[B-Greek] Habbakuk 2:4b - objective genitive?

yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Fri Dec 18 12:26:36 EST 2009


Eric,

I think your question is quite interesting (1) what did the original LXX translators think their text meant (as translated)? (2) how did other readers receive and read this text? I believe we have the answer to the second question, at least for two 1st century Jews Paul and the writer of Hebrews, in Rom 1, Heb 10, and Gal. 

The NETS Bible is an attempt to translate the LXX Greek text, representing the LXX translator's intention of leading the Greek readers to the Hebrew text. 

ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται

Consequently, I believe it is quite likely that the LXX translators read the Hebrew text as the NETS LXX represents it, the MOU would be possessive. Most mss of the LXX read as the NETS LXX translated "by my faith." On the other hand Mk 11:24 has ἔχετε πίστιν θεοῦ, where most translations read "have faith in God." This might support your point.

Another possibility, suggested by the best mss of Hebrews 10:38 (P46, Aleph, A, original hand of H, 33, 1739) and some mss of the LXX (A,C), is that the MOU was intended to be related to hO DE DIKAIOS. The above mentioned texts place MOU with hO DE DIKAIOS. 

In that case it would be translated: "My righteous one will live by faith."

It is is common in Hebrew that a periphrastic expression of attribute or material is expressed by a noun in construct followed by a genitive. In such cases the pronominal suffix that would normally go with the construct noun passes to the genitive. This sort of construction is found in Is 56:7 followed by one that doesn't conform to rule but due to poetic cadence (?) is assimilated to the first construction. The NETS LXX represents the sense and translates the second phrase "my house of prayer" rather than "the house of my prayer." 

εἰσάξω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἅγιόν μου καὶ εὐφρανῶ αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τῆς προσευχῆς μου·
I will bring them into my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
‏וַהֲבִיאוֹתִים אֶל־הַר קָדְשִׁי וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים בְּבֵית תְּפִלָּתִי

It is interesting to me that the Talmud represents Rabbis as reading Is 56:7 "the house of my prayer" as warrant for the notion that God prays; that the temple was, in effect, his synagogue. It is also interesting that Jesus, in Mark 11:25 has the phrase ἔχετε πίστιν θεοῦ. Could Jesus be referring to Hab 2:4 LXX, to the faith of God as he also does to Is 56:7?

Yancy Smith, PhD
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
5636 Wedgworth Road
Fort Worth, TX 76133
817-361-7565






On Dec 18, 2009, at 8:01 AM, Eric S. Weiss wrote:

> AMBAKOUM 2:4b: hO DE DIKAIOS EK PISTEWS MOU ZHSETAI
>  
> Both Brenton and NETS translate this as: "but the just shall live by my faith" (NETS notes 
> "Or faithfulness").
>  
> Is it possible for MOU to not be a possessive genitive, but an objective genitive - i.e., "but 
> the just [man/person] shall live by/because-of his faith in Me"?
>  
> - - -
> Eric S. Weiss 
>  
> 
> 
> 
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