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What is the correct translation of Psalm 22:16?



    
    

Clarify Share Report Asked July 01 2013 Mini Anonymous (via GotQuestions)

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Shea S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries
Psalm 22:16 reads, "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet." The phrase "pierced my hands and feet" along with the context, is likely t...

July 01 2013 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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1962835 886666591363615 5889782195995975036 n Vattachal-Vadakketil Thomas John alias V T John Rtd Joint.Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Kerala. India
In the Good News Bible Ps. 22:16 reads as follows "A gang of evil men is round me; like a pack of dogs they close in on me; they T E A R at my hands and feet." Taking into account the foot-note on that page a second reading is "A gang of evil men is round me; like a pack of dogs they close in on me LIKE A LION at my hands and feet" As a third reading we have " A gang of evil men is round me; like a pack of dogs they close in on me; THEY TIE at my hands and feet.
I agree that the version with the word is PIERCED is the most appropriate version..

January 19 2016 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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My picture Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church
There is a Psalms fragment (Psalm 22:16) from Nahal Hever, where the word in question is written as כארו, karu, which becomes "dug" when omitting the aleph, as Vall had previously speculated. It may then involve a misspelling. It is from a Dead Sea Scroll written in Hebrew. I believe they call these a copyist's error. (Remember, we don't have the original manuscripts).

This fragment clearly shows that the final letter in the crucial word vrak (ending with the longer letter vav (ו) rather than the shorter yod (י), yielding ka'aru) is a waw (v, in Hebrew ו), not a yod (y, in Hebrew י).) This
confirms that the text should be translated “they
pierced/dug,” rather than “like a lion.”

The ancient Greek translation, the Septuagint, agrees with the Dead Sea Scrolls reading “pierce.” I have checked out the Septuagint from the public library and have read parts of it, parts familiar to me.

And this would agree with what both prophets Isaiah and Zechariah prophesied, as Michael mentioned, Isaiah said, "He was pierced for our transgressions" (Isaiah 53:5). Zechariah prophesied, "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced" (Zechariah 12:10; compare John 19:37).

I studied Hebrew for 3 years at Dallas Seminary and loved it! (3 years was 1 year more than the required 2 years).

January 13 2020 1 response Vote Up Share Report


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