Psalm 78/Notes/Grammar.v. 51.975339

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For the emendation אוֹנָם in place of the MT's plural א֝וֹנִ֗ים, see the "their labors/pains" in the LXX and TgPs, "their strenth" in Symmachus, and "their children" in the Syr.[1] A number of Hebrew manuscripts may also read אונם.[2] The preferred reading (as the MT), however, is found in Jerome's Hebr. "first born"; and "of pains" in Aquila and Quinta/Sexta (<a href="https://septuaginta.uni-goettingen.de/catalogue/Ra_1173/">https://septuaginta.uni-goettingen.de/catalogue/Ra_1173/</a>).[3]

For the suffixed-form, see the NJPS "the firstfruits of their vigor" (cf. ESV, REB).

The plural אוֹנִים is unambiguously attested in Isa 40:26, 29 and Prov 11:7, so does not pose a grammatical problem for the MT here, of which the Hebrew manuscript evidence is otherwise very strong across both the larger Tiberian Codices and the Babylonian manuscripts. The versions may also have been influenced by וַיַּ֣ךְ כָּל־בְּכ֣וֹר בְּאַרְצָ֑ם רֵ֝אשִׁ֗ית לְכָל־אוֹנָֽם׃ in Ps 105:36.

  1. ↑ These read τῶν πόνων αὐτῶν, צעריהון, δυνάμεως αὐτῶν, and ܝܠܕܗܘܢ, respectively.
  2. ↑ See de-Rossi, Variae Lectiones, vol. 4, 54.
  3. ↑ Read principium partus, λυπῶν and ὀδύνων, respectively.