Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 65 (9162 total)
2 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,817 Year: 3,074/9,624 Month: 919/1,588 Week: 102/223 Day: 13/17 Hour: 0/0


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   The Whole Jesus Thing
Amlodhi
Inactive Member


Message 286 of 286 (162387)
11-22-2004 3:24 PM
Reply to: Message 282 by ramoss
11-19-2004 2:56 PM


Re: Speculation
Hi ramoss,
quote:
Originally posted by ramoss
The phrase ""k'ari" does not mean 'pierced', but 'like a lion'.
Perhaps, but I have some problems with the grammatical structure of that application. Said problems include the facts that the term is more properly rendered "like the lion", the term as used in this sentence is at odds with the construction of the same term used previously in the same chapter and (last but not least) the literal rendering of "like the lion my hands and my feet" simply makes no sense.
There is another possibility that I find compelling.
Although the majority extant Masoretic witnesses do indeed use the term "K'ari" (which is an attached prepositional kaf + ari ; "like the lion"), three extant manuscripts of the Masoretic text and (importantly) one extant Qumran document (4QPs) use the term "Karu" (in this term the kaf is not an attached preposition).
In addition to the above mentioned manuscripts, there are at least five Masoretic witnesses and one document from the Nahal Hever collection that also appear to use this term (Karu), although with an alternate (possibly Aramaic) spelling.
This term, "Karu", rather than a noun (as is Ari), is a verb in the Qal form (Qal, being short for Qalal meaning "it was light", and designates the simple active stem of the verb). Specifically, it is the Qal perfect third person plural of the verb "Karah".
Karah = (prop.) to dig ; (gen.) to bore or open ; (by anal.) cut, pierce ; (from an idiom peculiar to the Hebrew) make (a banquet).*
The difference between these two terms, "K'ari" and "Karu", in the original unpointed Hebrew script is confined to a single letter ; i.e., a final "vav" as opposed to final "yod", and these two letters can exhibit remarkable similarity in written structure.
IMO, this makes for a compelling possibility that the term "K'ari" (like the lion), as used in this Psalm, originated through a very understandable scribal error (which was then faithfully propagated by the Masoretic scribes). The rendering of "pierced" then was retained (as reflected in the LXX for example) from the use of "Karu" in some of the more ancient witnesses and not from any extrapolated or allegorical allusions from the term "K'ari" (i.e. a lion piercing with its teeth or claws).
If, then, the term used here was originally a conjugation of the verb "Karah", the allegory in Psalm 22:16 would read something like: ". . . for dogs have encircled me . . . karu - they dig (or possibly gnaw; perhaps even in the sense of the Hebrew idiom "making a banquet" much as we use the phrase "dig in" - at my hands and my feet."
Thus making complete sense of the verse and eliminating the glaring grammatical difficulties.
*Strong's Concordance; James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D.; 1990 Thomas Nelson Pub.
*The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon; F. Brown, S. Driver, and C. Briggs; 2 vol.; Hendrickson Pub.; Peabody Mass.
*The Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament; Ludwig Koehler & Walter Baumgartner; 2 vol.; Brill Pub.; Leiden/Boston.
Just an idea I found interesting.
Amlodhi
This message has been edited by Amlodhi, 11-22-2004 03:38 PM

This message is a reply to:
 Message 282 by ramoss, posted 11-19-2004 2:56 PM ramoss has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024