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Deuteronomy 31:1-30 needs text critical notes

There are an overwhelming number of text critical notes for this chapter.

(31:1)

(31:2)

be able, have power” under BDB 407a. This is an interesting verb. All but“ = יכל

six 1stverbs are originally 1 י

stthis might be the only one in which the 1 - ו*

st ו*

shows up in the Qal stem.

pass over, though, by, pass on” under BDB 716b. Interesting use. Hence“ = עבר

English “trespass”.

(31:3)

Niphal “be exterminated, destroyed”, Hiphil “annihilate, exterminate” under = שמד

BDB 1029a.

take possession of, inherit, dispossess”, Niphal “be impoverished, come to“ = ירש

poverty” (very rare) under BDB 439b.

(31:4)

(31:5)

(31:6)

be (or) grow firm, strong, strengthen; prevail over, upon”, Piel “make“ = חזק

strong; restore to strength; strengthen; make strong; make firm; make rigid, hard”

under BDB 304a. Arm חזק = “bind on (or) about, gird on”. Arb ḥazaqa = “bind,

squeeze”.

.be stout, strong, bold, alert” under BDB 54b“ = אמץ

= cause to tremble, tremble (in terror or awe)” under BDB791b. Arb ʿariṣa“ = ערץ

“quiver, flicker”. Compare Eg ʾu-ra-dau(t) = “they terrified” (= ערצו).

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sink down; sink, drop; sink, relax, abate (of temper); relax, withdraw” under“ = רפה

BDB 951b. Arb rafāhatu(n) = “an easy life (perhaps akin)”. Zink רפה.

.leave, forsake, loose” under BDB 736b“ = עזב

(31:7)

.Niphal “swear, take an oath” under BDB 989a = שבע

.get or take as a possession” under BDB 635b. Here Hiphil“ = נחל

(31:8)

.be shattered, dismayed” under BDB 369a“ = חתת

(31:9)

ה הזאת ת־התור ה א ב מש כת This is an interesting statement. Is this how and why - וי

many believe Moses wrote the Pentateuch? And if Moses did not then how do we

interpret such statements?

.old” under BDB 278b“ = ז קן

(31:10)

.end” under BDB 893b“ = קץ

ה ט .a letting drop (of exactions), a (temporary) remitting” under BDB 1030b“ = שמ

Here and Deuteronomy 15:1, 2. Root שמט = “let drop”.

Arb .חג א festival-gathering, feast, pilgrim-feast” under BDB 290b. Arm“ = חג

ḥajju(n) “pilgrimage”. Sab חג.

(31:11)

אות ה Niphal infinitive construct. Note how the ראה + ל .A little tricky to parse - לר

preformative disappears after ל.

ד what is conspicuous or in front > in front of, in sight of, opposite to” under“ = נג

BDB 617a. כנגד = “corresponding to”.

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קר ת־התור ת א א א את נ ה הז שר ל־י ד כ םג זניה ל בא - Does this verse lead to or at least

influence the account of the public reading of Torah in Nehemiah 8?

(31:12)

.under BDB 874b. Denominative. Here Hiphil (קהל as a) ”assemble“ = קהל

.”trip, take little steps“ = טפף children” under BDB 381b. Root“ (collective) = טף

sojourner; alien, foreigner” under BDB 158a. Very common noun. Learn it“ = גר

now. In my little parish we regularly translated this “international”. Same for

Greek χενος xenos.

.”learn“ (rare) למד exercise in, learn”, Piel “teach” under BDB 540b. Arm“ = למד

Akk lamādu “learn”.

(31:13)

רא הי - I have seen this elsewhere used as the infinitive construct for ירא Qal. Rather

than say - oh I am not sure what the Qal infinitive construct of ירא would/should

be. Perhaps * ראי ת ?ראות ? א ??ראת ?ר

ה שת ת Qal infinitive construct ירש + ל - לר ש 3fs suffix. Speaking of trying to + ר

predict the infinitive construct of ירא.

(31:14)

only Hitpael “set or station oneself, take one’s stand” under BDB 426a. Arb = יצב

waṣaba “be constant, firm”.

(31:15)

.cloud-mass, cloud” under BDB 777b“ = ענן

.”take one’s stand, stand“ = עמד pillar, column” under BDB 765a. Root“ = עמוד

(31:16)

.lie down” under BDB 1011b“ = שכב

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commit fornication, become a harlot” under BDB 275b. Feminine participle“ = זנה

used as a substantive.

ר ,regard“ = נכר that which is foreign, foreignness” under BDB 648b. Root“ = נכ

recognize”.

I = Hiphil “break, frustrate” under BDB 830a. Akk parāru “destroy”, II פרר > והפר

“shatter”. Note Hiphil of final geminate verb.

(31:17)

.burn, be kindled (of anger)” under BDB 354a“ = חרה

סתרת נ וה םי פ י מה - You may be interested to know that both my wife and I studied

Old Testament in seminary with Samuel Balentine who earned his doctorate at

Oxford University. His thesis on להסתיר פנים in the Hebrew Bible was published as

The Hidden God: The Hiding of the Face of God in the Old Testament, Oxford

Theological Monographs (2000).

ה ר .”Arb ṣarra “bind, tie up – צרר I “straights, distress” under BDB 865a. Root = צ

So Arm צרר.

(31:18)

.turn, face” under BDB 815a“ = פנה

(31:19)

ה יר יר song” under BDB 1010b. Rare compared to“ = ש Dialectal? Northern .ש

Hebrew? Probably not if it shows up in Deuteronomy.

.witness, testimony, evidence” under BDB 729b“ = עד

(31:20)

,Arb dāba = “melt, dissolve .דיב דוב flow, gush” under BDB 264b. Arm“ = זוב

flow”.

ל ב .milk” under BDB 316a“ = ח

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ש .honey” under BDB 185a“ = דב

be sated, satisfied", Hiphil "satisfy" under BDB 959a. Akk šebû. Arb" = שבע

šabiʿa. Arb סבע. Palm שבע.

be fat, grow fat”, Piel “make fat” (here in sense of “anoint (with oil)” under“ = דשן

BDB 206a.

.Piel “contemn, spurn” under BDB 610b = נאץ

(31:21)

I “answer, respond” under BDB 772b. Note apocoptation of 3 = ענהrd

verb with ה

waw-consecutive form.

.forget” under BDB 1013a. Here Niphal“ = שכח

רצ י = “form, framing, purpose” under BDB 428a. Often used to express something

like “inclination” (the good and the evil inclination in each human).

(31:22)

(31:23)

ר .missive, document, writing, book” under BDB 706b“ = ספ

תמימא Arm .תם be completed, finished” under BDB 1070a. Arb tamma. Ph“ = תמם

“perfect”. Here Pual.

כת ות מש י׀ ככל ויה בר ה ל ת־ד ב א ה־הז ר ע את על־ס י התור םפ מ ד ת - Well I guess that settles the

question. Moses wrote the entire Pentateuch. Maybe. There are other ways to

interpret this.

Grammatical note = Imperative for command or request. The imperative is

used for positive commands or requests in the second person.

ץמאו קזח Be courageous and strong!

and be strong! be courageous! Deuteronomy 31:23

See Williams, §188.

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(31:24)

(31:25)

(31:26)

;turn away, (then) shun, alienate; vicinity“ = צדד side" under BDB 841a. Root" = צד

by, apud”.

(31:27)

יר מ = “rebellion” under BDB 598a. Root הרמ = “be contentious, refractory,

rebellious”.

ף .back of neck, neck” under BDB 791a“ = ער

הק ש = “hard, severe” under BDB 904b. Root השק = “be hard, severe, fierce”.

רפך ת־ע ש וא ההק - Note the syntax. Literally “your neck the hard = your stiff-

neckedness?”

be contentious, refractory, rebellious” under BDB 598a. Arb mara(y)a III“ = מרה

“dispute with”. Here Hiphil.

ףא II = (conjunction denoting addition especially of something greater) “also, yea;

(with reference to a preceding sentence) year, the more so (= how much more)”

under BDB 64b. So Ph Arm ףא ףוא . Arb fa.

The words are clear enough but how they work together to make sense in this verse

is challenging.

(31:28)

בט ;smite, slay“ = שבט rod, staff, club, scepter; tribe” under BDB 986b. Root“ = ש

rod, scepter”?

רט ש רט וש = “official, officer” under BDB 1009b. Root רטש = “write; row, line,

document”.

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דוע = “bear witness”, Hiphil “testify, bear witness; cause to testify, take as witness;

protest, affirm solemnly, warn” under BDB 729b-. Denominative.

(31:29)

go to ruin”, Piel “spoil, ruin, pervert” under BDB 1007b. Arab saḥata“ = שחת

“extirpate”, Tel Am šaḥātu “fall (of city), be prostrate (of land)”, Akk šētu “flee,

escape”, Zinj שחת “destroy”, Aram שחת “mutilate”. Here Hiphil.

turn aside”, Hiphil “cause to (turn aside), depart, (common word for)“ = סור

remove, take away” under BDB 693a.

.under BDB 896b (קרה apparently a form of) ”II “encounter, befall = קרא

.be vexed, angry”, Piel “provoke to anger” under BDB 494b“ = כעס

(31:30)