Subject: Re: TC in Isaiah 53

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 1997 21:40:52 -0400 (EDT)

In a message dated 97-08-31 20:29:47 EDT, Dave Washburn wrote:

<< Subj:	TC in Isaiah 53
 
<< Here's a Hebrew TC question for us, though it's actually in 3 parts.  
 I really don't like posting multiple-question stuff, so I'll start 
 with what is actually a translational question and move from there 
 into the TC part of it, if no one objects.
 
<< Isaiah 53:8 has LFMOW in the last clause, in parallel with a bunch of 
 singular verbs and pronouns in the rest of the verse.  Some 
 investigation revealed several places, such as Gen 9:25 and 26, where 
 this word can appear to have a singular meaning even though 
 "standard" grammars such as GKC list it as a plural.  Recently, I 
 also noticed that the Westminster BHS Morph database consistently 
 lists it as L with a singular pronoun suffix.  Conventional wisdom 
 suggests that it is consistently a plural, and hence translate the 
 last clause of v.8 as "the judgment of my people, to whom [plural] 
 the stroke was due."  I have doubts about the translation, and there 
 is also a significant textual variant there.  But before addressing 
 my thoughts on the variant, I wonder if anybody on the list has more 
 solid info on the singular/plural nature of the word as it stands in 
 MT.
 
<< My thought is that it is sort of an elision or phonetic ellipsis, 
 kind of like the English phoneme 'm.  If one says "I'll go get 'm" 
 context is necessary to know whether 'm is standing for "him" or 
 "them."  My initial reaction is that LFMOW is a similar phenomenon, 
 but I have no idea how strongly this idea might be supported by other 
 grammatical-transcriptional features of the actual text.
 
<< In any case, does anyone have any thoughts on the meaning of LFMOW in 
 this verse?  Again, my hope is that we can kick that around a little 
 and from there, address the textual variant.
  Thanks,
 Dave Washburn  >>

It is correct that the word LMW is often plural [to them]. However, the
grammatical and lexical authorities indicate that this word sometimes is
singular [see GKC 103f  n.3]. A good example of this is found in Isaiah
44:15, 17, where essentially the same expression is used, one with LMW [to
him/it] and the other with LW [to him/it].

The word LMW occurs 59 times, usually rendered in the plural. Here are a few 
examples where the pronoun may be singular:

Genesis 9:26 "And he said: "Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem, 
And may Canaan be his [lamo] servant."

Genesis 9:27 May God enlarge Japheth, 
And may he dwell in the tents of Shem; 
And may Canaan be his [lamo] servant."

Job 14:21 "His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; 
They are brought low, andhe does not perceive it [lamo]."

Job 27:14 "If his children are multiplied, it [lamo] is for the sword; 
And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread."

Isaiah 44:15 "Then it shall be for a man to burn, 
For he will take some of it and warm himself; 
Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; 
Indeed he makes a god and worships it; 
He makes it (singular) a carved image, and falls down to it [lamo]."

44:15 yisgod-lamo "he bows down to it" [JPS]
44:17 ysigod-lo "he bows down to it" [JPS]

These are examples that involve the pronoun suffix MW (mo) attached 
to the preposition L (= to). There are a few other contexts where the 
pronoun suffix MW is attached to other words (nouns and prepositions) 
where the antecedent is clearly singular. 

Psalm 11:7 For the LORD is righteous, 
He loves righteousness; 
His countenance [paneymo] beholds the upright.

Job 20:23 When he is about to fill his stomach, 
God will cast on him [bo] the fury of His wrath, 
And will rain it on him ['aleymo] while he is eating.

Job 22:2 "Can a man be profitable to God, 
Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself ['aleymo]?

 Job 27:23 He shall clap his hands [cappeymo] at him ['aleymo], 
And shall hiss him ['alayw] out of his place.

All these instances provide sufficient justification for the pronoun to be
singular
in Isa. 53:8, particularly when it has the same singular antecedent as the
three 
other masculine singular pronouns in the same verse. 

As for variant readings, BHS records the LXX as reading LMWT [lammawet]
"to death." Otherwise, no other variants are recorded.

James D. Price
====================================================
James D. Price, Ph.D.
Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament
Temple Baptist Seminary
Chattanooga, TN 37404
e-mail [email-masked]
====================================================