View source for The Relationship Between Psalms 14 and 53

=Introduction=

Within the Psalter only two psalms — 14 and 53 — exhibit such similarity, being (nearly) identical. Although the text of both is largely the same, there are some differences. The table below illustrates the points of similarity and difference.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Caption text
|-
! Verse !! Psalm 14 !! Psalm 53 !! Verse
|-
| 1a || לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד || לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־מָחֲלַת מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִד || 1
|-
| 1b || אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ אֵין אֱלֹהִים הִשְׁחִיתוּ הִתְעִיבוּ עֲלִילָה אֵין עֹשֵׂה־טוֹב || אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ אֵין אֱלֹהִים הִשְׁחִיתוּ וְהִתְעִיבוּ עָוֶל אֵין עֹשֵׂה־טוֹב || 2
|-
| 2 || יְהוָה מִשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁקִיף עַל־בְּנֵי־אָדָם לִרְאוֹת הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל דֹּרֵשׁ אֶת־אֱלֹהִים || אֱלֹהִים מִשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁקִיף עַל־בְּנֵי אָדָם לִרְאוֹת הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל דֹּרֵשׁ אֶת־אֱלֹהִים || 3
|-
| 3 || הַכֹּל סָר יַחְדָּו נֶאֱלָחוּ אֵין עֹשֵׂה־טוֹב אֵין גַּם־אֶחָד || כֻּלּוֹ סָג יַחְדָּו נֶאֱלָחוּ אֵין עֹשֵׂה־טוֹב אֵין גַּם־אֶחָד || 4
|-
| 4 || הֲלֹא יָדְעוּ כָּל־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן אֹכְלֵי עַמִּי אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם יְהוָה לֹא קָרָאוּ || הֲלֹא יָדְעוּ פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן אֹכְלֵי עַמִּי אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם אֱלֹהִים לֹא קָרָאוּ || 5
|-
| 5 || שָׁם פָּחֲדוּ פָחַד כִּי־אֱלֹהִים בְּדוֹר צַדִּיק || שָׁם פָּחֲדוּ־פַחַד לֹא־הָיָה פָחַד כִּי־אֱלֹהִים פִּזַּר עַצְמוֹת חֹנָךְ || 6a
|-
| 6 || עֲצַת־עָנִי תָבִישׁוּ כִּי יְהוָה מַחְסֵהוּ || הֱבִשֹׁתָה כִּי־אֱלֹהִים מְאָסָם || 6b
|-
| 7 || מִי יִתֵּן מִצִּיּוֹן יְשׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשׁוּב יְהוָה שְׁבוּת עַמּוֹ יָגֵל יַעֲקֹב יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל || מִי יִתֵּן מִצִּיּוֹן יְשֻׁעוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשׁוּב אֱלֹהִים שְׁבוּת עַמּוֹ יָגֵל יַעֲקֹב יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל || 7
|}


It is typically held that Ps 53 is dependent on, and therefore chronologically later than, Ps 14.<ref>So Auffret 1991, 217-230; Botha 2013, 583-584; Hossfeld and Zenger 2005, 36-39; Keil and Delitzsch 1996, 376; Tate 1998, 40-41. For a different opinion, that both Ps 14 and Ps 53 developed from a common source, see Rösel 1999, 57-61.</ref> How then can the differences between the copied text (Ps 53) and the source text (Ps 14) be explained? The differences have been explained in two ways; they are either the result of (1) textual corruption, by which the scribe of Ps 53 accidentally misread/miscopied Ps 14, or (2) scribal composition, by which the scribe of Ps 53 intentionally altered the text of Ps 14 for literary and/or theological purposes.

=Argument Maps=

==Textual Corruption==

The differences between Psalms 14 and 53 are the result of accidental textual corruption.

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[Textual Corruption]: The differences between Psalms 14 and 53 are the result of accidental textual corruption.
 + <Cursory Reading>: The scribe of Ps 53 carelessly copied עָוֶל "iniquity" in place of עֲלִילָה "deed, action." (Weiser 1880, 145 :C:).
 + <Different Arrangement>: The scribe of Ps 53 copied from a text in which the order of words was different than that in Ps 14: פזר עַצְמוֹתָם עצת עני תב (Weiser 1880, 146 :C:).
   + [Omission of עצת]: Upon copying עַצְמוֹתָם, the scribe of Ps 53 omitted the following word, עצת, as the first two letters of each (ayin and tsade) are the same (Weiser 1880, 146 :C:).
   + [Similar Letters]: The scribe of Ps 53 misread עני (ayin-nun-yod) for the graphically similar חנך (khet-nun-kaph) (Weiser 1880, 146 :C:).
  <_ <Undercutting statement title>:Type undercutting statement here (Author Date, Page :C:).#dispreferred
  - <Refuting statement title>:Type refuting statement here (Author Date, Page :C:; Author Date, Page :A:).#dispreferred
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==Scribal Composition==

The differences between Psalms 14 and 53 are the result of intentional scribal composition.

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[Scribal Composition]: The differences between Psalms 14 and 53 are the result of intentional scribal composition.
 + <Supporting argument title>: Type supporting argument here (Author Date, Page :C:).
  + <Supporting statement title>: Type supporting statement here (Author Date, Page :G:).
   + [Supporting evidence title]: List supporting evidence here.
  <_ <Undercutting statement title>:Type undercutting statement here (Author Date, Page :C:).#dispreferred
  - <Refuting statement title>:Type refuting statement here (Author Date, Page :C:; Author Date, Page :A:).#dispreferred
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=Conclusion=

=Research=

==Translations==

===Ancient===

===Modern===

==Secondary Literature==

=References=

[[Category:Argument maps]]

[[Chapter::53]]:[[Verse::X]]