Terry Sampson
Well-Known Member
This is a One-on-One Thread. Participation is by invitation only.
Harel, ... I'm finally getting around to posting, as promised, regarding the matter we discussed.
Harel, ... I'm finally getting around to posting, as promised, regarding the matter we discussed.
- You initially evoked my interest in Hebrews 11:21 with your inquiry, which follows:
- I'm reading a book now called Barzilai, which is the Hebrew version of the original German "Barsilai" Sprache als Schrift der Psyche. Ebräisches Wurzel-Wörterbuch, a book on the origins and psychology of the Hebrew language. Along the way, the author, Aharon Marcus (who died about 90 years ago), attacks just about anyone worthy of being attacked, including antisemitic linguists, antisemitic assyrologists, Karaites, Christians, and even some rabbinical scholars (though their refutes are done in a softer fashion). At one point he writes:
"The guarding of this treasure (the Hebrew script and Masoretic (traditional) reading) even in face of later boundary-crossers, was so strict that the early Christian preachers read, unbeknownst to them, the verse "Vayishtachu Yisrael al rosh hamitah" (And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head) (Gen. 47:31) in a mem petucha and tet segolah (types of Hebrew vowel points)...to this extent they didn't know the pronunciation."
In other words, Marcus says that early Christians read the word Mitah, meaning bed, as Mateh, meaning staff or stick. Most of the people he agrees or disagrees with are mentioned by name, as are several other historical figures, but not here, for some reason. Do you have any idea to whom he is referring to?
- I'm reading a book now called Barzilai, which is the Hebrew version of the original German "Barsilai" Sprache als Schrift der Psyche. Ebräisches Wurzel-Wörterbuch, a book on the origins and psychology of the Hebrew language. Along the way, the author, Aharon Marcus (who died about 90 years ago), attacks just about anyone worthy of being attacked, including antisemitic linguists, antisemitic assyrologists, Karaites, Christians, and even some rabbinical scholars (though their refutes are done in a softer fashion). At one point he writes:
- I was, as I said, clueless; but I did a little research and found that the basis for Aharon Marcus' complaint is Hebrews 11:21.
- Hebrews 11:21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
"By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff."
- That verse refers to events described--I believe--in Genesis 47:29-31 and Genesis 48:1-2, 8-10,
- 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have now found favor in your eyes, now place your hand beneath my thigh, and you shall deal with me with loving kindness and truth; do not bury me now in Egypt.
30 I will lie with my forefathers, and you shall carry me out of Egypt, and you shall bury me in their grave." And he [Joseph] said, "I will do as you say."
31 And he [Israel] said, "Swear to me. " So he swore to him, and Israel prostrated himself on the head of the bed. - 1 Now it came to pass after these incidents that [someone] said to Joseph, "Behold, your father is ill." So he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And [someone] told Jacob and said, "Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you." And Israel summoned his strength and sat up on the bed.
- 8 Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and he said, "Who are these?"
9 Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God gave me here." So he said, "Now bring them near to me, so that I may bless them."
10 Now Israel's eyes had become heavy with age, [to the extent that] he could not see. So he drew them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
11 And Israel said to Joseph, "I had not expected to see [even] your face, and behold, God has shown me your children too."
12 And Joseph took them out from upon his [Jacob's] knees, and he[Joseph] prostrated himself to the ground.
- 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have now found favor in your eyes, now place your hand beneath my thigh, and you shall deal with me with loving kindness and truth; do not bury me now in Egypt.
- Seems to me like Hebrews 11:21sure squeezes a lot of the events described in Genesis, from 47:29-31 to 48:1-2 and 48:8-13, into one short sentence. So it certainly doesn't surprise me that the author of Hebrews 11:21 falls short of thorough accuracy in his one-sentence version of events in Genesis 47 and 48.
- What seems odd to me is that Marcos grouses over a Christian error in translating ראשׁ המטה
- With one set of points, the last set of Hebrew letters mean "bed"; with another set of points, the same set of Hebrew letters mean "staff". As you, Harel, have pointed out: Genesis 47:31, where it reads: "Vayishtachu Yisrael al rosh ham_t_h", absent correct Hebrew vowel points, can read "And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head" or "And Israel bowed down over the top of the staff" leading to the conclusion that Christians didn't know the proper properronunciation of "המטה".
- Personally, IMO there are worse disabilities than being illiterate in Hebrew; but I do find it intriguing that Marcos lays blame for the improper pronunciation of "המטה" on Christians. Why? Because it appears obvious to me that the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews was not fully literate in Hebrew. If he had been, he wouldn't have described Jacob/Israel, in Hebrews 11:21, as doing something "on the top of his staff". Instead, a Hebrew-literate author would have described Jacob/Israel doing something "on the bed's head." But, ... was the Hebrew-illiterate author really to blame? Was he "just making stuff up"? I think not. Consider:
- The earliest version of the Christian "Epistle to the Hebrews" is the Greek version.
- In Greek, Hebrews 11:21 is written:
- Πίστει ᾿Ιακὼβ ἀποθνῄσκων ἕκαστον τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ιωσὴφ εὐλόγησε, καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου αὐτοῦ.
- The disputed portion is, specifically:
"ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου αὐτοῦ" which, in English, means: "on the top/head of his staff" - The author's source for that phrase is NOT, in fact, his personal translation of "המטה". The author's source is the Septuagint version of Genesis 47:31. which reads:
"ειπεν δε ομοσον μοι και ωμοσεν αυτω και προσεκυνησεν ισραηλ επι το ακρον της ραβδου αυτου" [eipen de omoson moi kai ōmosen autō kai prosekunēsen israēl epi to akron tēs rabdou autou]. - In other words, from where I sit, Marcos ought to have been blaming the translator(s) of Genesis from Hebrew into Greek.
- So, who failed to translate the Hebrew into Greek correctly?
- Hebrews 11:21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Last edited: