DailyHebrew.com

The recent unveiling at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem of an Exodus fragment which may date to the 7^th or 8^th century CE is getting quite a bit of media coverage.  The most recent article at Artdaily.org includes an excellent picture of the first few verses of Exodus 15.  The text visible in the image is identical to the consonants of the MT (colored red below; the layout may not reflect the pagination of the fragment).

MT:

Exodus Fragment:

The final verses of “the Song of the Sea” from the Leningrad Codex:

 As always Jim Davila is on top of the story here and here.

אֵ֖לֶּה רָאשֵׁ֣י בֵית־אֲבֹתָ֑ם

14-25

ה֥וּא אַהֲרֹ֖ן וּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם הוֹצִ֜יאוּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם׃ 27 הֵ֗ם הַֽמְדַבְּרִים֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם ה֥וּא מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃ 28 וַיְהִ֗י בְּי֨וֹם דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ פ
29 וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹ֖ר אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה דַּבֵּ֗ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י דֹּבֵ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ 30 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הֵ֤ן אֲנִי֙ עֲרַ֣ל שְׂפָתַ֔יִם וְאֵ֕יךְ יִשְׁמַ֥ע אֵלַ֖י פַּרְעֹֽה׃ פ

Vocabulary

Verse 14

            ראשׁ  noun: “head, first”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• Asyndetic, verbless clauses (S-P) begin the listing of names in verse 14 and also verse 26.
• The term אב is used to mean family, or clan, group.
• Verses 14-25 list the names of these family progenitors and their descendents.

Vocabulary

Verse 26

            צבא  noun: “hosts”

Verse 27

            פרעה  name: “Pharaoh”

Verse 30

            הן  particle: “behold”

            ערל  verb: “uncircumcised”

            שֹפה noun: “lip”

            איך  interrogative: “how?”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 26

• BDB suggests the alternative reading אל צבאתם meaning “against their armies” instead of על “according to their hosts” (not supported by any ancient text).

Verse 27

• The phrase, מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם, is in apposition to פַּרְעֹ֣ה.
• The repetition of this verbless clause, ה֥וּא מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן, at the head and foot of these two verses is curious.  It must connect back to the usage of the two names in verse 20.

Verse 28

• The final relative clause, אֲנִ֖י דֹּבֵ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ, uses a periphrastic construction without a copulative.

Verse 29

• The dagesh in the lamed of לֵּאמֹ֖ר is a conjunctive dagesh (GKC, 20c).

Verse 30

• See previous comment on the idiom, עֲרַ֣ל שְׂפָתַ֔יִם.

 וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ 11 בֹּ֣א דַבֵּ֔ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וִֽישַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ 12 וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ פ
13 וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ וַיְצַוֵּם֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ ס 

Vocabulary

Verse 12

            הן  enclitic (from הנּה): “behold”

            איך  interrogative: “how?”

            ערל  “uncircumcised” (BDB, 790)

            שֹפה  noun (feminine dual): “lip”

Verse 13

צוה  verb (Piel waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms w/ 3mpl suffix): “command, give charge”

            יצא  verb (Hiphil infinitive construct): “bring out”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 11

• This direct speech introduction follows the typical topology, VSO.

Verse 12

• The construct phrase, מלך מצרים, is in apposition to the proper name, פרעה “Pharaoh.”
• The prefixed form, ישׁלח, is functioning like a jussive, “let the sons of Israel go out.”
• The idiom, עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם “uncircumcised of lips,” is only found here and in verse 30.  It probably means “unskilled in speaking.”
• The dual is an archaic form used to indicate a pair or twofold grouping of something, e.g. שְׂפָתָֽיִם “lips,” עינַ֫יִם “eyes,” ידַ֫יִם “hands,” etc.  The dual ending, masculineָ֫יִם  and feminine ָ֫תַיִם  , only occurs with nouns, “never with adjectives, verbs or pronouns” (GKC 88).

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַתָּ֣ה תִרְאֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה לְפַרְעֹ֑ה כִּ֣י בְיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ יְשַׁלְּחֵ֔ם וּבְיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה יְגָרְשֵׁ֖ם מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ ס      2 וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ 3 וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃ 4 וְגַ֨ם הֲקִמֹ֤תִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתָּ֔ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן אֵ֛ת אֶ֥רֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־גָּ֥רוּ בָֽהּ׃ 5 וְגַ֣ם ׀ אֲנִ֣י שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶֽת־נַאֲקַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם מַעֲבִדִ֣ים אֹתָ֑ם וָאֶזְכֹּ֖ר אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי׃

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            פרעה  name: “Pharaoh”

            גרשׁ  verb: “drive out” (BDB, 176)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The feminine adjective, חֲזָקָה “strong,” is in attributive position (after noun) and agrees in number, gender and definiteness.
• The adverbial phrase, בְיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙, is fronted (i.e. highlighted) in the last two clauses.

Vocabulary

Verse 3

            ראה  verb (Niphal waw-consecutive imperfect 1cs): “appear”

            אל שׁדי  name: “El Shaddai”

Verse 4

            ברית  “covenant”

            כנען  name: “Canaan”

            מגור  noun: “sojourning” (BDB, 158)

            גור  verb: “sojourn”

Verse 5

            נאקה  noun: “groaning” (BDB, 611)

            משרים  “Egypt”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

• Such a “double” introduction of direct speech,וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו, is common in Hebrew.
• An exhaustive study of this phrase, אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה, would reveal its use in the context of God authenticating his deliverance and power.
• The verbless clause, אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה, has the typology S—P.

Verse 3

• The disjunctive waw (waw + non-verb in narrative) can be translated as “but.”
• The verb, נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי “make known,” is a Niphal perfect 1cs from the root ידע.
• See my overview of the debate concerning the Divine Name.

Verse 4

• The infinitive construct, לָתֵ֥ת, is derived from נתן.
• The noun phrase, אֵ֛ת אֶ֥רֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶ֖ם, is in apposition to the previous object of the infinitive, אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן.

Verse 5

• The particle, אֲשֶׁ֥ר, can signal a causal clause, “because.”

***I am reposting this article in conjunction with the Exodus 6 passage below from the old DH domain***

There is much scholarly debate concerning when the divine name, or Tetragrammaton, was given to the people of God.  Some contend that Exodus chapter three represents the inauguration of the self-revelation of God’s proper name; whereas, others argue that the name was revealed earlier in the history of mankind.  Although the debate may not be solvable in this summary posting, a précis of the two main opinions is appropriately coordinated with the DH reading from Exodus chapter 3 (available here).  The central text for both sides is Exodus 6:2-3, which reads: 

God spoke with Moses, saying to him: “I am YHWH.  I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but by my name, YHWH, I did not make myself known to them.”  (Author’s translation)

The first hypothesis maintains that the divine name was made known first in the Book of Exodus when YHWH revealed himself to Moses.  This argument asserts that the revealed name of God was El Shaddai before the Exodus and YHWH after the Exodus.  This understanding easily explains why YHWH was unknown to Pharaoh in Exodus 5:2.  The Hebrews could not make known the divine name to Pharaoh if it had not been revealed previously to them.  Thus, one of the purposes of the Exodus event was to reveal the divine name not only to the Hebrews but to make it known to the Egyptians (Exodus 7:5). 

Conversely, another claim is that the divine name was known by the people of God prior to the Exodus account.  In favor of this acumen are several rationales ranging from direct references to Yahweh in the Book of Genesis to the Yahwistic element in Moses’ mother’s name, Jochebed (Exodus 6:20, Numbers 26:59).  What then of the clear statement in Exodus 6:2-3?  The favored interpretation of this text is not that YHWH did not let His name be known at all, but only that the significance of the divine name as a symbol of deliverance was not known by his people.  This problem appears to be irreconcilable with the current information as both arguments have difficulties and advantages.  

Any further thoughts?  Evidence for one side or the other?

For further study see R.W. Moberly, The Old Testament of the Old Testament:  Patriarchal Narratives and Mosaic Yahwehism (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1992) 5-78; or for a more specific overview of these arguments see B. S. Childs, Exodus (London: SCM, 1974).  Also, U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis, 2 vols., translated by Israel Abrahams (Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1989).