יחרדו או ירדו?

מאת: אבנר רמו

In the Book of Samuel we read:
והיה היא רכבת על-החמור וירדת בסתר ההר, והנה דוד ואנשיו ירדים לקראתה; ותפגש אתם.
“And it was so, as she rode on her ass, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down towards her; and she met them” (1 Sam 25:20).

This phrase appears also in several other biblical verses (2 Sam 19:17, 21, 25; 1 Ki 2:8; 21:18). However, in the Book of Samuel we also find:
ויעש שמואל את אשר דבר יהוה, ויבא בית לחם; ויחרדו זקני העיר לקראתו, ויאמר, שלם בואך.
“And Samuel did that which YHWH spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said: Comes you peaceably?” (1 Sam 16:4; see also: 1 Sam 21:2).

The Greek translated this verse as “were surprised (or astonished) to meet him.” However, the comparison between these verses suggests that ויחרדו (vayekhredu) is a letter-insertion error of וירדו (vayerdu) - “came down.”

However, in the Book of Samuel we also read:
וירא שאול את-מחנה פלשתים; וירא, ויחרד לבו מאד - “And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly” (1 Sam 28:5; see also: Gen 27:33; Ex 19:18; 1 Ki 18:3; Ps 6:4; Est:4:4; Neh 2:2).

Yet eight chapters earlier we find: ושלשת, תרד מאד, ובאת אל-המקום אשר-נסתרת שם - “And in the third day you shall hide yourself well, and come to the place where you did hide yourself” (1 Sam 20:19).

It is not clear how the English translator determined that תרד מאד (thered meod) means: “you shall hide yourself well” and such an understanding is not shared by the Greek translator. However, the comparison between these verses suggests that תרד מאד (thered meod) is a letter-deletion error of תחרד מאד (thekhered meod) - “you should greatly fear” and therefore come to a hiding place.