Biblical Hebrew Word Order and Saadya Gaon's Translation of the Pentateuch

This paper examines translation patterns for Biblical Hebrew nominal and verbal clauses in the Arabic translation of Saadya Gaon. The examination is based on three major versions (Derenbourg edition, Hasid edition, and Ms. St. Petersburg), but considers other versions as well (Ms. Add. 1008 held in Cambridge, Constantinople, London and Paris Polyglots, and Geniza fragments). Although the data reveals differences among the various versions, it is possible to trace consistent syntactical patterns of nominal and verbal clauses typical of Saadya's translation. These patterns shed light on the syntactical characteristics of Saadya's Arabic, and they reflect well the original Biblical Hebrew word order.