THE USE OF INTERROGATIVES IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL AND THEIR TRANSLATION IN THE ANCIENT VERSIONS

Abstract

The Hebrew book of Ezekiel contains more than 70 questions, many of them rhetorical. The questions are introduced by interrogative particles, such as ×”Ö²Ö² and ×”×œÖ¹× , and interrogative pronouns. There are also questions without such particles. This paper investigates the construction and use of questions in the Hebrew Ezekiel and the translation of these questions into the Septuagint, Peshitta, Targum and Vulgate. The first section of the paper deals with the construction of questions in the Hebrew Old Testament as well as in the versions. The main part of the paper discusses a few of the different kinds of questions in the Hebrew Ezekiel, and their rendering into the versions. From the examples discussed, it is clear that the Targum normally follows the Hebrew closely. The LXX and Vulgate do not have fixed patterns, but use interrogative particles in the majority of examples. The Peshitta is close to the Hebrew in factual questions, but shows a variety of translations for yes-no questions, in most instances without any interrogative particles.