Kiss the SON

[tonychanyt]

Ps 2:

7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

[are] My Son;
בְּנִ֥י (bə·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1121: A son
Strong's Hebrew: 1121. בֵּן (ben) — 4932 Occurrences

H1121 was a ubiquitous Hebrew word.

11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Strong's Hebrew: 1248. בַּר (bar) — 4 Occurrences

Brown-Driver-Briggs:

I. בַּר noun masculine son (Aramaic בַּר,

As an Aramaic word, בַּר means "son", but the definite article was not in the manuscript.

New International Version:

Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

But the word "his" was not in the manuscript either. For these reasons, others translated בַּר as the usual Hebrew word as other usual Hebrew words in the rest of the psalm. They did not see any particular reason to read בַּר as Aramaic.

Strong's Hebrew: 1249. בָּר (bar) — 7 Occurrences

Brown-Driver-Briggs:

adjective: pure, clean

JPS Tanakh 1917:

Do homage in purity, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way, When suddenly His wrath is kindled. Happy are all they that take refuge in Him.

On Biblehub, 23 versions used "son"; 7 translated it to something else. I think the majority overinterpreted.

What about Prob 31:2?

JPS Tanakh 1917:

What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?

Here, there was no controversy. Even JPS read them as Aramaic. There was no missing definite article because it was not needed in the translations. On Biblehub, all 32 versions used "son"; none used "purity".

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges explained:

The word here used for son is not the usual Heb. word, ben, but the Aramaic word bar (as in Bar-jona, Bar-Jesus); and this Aramaism is in keeping with other dialectic peculiarities of this Section of this Book.

 

[Reluctant Theologian]

Ps 2:


Strong's Hebrew: 1248. בַּר (bar) — 4 Occurrences

Brown-Driver-Briggs:


As an Aramaic word, בַּר means "son", but the definite article was not in the manuscript. For this reason, others translated בַּר as the usual Hebrew word as other usual Hebrew words in the rest of the psalm. They did not see any particular reason to read בַּר as Aramaic.

Strong's Hebrew: 1249. בָּר (bar) — 7 Occurrences

Brown-Driver-Briggs:


JPS Tanakh 1917:


On Biblehub, 23 versions used "son"; 7 translated it to something else.

I agree the translation 'purity' would also make sense for Psalm 2:11, but the context does refer to a son in verse Psalm 2:7 (the famous 'begotten' phrase).

It may look suspicious that an Aramaic word would pop-up in the middle of a Hebrew text, but the word 'bar' meaning 'son' is also used in Proverbs 31:2 .. which also is a very old text (the words of King Lemuel - a teaching from his mother), so it's possible it seems.

 

[tonychanyt]

the word 'bar' meaning 'son' is also used in Proverbs 31:2 .

Good point. I added to the OP to elaborate. Take another look. Thanks.