   
> > Bill, do you have a URL for this article?
> >     
>
> The article is at:-
>
> http://www.av1611answers.com/whatif.html
>
> He cites but does not quote the following in support of his
> understanding:-
>
> Ps. 12:6-7, Matt. 24:35 and 1 Peter 1:23-25
>
>   
Thank you, Bill. Well, he writes:
> *It may be that I've completely misunderstood what the Scriptures 
> themselves teach regarding the words of God and His promises of 
> preservation.*

Yes, he has. To put it that bluntly is not to show the same humility as 
Martin does, but I suspect his is more rhetorical than genuine. But I 
trust the Lord will not punish him for his error.

As the NT references are not for discussion on this list, I will look in 
detail only at Psalm 12:6-7 (Hebrew 12:7-8). Verse 6 is about the 
/imrot/ of God, his utterances or messages, not his lexical items, and 
so these verses cannot be used to support word for word translation. 
Also, in verse 7 there is a significant textual issue: BHS supports the 
KJV marginal rendering "Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt 
preserve him from this generation for ever", but not the correction from 
"him" to "them" explained in a footnote as "him : that is, every one of 
them" (how can a version which has done that to the Hebrew be "the 
preserved word of God for English speaking people" in the literal sense 
which Martin seems to have in mind?); but several Hebrew MSS and LXX 
support NIV's "O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such 
people for ever", according to which this passage has nothing to say 
about the preservation of God's word.

The New Testament references mentioned also don't support preservation 
of individual words. 1 Peter 1:25 quotes Isaiah 40:8, but in Isaiah 
(/davar/) as in 1 Peter this is singular and so cannot be taken to refer 
to individual lexical items.

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