ESV in Ex 34:15 - antecedent of "his?"

I wonder if the translators of the ESV may have kept the "his" at Exodus 34:15 from the KJV or from a later English translation that may have kept the "his" from the KJV, but they did not notice that they removed the added "one" in italics in the KJV that served as the antecedent for it.

Exodus 34:15 in the KJV
Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice.

 

I think the difficulty stems from whether the word translated inhabitants actually means the one who inhabits the land, i.e.refering to a group or individual as singular.

If it is plural, the the ESV makes a muddle of it. If it is singular, referring to those who inhabit as a single group, then it could be translated as he calls you and you eat of his sacrifice.

Thus we have either, lest you make a covenant with the one who inhabits the land... he calls you and you eat of his sacrifice. or lest you make a covenant with the ones who inhabit the land...they call you and you eat of their sacrifices. The NET indicates the grammar does not require either choice and therefore goes with inhabitants and somone invites you, making the verse read smoothly.

 

You ask,

A - The antecedent is the one doing the inviting.

"…his sacrifice." is a common masculine singular noun with third person masculine suffix.

"call" is a verb, qal, singular masculine, third person.

Other older versions add the word "one" or "someone" to translate the singular verb.

lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; (AV 1873)

lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot after their gods, and sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee and thou eat of his sacrifice; (ASV)

lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they play the harlot after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and one invites you, you eat of his sacrifice, (RSV)

You shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to their gods, someone among them will invite you, and you will eat of the sacrifice. (NRSV)

lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, (ESV)

Be careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone invites you, you will eat from his sacrifice; (NET)


Rob