CalvinandHodges
Puritan Board Junior
Greetings:
On a previous thread Mr. Taylor West indicated that there are legitimate reasons why the Hebrew Vowel Points should be considered non-inspired. His exact words were:
I am not aware of any new arguments which prove the non-inspiration of the vowel points. I would be all ears (or eyes) to read such new arguments.
Those who do argue that the vowel points were invented by the Masorites in the Nineth Century A.D. seem to think that the vowel points are not inspired because they were invented at such a late date. Even if the vowel points were created at such a late date - this does not mean that the vowels they represent are not inspired. Vowels are necessary in order for a language to be spoken, and the vowels were present in the consonantal text as a matter of oral tradition (assuming that there were no pointed texts prior to 800 A.D.). The text would have to be pronounced. It would reasonably follow that the Masoretes did not invent the vowel system, but simply codified the pronunciation of the text.
As far as John Owen is concerned: His emphasis was upon the inspiration of the vowel points rather than on when precisely they did appear:
Blessings,
Rob
On a previous thread Mr. Taylor West indicated that there are legitimate reasons why the Hebrew Vowel Points should be considered non-inspired. His exact words were:
I would like to see the arguments that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Hebrew vowel points came many centuries after the originals. The standard arguments against the vowel points being inspired have been well answered by Peter Whitfield - a summary of his book can be found here: A Dissertation on the Hebrew Vowel-PointsThe problem with such thinking is this, now that it is proven beyond doubt that the Hebrew vowel points did come many many centuries after the originals, John Owen is left with nothing to believe.
I am not aware of any new arguments which prove the non-inspiration of the vowel points. I would be all ears (or eyes) to read such new arguments.
Those who do argue that the vowel points were invented by the Masorites in the Nineth Century A.D. seem to think that the vowel points are not inspired because they were invented at such a late date. Even if the vowel points were created at such a late date - this does not mean that the vowels they represent are not inspired. Vowels are necessary in order for a language to be spoken, and the vowels were present in the consonantal text as a matter of oral tradition (assuming that there were no pointed texts prior to 800 A.D.). The text would have to be pronounced. It would reasonably follow that the Masoretes did not invent the vowel system, but simply codified the pronunciation of the text.
As far as John Owen is concerned: His emphasis was upon the inspiration of the vowel points rather than on when precisely they did appear:
Since Owen's major concern was that the Hebrew vowel points are a part of the inspired text - I would suggest that Owen had everything to believe.As has been said, it is the opinion of some great scholars that Ezra and his colleagues, in giving close atttention to the Holy Scriptures, devised and employed the vowel-points for a language which before had consisted only of twenty-two consonant letters. Others maintain that the points were coeval with the letters. The latter is a view that I would not oppose, although I would see no reason to defend it against all comers, provided only that those who ascribe to pointing to Ezra also allso them to have had a divine (inspired) origin. The view whcih I intend to support and defend in this Digression is that the system of Hebrew vowel-points which we now enjoy by the grace of God cannot be attributed to anyone later than the time of Ezra, and (what amounts to the same thing) that they had a divine and infallible origin, John Owen, Biblical Theology, (Pittsburgh: Soli Deo Gloria, 1994), 495.
Blessings,
Rob
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