89. Moabitis cries out (15:2-5)
ὀλολύζετε ἐπὶ πάσης κεφαλῆς φαλάκρωμα, πάντες βραχίονες κατατετμημένοι εἰσιν· 3 ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις αὐτῆς περιζώσασθε σάκκους καὶ κόπτεσθε, ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις αὐτῆς πάντες ὀλολύζετε μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ. 4 ὅτι κέκραγεν Ἑσεβὼν καὶ ἐλάλησεν Ἐλεαλή, ἕως Ἰάσσα ἠκούσθη ἡ φωνὴ αὐτῆς· διὰ τοῦτο ἡ ὀσφὺς τῆς Μωαβείτιδος βοᾷ, ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῆς γνώσεται. 5 ἡ καρδία τῆς Μωαβίτιδος βοᾷ ἐν ἑαυτῇ ὡς Σήγωρ, δάμαλις γάρ ἐστιν τριετής· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἀναβάσεως τῆς Λουεὶθ πρὸς σὲ κλαίοντες ἀναβήσονται, τῇ ὁδῷ Ἁρωνιείμ βοᾷ σύντριμμα καὶ σεισμός.
ὀλολύζετε] present, with A (Rahlfs, Ziegler); B has the aorist ὀλολύξατε.
φαλάκρωμα] recalls 3:24, where the women would have baldness instead of golden head ornamentation.
κατατετμημένοι] perfect participle of κατατέμνω, “cut in pieces”.
εἰσιν] deleted by ca, with A, B (Rahlfs, Ziegler); the meaning is the same.
3
πλατείαις] πλατύς “broad” ways are implied: streets.
περιζώσασθε] from περιζώννυμι or περιζωννύω
πάντες] vocative
κλαυθμοῦ] with A, B (Rahlfs, Ziegler); changed by scribe B himself from καυθμοῦ.
4
κέκραγεν] In S, this clearly perfect form (with –εν) is in parallel with an aorist (see discussion of the tenses of κράζω at 14:31). The Hebrew form is yiqtol.
ἐλάλησεν] with A; lacking in B (Rahlfs, Ziegler). This word has no counterpart in the Hebrew, it probably appeared as a Greek scribal error regarding the next word, Ἐλεαλή (the Hebrew is אלעלה, which has nothing to do with speaking). A has only ἐλάλησεν; B has only Ἐλεαλή; S had both until ca corrected it to match A.
Ἐλεαλή] with B (Rahlfs, Ziegler); deleted by ca, with A.
φωνὴ αὐτῆς] singular, with A (Ziegler), since only Hesebon is mentioned; B (Rahlfs) has•the plural φωνὴ αὐτῶν because Eleale is also mentioned, making the cities plural (note the difference between Rahlfs and Ziegler: Ziegler has a mismatch: two cities, but a singular pronoun referring to them).
ὀσφὺς] Loins are not what one would expect to cry out, but other body parts call out in the next verse as well.
γνώσεται] an obvious misreading of ירעה “tremble” as ידעה “know”.
5
ἑαυτῇ ὡς] changed by ca to ἑαυτῇ ἕως, with A (Ziegler); B (Rahlfs) has αὐτῇ ἕως (note the difference between Rahlfs and Ziegler). Corrector ca turned a simile “like Segor” to an extent “as far as Segor.”
δάμαλις γάρ ἐστιν τριετής] G reasonably understood the place-name עגלת שׁלשׁיה as common nouns: “heifer of a third,” resulting in little sense in this context.
ἀναβάσεως] “ascent,” so I translate the cognate verb ἀναβήσονται as “ascend.”
τῆς Λουεὶθ] B has only Λουεὶθ; A has only τῆς; Rahlfs, Ziegler spell it τῆς Λουιθ
Ἁρωνιείμ] could be genitive “on the way of Haroneiim it cries out” (which would be parallel to the ascent of Loueith) or nominative “on the way, Haronieim cries out.” Since the last subject was plural, a change to a singular subject is preferable, to match the singular verb βοᾷ.
βοᾷ] also could be an imperative βοᾶ: “on the ascent of Loueith they will ascend to you, weeping on the way of Haronieim: Cry out, Ruins and earthquake!
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org