DOMATA in Mal 1:3
Cees van Veelen
cees at vanveelen.xs4all.nl
Tue Jan 29 17:44:52 EST 2002
> In a message dated 1/29/2002 10:51:52 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> cees at vanveelen.xs4all.nl writes:
>
>
> >> As far as I can tell, the word DOMATA (in Mal 1:3) is accusative plural of
> >> the neuter noun DOMA and means "gifts". Brenton (according to BibleWorks)
> >> translates it as "dwellings" and is supported in this by a commentary on
> >> Malachi by D. L. Petersen. I see the similarity between the words DOMA and
> >> DOMOS, but is it possible to understand DOMATA as a form of DOMOS?
>
> >There is a correction suggested to read DWMATA (with omega). That would
> >translate as dwellings.
> >Anyway - 'gifts of the desert' does not make much sense here, as 'dwellings
> of
> >the desert' does. So I do understand the argument for the correction. The
> hebrew
> >has something else: jackals of the desert.
>
>
> I think that, no matter how you understand it, the form found in the LXX
> cannot be correct from the standpoint of the lexica and grammars. As was
> indicated above, there is a form with an omega. LSJ also lists DOMOS. The
> problem here is that it would not have the form DOMATA. Either DOMOS OR DWMA
> has the meaning "house." There does seem to be a nuance, however, which
> would lead me to choose DOMOS. DOMOS has a usage as "sheep-fold", etc. This
> would seem to agree with the context of Mal 1.3.
That means that you propose to read: TOUS DOMOUS? For me a spelling variation
DOMATA - DWMATA is easier to understand than TA DOMATO - TOUS DOMOUS.
It also depends how you interprete the genitive 'of the desert': I would tend
to translate: The desert as a place to live. According to LSJ the plural DWMATA
can be used for a single house.
Greetings,
Cees van Veelen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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