Toward a Reading of Proverbs 30:1b: Tracing the Life of the Text in the Versions

Kirk, Alexander T.

Abstract

Proverbs 30:1b presents one of the most intractable text-critical dilemmas in the HB. Following Ronald Troxel’s suggestion that text criticism be reimagined as “a commentary on the life of the text,” I suggest the way forward in reading Prov 30:1b lies in carefully engaging with the versions as a window on its history. Emerging from this process, I argue that Prov 30:1b may have once read *לָ וכּא א ֹלְ ו יִ יתִ אָ ל” ,I am weary and powerless.” Early on, however, this text was conflated with another textual tradition that read a proper name thus producing a double reading. In time, scribes harmonized this double reading which then calcified in MT. The versions and analogous biblical passages suggest the proposed text, while documented scribal practice and lexical usage support it.

Citation

Kirk, A. T. (online). Toward a Reading of Proverbs 30:1b: Tracing the Life of the Text in the Versions. Vetus Testamentum, https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-00001146

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Jan 18, 2022
• Publication Date: Jan 18, 2022
• Deposit Date: May 30, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: May 30, 2022
• Journal: Vetus Testamentum
• Print ISSN: 0042-4935
• Electronic ISSN: 1568-5330
• Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-00001146
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1202555