Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Rev. Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net>]



Dear Rolf,

 

Please clarify the following:

 

[Rolf said]

The manuscript P. Fouad 266 from the second or first century BCE has YHWH in Aramaic script;...

 

[Bryant]

For those members who have not had training in reading the manuscripts. Is the above manuscript Hebrew with Aramaic Script?

 

[Rolf]

8Hev12Gr from the first century BCE or first century CE has YHWH in Paleo-Hebrew Script:

 

[Bryant]

Is the entire manuscript written in ancient Biblical Hebrew script or just the Tetragrammaton?

 

[Rolf]

4QLXXLevb from the first century BCE has the phonemic transcription IAO

 

[Bryant]

Is LXX manuscript written entirely in Greek? If so, would it be in Uncial or minuscule? or is it another language, but the Tetragrammaton is written in Greek?

 

[Rolf]

P. Oxy 50.3522 from around 50 CE has YHWH in Paleo-Hebrew script.

 

[Bryant]

Is the entire manuscript written ancient Biblical Hebrew script or just the Tetragrammaton?

 

My edition of the NIV Triglot Old Testament (edited by John R. Kohlenberger III) has three columns: Hebrew (MT- Leningradensis); LXX (4th edition of Tischendorf, following the Sixtine tradition of Codex Vaticanus (B), which supplied the missing parts of Alexandrinus (A). Swete's and Rahlf's editions are virtually identical except the critical apparatus' which vary) and, finally, the NIV. In reading the text and also using the Logos Digital Library which uses Rahlf's, it is interesting in your remarks regarding the lack of KURIOS for YHWH.

 

The text does use KURIOS for YHWH, but also KURIOS for Adonai. QEOS is used for Elohim and cognates. When one looks at the texts then one will see that there is some variation,  KURIOS = YHWH and Adonai; QEOS = Elohim, El, Eloah, etc. The English translations usually use, LORD (YHWH), Lord (Adonai), LORD God (YHWH Elohim, etc), and Lord GOD (Adonai YHWH - ). In most cases, the problem really is between the Kethib/Qere.

 

[Rolf]\

No LXX or LXX-like manuscript from BCE or the first century CE has KURIOS as a substitute of YHWH.

[Bryant]

This does not make any sense and contradicts the evidence.

 

Regarding אֲדֹנָ֨י יְהוִ֜ה (Adonai YHWH )

1. Used 327 times in Tanakh;

•  217x in Ezekiel alone
• Isaiah as 26x (1-39 has 12x; 40-66 has 14x); Jeremiah 14x.
•  Amos 20x.
• Total of 25x in Minor Prophets.
• NOTE: אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה׃  The MT has this in the vast majority of instances in Ezekiel. LXX, in this instance, is translating,  אֲדֹנָ֥י, by κύριος and leaving, יְהֹוִֽה, untranslated; at least that is what it appears to me to be happening. The NIV translates as "Sovereign Lord," while KJV translates it as "Lord GOD." Elsewhere, the vast majority of instances also has κύριος translating יְהֹוִֽה. Sometines κύριος and θεός together as in Ezek 4:14 in the vocative, etc.

2. 3X all in Psalms, יְהוִ֣ה אֲדֹנָ֣י (YHWH Adonai) is used; 1x in Habakkuk 3:19.

3. 8x in Isaiah (5x in Chapter 22 regarding the Destruction of Jerusalem), 6x in Jeremiah, אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ צְבָאֹ֔ות (Adonai YHWH Sebaoth), is used; 1x in Isaiah 30:15, אֲדֹנָ֨י יְהוִ֜ה קְדֹ֣ושׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (Adonai YHWH Qedosh Yisrael), is used.

4. 93x, נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה (Neum Adonai YHWH), is used with the vast majority in Ezekiel (81x ) and Amos (6x).

5. 5x, אֲנִ֖י אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה ('ani Adonai YHWH), is used for emphasis; אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ הִנֵּה֩ אֲנִ֨י (Adonai YHWH Hinnel 'ani) (3x), חַי־אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ (Chit Neum Adonai YHWH) (13X), are also used.

6. Used 7x by King David in his Prayer to God regarding the Promises made to David regarding the Davidic Covenant II Samuel 7:18-29 where the LXX use κύριος to translate both יְהוִה֙ and אֲדֹנָ֤י

Rev. Bryant J. Williams III