Re: Psalm 18 (17): 15 translation procedure

From: Steven Craig Miller (scmiller@www.plantnet.com)
Date: Tue Dec 14 1999 - 17:13:17 EST


<x-flowed>To: Clayton Stirling Bartholomew,

Dahood translates:

"He forged his arrows and scattered them, he multiplied his shafts and
dispersed them" (Ps 18:15).

As you noted, the first "them" refer to arrows, and the second "them" to
"shafts" (at least according to Dahood). Now you question concerns the LXX,
which translates:

KAI EXAPESTEILEN BELH KAI ESKORPISEN AUTOUS KAI ASTRAPAS EPLHQUNEN KAI
SUNETARAXEN AUTOUS (Ps 17:15 LXX).

Which might be translated as:

"And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, and he multiplied
lightnings and threw them into confusion."

Although it is possible for one to scatter arrows, as well as scatter
people to whom one has shot arrows, I find it hard to understand how one
might "throw into confusion" (or however one wants to translated it)
lightning. The verb SUNTARASSW means "throw into confusion" or "throw into
disorder" (LSJM); "trouble" or "confound" (LEH). That doesn't seem to me
something one normally does to lightning. Thus IMO the most natural
interpretation of Ps 17:15 LXX is that the two AUTOUS refers neither to
arrows, nor to lightning.

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller@www.plantnet.com
Disclaimer: "I'm just a simple house-husband (with no post-grad degree),
what do I know?"

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