4
Object of testing
Testing agent
PRsR;k
-Al
PérVxAm
-w
bDhÎz
-Al
r...wk
-w
vyIa
-Dl
wølDlShAm yIp
How they got there:
The obvious question is, How did everyone's watch end up five minutes fast? That
is, how did all the versions end up with the same error, if it is indeed an error? One way for
everyone to end up with the same wrong time on their watches is for all of them to adjust
their watches to the same wrong standard. When looking for the source for translations that
depart from the Hebrew, the usual suspects are the oldest versions: the LXX, the Syriac, the
Targums, and the Vulgate.
The LXX reads, doki÷mion aÓrgu/rw^ kai« crusw^ pu/rwsiß aÓnh\r de« dokima¿zetai
dia» sto/matoß egkwmiazo/ntwn aujto/n. "A tester for silver; and for gold, fire;
10
but a
man is tested through the mouth of his praisers."
11
Here the verb is supplied, and it is
passive. This could be the source of all the later versions that adopt that sense.
But why did the LXX translate this way? It's hard to say, but it may have been based
on the idiomatic sense of
ypl
. That is, rather than reading the last phrase as part of the three-
part pattern, like this--
-w
wølDlShAm yIp
-Vl
vyIa
--it is possible to read it on its own, without regard to the structure of the two preceding
phrases:
wølDlShAm
yIpVl
vyIa
-w
The phrase
ypl
frequently indicates a proportional relationship, often translated "according
to." Lv 27:16 says that your valuation of a field should be
wøorÅz yIpVl
"proportional to its
seed" needed to sow it. Likewise, Nm 26:54 calls for the inheritance to be given
wydüqVp yIpVl
"proportional to the enumeration" of the men in a tribe. Pr 12:8 reads says that
wølVkIc_yIpVl
"according to his insight" a man is praised, but a twisted heart is despised. That is, a man
will be praised in proportion to, or in accordance with, his insight. However,
ypl
is not
always idiomatic; for example, in 1Kg 17:1 it is more literal--there will be no rain
yáîrDbd y¶IpVl_MIa yTMI;k
"except for the mouth of my words," that is, unless you hear a word
spoken from my very lips.
10
Or, "The tester for silver and gold is fire." But that would merge two Hebrew clauses into one Greek clause.
11
LXX has the addition, kardi÷a aÓno/mou ekzhtei kaka¿ kardi÷a de« eujqh\ß ekzhtei gnwsin "The heart of the lawless
pursues evil, but the heart of the righteous pursues knowledge."