دُعاء الِسمَات
Select Notes on the Du`a al-simat
Stephen Lambden 1980s-2015
Under revision and completion...
IV:3
The theophany before Ishaq-Isaac in the Du`ā al-Simāt.
[3] and [also] unto Isḥāq (Isaac) Thy chosen one (ṣafiyy) - upon him be peace - at Beersheba (Heb.בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע = "Well of the Seven [fold Oath]", Gen 26:33, etc.) / بِئْرِ شِيعٍ (Bi'r Shiya`= "Well of [Shī`ī] Followers" !
Hebrew (MT) = Gen 26:33 =
וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֹתָ֖הּ שִׁבְעָ֑ה עַל־כֵּ֤ן שֵׁם־הָעִיר֙ בְּאֵ֣ר שֶׁ֔בַע עַ֖ד הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia : With Westminster Hebrew Morphology.
"And he called it Shebahi: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day. " (KJV 1611).
[3] and [also] unto Isḥāq (Isaac) Thy chosen one (ṣafiyy) - upon him be peace - at Beersheba (Ar. reading بِئْرسبع = bi'r al-sab` "Well of the Seven" = Heb.בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע = "Well of the Sevenfold-Oath", Gen 26:33, etc.) [or reading] بِئْرِ شِيعٍ (bi'r shiya`= "Well of [Shī`ī] Partisans" ! Hebrew Shibah or shīʹbah means ‘oath’ and is the name of the well dug by Isaac’s servants during his time with Abimelech of Gerar (Gen. 26:26-33). This term is apparently the source of the city name ‘Beer-sheba.’ or Beersheba.
The Arabic here is confused in the different versions of the Du`a al-Simat. Instead of "seven" the term transmutes into شِيع which is the Arabic plural of شِيعة = shiya` = follower', `partisan'. An early Imami Shi`i Islamo-biblical Arabic sense of Shi`i "Partisans" appears to have been read into the originally Hebrew word for oath and/ or part of what was originally the place name Beersheba. The line appears to have been inspired by an early `Alid exegesis of Genesis 26:33 and associated verses, "And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day" (26:33) + 49:1 etc. In Genesis this locality is associated with Isaac = Ishaq...
VII:3
The theophanies of YHWH or the the divine Majd ("Glory")
[3] And [I beseech Thee] through Thy Glory (majd) which was manifested upon
[a] Mount Sinai (ṭūr sīnā') (cf. Deut 33:2a = בָּא֙ מִסִּינַי , = "[YHWH-God] came from Sinai" through which Thou conversed with Thy servant and Thy messenger Moses son of `Imrān (= Amram). And [I beseech Thee] through Thy rising up in
[b] Seir (bi-ṭala`tika fi al-sa`īr) ( = Heb Deut 33:2a וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר֙) and Thy manifestation in
[c] Mount Paran (jabal fārān) [see Deut 33:2 Heb הֹופִ֙יעַ֙ מֵהַ֣ר פָּארָ֔ן = He shined forth from Mount Paran") with myriads [ten thousands] of sanctified-holy ones [saints] (bi-ribwāt al-muqaddasīn) [= Deut. 33:2b, Heb. וְאָתָ֖ה מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ
[d] 10,0000 of saints - "and he came with ten thousands of saints" KJV 33:2b. cf. Deut. 33:2 = ואָתָ֖ה מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ ... = ?? "and he came with myriads-ten thousands of saints" [KJV] / "advanced from Meribath-kadesh" [NAB]... Note Heb. רִבְבֹ֣ת= بِرَبَواتِ المُقَدَّسَيْنِ وَجُنُودِ المَلائِكَةِ الصَّافِّينَ Arabic r-b-w = to grow, increase > DS has bi-ribwāt al-muqaddisīn - Islamic gloss junūd "and thy hosts of purified Angels (junūd al-malā'ikat musafiyyīn) Du`a al-Simat.
Note [1] Sinai = Moses [2] Seir= Jesus [3] Mt. Paran= Muhammad...
Deuteronomy 33:2a
וַיֹּאמַ֗ר יְהוָ֞ה מִסִּינַ֥י בָּא֙ וְזָרַ֤ח מִשֵּׂעִיר֙ לָ֔מֹו הֹופִ֙יעַ֙ מֵהַ֣ר פָּארָ֔ן וְאָתָ֖ה מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ מִֽימִינֹ֕ו אֵ֥שׁ֯דָּ֖ת לָֽמֹו
King James Version [Base Version]
"And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them." (Deut .,33:2)
Biblia Sacra Vulgata [94.1% Variant from KJV]
et ait Dominus de Sina venit et de Seir ortus est nobis apparuit de monte Pharan et cum eo sanctorum milia in dextera eius ignea lex
2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
The New American Bible [ 53.1% Variant from Base]
Deut 33:2 (Van Dyck, 1865 [Logos, 2003])
فقال. جاء الرب من سيناء واشرق لهم من سعير وتلألأ من جبل فاران وأتى من ربوات القدس وعن يمينه نار شريعة له
Shi`i translation of the book based on `Abbās ibn Muhammad Riḍā' al-Qummī (d. 1319 Mafatīḥ al-Jinān etc., `Call on Me I answer you' = Ud`ūnī astajib li-kum... Prayers and Supplications from Mafatīḥ al-Jinān-Zad al-ma`ad and Almanac.. Qumm: Ansarian Publications. 3rd ed. 1380Sh.1422/2001)
and through Thy glory which appeard on Mount Sinai, and through which Thou addressed Thy slave and Thy Messenger , Moses son if `Imran, and through Thy appearance in Sa'ir and on Mount Faran near Rabawat which are clean and holy places, when troops of heavenly angels were in rows and with the submissiveness of the angels praising Thee and with Thy blessings with which Thou honored Abraham
PARAN (PLACE) [Heb pā˒rān (פָּארָן)
The name which designates the wilderness areas of Israel, W of Edom, and N of the wilderness of Sinai (IDB 3: 657). While this location is not given directly, it can be inferred from the several OT references to the wilderness of Paran. In particular, Num 13:3 and 26 report that the spies sent to scout out Canaan from the S were sent from and returned to Paran. Num 13:26 adds the specific note that the spies returned to Kadesh, apparently a town within the larger area designated by the “Wilderness of Paran.” In Deut 1:22, the location is also given specifically as Kadesh-barnea. The site of Kadesh-barnea is located at Tell el-Qudeirat in N Sinai at the juncture of two ancient routes: the Way of Shur and a branch of the Via Maris (EAEHL, 697).
