Psalm 18 (17): 15 translation procedure

From: clayton stirling bartholomew (c.s.bartholomew@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Tue Dec 14 1999 - 16:11:28 EST


An intriguing question arises in Psalm 18 (17): 15 about the
translation procedure followed by the translator of the Psalms for the
LXX. This question has consequences for the understanding of this
verse.

AUTOUS appears twice in verse 15 as a rendering of the masculine plural
pronominal suffix in the MT. There is some question about the
antecedents of these pronominal suffixs. Some OT scholars assume that
the enemies of David are in view, but M. Dahood (AB p. 109) argues that
the arrows and the flashes of lightening are the antecedents.

M. Dahood's position is at least made possible by the concord in the MT
between the masculine plural pronominal suffixes and the masculine
plural nouns for arrows and lightening. However, in the LXX this concord
does not exist since BELH is neuter plural and ASTRAPAS is feminine
plural.

NOW HERE IS THE QUESTION.

What is the pattern in the LXX for dealing with a problem like this. It
would appear that the translator of this Psalm chose BELH and ASTRAPAS
because they were suitable semantically but without regard for gender.
However in rendering the verb pronominal suffixes as masculine plural
the translator just followed what he saw in the MT. In the process he
raised a problem for the reader of the LXX, if and only if, M. Dahood is
correct about the antecedents of these pronominal suffixes.

THE REAL QUESTION

Do we see examples in the LXX where the translator deviated from the MT
in rendering pronominal suffixes in order to preserve concord and/or
preserve the sense of the MT?

Is this question perfectly clear?

Clay

--
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062

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