Thus the practice of philological treatment has often been to use the LXX or other version not as a direct corrective of MT but as evidence for the identification by comparative methods of Hebrew words or senses previously unknown. ... A good first example is Ps. 47.10
[נדיבי עמים נאספו
עם אלהי אברהם כי
לאלהים מגני־ארץ
מאד נעלה׃ ]
literally apparently 'the shields of the earth'. The LXX (46.10) has
[ αρχοντες λαων συνηχθησαν μετα του θεου Αβρααμ οτι του θεου
οι κραταιοι της γης σφοδρα επηρθησαν ]
'the powerful of the earth', cf. also Syriac 'whdynyh d'r' 'the powers of the earth'. The normal Hebrew sense 'shield' has been felt to be strange: are there 'shields of the earth' which belong to God? Emendations have been suggested which produce a sense like 'princes'; in these the versions are used as clues to construct a consonantal text different from MT. A philological treatment is offered by Driver, who says that the LXX here provides 'far the earliest evidence' for the root of Arabic majin 'bold'. Perhaps, then, there was a Hebrew [מגן] 'bold, insolent', preserved only through the versional evidence. KB, following Driver, registers this as a Hebrew word.
The textual and the philological treatments both result in roughly similar senses ('princes' or 'insolent ones', against the traditional 'shields'), but the mode by which this result is reached is different. In the one case it is reached by altering the text, in the other by offering a different explanation of the same text. ...
In addition to these possibilities, one case also say that the meaning is 'shields' and that this is a figurative expression for the rules or the mighty ones of the earth. This explanation through metaphor, if correct, removes the original difficulty. It implies that the LXX were vague about the meaning and gave a general guess; or that in the translation they abandoned the metaphor and gave expression to that to which the figure referred, rather than reproduce the figure itself in Greek.
- James Barr, Comparative Philology and the Text of the Old Testament, p.241-242
Heb
נדיבי עמים נאספו
עם אלהי אברהם כי
לאלהים מגני־ארץ
מאד נעלה׃
Heb(ptd)
נְדִ֘יבֵ֤י
עַמִּ֨ים׀ נֶאֱסָ֗פוּ עַם֮ אֱלֹהֵ֪י אַבְרָ֫הָ֥ם כִּ֣י
לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים מָֽגִנֵּי־אֶ֗רֶץ מְאֹ֣ד נַעֲלָֽה׃
Heb(xlit)
nəḏîḇê ‘ammîm| ne’ĕsāfû ‘am ’ĕlōhê ’aḇərâām kî lē’lōhîm māḡinnê-’ereṣ mə’ōḏ na‘ălâ:
LXX
αρχοντες λαων συνηχθησαν μετα του θεου Αβρααμ οτι του θεου
οι κραταιοι της γης σφοδρα επηρθησαν
LXX(nets)
Rulers of peoples gathered with the God of Abraam,
because the strong of the earth are God's.
They were very much raised up.
Targum
Vulg
Principes populorum congregati sunt cum Deo Abraham,
quoniam dii fortes terræ vehementer elevati sunt.
Wycliffe
The princes of puplis ben gaderid togidere with God of Abraham; for the stronge goddis of erthe ben reisid greetli.
Coverdale
The prynces of the people are gathered together vnto the God of Abraham: for God is farre farre hyer exalted, then the mightie lordes of the earth.
Luther
Die Fürsten der Völker sind versammeltals Volk des Gottes Abrahams; denn Gott gehören die Starken auf Erden; er ist hoch erhaben.
Geneva
The princes of the people are gathered vnto the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the world belong to God: he is greatly to be exalted.
DRB
The princes of the people are gathered together, with the God of Abraham: for the strong gods of the earth are exceedingly exalted.
KJV
The princes of the people are gathered together,
even the people of the God of Abraham:
for the shields of the earth belong unto God:
he is greatly exalted.
RSV
The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!
Lamsa
The rulers of the Gentiles have returned to the God of Abraham; for the dominions of the earth belong to God and he is greatly exalted.
NIV
The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings* of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
* Or shields
NRSV
The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted.
NET
The nobles of the nations assemble,
along with the people of the God of Abraham<17>
for God has authority over the rulers<18> of the earth.
He is highly exalted!<19>
17) tc The words “along with” do not appear in the MT. However, the LXX has “with,” suggesting that the original text may have read עִם עַם (’im ’am, “along with the people”). In this case the MT is haplographic (the consonantal sequence ayin-mem [עם] being written once instead of twice). Another option is that the LXX is simply and correctly interpreting “people” as an adverbial accusative and supplying the appropriate preposition.
18) tn Heb “for to God [belong] the shields of the earth.” Perhaps the rulers are called “shields” because they are responsible for protecting their people. See Ps 84:9, where the Davidic king is called “our shield,” and perhaps also Hos 4:18.
19) tn The verb עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”) appears once more (see v. 5), though now in the Niphal stem.
CEV
Their leaders come together
and are now the people
of Abraham's God.
All rulers on earth
surrender their weapons,
and God is greatly praised!
GNT
The rulers of the nations assemble
with the people* of the God of Abraham.
More powerful than all armies is he;
he rules supreme.
NLT
The rulers of the world have gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
He is highly honored everywhere.
Msg Princes from all over are gathered,
people of Abraham's God.
The powers of earth are God's-
he soars over all.
Related Earlier Post
Provocative Vocative in Psalm 47
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