Demonstrably wrong? That is nonsense. It reads with the points as a vocative (יִרְאֵי יְהוָה — you who fear Yahweh) and an imperative (בִּטְחוּ בַיהוָה — trust in Yahweh). There's nothing demonstrably wrong about that. Granted, both the LXX and the Vulgate transate בטחו as if it were perfect rather than imperative, which would take יִרְאֵי יְהוָה as the subject rather than as vocative, but there is nothing "demonstrably wrong" about reading it as pointed. It's a difference of pointing, and either is a perfectly valid possibility.kwrandolph wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:00 pm My conclusion is that the Masoretic points in this verse are demonstrably wrong as far as meaning is concerned.
BHS note:
𝔊(𝔖 Hier) ἤλπισαν = בָּטְחוּ cf 9b
יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל בְּטַ֣ח בַּיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא׃
בֵּ֣ית אַ֭הֲרֹן בִּטְח֣וּ בַיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא׃
יִרְאֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה בִּטְח֣וּ בַיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא׃
יְהוָה֮ זְכָרָ֪נוּ יְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ יְ֭בָרֵךְ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְ֝בָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת־בֵּ֥ית אַהֲרֹֽן׃
יְ֭בָרֵךְ יִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הַ֝קְּטַנִּ֗ים עִם־הַגְּדֹלִֽים׃
Oh Israel, trust in Yahweh—he is their help and their shield.
Oh house of Aaron, trust in Yahweh—he is their help and shield.
Oh you who fear Yahweh, trust in Yahweh—he is their help and shield.
Yahweh has remembered us, he will bless [us].
He will bless the house of Israel.
He will bless the house of Aaron.
He will bless those who fear Yahweh, the small with the great.
I see no problem with reading it this way at all. Nothing here is "demonstrably wrong."