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Psalm 39:12 any thoughts?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 1:09 pm
by kwrandolph
Dear Fellow Students:

Psalm 39:12 reads:
בתוכחות על-עון יסרת איש   ותמס כעש חמודו אך הבל כל-אדם

The middle phrase has “you melt as a caterpillar …” which makes no sense. The LXX has “spiderweb” which does make sense as the object of the verb. If that were the original reading, then the Hebrew would have been ותמס כקור עכביש חמודו which also fits the meter of the verse.

Is there anything in the DSS?

What do you all think?

Karl W. Randolph.

Re: Psalm 39:12 any thoughts?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 4:24 pm
by Isaac Fried
It is rather: “you melt as a caterpillar (does) …”

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Re: Psalm 39:12 any thoughts?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 5:23 pm
by Ken M. Penner
It's not in the DSS.