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וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֨א יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃ 2 וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה בְרִיתִ֖י בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֑ךָ וְאַרְבֶּ֥ה אוֹתְךָ֖ בִּמְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃ 3 וַיִּפֹּ֥ל אַבְרָ֖ם עַל־פָּנָ֑יו וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּ֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃ 4 אֲנִ֕י הִנֵּ֥ה בְרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וְהָיִ֕יתָ לְאַ֖ב הֲמ֥וֹן גּוֹיִֽם׃ 5 וְלֹא־יִקָּרֵ֥א ע֛וֹד אֶת־שִׁמְךָ֖ אַבְרָ֑ם וְהָיָ֤ה שִׁמְךָ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם כִּ֛י אַב־הֲמ֥וֹן גּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃ 6 וְהִפְרֵתִ֤י אֹֽתְךָ֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ לְגוֹיִ֑ם וּמְלָכִ֖ים מִמְּךָ֥ יֵצֵֽאוּ׃ 7 וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֜י בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֗ךָ וּבֵ֨ין זַרְעֲךָ֧ אַחֲרֶ֛יךָ לְדֹרֹתָ֖ם לִבְרִ֣ית עוֹלָ֑ם לִהְי֤וֹת לְךָ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃ 8 וְנָתַתִּ֣י לְ֠ךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֨ אַחֲרֶ֜יךָ אֵ֣ת ׀ אֶ֣רֶץ מְגֻרֶ֗יךָ אֵ֚ת כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לַאֲחֻזַּ֖ת עוֹלָ֑ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            תשׁעים  cardinal number: “ninety”

            תשׁע  cardinal number: “nine”

            שׁדי  “Almighty” (BDB, 994)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The idiomatic way to describe the age of an individual is to say that he was “a son of x years.”
• For more on the appellation, אל שׁדי, see HALOT entry under שׁדי.
• The clause, אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י, is a verbless clause with the typology S-P.
• The verb, וֶהְיֵ֥ה, is a Qal imperfect ms from היה.
• The last word, תמים, can have the literal meaning of “complete” (Leviticus 25:30) and “whole, that is “without blemish” (Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 1:3, 10, etc.), or a figurative connotation of “blameless” (Genesis 6:9).

Vocabulary

Verse 2

            אתנה  verb (Qal cohortative 1cs): “I shall make/establish”

Verse 4

            המון  noun: “great number, multitude”

Verse 5

            אברהם  name: “Abraham”

Verse 6

            פרה  verb: “be fruitful” (BDB, 826)

Verse 7

            דור  noun: “generation”

Verse 8

            מגורים  noun: “sojourning” (BDB, 158)

            כנענ  name: “Canaan”

            אחזה  noun: “possession”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

• The idiom, בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֑ךָ, repeats בין with the second element—“between me and (between) you.”
• Notice that the verb used with ברית “covenant” is נתן “establish” and not כרת “cut” as in Genesis 15:18.  In general, כרת ברית is used to initiate a covenant (cf. Genesis 15:18; Exodus 34:10, 34:27; Joshua 24:25; Deuteronomy 5:2, 5:3, 28:69, 29:13, 24; 1 Kings 5:26; 2 Kings 11:17, 17:35, 38, 23:3; 2 Chronicles 21:7, 23:3, 16, 29:10, 34:30; Ezra 10:3; Nehemiah 9:8; Psalm 50:5, 89:4; Isaiah 55:3, 61:8; Jeremiah 11:10, 31:31, 32, 33, 32:40, 34:13; Ezekiel 34:25, 37:26; Hosea 2:20).  The (re)establishment of a covenant uses קום ברית (Genesis 6:18, 9:9, 11, 17, 17:7, 19, 21; Exodus 6:4; Ezekiel 16:60, 62) or elsewhere for confirmation נתן ברית (Genesis 17:2; Leviticus 26:9; Numbers 25:12; Deuteronomy 8:18).
• The superlative in Hebrew is not marked morphologically but semantically with repetition, thus the expression מאד מאד means “exceedingly much” (Genesis 7:19, 17:2, 6, 20, 30:43; Exodus 1:7; Numbers 14:7; 1 Kings 7:47; 2 Kings 10:4; Ezekiel 9:9, 16:13, 37:10).
• The second clause demonstrates the means by which the covenant is established.  Thus, the waw is used instrumentally “in that,” that is the proof by which covenant is established is the multiplication of Abram’s seed.

Verse 4

• The phrase, לְאַ֖ב הֲמ֥וֹן גּוֹיִֽם, is a three member construct phrase.
• The fronted אני is difficult to understand syntactically.  The English translations either ignore it (RSV, ESV, NLT) or make it adverbial “as for me” (KJV, NRS, NIV, NAS, JPS).  The LXX (ἐγὼ ἰδοὺ ἡ διαθήκη μου μετὰ σοῦ) duplicates the MT to the point of ambiguity with regard to the Greek syntax.  The Targums present a plausible solution by gapping the verbal concept from the first clause of verse 2 (אנא הא גזר קימי עימך “I, behold, have confirmed my covenant with you”), and not treating it as a verbless clause.

Verse 5

• The naming formula usually contains the meaning or reason for the name in clause marked by the preposition כי.

Verse 6

• See the semantically and grammatically similar clause in verse 2—וְאַרְבֶּ֥ה אוֹתְךָ֖ בִּמְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד.

Verse 7

• Concerning the first clause, וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֜י בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֗ךָ וּבֵ֨ין זַרְעֲךָ֧, see notes on verse 2.
• Other references to לִבְרִ֣ית עוֹלָ֑ם include: Genesis 9:12, 16, 17:7, 13, 19; Exodus 31:16; Leviticus 24:8; Numbers 18:19, 25:13; Joshua 4:7; 2 Samuel 23:5; 1 Chronicles 16:17; Job 40:28; Psalm 105:10; Isaiah 24:5, 55:3, 61:8; Jeremiah 32:40, 50:5; Ezekiel 16:60, 37:26.
• Covenant language expanded לִהְי֤וֹת לְךָ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים: the infinitive construct assumes the aspect (imperfective) and person (first) from the previous finite verb.   Notice the expansion of this promise to include also וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אַחֲרֶֽיךָ.

Verse 8

• The construct phrase, אֲחֻזַּ֖ת עוֹלָ֑ם, demonstrates the attributive relationship.
• The combination of two direct object phrases without waw indicates apposition, אֵ֣ת ׀ אֶ֣רֶץ מְגֻרֶ֗יךָ אֵ֚ת כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן “the land of your sojourning, [that is] all the land of Canaan.”

Narrowing the field of wonderful resources to only one (or three) was quite difficult. Several categories, in particular Archeology and Culture, are lacking. I have attempted to strike a balance between usefulness and cost for the biblical studies novice (Please also remember that this list is not supposed to be exhaustive or definitive); nevertheless, feel free to make suggests and emendations in the Comments below!

-See the earlier posts in this series on Essential Bible Study Tools (How to Spend Your First $200) & OT Textual Criticism Tools (Text Criticism for <$150).

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הַכֵּ֨ה בְכַפְּךָ֜ וּרְקַ֤ע בְּרַגְלְךָ֙ וֶֽאֱמָר־אָ֔ח אֶ֛ל כָּל־תּוֹעֲב֥וֹת רָע֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֗ר בַּחֶ֛רֶב בָּרָעָ֥ב וּבַדֶּ֖בֶר יִפֹּֽלוּ׃ 12 הָרָח֞וֹק בַּדֶּ֣בֶר יָמ֗וּת וְהַקָּרוֹב֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפּ֔וֹל וְהַנִּשְׁאָר֙ וְהַנָּצ֔וּר בָּרָעָ֖ב יָמ֑וּת וְכִלֵּיתִ֥י חֲמָתִ֖י בָּֽם׃ 13 וִֽידַעְתֶּם֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה בִּֽהְי֣וֹת חַלְלֵיהֶ֗ם בְּתוֹךְ֙ גִּלּ֣וּלֵיהֶ֔ם סְבִיב֖וֹת מִזְבְּחֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם אֶל֩ כָּל־גִּבְעָ֨ה רָמָ֜ה בְּכֹ֣ל ׀ רָאשֵׁ֣י הֶהָרִ֗ים וְתַ֨חַת כָּל־עֵ֤ץ רַֽעֲנָן֙ וְתַ֙חַת֙ כָּל־אֵלָ֣ה עֲבֻתָּ֔ה מְק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָֽתְנוּ־שָׁם֙ רֵ֣יחַ נִיחֹ֔חַ לְכֹ֖ל גִּלּוּלֵיהֶֽם׃ 14 וְנָטִ֤יתִי אֶת־יָדִי֙ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְנָתַתִּ֨י אֶת־הָאָ֜רֶץ שְׁמָמָ֤ה וּמְשַׁמָּה֙ מִמִּדְבַּ֣ר דִּבְלָ֔תָה בְּכֹ֖ל מוֹשְׁבֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ

Vocabulary

Verse 11

            רקע  verb: “stomp down” (BDB, 222)

            אח  interjection: “Ah, Alas” (BDB, 25)

            דבר  noun: “plague” (BDB, 184)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

•  The Hiphil imperative נכה usually refers to hitting or smiting something or someone; however with the word hands/palms in this context as well as other places in Ezekiel it means “to clap.”
• The preposition אֶל is causal “because of.”

Vocabulary

Verse 12

            רחק  adjective: “distant”

            כלה  verb: “complete”

            חמה  “wrath”

Verse 13

            גלול  noun: “idol” (BDB, 165)

            גבעה  “hill”

            רם  “high” (BDB, 926)

            רענן  “fresh” (BDB, 947)

            אלה  “terebinth” (BDB, 18)

            עבות  “leafy” (BDB, 721)

            ניחח  “soothing” (BDB, 629)

Verse 14

            נטה  verb: “stretch out”

            משׁמה  “destruction” (BDB, 1031)

            דבלתה  name: “Diblah”

            מושׁב  “dwelling place” (BDB, 44)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 12

• The adjectives, רחק and קרב, are substantives.

Verse 13

• Compare, וִֽידַעְתֶּם֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה, to verse seven and ten and fourteen.
• The phrase, רָאשֵׁ֣י הֶהָרִ֗ים, refers to the top of the mountains.
• This verse describes the place on which they sacrificed their offerings.
• See Leviticus (1:13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5; 6:8, 14; 23:13, 18) for more references to רֵ֣יחַ נִיחֹ֔חַ “soothing aroma.”

“How can one properly study the text until the text has been determined?”

-Sage advice from a friend

Other helpful articles:

• P. K. McCarter, Jr., “Textual Criticism: Recovering the Test of the Hebrew Bible” in Guides to Biblical Scholarship (Fortress Press, 1986).
• E. Tov, “Textual Criticism (OT)” in ::amazon(038542583X,Anchor Bible Dictionary)::, vol. 4 (Doubleday, 1992) 393-412.
• J.W. Wevers, "Proto-Septuagint Studies" in ::amazon(B0007IV5VI,The Seed of Wisdom: Essays in Honour of T.J. Meek)::, ed. W.S. McCullough, (Toronto, 1964).

Additional Resources for the Versions

See previous post: How to Spend Your First $200

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן לֵ֛ךְ לִקְרַ֥את מֹשֶׁ֖ה הַמִּדְבָּ֑רָה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַֽיִּפְגְּשֵׁ֛הוּ בְּהַ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיִּשַּׁק־לֽוֹ׃ 28 וַיַּגֵּ֤ד מֹשֶׁה֙ לְאַֽהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֛ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלָח֑וֹ וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הָאֹתֹ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃ 29 וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיַּ֣אַסְפ֔וּ אֶת־כָּל־זִקְנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ 30 וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָאֹתֹ֖ת לְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃ 31 וַֽיַּאֲמֵ֖ן הָעָ֑ם וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֡וּ כִּֽי־פָקַ֨ד יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְכִ֤י רָאָה֙ אֶת־עָנְיָ֔ם וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ׃

Vocabulary

Verse 27

            פגשׁ  verb: “meet” (BDB, 803)

            נשׁק  verb (Qal waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): “kiss” (BDB, 676)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

•  The final he of הַמִּדְבָּ֑רָה “the wilderness” is the directional he.
• The phrase, הר האלהים, is an appellation of Horeb/Sinai (Exodus 3:1; 4:27; 18:5; 24:13; 1 Kings 19:8).

Vocabulary

Verse 28

            נגד  verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): “tell”

Verse 29

            אסף  verb: “assemble”

Verse 31

            אמן  verb: “believe”

            פקד verb: “observe”

            עני  “affliction”

            קדד  verb: “bow down” (BDB, 869)

            השׁתחוה (waw-consecutive imperfect 3mpl): “worship”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 28

• The word, הָאֹתֹ֖ת “signs,” is doubly defective spelling, that is it is missing two weak letters (see also Exodus 4:17, 30; Deut. 7:19; 29:2).  Other options could have been האתות (Exodus 4:9; Numbers 14:11; Deuteronomy 34:11; Joshua 24:17; 1 Samuel 10:7, 9), האותת (usually used with pronominal suffixes Psalms 65:9; 74:4, 9; but without suffix also Deuteronomy 6:22) or האותות (not extant in MT).

Verse 29

• The verb in the first clause is a Qal waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms from הלך.  However its subject is plural, מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹ֑ן.  When there are multiple subjects connected by waw and the first one in the series is a single individual (usually someone who is notable) the verb will take singular form.
• This three member bound phrase, זִקְנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל “the elders of the sons of Israel,” is not found elsewhere in the MT.

Verse 31

• The root of the final word is dubious.  See the discussion in BDB 1005 and the newer handling of it in HALOT 295-6.