Psalms 48:9-11 hermeneutics question

[miketisdell]

The following variant departs from the MT, and I am having a hard time understanding what was intended to be communicated. I would appreciate some help with the Greek.

“καὶ ἐκοπίασεν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα,
καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τέλος, ὅτι οὐκ ὄψεται καταφθοράν,
ὅταν ἴδῃ σοφοὺς ἀποθνήσκοντας.”
(Psalms 48:9-11 Greek Old Testament (Septuagint))

 

I generally understand what the words themselves mean and can see how they are reflected in the Brenton and NETS translations, but I am not understanding how they were understanding the Hebrew and exactly what meaning they were trying to convey i.e. does the LXX reflect a variant text, a misreading of the Hebrew text, or an idiom that reflect the meaning of the Hebrew text that I am not seeing?

 

 

 

[Donald Cobb]

Hi Mike,

 

Here's my stab at it, although I haven't taken time to look at any commentaries, so others will surely want to chip in.

 

To me it looks like the translator is translating very literally, perhaps not understanding what he's reading. A couple of things: there is a textual variant, the mss fluctuating between ἐκοπίασεν (e.g., Rhalfs) and ἐκόπασεν (Swete). The critical app. gives some details. Κοπάζω has the meaning of "abate" "cease", etc., which faithfully translates חדל.

 

The translator seems to be translating v. 10a as a series of affirmations, whereas the MT is perhaps better taken as questions: "will he live forever?", etc., or as final clauses, "so that he might live forever". Ὅταν in v. 10b is semantically possible as translation of כִּי, although it should probably be taken as "surely" here.

 

In other words, it looks like just about everything can be taken as a literal translating of the individual words. But the meaning ends up getting lost.

[miketisdell]

Hi Mike,

 

Here's my stab at it, although I haven't taken time to look at any commentaries, so others will surely want to chip in.

 

To me it looks like the translator is translating very literally, perhaps not understanding what he's reading. A couple of things: there is a textual variant, the mss fluctuating between ἐκοπίασεν[/size] (e.g., Rhalfs) and ἐκόπασεν[/size] (Swete). The critical app. gives some details. Κοπάζω has the meaning of "abate" "cease", etc., which faithfully translates חדל.

 

The translator seems to be translating v. 10a as a series of affirmations, whereas the MT is perhaps better taken as questions: "will he live forever?", etc., or as final clauses, "so that he might live forever". Ὅταν[/size] [/size]in v. 10b is semantically possible as translation of כִּי, although it should probably be taken as "surely" here.

 

In other words, it looks like just about everything can be taken as a literal translating of the individual words. But the meaning ends up getting lost.

Thanks!

[MattChristianOT]

I would agree with Donald. The translation is a bit shorter and not word for word but the is typical of the LXX