IN ”אֲמֻצִּים“ THE ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSLATION OF ZECHARIAH 6:3 AND 6:7: A COMPARISON STUDY OF ANCIENT TEXTS Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Email: [email protected] Author: Philip Suciadi Chia, D.Th., Ph.D (in progress) Abstract. There are some ancient sacred texts for Christianity such as Hebrew Bible, Syriac Peshitta, Septuagint, Aramaic Targum and Latin Vulgate. However, the translation of these ancient texts is not always having the same nuance or literal meaning. Zechariah 6:3 and 6:7 are or strong has been translated diversely in our ancient sacred ”םיִּצֻמֲא“ one example. The word or ”םיִּצֻמֲא“ texts. Therefore, this paper will attempt to discuss multiple translations for the word strong. The discussion will cover the purpose of these various translations. The possible reason behind the selection of the meaning will also be discussed in this paper. Keywords. Old Testament, Lexical Studies and Philology. INTRODUCTION Most of commentaries on the Bible meanings. This word appears two times in the seek to explain the meaning of the words, entire Hebrew Bible: Zechariah 6:3 and phrases, and ideas of the scriptural text in 6:7. To analyze this word, I am going over to their nearer and wider context: a textual the ancient manuscripts - Biblia Hebraica commentary. 1 However, there are some Quinta, Septuagint, Syriac Peshitta, Aramaic obstacles to find out the meaning; for Targum and Latin Vulgate -, and list them all. instance, some of Hebrew Bible and Greek Then, I will compare these texts and explain NT texts are unclear in terms of meaning or / the reason and the purpose of these diverse and the ancient texts convey different translations; this paper does not try to find out attestation. Zechariah 6:3, for example, the original word and meaning as in textual conveys these difficulties: both unclear from criticism study. Hebrew text and have different attestations. as ”אֲמֻצִּים“ Latin Vulgate translates the word strong; however, the other ancient texts – Septuagint, Syriac Peshitta, and Aramaic Targum - employ “spotted-skewbald (horses)” for this word. In other words, this same word of Hebrew has two different 1 Bruce Metzger, Textual Commentary on Bibelgesellschaft, 1994), 1. the NT 2nd edition (Stuttgart: Deutsche 19 THE LIST OF ANCIENT Text : Et in quadriga quarta equi MANUSCRIPTS varii fortes Translation : And in the fourth chariots A. Biblia Hebraica Quinta 2 are variegated (party-colored, various, diverse) horses, they are strong ּובַמֶּרְ כָּבָּההָּרְ בִּעִּיתסּוסִּים בְרֻ דִּים : Text אֲמֻצִּים : Vorlage אֲמֻצִּים Translation : The fourth chariots are spotted horses, all of them are strong or spotted-skewbald horses The Summary of the Ancient Texts. אֲמֻצִּים : Vorlage The list of the ancient texts conveys B. Septuagint 3 the discrepancy of the description of the Text : ἐν τῷ ἅρματι τῷ τετάρτῳ fourth chariot. Latin Vulgate seems not only ἵπποι ποικίλοι ψαροί depict the appearance of the fourth chariot, Translation : To the fourth chariots are but also the strength. The other texts, varied dapple-grays horses. however, only focus on the color of the fourth chariot. 7 ַאמֻצִּים : Vorlage ”םיִּצֻמֲא“ C. Syriac Peshitta 4 THE ANALYSIS OF Text : ܘܒܡܪܟܒܬܐ ܕܐܪܒܬ̈ ܕܟܫܪ̈ ܕܐܐܟܐ̈ Translation : And also in the fourth Different Meaning from Hebrew Lexicons chariots are parti-colored horses אֲמֻצִּים (2) (1) ַאמֻצִּים : Vorlage אֲמֻצִּים D. Aramaic Targum 5 Translation Strong Flesh-coloured, BDB) skewbald) ּובִּרתִּיכָּא רְ בִּיעֵיתָּא סֻוסָּוָּון פַצִּיחִּין : Text (horses) קִּטמָּנִּין Translation : And to fourth chariots are (HALOT; shining (dazzling) ash horses Holladay) ַאמֻצִּים: Vorlage ”אֲמֻצִּים“ These four lexicons translate E. Latin Vulgate 6 differently. BDB, for instance, translates it as strong. 8 The rests use flesh-coloured or 2 Anthony Gelston, Biblia Hebraica Quinta varied dapple-grays horse; Syriac Peshitta: parti- (BHQ): Twelve Prophets (Durham: Deutsche colored horses; Aramaic Targum: shining (dazzling) Bibelgesellschaft), 2010. ash horses; Latin Vulgate: brown horses. 3 Charles Thompson, The Septuagint Bible 8 Adjective masculine plural absolute from BDB notes that this word appears .”ָאמֹץ“ Indiana: Shekinah Enterprises, 1999). the word) twice and only in this book (6:3; 6:7). Francis Brown, 4 http://cal1.cn.huc.edu/ S. R. Driver, Charles A. Briggs, James Strong, and Wilhelm Gesenius, The Brown-Driver-Briggs 5 http://cal1.cn.huc.edu/ Hebrew and English lexicon: with an appendix containing the Biblical Aramaic : coded with the 6 numbering system from Strong's Exhaustive Robert Weber & Roger Gryson, Biblia concordance of the Bible (Peabody, Mass: Sacra Vulgata (Germany: German Bible Society, Hendrickson Publishers, 1996). 2006). 7 Hebrew text: spotted horses; Septuagint: 20 skewbald or piebald or dappled (horses). 9 word appears four times in the bible (Gen. Although the dictionary of classical Hebrew 31:10; 31:12; Zech. 6:3; 6:6). It is translated volume 1 and TWOT choose spotted and as spotted or marked by Hebrew Bible. dappled (horses) for this word, this dictionary also mentions that the same word could have The The Texts The a different meaning: strong. 10 In short, the Ancient (Gen. Translations (has two Texts 31:10 ”ָאמֹץ“ dilemma is the word The flock עַל־הַצֹֹּ֔ אן meanings: spotted and dappled (horses) or Biblia stripped עֲקֻדִִּּ֥ים נְקֻדִִּּ֖ ים strong; and this information answers the Hebraica ,(streaked) ּובְרֻדִּ ִּֽים reason of different attestations of the ancient Quinta manuscripts. speckled and spotted Different Translations from the Ancient (marked). Texts. Septuagint διάλευκοι Quite white καὶ ποικίλοι and many- καὶ colored אֲמֻצִּים (2) אֲמֻצִּים (1) Textual (Strong) (Flesh- σποδοειδεῖς (variegated) Witnesses Latin Coloured) ῥαντοί and ashen- Vulgate Septuagint, sprinkled. Behold, the והא ברחייא reads this Syriac Peshitta Targum goats which דסלקין על ענא word as and Aramaic Jonathan rose upon the ׁשומא strong. Targum flock were בריגליהון translate this spotted in וקרוחין word as their feet, or וגביהון חיוורין -spotted dappled streaked or (horses) white in their backs. This table reveals that only Vulgate reads Syriac The flock ܥܟܐ܂ ܟܪ̈ܚܐ as strong. Pesshita white-spotted אֲמֻצִּים ܣ (bald), and ܟܦܝ̈ܦܝܐ spotted, and variegated ܘܪܚܬܐ (highly The Observation from the Text. decorated). Latin Feminas The females Zechariah 6:2-3. The analysis from a Vulgate varios et were of before the word “strong”. This maculosos divers ,בְרֻדִִּּ֖ ים ,word 9 Adjective masculine plural absolute from Publishing Company, 1972). HALOT mentions that this word only .”ָאמֹץ“ the word appears once in the Hebrew Bible. Ludwig 10 Compare page 320 to 313. See David J. A. Koehler,Walter Baumgartner, and M. E. J. Richardon, Cines, The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, Vol. 1: eds. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Aleph (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1994); Testament. Accordance electronic ed., version 3.0. G. J. Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, Theological (Leiden: Brill, 2000); William L Holladay, A Concise Dictionary of the Old Testament. Translated by David Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament E. Green. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 32-327. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans 21 et colours, and / dappled diversorum spotted, and (variegated) colorum speckled. Based on table observation above, The The Texts The three ancient texts – Quinta, Peshitta and Ancient (Gen. 31:12) Translation Vulgate - are rather ambiguous about the Texts s color of the flock; they only mention the The flock characteristic of the flock’ appearance such as עַל־הַצֹֹּ֔ אן עֲקֻדִִּּ֥ים Biblia stripped spotted, speckled and variegated (highly נְקֻדִִּּ֖ים ּובְרֻ דִּ ִּֽים Hebraica Quinta (streaked), decorated). Targum seems to explain more speckled further, in this case the color, which is white. and spotted Septuagint, on the other hand, is obviously (marked). describing the color of the sprinkled Septuagi διάλευκοι καὶ Quite white (spotted): the pale gray color of ash. nt ποικίλοι καὶ and many- If Zechariah emphasizes on the σποδοειδεῖς colored description of the chariots’ colors, then ῥαντούς (variegated) spotted-skewbald is the most plausible only gives the בְרֻדִִּּ֖ים and ashen- reading; because sprinkled. appearance of the fourth chariot, not the Behold, the color. TWOT also supports this reading and והא ברחייא Targum goats which points out that because the first three are דסלקין על ענא Jonathan rose upon given colors and it seems incongruous to call ׁשומא בריגליהון the flock the last pair “strong”. 12 Septuagint, Targum וקרוחין וגביהון were and Peshitta’ translations seem to maintain חיוורין spotted in the colors description of the chariots. their feet, or streaked or Zechariah 6:6-7 white in their backs. The The Texts The Syriac The flock Ancient (6:6b-7) Translations Pesshita ܥܟܐ܂ ܟܪ̈ܚܐ ܐ white- Texts And the וְהַַ֙בְרֻ דִֹּּ֔ ים spotted Biblia ܟܦܝ̈ܦܝܣ ܪܚܬܐ spotted ones ִּ֖יָּצְאּו אֶּל־ bald), and Hebraica) spotted, and Quinta go out to the אִֶּּ֥רֶּ ץ הַתֵימָּ ִּֽן׃ ܐ variegated land of the south; and וְהָּאֲמֻצִִּּ֣ים highly) the strong יָּצְא֗ ּו .(decorated Latin Feminas varios The females ones or Vulgate respersos atque were of spotted- maculosos divers skewbald sprinkled, 11 ones go and spotted out . 11 Participle plural perfect passive masculine 12 Ibid. accusative from respergo. 22 Septuagint καὶ οἱ And the were the ποικίλοι variegated strongest ἐξεπορεύοντο ones were ones have ἐπὶ γῆν going out to gone out. νότου; καὶ οἱ the land of ψαροὶ the south; The geography plays important role ἐξεπορεύοντο . and the in these verses. Because of the geography of dappled- Palestine, all of Israel’s enemies came against grays ones her from north or south. The east of Israel and were going Judah is Arabian deserts; on the other hand, out the west side is sea Mediterranean. The And the appellation of North and South is also related ּופַצִּיחִּין נְפַקֻו Aramaic shining to geography. Old Testament prophetic texts לַאֲרַ ע Targum (dazzling) display on going tradition of the threat from דָּרֹומָּא׃ ones went the north country. The north country is the out to the place from which attacks come from Assyria וְקִּטמָּנִּין ,land of the and Babylon (Isa.