Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Bryant:

On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 11:15 PM, Bryant J. Williams III <
bjwvmw AT com-pair.net> wrote:

> Dear Jim,
>
> Let us start from the beginning with the text at hand.
>
> Genesis 14:4-5:
> MT   "4 שְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה עָבְד֖וּ אֶת־כְּדָרְלָעֹ֑מֶר
> וּשְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה מָרָֽדוּ׃
>        5 וּבְאַרְבַּע֩ עֶשְׂרֵ֨ה שָׁנָ֜ה בָּ֣א כְדָרְלָעֹ֗מֶר
> וְהַמְּלָכִים֙
> אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתֹּ֔ו וַיַּכּ֤וּ אֶת־רְפָאִים֙ בְּעַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת קַרְנַ֔יִם
> וְאֶת־הַזּוּזִ֖ים בְּהָ֑ם וְאֵת֙ הָֽאֵימִ֔ים בְּשָׁוֵ֖ה קִרְיָתָֽיִם׃
>
> LXX    4 δώδεκα ἔτη ἐδούλευον τῷ Χοδολλογομορ, τῷ δὲ τρισκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει
> ἀπέστησαν.  5 ἐν δὲ τῷ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει ἦλθεν Χοδολλογομορ καὶ οἱ
> βασιλεῖς οἱ μετ̓ αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέκοψαν τοὺς γίγαντας τοὺς ἐν Ασταρωθ Καρναιν
> καὶ
> ἔθνη ἰσχυρὰ ἅμα αὐτοῖς καὶ τοὺς Ομμαίους τοὺς ἐν Σαυη τῇ πόλει
>
>
>
> It will be noticed that the Hebrew text does indicate, by context, 12
> years, in
> the13th year, in the 14th year; although the Hebrew could, possibly,
> indicate
> they served 12 years, they rebelled 13 years, in the 14th year Chedorlaomer
> arrived (26 total years). It is evident that the LXX (so also the Vulgate -
> not
> listed) using the dative case in 14b, τῷ δὲ τρισκαιδεκάτῳ, followed by ἐν
> δὲ τῷ
> τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῳ in 5a, understood the text to be the former. Yigal's
> posts
> does indicate that some Rabbinic sources read the latter, but not all. Nir
> Cohen's formulation of the Hebrew text is also possible, but not probable
> because of context. Furthermore, it is evident that the four different
> translations above: 2 FE and 2 DE ALL translate it as the former (12th, in
> the
> 13th, in the 14th year). BTW, all the translations that I have, about 20,
> have
> what the English texts above translate. That does not mean that one trusts
> the
> translations, but it behooves one to have ALL the evidence put forth to go
> against how the Hebrew is translated.
>
> Then there is the problem with the whole Amarna issue. Abraham is circa
> 20th
> Century BCE (2000). He is NOT the 14th Century BCE (1400)  which is the
> time of
> Akhenatan's rule. So who ruled in Jerusalem, Meggido, Lachish, Sechem, etc.
> really does not help identifying the year Abraham was in Hebron, when you
> are
> looking in the wrong century; you are about 600 years off.
>
> Rev. Bryant J. Williams III
>  <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew>
>

It is more accurate to say that the translators that you referenced all
agreed with the LXX over the MT.

As for the dating, Jim Stinehart has long ago indicated that he believes
that Genesis is not a historical book, rather a set of legends that were
compiled centuries after the event. Therefore, to argue dates is useless
with him.

Does anyone know if there is a copy of this passage in the DSS? It would be
interesting to compare if available.

Karl W. Randolph.