Monday, September 24, 2012

Ruth 1:17

בַּאֲשֶׁר תָּמוּתִי אָמוּת וְשָׁם אֶקָּבֵר כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה יְהוָה לִי וְכֹה יֹסִיף כִּי הַמָּוֶת יַפְרִיד בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵךְ׃

Rough Word-by-word:
In [the place] where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. So let do the LORD to me and so let him cause to add. For [the or this] death it [he] will cause to separate between me and between you.

A little Smoother:
Where you die, I will die and there will I be buried. Let the LORD do so to me and cause more. For this [and only this] death is what will make a separation between me and you.

Soncino's translation:
where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.

Note:
There seems to be much weight behind the definite article use with "death." That along with the Hiphil "addition" indicates the need for some contextualizing of the translation.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Psalm 7:13

אִם־לֹא יָשׁוּב חַרְבֹּו יִלְטֹושׁ קַשְׁתֹּו דָרַךְ וַיְכֹונְנֶהָ׃

Rough Word-by-word:
If not he will return the sword of him he will sharpen the bow of him he has bent and he has prepared her

Smooth Translation:
If he will not return, he will sharpen his sword. He has bent his bow and prepared it

Note:
The JPS from my Soncino Psalter translates, "If man turn not, He will whet His sword, He hath bent His bow, and made it ready;"

אִם־לֹא conditional particle with adverb of negation "if not"

יָשׁוּב Qal imperfect 3ms from שׁוּב (return) "he will return"

חַרְבֹּו noun feminine singular in construct with 3ms pronominal suffix "[the] sword of him"

יִלְטֹושׁ Qal imperfect 3ms from לָטַשׁ (he sharpened) "he will sharpen"

קַשְׁתֹּו noun feminine singular in construct with 3ms pronominal suffix "[the] bow of him"

דָרַךְ Qal perfect 3ms from דָּרַךְ (he bent, he lead) "he has bent"

וַיְכֹונְנֶהָ waw conversive with Polel imperfect 3ms from כּוּנ (prepared) with 3fs pronominal suffix "and he has prepared her"