Irene asks the reason for the emendation of "sons of Israel" to bene
'el[im]. Although as she notes LXX provides indirect evidence, the "sons
of God[s]" reading is actually attested in the DSS. See P.W. Skehan, "A
Fragment of the Song of Moses (Deut. 32) from Qumran," BASOR 136 (1954):
12-15.
I think that originally this verse did portray YHWH as a Son of 'El, as
Lloyd suggests, but that in its present Deuteronomic setting it has been
reinterpreted to equate 'El/'Elyon with YHWH.
Kevin L. Barney
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
klbarney AT yahoo.com