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Isaiah 21:7 and construct state

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 5:06 pm
by ronsnider1
I have a question regarding the parsing of Isaiah 21:7. The text is:

וְרָ֣אָה רֶ֗כֶב צֶ֚מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֔ים רֶ֥כֶב חֲמ֖וֹר רֶ֣כֶב גָּמָ֑ל וְהִקְשִׁ֥יב קֶ֖שֶׁב רַב־קָֽשֶׁב׃

The first use of the term for chariot and the following uses are pointed identically. Yet, every resource indicates that the first use of rekhebh is in the absolute form and the two following usages are parsed as construct forms. How can one be sure of the parsing in this case.

Thanks in advance,

Ron Snider

Re: Isaiah 21:7 and construct state

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:35 pm
by kwrandolph
ronsnider1 wrote:I have a question regarding the parsing of Isaiah 21:7. The text is:

וְרָ֣אָה רֶ֗כֶב צֶ֚מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֔ים רֶ֥כֶב חֲמ֖וֹר רֶ֣כֶב גָּמָ֑ל וְהִקְשִׁ֥יב קֶ֖שֶׁב רַב־קָֽשֶׁב׃

The first use of the term for chariot and the following uses are pointed identically.
Don’t trust the points. They are wrong often enough to lead people astray. I don’t use them.
ronsnider1 wrote:Yet, every resource indicates that the first use of rekhebh is in the absolute form and the two following usages are parsed as construct forms. How can one be sure of the parsing in this case.
What does your mind say?

I read all three as construct form.
ronsnider1 wrote:Thanks in advance,

Ron Snider
Karl W. Randolph.

Re: Isaiah 21:7 and construct state

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:43 am
by Kirk Lowery
The form רכב -- with or without the nikkud -- is ambiguous as to nominal state, i.e., absolute or construct. So we look at the structure of the sentence to see if that gives us any help. From a syntax point of view, the three רכב are the heads of three parallel phrases, all of which form a complex object of רָאָה.

From that I would agree with you Karl. All three are construct and the other (traditional?) translations are incorrect. I think that translators were led astray by the fact that the first phrase is composed of three words, whereas the others are composed of two words. But three-word construct chains are common in the Hebrew Bible, so there's nothing that demands the first phrase be rendered into two phrases.