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Toward a Reading of Proverbs 30:1b: Tracing the Life of the Text in the Versions

Kirk, Alexander T.

Toward a Reading of Proverbs 30:1b: Tracing the Life of the Text in the Versions Thumbnail


Authors

Alexander Kirk alexander.t.kirk@durham.ac.uk
PGR Student Doctor of Philosophy



Abstract

Proverbs 30:1b presents one of the most intractable text-critical dilemmas in the HB. Following Ronald Troxel’s suggestion that text criticism be reimagined as “a commentary on the life of the text,” I suggest the way forward in reading Prov 30:1b lies in carefully engaging with the versions as a window on its history. Emerging from this process, I argue that Prov 30:1b may have once read *לָ וכּא א ֹלְ ו יִ יתִ אָ ל” ,I am weary and powerless.” Early on, however, this text was conflated with another textual tradition that read a proper name thus producing a double reading. In time, scribes harmonized this double reading which then calcified in MT. The versions and analogous biblical passages suggest the proposed text, while documented scribal practice and lexical usage support it.

Citation

Kirk, A. T. (2022). Toward a Reading of Proverbs 30:1b: Tracing the Life of the Text in the Versions. Vetus Testamentum, https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-00001146

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Jan 18, 2022
Publication Date Jan 18, 2022
Deposit Date May 30, 2022
Publicly Available Date May 30, 2022
Journal Vetus Testamentum
Print ISSN 0042-4935
Electronic ISSN 1568-5330
Publisher Brill Academic Publishers
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-00001146
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1202555

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