[B-Greek] EGW EIMI hO WN (LXX of Exodus 3:14)
Albert Pietersma
albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Sat Mar 29 01:13:51 EDT 2008
Well, I wouldn't consider Albert Pietersma to be an expert witness on
this question. As Carl has already noted, the issue here is more
theological/philosophical than it is linguistic.
While it is not impossible that the LXX had a Vorlage different from
MT, I see no good reason to think so.
Instead, a number of facts suggest that the translator had the same
text (as MT) in Ex 3:14, but that he interpreted/exegeted his source
text:
1. the expected reading, ESOMAI OS ESOMAI, would have been quite
grammatical.
2.)HYH )SR )HYH produces two unique Hebrew-Greek equivalences: (a))
HYH = EGW EIMI and (b) )HYH = WN
3. the third occurrence of )HYH in 3:14 is brought into line.
Therefore, what we have, it would seem, is a deliberate move away
from the source text, i.e., a piece of exegesis.
Why he exegeted the way he did is not certain, but a reasonable guess
is that he intended to personify the Greek philosophical phrase TO ON
("being")
Al
On Mar 28, 2008, at 6:01 PM, Kevin P. Edgecomb wrote:
> George Somsel wrote:
>>> No, it really isn't totally accurate. The Hebrew has the imperfect
>>> (prefix form) of the existential verb twice and would more
>>> accurately
>>> be translated "I will be who / what I will be." I think I'll leave
>>> the Greek to your own efforts. It would almost seem that the LXX was
>>> translated under some Platonic influence.
>
> I write:
> The Hebrew imperfect form is not restrictively a future tense, but a
> present/future aspect.
>
> It seems reasonable that the LXX reflects a different underlying text
> (perhaps Albert Pietersma can say more about this) which would've
> included
> the Tetragrammaton in the hO WN position, the Hebrew being perhaps
> simply:
> )HYH YHWH, "I am YHWH" which was simply literally translated EGW
> EIMI hO WN.
> hO WN is certainly a passable translation of YHWH, "He Is", and is
> likewise
> understood thus in patristic texts and iconography.
>
> Regards,
> Kevin P. Edgecomb
> Berkeley, California
>
>
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