Translation Surprises, Part 2

“I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.” – Proverbs 30:3

We learned last week that the Hebrew adjective translated “of the Holy One” (qadosh) is plural, not singular. Yet most Bible translations and versions stick with a singular rendition. (The verse above is from the NIV and that’s the version I’ll be using in this post unless otherwise noted.)

But would it surprise you to learn that this isn’t the only verse in Proverbs where the translators do this? Here’s the other one:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10

Yes, “the Holy One” in this verse, as in 30:3 is plural, not singular! So we have the same issue twice in Proverbs!

Why did the translators do this? Like I mentioned last week, I don’t know of a grammatical rule that mandates this move. And I wrote that the poetic structure of the text doesn’t require changing the number from plural to singular.

But maybe it does, if we combine with a theological motive. Let me explain.

Proverbs 9:10 is an example of what Bible scholars call “synonymous parallelism.” This is a poetic structure in which the second line of a verse repeats one or more elements contained in the first line. In this case, the verse has three similarities:

• Fear – Knowledge
• The Lord – The Holy One
• Wisdom – Understanding

Within this structure, it makes sense to treat the plural Hebrew word qadosh as a singular. It looks like it’s describing God and as the Bible declares, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

And what would the alternative to the singular be? For both Proverbs 9:10 and 30:3, we could try these plural options:

• Holy Ones – God as plural or multiple
• Holy ones – angels or righteous people (saints)
• Holy things – anything from spiritual wisdom to moral guidelines to temple items

Many Christians would prefer the first choice because it suggests an undeveloped notion of the Trinity. The second option emphasizes the insight that those who are spiritual enjoy. This group includes the angelic host, who are privy to the mind of God, and sages, whom the book of Proverbs presents as role models. The last one doesn’t seem to fit the subject matter of Proverbs. This book doesn’t have much to say about the law of Moses, feast days, or priestly duties. It has only one reference to offerings (7:14). So it’s unlikely these two verses would comment about matters we find in, say, the book of Leviticus.

This brings us down to two options: Holy Ones or holy ones. To determine which is likelier, let’s see where else in the Old Testament the plural adjective qadosh occurs. 

Two verses in the Psalms refer to the Israelites:

• “I say of the holy people who are in the land, ‘They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.’” – Psalm 16:3
• “Fear the LORD, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing.” – Psalm 34:9

God set apart Israel from the other nations; the Jewish people were to know Him, serve Him, and make Him known to the surrounding countries. Being chosen by God and set apart for His work made Israel holy. It wasn’t that they were a sinless people; the Old Testament has much to say about their failures! But they belonged to the Lord, and that’s why He calls them His holy ones.

There are also a few verses which use the plural form of qadosh to refer to angels. For example, here’s another passage from the Psalms:

“The heavens praise Your wonders, LORD, Your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. ⁶For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings? ⁷In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all who surround Him.” – Psalm 89:5-7

The allusions to the heavens tell us that the psalmist doesn’t have the Israelites in mind; he’s thinking about the angelic host. They’re not human, but they’re holy; created by God and dedicated to His service. Yet even though their domain is the realm above, angels exhibit concern about the affairs of earth, too. We see this played out in the book of Daniel:

“Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, ‘How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled–the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the LORD’s people?’” – Daniel 8:13

While each instance of qadosh in this verse is singular, Daniel is reporting on two angels speaking with each other, so this verse reinforces a plural understanding of angels as holy ones.

And notice that angels aren’t omniscient; they don’t know everything. They’re wise, but they’re not all-knowing. Some have information that others don’t, and they have to communicate with each other to clarify and carry out the will of God.

There’s one more verse that points to the angels as holy ones.

“You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.” – Zechariah 14:5

Here, the prophet Zechariah is announcing the circumstances of the Day of the Lord. When God steps down from heaven to earth to rescue His people, He will not do so alone; His angels will attend with Him.

We Christians see this as the return of Jesus Christ to our world. In His own words, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne” (Matthew 25:31). The Day of the Lord involves an angelic entourage that brings to full realization the kingdom of God.

Now, there are four other verses in the Old Testament that have the plural form of qadosh, but it’s not clear whether these intend angels or human beings.

• “Indeed, He loves the people; all Your holy ones are in Your hand, and they followed in Your steps; everyone takes of Your words.” – Deuteronomy 33:3
• “Call if you will, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?” – Job 5:1
• “He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.” – Daniel 8:24
• “Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful Holy One.” – Hosea 11:12

The manuscripts containing Deuteronomy 33:3 vary somewhat, so translators aren’t quite sure of the original wording. The holy ones are either the Israelites or the angels. It’s a tough call to decide.

Job 5:1 might be referring to angelic aid for people, like Job, who are in trouble. It may also refer to wise people who are in a position to help the distressed. Again, it can go either way.

The last phrase of Daniel 8:24, “the holy people,” is actually “the people of the holy ones.” The people are the Jews, but the holy ones could be either angelic overseers or righteous leaders who serve the nation. The grammar permits either interpretation.

And let’s end this analysis on a strange note! Hosea 11:12 seems to identify God as “the faithful Holy One.” That’s a great description of Him, don’t you think? But it’s odd because “Holy One” is plural, not singular. This is what we’ve encountered in Proverbs! But another quirk is that the participle, “who is faithful,” is singular, not plural! Go figure! We could translate the phrase like this: “the holy ones [or Holy Ones] who is faithful.” That’s not good English, but it’s what the Hebrew Bible gives us.

It certainly looks like Hosea is talking about the one true God in this verse. He castigates Judah for being unruly against God, and, using synonymous parallelism, repeats his reference to the Lord. The Jews are rebelling against the God who is faithful to them. It’s a sad situation, which is why the Lord sent Hosea to warn them to repent and return.

So when we take a step back, it seems like we have biblical freedom to interpret the plural of qadosh in Proverbs 9:10 and 30:3 to refer to God, angels, or righteous Jews. Which one did Solomon and Agur have in mind when they crafted these sayings? We’ll try to settle that in the next post!