[B-Greek] Judges 7:5-7 LXX dog-like lappers

Albert Pietersma albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Wed Nov 14 19:35:34 EST 2007


I am not sure why you have run the A and B texts of Judges together,  
since they quite distinct in many ways. So for example, the B text,  
often thought to be a revision toward Hebrew, has the phrase (like  
MT) "with their hand to their mouth" preceding "three-hundred men,"  
making as much sense as it does in MT; A, on the other hand, has  
"with their tongue" instead, reminiscent of what is said in v. 5 of  
both texts (A and B). Thus the answer to your question is Yes in  
regards to Judg A, since it speaks throughout of  "lapping with the  
tongue", on the one hand, and "bending on the knee to drink," on the  
other, which might then involve scooping with the hand. Regards Judg  
B the answer is No, since it reproduces the inconcinnity of MT.
Al

On Nov 14, 2007, at 4:19 PM, Mitch Larramore wrote:

> Here is the LXX (I think) for Judges 7...
>
> 5 KAI KATHNEGKEN TON LAON PROS TO hUDWR KAI EIPEN
> KURIOS PROS GEDEWN PAS hOS AN LAYHi THi GLWSSHi AUTOU
> APO TOU hUDATOS hWS EAN LAYHi hO KUWN STHSEIS AUTON
> KATA MONAS KAI PAS hOS EAN KLINHi EPI TA GONATA AUTOU
> PIEIN KAI KATEBIBASEN TON LAON EIS TO hUDWR KAI EIPEN
> KURIOS PROS GEDEWN PAS hOS AN LAYHi THi GLWSSHi AUTOU
> EK TOU hUDATOS hWS EAN LAYHi hO KUWN STHSEIS AUTON
> KATA MONAS KAI PAS hOS AN KAMYHi EPI TA GONATA AUTOU
> TOU PIEIN METASTHSEIS AUTON KAQ hAUTON
>
> 6  KAI EGENETO hO ARIQMOS TWN LAYANTWN EN CEIRI AUTWN
> PROS TO STOMA AUTWN TRIAKOSIOI ANDRES KAI PAN TO
> KATALOIPON TOU LAOU EKLINAN EPI TA GONATA AUTWN PIEIN
> hUDWR KAI EGENETO PAS hO ARIQMOS TWN LAYANTWN EN THi
> GLWSSHi AUTWN TRIAKOSIOI ANDRES KAI PAS hO EPILOIPOS
> TOU LAOU EKAMYAN EPI TA GONATA AUTWN TOU PIEIN hUDWR
>
> 7  KAI EIPEN KURIOS PROS GEDEWN EN TOIS TRIAKOSIOIS
> ANDRASIN TOIS LAYASIN SWSW hUMAS KAI DWSW THN MADIAM
> EN CEIRI SOU KAI PAS hO LAOS POREUSONTAI ANHR EIS TON
> TOPON AUTOU KAI EIPEN KURIOS PROS GEDEWN EN TOIS
> TRIAKOSIOIS ANDRASIN TOIS LAYASIN SWSW hUMAS KAI
> PARADWSW THN MADIAM EN CEIRI SOU KAI PAS hO LAOS
> APOTRECETW ANHR EIS TON TOPON AUTOU
>
> Here is the NET Bible's note:
>
> The Hebrew text adds, “with their hands to their
> mouths,” This makes no sense in light of v. 5, which
> distinguishes between dog-like lappers (who would not
> use their hands to drink) and those who kneel (who
> would use their hands). It seems likely that the words
> “with their hands to their mouths” have been misplaced
> from v. 6. They fit better at the end of v. 5 or v. 6.
> Perhaps these words were originally a marginal scribal
> note which was later accidentally inserted into the
> text in the wrong place.
>
> Question...
> Is there anything in the Greek here that would give us
> a better understanding of how these dog-like lappers
> lapped? One commentary seems to say that the dog-like
> lappers were identified that way by their arm/hand
> corresponding to a dog's tongue motion. Did these
> soldiers lap directly in the water or did they bring
> the water to their mouths with their cupped hand?
>
>
> Mitch Larramore
> Sugar Land, Texas
>
>
>        
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