[B-Greek] LXX use of SUNAGW, Josh 10:6
Polycarp66 at aol.com
Polycarp66 at aol.com
Wed Mar 5 22:29:51 EST 2003
In a message dated 3/5/2003 9:41:21 PM Eastern Standard Time,
albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca writes:
> If the text you are citing were Polybius, for example, I might readily
> agree
> with you that SUNAGW in your text might mean "have advanced." That is to
> say,
> you glean from the semantic range sketched by the lexica a meaning for
> SUNAGW
> that suits both the verse in question and the larger context.
> Greek Josh 10.6, however, is not an an original composition but a
> translation,
> and a fairly literal one at that. That then means that, qua text, it has
> a
> vertical dimension (to its source text) as well as a horizontal one. Given
> the
> literal mode of translation, the vertical dimension is likely to be rather
> prominent. Thus after reading the Greek translation I would want to read
> the
> source text to see just what the relationship to its source amounts to in
> detail.
>
> As for the clauses you cite, the translation is word for word. As for
> SUNHGMENOI EISIN one notes that the Hebrew has the nifal of QBTs as
> counterpart, a verb that BDB glosses as "gather, collect," the nifal of
> which
> may be either intransitive or passive. Accordingly NRSV translates: ". . .
> help
> us, for all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country ARE
> GATHERED
> against us." As a rule of thumb one would select that component of meaning
> for
> SUNAGW in which it overlaps with QBTs. Thus notions of "gathering" and
> "collecting" are clearly in view, but not "advancing" I would judge.
>
> If one had found only scant semantic overlap between the Greek and Hebrew
> verb,
> one would then have asked a further question: Is the pairing of QBTs with
> SUNAGW standard or non-standard / default or non-default in Joshua? As it
> happens QBTs occurs only twice, 9.2 where it is translated by SUNERChOMAI
> and
> here. But is not without interest to note in the LXX SUNAGW is used to
> translate fifty different Hebrew verbs; clearly a real workhorse.
>
> Conclusion: I would not feel a need to deviate from the NRSV as a
> translation
> for the Greek. "ARE GATHERED" covers well the Greek stative. I would not
> select
> "have advanced" or such like.
>
I would tend to agree that attention must be paid to how the LXX in any
particular passage deals with the MT. In this case I wonder in light of the
usage of QBC in Jer 40.15 (MT), e.g., if it should not be taken as "invest"
(in the military sense).
It would then read
"Come up to us ASAP and deliver us and render us assistance, for all the
kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hills have invested us."
gfsomsel
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