Pointing error in WBC OT Nehemiah module

[Lyndon Drake]

Hi,

 

I've just been reading Williamson's Ezra-Nehemiah WBC commentary, and noticed that there's an apparent pointing error (note 7b on p. 233). I've pasted the text below and highlighted the offending word in red, but in case it doesn't come through, in the phrase "as though ‏נשׂא‎ may mean to loan on pledge" but the verb in question is actually נשׁא (nšʾ). The rest of the note refers to the possibility of repointing to נשׂא (nsʾ), and so it's an especially easy but also rather confusing mistake. I have no easy way to check if the mistake was in the electronic copy only, or also exists in the print edition.

 

Best regards,

Lyndon

 

 

 

The precise nature of Nehemiah’s accusation is disputed (see also Comment). It is not certain that the practice involved was strictly illegal (Nehemiah had himself been involved according to v 10) so much as inappropriate; this may account for the unusual word order. Heb has other words for “to lend” and “to exact interest”; it looks, therefore, as though ‏נשׂא‎ may mean to loan on pledge (see also Exod 22:24; Deut 24:10). This, at least, would fit the accusation to the complaints of the previous verses. Rudolph’s proposal to read ‏משׂא‎ and ‏נשׂאים‎ and to translate “Each one of you is imposing a burden upon his brother” (Myers) is implausible, ‏נשא‎ means “to carry, remove,” not “impose,” and the preposition ‏ב‎ (rather than expected ‏על) is a further difficulty to this view.

 

 

[Helen Brown]

Please use our Report a Coprrection feature in future. Simply select the text in question and choose to Report from the Help menu or the right-click menu. You can edit the subsequent email and add your comments, and it goes to Corrections where it is filed and acted on in due course.

 

I will do it for you in this case.