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Job 8:3a

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:11 am
by tian777
I wonder about the correctness of the following statement:
In Job 8:3a the form "ha-el" ( with a patach ) does appear without any footnote in BHS, and then this phrase literally means "God subverts judgment". Because of the context most English translations have changed the patach into an chatuph-patach, resulting in an Interrogative Hey before El. In doing so, they changed the phrase ( and sentence ) into a question.

Re: Job 8:3a

Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 12:11 am
by kwrandolph
When reading an unpointed text, the heh prefix can be either a definite article, or indication of an interrogative. When looking at the context in this case, it appears to be an interrogative. Hence the translations using it as an interrogative.

BHS/WLC tries to reproduce the Masoretic text as closely as they can. There are times that it’s clear that the points indicate wrong meanings, other times people can disagree. I have always read this verse as an interrogative.

Karl W. Randolph.

Re: Job 8:3a

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 8:41 am
by tian777
Thank you Karl. Much appreciated.