Haplography and Philology: A Study of Ode of Solomon 16:8

Abstract

Scholars continue to puzzle over the meaning of the Syriac in Ode 16: 8, despite the extended discussions during the last century. Recently a critic, unfamiliar with the scholarly debates, claimed incorrectly that the verb U-u?°c annot be an active participle and should be vocalized to mean 'and that which is revealed'. It is timely, therefore, to discuss afresh the probable meaning of this verse. The Syriac and translation, as presented in the recent edition of The Odes of Solomon, 1 is as follows: