Hebrew does not have a pronoun like whom. This is a common

Transcription

1 1 1 Kings 17 Notes on Translation I am going to start emphasizing text critical issues as they appear. You should be getting to the point where you need less and less help analyzing/translating verses. Many of the roots and nouns and verb forms you have seen before. Although there are some new and strange nouns and even conjugations in this chapter. (17:1) gentilic. 1 = article + התּ ה בּ י = תּוֹשׁ ב ending. י = preposition + noun. Gender, number, state? Note the מ תּ שׁ ב י 2?גּ ר and תּוֹשׁ ב sojourner under BDB 444b. What is the difference between name. Place ג ל ע ד it? Proper name. Do you recognize א ח א ב formula. Longer oath חי יהוה אלהי ישׂראל 3 יהוה 4 אלהי ישׂראל stood. Literally who I stood before him = before whom I אשׁר עמדתי לפניו Hebrew does not have a pronoun like whom. This is a common 1 * pr ο προφητης; > Oal ; prp.ה נּ ב יא Yow. Actually we can figure most of this out. Original Greek text has the prophet before.התשׁבי Missing in Origen s version [not sure what al refer to]..התשׁבי the prophet before הנביא So maybe read 2 εκ Θεσβων, prb l.מ תּ שׁ בּ י Septuagint has of Tishbe, probably we should read מ תּ שׁ בּ י of Tishbe(?). 3c G -L + ο θεος των δυναμεων which means something like Septuagint (except Lucianic recension) adds the God of power. 4d > G L which means God of Israel missing from Lucianic recension of Septuagint. So most Greek translations read the Lord, the God of power, the God of Israel but the Lucianic recension reads simply the Lord.

2 2 construction not only in Hebrew but in other Semitic languages. The 3ms pronoun in לפניו is called a resumptive pronoun because it resumes (refers.יהוה אלהי ישׂראל back to) the object night-mist, dew under BDB 378a. How would you find this if you did not = ט ל know the root? If you can see two root letters there are a limited number of possibilities. A good place to start is (a) hollow טיל or טול or (b) geminate on. and so טלה (d) or יטל (c) Then you can try.טלל 564b. rain under BDB = מ ט ר Literally if these years (there) will be dew and/or אם יהיה השׁנים האלה טל ומטר rain. Oath formulas are a little confusing because everything after אם if is what the person swears will not or must not happen. A little odd. Literally except by the mouth of my word = except כי אם לפי דברי by the command/speaking of my word. It will not happen unless he says so. (17:2) Wow. Short verse. You may remember this from an early lesson in Kittel. In ויהי דבר יהוה אליו Hebrew the word of Adonai happens to the prophet. In English we often translate the word of Adonai comes. (17:3) Hebrew verb helps and Kittel verb tricks do not help much with this. What ל ך kind of verb do we often lose a root letter? especially with no verbal or conjugation prefix? Would תּ ל ך* help you analyze this?

3 3 or waw-reversive? Remember the 90% rule. That leaves ו Is this simple וּפ נ ית before י PGN? Form? Indication of conjugation other than Qal? Note.פ נ ית consonantal suffix. פנה = turn, face under BDB 815a. A little odd but you may remember this from Genesis 12 where Adonai says לּ ך to Abram ל ך ל ך literally go to you ~ get yourself = go (you). This is called the ethical dative and gives emphasis to a command. front, east, aforetime under BDB = ק ד ם.ה = noun (direction) + directive ק ד מ ה 869b. נ PGN? Form? What does the prefix.נ ס תּ ר תּ That leaves?ו What kind of ו נ ס תּ ר תּ indicate? Conjugation? סתר = Niphal hide; be hid, concealed under BDB 711a. torrent, torrent-valley under BDB 636a. Also known as a wadi = dry = נ ח ל stream bed that sometimes fills with water after rain. name. Place כּ ר ית 434b. If not check under BDB?י ר דּ ן = article + place name. Do you recognize ה יּ ר דּ ן (17:4).תשׁתה The critical apparatus tells us that the Septuagint adds υδωρ water after raven under BDB = ע ר ב noun? = article + noun. Gender and number of ה ע ר ב ים 788a. This is probably a good time to let you know something interesting about Hebrew. Biblical Hebrew has twenty characters in its alphabet right? However we know it had more than twenty sounds. Just as English has twenty six letters but more than forty different sounds. The Hebrew character ע actually stood for at least two sounds (1) (ayin and (2) ģayin. We know this from Greek transcriptions of Hebrew from the first few

4 4 centuries CE. In Arabic the word for raven is ģurāb(un). Way back in Iron Age Israel ר ב wasע probably pronounced something like ģurib(u). before consonantal י PGN? Form? Note strong dagesh. Conjugation? Note צ וּ ית י suffix. Root? You should already know this verb. צוה is not a hollow verb but a true middle ו verb. Awesome! I wondered if we would ever have a chance to see one of ל כ ל כּ ל ך (17:5).כ ל כּ ל these. First note the preposition. Form? PGN of suffix? That leaves There is no way on earth you would know this form yet. This is an example of the rare Pilpel conjugation. The Pilpel is formed by doubling the two strong consonants. Only hollow verbs and geminate verbs can appear in the Pilpel. The Pilpel describes something that happens repeatedly. כול = Pilpel sustain, contain under BDB 465a. My first published article dealt with a word in Hieroglyphic Egyptian which is similar to the Pilpel. In the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus is a section that describes injuries to the head. (Which is ironic. In late 2015 I fell from an extension ladder and sustained a fractured skull with injuries to the brain. See Case Seven.) In one such case the physician-scribe describes the brain (Egyptian 3is = Hebrew אשׁ (ר which is visible because of a severe head injury. The word he uses is np3p3 flutter, convulse. Compare Arabic farfara flap (wings of a bird). Form? PGN? What kind of verb loses the final root letter/syllable in this ו יּ ע שׂ (17:6) form? Would י ע שׂ ה help you analyze? מ Note.מ ב יא Note the ending. Form? Inflection? That leaves מ ב יא ים preformative and i class vowel. Hebrew verb helps #B1 and Kittel trick #H1 should help you figure this out.

5 5 133b. morning under BDB = בּ ק ר noun. = preposition + article + בּ בּ ק ר 787b. sunset, evening under BDB = ע ר ב noun. = preposition + article + בּ ע ר ב (17:7)?ע ר ב not ע ר ב Can you explain why end under BDB 893b. If you did not know the = ק ץ noun. = preposition + מ קּ ץ root would you be able to figure it out? Remember that if you only see two.קץץ or geminate קוץ or קיץ root letters your first guesses should be hollow.י יב שׁ Form? PGN? Indication of conjugation other than Qal? That leaves ו יּ יב שׁ This is one of the Final Six. יבשׁ = be dry, dried up, withered under BDB 386a. 177b. rain, shower under BDB = ג שׁ ם (17:8) See 17:2. (17:9) Wait. If Adonai can command ravens to feed Elijah then why? There is a very important theological point here. The form is a little tricky. Is this ṣorpatā(h) or.ה = Place name + directive צ ר פ ת ה ṣār e patā(h)? Check under BDB 864b for the clear answer. 5.צ ידוֹן = Preposition + place name. You should have no trouble recognizing ל צי דוֹן 5 nonn Mss Edd ; ת ה al, תּ ה ( ) Σαρεπτα. Several manuscripts (second edition[?] Hebrew text by Kennicott, de Rossi and Ginsburg) read צ ר פ ת ה and others read.צ ר פ תּ ה Septuagint (and Vulgate) render this place name Sarepta.

6 6 widow under BDB 48a. This is an example of apposition. The noun = א ל מ נ ה and provide additional information. Not just any woman אשׁה follows אלמנה but a widow. I find it interesting that the writer uses the exact same language in verse 9 לכלכל ך (17:10) as in verse 4 for the.ערבים Nice touch. Looks like the Septuagint reads ויקרא אליה not as he called to her but Elijah called after her. אשׁה context? Hoo boy. Actually we have some good clues. What is the מ ק שׁ שׁ ת ת What verb form can we expect after a noun or pronoun? Note.אלמנה ending and מ preformative. Form? Inflection? It looks like a Piel participle but is not. This is a Polel. The Polel is the equivalent of the Piel for geminate and hollow verbs. See Kittel section 51.5 and page 443. The distinguishing characteristic of the Polel is a long o vowel after the first root letter כוֹככ so מ ק שׁ שׁ ת is written defectively. קשׁשׁ = gather stubble under BDB 905b. 781b. tree, trees, wood under BDB = ע ץ ע צ ים We don t get to see many of these! To whom is Elijah speaking? Would ק ח י Conjugation? help you analyze this verb? Form? PGN? תּ קּ ח י * 479a. article, utensil, vessel under BDB = כּ ל י noun. = preposition + article + בּ כּ ל י Does anything strike you as interesting or surprising about this scene? Who is Elijah? Where is he? To whom does he speak? And what does he ask? (17:11)

7 7 under BDB 542b לקח Didn t we just see this? Oh wait. Not quite. Look up ל ק ח י (17:12) and look for Imv. and what do you see? Usually לקח acts like a 1 st weak verb but not there are exceptions. Is there a pattern to the exceptions? Hint where is Elijah? 6 7 this?!? Wow. A woman who lives in Sidon says חי יהוה And how does she know.א לה י ך but א לה י Notice how she phrases this. Not אלהי ך this? so what was your next מעג cake under BDB 728a. Well it wasn t under = מ עוֹג 8.מ + root guess? Remember that many Hebrew nouns are formed from 571a. fullness, that which fills under BDB = מ ל א 37. You should remember this word from Genesis כ ף 887b. flour, meal under BDB = ק מ ח 461b. jar under BDB = כּ ד noun. = preposition + article + בּ כּ ד Let s try to piece this together. Literally except fullness כי אם מלא כף קמח בכד (of) hand (of) flour in the jar = except a handful of flour in a/the jar d 3 Mss ל ק ח י ut 11 which means 3 manuscripts read ל ק ח י as in verse 11. Well points for consistency. However what do we do with this? 7 11 b G -BA (ST) pr αυτη, frt l ל הּ ק ח י which means Greek text (except for Vaticanus and Alexandrinus codices) (along with Syriac and Targum) puts αυτη to her before this word, so maybe we should read ל הּ ק ח י to her, take. I d say we have a bit of a mess. This might be a good problem to cut your text critical teeth on. Look at the different witnesses. Now which reading most likely gives rise to all the others? 8 ( ) mdm =.מ אוּמ ה Syriac (and Targum) have the Aramaic equivalent of anything. So does she say as the Lord your God lives if I have a cake, except a handful or if I have anything except a handful?

8 8 1032a. fat, oil under BDB = שׁ מ ן jar, jug (flat or broad shape) under = צ פּ ח ת noun. = preposition + article + בּ צּ פּ ח ת BDB 860a. = cardinal numer. Gender and state? See Isbell Absolute forms שׁ נ י ם normally precede the noun. Form? PGN?.ב את י or waw-reversive? That leaves ו Is this simple וּב את י Indication of conjugation other than Qal? Review Isbell 259. PGN? Form? Indication of.ע שׂ ית י + verb + object suffix. That leaves ו ו ע שׂ ית הוּ conjugation other than Qal? Note י before consonantal suffix. Review Isbell 277. PGN? Form? Indication of.א כ לנ + verb + object suffix. That leaves ו ו א כ ל נ הוּ conjugation other than Qal? so we know this is מ Note meteg under.מ ת נוּ + verb. That leaves ו ו מ ת נוּ māt e nū(w) not motnū(w). PGN? Form? Indication of conjugation other than Qal? Her reply is heart wrenching. This is one of my favorites stories in the Hebrew Bible. For the tragic pathos of the situation. And that Elijah is in the role of foreigner. Most of the people I work with are foreigners and over the last twelve years I have become especially sensitive to stories in which someone is in the role of foreigner/outsider/other. You might be surprised how many there are. Worth a book? (17:13) Form? PGN? Indication of conjugation other.א ל Note this verb comes after תּ י ר א י than Qal? ירא is one of the Final Six 1 st י verbs.

9 9 help. Review Isbell 261 if you need.תּ יר א י Slightly different form from בּ א י Would תּ בוֹא י help you analyze this verb? Rinse and repeat. Except what happened to the third root letter? Review ע שׂ י Isbell 279. = preposition + noun + possessive suffix. PGN of suffix? Make sure you כ ד ב ר ך. ך and ך know the difference between (adverb) surely; howbeit (in contrast to what comes before) under BDB = א ך 36b. Note regarding syntax א ך is what we call a restrictive adverb that restricts (qualified or limits) what comes before, and offers clarification and instruction. Often has an emphatic sense. disc or cake of bread under BDB 728a. How would you figure out the root = ע ג ה.עוג can suggest hollow root probably ע ג of this noun? Note = preposition + article + adjective. Literally in the first = first used ב ר אשׁ נ ה adverbially. Make a little cake and bring (it) to me first. conjugation)? which is typical of what stem (verb + הוֹ + verb. Note ו ו הוֹצ את Form? PGN? Conjugation? This is a great chapter for mastering feminine singular forms! 9 + preposition + pronominal suffix. PGN of suffix? Make sure you ו simple ו ל ך 10.ל ך and ל ך can tell the difference between 9 sic L, mlt Mss Edd ; ת Ms.ת י This is how Leningrad Codex reads, several manuscripts (in Kennicott et al) have ת without the shwa, one manuscript has ת י and I will bring. This is the sort of difference we find between different Masoretes. Some feel the need to indicate no vowel after ת with a silent shwa. Some see no need. And some goofball may have made a mistake copying the verb Mss.ו ל כ י Spiffy. Although interesting. Two manuscripts read. ו ל כ י Could there be another form of the 2fs pronominal suffix that a couple manuscripts preserved?

10 10 after, coming = א ח רוֹן above. = preposition + article + adjective. Like בּ א ח ר נ ה behind under BDB 30b. (17:14) Form? Believe it or not you should know this root from Landes 1B. PGN? ת כ ל ה Indication of conjugation other than Qal? need, lack, = חסר Qal? - PGN? Form? Indication of conjugation other than ת ח ס ר be lacking, decrease under BDB 341a. A rather famous root because of Psalm 23:1 ח ס ר א.יהוה ר ע י ל א Yeah like that helps much. This is.תּ ת Oh man. There is a Ketib-Qere. Read תּ תן (17:15) a 1 st and 3 rd weak verb in construct with.יהוה I just gave you the form. Review Isbell 256b if you are still stumped. Remember the infinitive construct of 1 st weak verbs usually ends in ת and the 1 st root letter. ת disappears. And in this case the weak 3 rd root letter assimilates to the I would however still like to know where תתן comes from. 11 There are a bunch of text critical issues for this verse. The original Greek text does not have כדבר אליהו - but some Greek manuscripts have και εδωκεν αυτω and she gave it him instead. For וביתהּ and her house the Septuagint reads και τα τεκνα αυτης and her children, so some suggest וּב נ הּ and her son. You can see the scribes and translators trying to make sense of who all is in this story. Elijah, the woman, and her son only? Or also her household? Is this a poor destitute woman living alone with her son? Or did her husband die and leave her the head of an entire household? different? How is that.ה יא ו הוּא An odd Ketib-Qere. Read הוא והיא some manuscripts follow the Qere [this,ת ת is same as ת תן 19f. sic Q nonn Mss cf 6,,ת ת = 11. [לתתן part s a little unclear], compare 1 Kings 6:19 [where the text has

11 11 + noun + possessive suffix. PGN of suffix? An interesting piece of ו וּב ית הּ information. We are dealing with more than just the widow and her son. Maybe. Depends on how we deal with the text critical issues. days? 12 Literally and she ate days. A little unclear. How many =ותאכל... י מ ים (17:16).14 in verse כד הקמח לא ת כ ל ה We don t see many of these. Remember כ ל ת ה Now we have הקמח לא כלתה.כד Now can you guess which root? PGN?. ת ה verbs is ה Form? The 3fs perfect suffix for 3 rd אשׁר דּבר This struck me as a little unusual. Rather than simply אשׁר דבּר ביד אליהו (17:17)?ביד Why.באליהו 317b. be weak, sick under BDB = ח ל ה mistress under = ב ע ל ה forms. Good chance to practice your construct ב ע ל ת BDB 128a. Quite a rare noun as opposed to ע ל.ב Perhaps she is not as much the poor, helpless widow as we often picture her to be. sickness under BDB 318a. So is this = ח ל י suffix. = noun + possessive ח ל יוֹ &olyoo(w) or &aal e yoo(w)? = יתר think? can be conjugation prefix or 1cp prefix. Which do you נ That נוֹת ר ה Niphal be left over, remain over under BDB 451a. 675b. breath under BDB = נ שׁ מ ה 12 > *; O ( ) και απο της ημερας ταυτης (cj c 16). Not in original Greek. But Origen s recension of Septuagint (and Arabic, Syriac, Vulgate) reads and from this[?] day (connect with verse 16). Does the parenthetical comment mean verse 16 could read from this day the vessel of flour did not run out?

12 12 breath. = Literally until there was not left in him עד אשׁר לא נותרה בו נשׁמה (17:18) you? = Literally what to me and to מה לי ול ך verbs. Form? PGN? Conjugation? Remember your hollow בּ את and I class vowel. We have met ה preposition + verb. So what form? Note ל ה ז כּ יר this verb before but check under BDB 270b to remind yourself. iniquity, guilt, punishment of = ע וֹן suffix? = noun + possessive suffix. PGN of ע וֹנ י iniquity under BDB 730b. Good opportunity to see the short vowel chart in action. and I class vowel. Before you kill yourself ה + preposition + verb. Note ו = וּל ה מ ית check under BDB 560a. (17:19) Review. י We have seen many forms like this earlier in the chapter. Note תּ נ י Isbell 256 if you need to give yourself a hand..י קּ ח = verb + object suffix. Form? PGN? PGN of suffix? That leaves ו יּ קּ ח הוּ A little.י ע ל = verb + object suffix. Form? PGN? PGN of suffix? That leaves ו יּ ע ל הוּ tricky. The third root letter has disappeared before the suffix. This is one of those situations where because of the 1 st guttural and 3 rd ה you cannot tell the difference between the Qal and Hiphil conjugations. Which makes more sense? 751a. roof-chamber under BDB = ע ל יּ ה living. Literally which he is living there = where he was אשׁר הוא ישׁב שׁם

13 13.י שׁ כּ ב = verb + object suffix. PGN of suffix? Form? PGN? That leaves ו יּ שׁ כ ב הוּ Note a class vowel under prefix and i class vowel after second root letter. Conjugation? שׁכב = Hiphil lay, make lie down under BDB 1012b. couch, bed under BDB 641b. How would you figure out the root? We = מ טּ ה (17:20) 13 אל יהוה have feminine ending. ה We have what might be a typical מ noun preformative. That leaves.טּ Note strong dagesh. Maybe נ assimilated into the?ט What is the third root letter. Maybe ה that disappears with feminine.נטה ending? Sure enough also. + particle. Literally? ה = interrogative ה ג ם infix. And ת preformative. And מ Wow. Another rare conjugation. Note מ ת גּוֹר ר vowel pattern. This is the Hitpolel which is the equivalent of the כוֹככ Hitpael for hollow and geminate verbs. So either גרר or.גור Form? Inflection? גור = Hitpolel seek hospitality with under BDB 158a. (am) Literally over/upon the widow who I על האלמנה אשׁר אני מתגורר עמה seeking hospitality with her? = over/upon the widow with whom I have been staying? Remember that in Hebrew the way to say whom is אשׁר followed by corresponding pronominal suffix. is not the interrogative but ה - Tough form. Really tough form. Hint the ה ר עוֹת rather a conjugation prefix and the vowel has reduced because it is distant וֹ open. And remember that hollow and geminate verbs sometimes add before a consonantal suffix. PGN? Conjugation? Form? רעע = Hiphil do injury, hurt, do evil under BDB 949b. 13 Septuagint reads Ηλιου Elijah so And Elijah cried out.

14 14 Conjugation? Form?.ל Much easier. Note preposition ל ה מ ית הגם על האלמנה... הרעות להמית This is a rather complicated sentence. Try reading also upon/against the widow you did evil to kill her son? The את בנה phrase אשׁר אני מתגורר עמה is an adjectival clause that modifies.האלמנה Not easy to render into smooth English. Let s compare a few modern translations: NIV 1 Kings 17:20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" NRS 1 Kings 17:20 He cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?" RSV 1 Kings 17:20 And he cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, hast thou brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?" TNK 1 Kings 17:20 He cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, will You bring calamity upon this widow whose guest I am, and let her son die?" I find the last example interesting. There is a big difference between asking G-d will you do this awful thing and let it happen? and have you done this awful thing and made it happen? (17:21) = מדד Conjugation? vowel pattern. כוֹככ infix and ת Form? PGN? Note ו יּ ת מ ד ד Hitpolel measured (stretched himself) under BDB 551a. beat, foot, anvil, occurrence; time under = פּ ע ם number? Gender and פּ ע מ ים BDB 821b.

15 15 times. three occurrences = three שׁלשׁ פעמים PGN?.תּ שׁ ב to this form תּ שׁוּב Is this tāšāb or tāšob? Compare imperfect תּ שׁ ב Conjugation? Note.נ א Form? Remember we have talked about four different types of prefixed verb. (1) Imperfect (2) Wayyiqtol (3) Cohortative and (4)...? May you remember by reviewing Isbell What is the subject? 899a. inward part, midst under BDB = ק ר ב suffix. = noun + possessive ק ר בּוֹ = Literally please let return (the) soul/breath of this תשׁב נא נפשׁ הילד הזה על קרבו boy to his midst = please let the soul/breath of this boy return into him. (17:22) 14 help you analyze this verb? Indication of י ח י ה Yuck. Form? PGN? Would ו יּ ח י (17:23) conjugation other than Qal? I cannot quite explain why ו י ה י but יּ ח י.ו Maybe because of the silluq? = verb + object suffix. PGN of suffix? Form? PGN? This is written very ו יּ ר ד הו defectively. Would יוֹר יד help? Note ו after verbal prefix and long i class vowel after second root letter. We have seen this stem before way back in Genesis 37 and 39. help? ו יּ נ תּ נ * verb + object suffix. PGN of suffix? Form? PGN? Would ו יּ תּ נ הוּ 51b. mother under BDB = א ם suffix. = preposition + noun + possessive ל א מּוֹ?מ Can you explain the strong dagesh in 14 The Septuagint reads this verse very differently for some reason. και εγενετο ουτως, και ανεβοησεν το παιδαριον and it happened thus, and the child cried out although read with Septuagint fragment 407 (and Josephus? a little unclear how to read the note) ανεβιωσεν and he lived again. Was there another version of this verse? Or was the translator not comfortable with Adonai doing what Elijah asked? Another good text critical issue to consider.

16 16 We have seen a bunch of these in this chapter. The third root letter disappears ר א י before the vocalic suffix. son. adjective. Alive (is) your ח י (17:24) 773b. (adverb) now under BDB = ע תּ ה For some reason this verb takes the perfect form even to express present י ד ע תּ י tense. Literally now this I knew = now I know this. 15 mouth under BDB 804b. In = פּ ה suffix. = preposition + noun + possessive בּ פ י ך.פ י construct and with suffix 54a. firmness, faithfulness, truth under BDB = א מ ת truth. = Literally and the word of Adonai in your mouth (is) ודבר יהוה בפי ך אמת Compare modern English translations. Does אמת function as an adverb to?דבר יהוה Or an adjective/predicate that modifies?דבר יהוה בפי ך emphasize Do you think there is a difference between the word of Adonai (in your mouth) is truth and the word of Adonai is truly in your mouth? NIV 1 Kings 17:24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth." NRS 1 Kings 17:24 So the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth." RSV 1 Kings 17:24 And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth." 15 Two manuscripts of original Greek and Syriac omit זה so now I know that instead of now I know this, that you are a man of God.

17 TNK 1 Kings 17:24 And the woman answered Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD is truly in your mouth." 17