Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard3 AT earthlink.net>]

Karl,
> Harold, do you have any evidence for the scribal amendation other than your
> presuppositions? I am very uncomfortable with changing the consonantal text
> without very good reason. The best reason is textual evidence, such as that
> of the Nahal Heber scrap on Psalm 22 that justifies two changes that better
> fit the context. But without evidence, to claim that "curse" was changed to
> "blessing" is pretty hard to swallow.
>
>   

HH: Scribal emendation is a well-known issue accepted by biblical 
scholarship. Here is one discussion by Earl Kalland at the International 
Bible Society, speaking about how the NIV handled them:
http://www.ibsstl.org/niv/mct/3.php

Throughout textual history various classifications of variants have 
arisen, and reference to some of these appears in the footnotes of the 
NIV under the phrase "ancient scribal traditions." One such category is 
the /tiqqune sopherim, /the "corrections of the scribes." These usually 
contain anthropomorphisms objectionable to the scribes and were 
therefore changed to a more satisfactory reading. While there is no 
agreement regarding the number of these "corrections," the Masorah 
generally lists eighteen passages. Nine of these are mentioned in the 
NIV footnotes. The /tiqqune sopherim /are known only through references 
in Rabbinic commentaries and Masoretic studies. The nine "ancient 
scribal traditions" in the NIV footnotes are in Genesis 18:22; Judges 
18:30; 1 Samuel 3:13; 2 Samuel 12:14; Job 7:20; 32:3; Jeremiah 2:11; 
Hosea 4:7 (two citations). This is but one of many types of variants.

It has been estimated that there are more than fifteen hundred variants 
known as Kethiv ("written") or Qere ("read"). These grew out of 
variations that arose because the early texts had consonants only. The 
Sopherim and the Masoretes after them used various signs to indicate 
what vowels should be added to complete the words. Several systems grew 
up, and differences of opinion finally produced the Kethiv (K) and Qere 
(Q) notations in /Biblia Hebraica /and other critical texts. Relative to 
this the NIV Preface says:

   Sometimes vowel letters and vowel signs did not, in the judgment of
   the translators, represent the correct vowels for the original
   consonantal text. Accordingly some words were read with a different
   set of vowels. These instances are usually not indicated by footnotes.

HH:  Here is discussion about one of these "tiqqune sopherim":

http://www.claudemariottini.com/blog/2007/11/does-god-wait-on-us.html

In the book of Genesis, Yahweh and his two companions come to pay a 
visit to Abraham to announce that Sarah would conceive a child and to 
tell him the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18). In the story, 
Yahweh's two companions depart to go to Sodom and Yahweh and Abraham 
remain alone, with Abraham standing before the Lord, as a servant before 
his master and as man before his God (Deuteronomy 4:10; Jeremiah 35:19; 
2 Chronicles 9:7).

The text says: "The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham 
remained standing before the Lord" (Genesis 18:22).

The footnote of the NIV has an important note. The note says: "Masoretic 
Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition but the LORD remained standing 
before Abraham."

According to the Masoretes, the text originally read, "And the Lord 
stood before Abraham," but the scribes changed the text because, in 
their eyes, it was not proper to speak of God standing in the presence 
of a creature. This emendation of the scribes is called a tiqqune sopherim.

According to Masoretic tradition, there are eighteen passages in the Old 
Testament that have been emended by scribes for theological reasons. 
These changes were made by the scribes early in the transmission of the 
text to remove irreverent expressions concerning God. One of these 
emendations is Genesis 18:22 where the text was emended in order to 
remove the idea that Yahweh waited on Abraham.

Some scholars accept the text as it appears in the Old Testament and 
reject the idea that Genesis 18:22 is a tiqqune sopherim, that is, that 
the text contains a scribal emendation. However, as Walter Brueggemann 
(Genesis. Interpretation [Atlanta, John Knox Press, 1982], p. 168) wrote:

   The relation of Abraham and Yahweh in this passage is worth noting
   in detail. We may observe a remarkable textual problem which
   illuminates the matter. As it stands, the text in 18:22 now says,
   "Abraham stood before the Lord," suggesting the subordination of
   Abraham to Yahweh. This is what we should expect. But a very early
   text note (not to be doubted in its authority and authenticity)
   shows that the text before any translation originally said, "Yahweh
   stood before Abraham." The picture is one which agrees with our
   comments about Abraham as Yahweh's theological instructor. It is as
   though Abraham were presiding over the meeting. But that bold image
   of Yahweh being accountable to Abraham for this theological idea was
   judged by the early scribes as irreverent and unacceptable.
   Therefore, the text was changed to read as we have it. But the early
   version suggests with remarkable candor what a bold posture Abraham
   assumes and how presumptuous is the issue he raises. Whether the
   textual change is accepted or not, this text reports that Yahweh
   must think a quite different theological thought. God is pressed by
   Abraham to consider an alternative.


Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary