יסף-אסף

מאת: אבנר רמו

In the Book of Judges we read: ויאספו כל-בעלי שכם - “And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together” (Jud 9:6; see also: Ex 32:26; Neh 8:1).

Yet in the Book of Samuel we find: ויספו כל-העם לבכות עליו - “And all the people wept again over him” (2 Sam 3:34).

The Greek translator understood here the unusual ויספו (vayosiphu) as: “and [all the people] gathered [to weep over]” which suggests that he believed that here ויספו (vayosiphu) is a letter-deletion error of ויאספו (vayeasphu) - “and they gathered.” The comparison between these verses supports the understanding of the Greek translator.

In the Book of Nehemiah we read: ואתם מוסיפים חרון על-ישראל - “yet you bring more wrath upon Israel” (Neh 13:18).

Now we read in the Book of Deuteronomy:
ועתה למה נמות, כי תאכלנו האש הגדלה הזאת; אם-יספים אנחנו לשמע את-קול יהוה אלהינו עוד--ומתנו
“Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; If we hear the voice of YHWH our God any more, then we shall die” (Deu 5:22; see also: Is 29:14; 38:5).

The Greek translator understood the unique יספים (yosphim) as “we continue” and it appears that he believed that this Hebrew word is a letter-deletion error of מוספים (mosiphim) - “[we] continue.”

In the Book of Jeremiah we read: ונאספה שמחה וגיל - “And gladness and joy is taken away” (Jer 48:33).

Yet in the Book of Isaiah we find:
ויספו ענוים ביהוה שמחה; ואביוני אדם, בקדוש ישראל יגילו - “The humble also shall increase their joy in YHWH, and the neediest among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel” (Is 29:19).

However, the comparison between these verses suggests that ויספו (veyasphu) is a letter-deletion error of ויאספו (veyaasphu) - “and [they] will collect.”