The Grammar and Meaning of Ps 92:11b

Argument Maps

1sg Intransitive

The verb read in the MT as בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י is understood as an intransitive, and thus middle/passive reading, "I am anointed."

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=== 
[1sg intransitive בלל]: The verb בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י is an intransitive qal: "I am anointed." (Delitzsch 1877, 69 :C:; Radak :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Context>: This rendering fits the context well and the root is commonly collocated with שֶׁמֶן (Rashi :C:, Radak :C:).#dispreferred
 - <Qal בלל>: The qal verb בלל is never of a middle/passive voice, but is always transitive. The passive is communicated by the passive adjective בָּלוּל.
  + [Qal בלל]: See, e.g., Gen 11:7, 9.
 - <The verb בלל>: The verb בלל is never used to "anoint," but always "mix" in the context of שֶׁמֶן.
  + [The verb בלל]: See, בָּלוּל and בְּלוּלָה in Exod 29:2, 40; Lev 2:4, 5; 7:10, 12; 9:4; 14:10, 21; 23:13; Num 6:15; 7:13, 19, 25, 31, 37, 43, 49, 55, 61, 67,73, 79; 8:8; 15:4, 9; 28:5, 9, 12, 13, 20, 28; 29:3, 9, 14; cf. also the nominal forms תֶּבֶל and תְּבַלֻּל "confusion" (BDB) in Lev 18:23, 20:12, 21:20.

2sg Transitive

The verb בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י should be emended to read בַּלֹּתַנִי as a 2ms qatal with a 1cs suffix, "You anointed me."

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=== 
[2sg בלל]: The verb בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י should be emended to read בַּלֹּתַנִי, a 2ms qatal with a 1cs suffix, "You anointed me." (Briggs & Briggs 1907, 285 :C:; Kraus 1989, 227 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Context>: This rendering fits the context well and the root is commonly collocated with שֶׁמֶן.#dispreferred
 + <First clause>: This rendering follows the 2sg verb of the previous clause, וַתָּ֣רֶם.#dispreferred
 + <Ancient witnesses>: This is how the Peshitta and Targum Psalms interpret the clause.#dispreferred
  + [Ancient witnesses]: Peshitta: ܘܨܒܥܬܢܝ ܒܡܫܚܐ ܡܒܣܡܐ ("you have sprinkled me with fragrant oil; Taylor 2020, 385); Targum Psalms: רביתא יתי במשח רבותא רטיבא דזית עבוף ("you have anointed me with the fresh oil of a luxuriant olive"; Stec 2004, 176).#dispreferred
 - <Textual evidence>: The consonants בלתני are not attested in any Hebrew manuscript.
 - <The verb בלל>: The verb בלל is never used to "anoint," but always "mix" in the context of שֶׁמֶן.
  + [The verb בלל]: See, בָּלוּל and בְּלוּלָה in Exod 29:2, 40; Lev 2:4, 5; 7:10, 12; 9:4; 14:10, 21; 23:13; Num 6:15; 7:13, 19, 25, 31, 37, 43, 49, 55, 61, 67,73, 79; 8:8; 15:4, 9; 28:5, 9, 12, 13, 20, 28; 29:3, 9, 14; cf. also the nominal forms תֶּבֶל and תְּבַלֻּל "confusion" (BDB) in Lev 18:23, 20:12, 21:20.

"My horn" elided

The verb בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י needs no emendation, but as the standard transitive use of qal בלל, elides "my horn" (קַרְנִ֑י) of the previous clause as its object.

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=== 
[1sg transitive בלל]: The verb בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י is a transitive qal: "I anoint x" (Ibn Ezra :C:; Ḥakham 1979, 182 :C:; Hupfeld 1862 28-29 :C:; Radak :C:; Tate 1998, 462-463 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Syntax>: The transitive use of בלל fits the semantic profile of other uses of qal בלל (e.g., Gen 11:7, 9), while the object is accessible from the previous line.#dispreferred
  <_ <Object gapping>: Object gapping is very rare in Biblical Hebrew poetry, and any recognised instances are backwards gapped (O'Connor 1980, 404-405 :M:)
   + [Backwards object gapping]: See גַּם־שָׁמַ֖יִם נָטָ֑פוּ גַּם־עָבִ֖ים נָ֥טְפוּ מָֽיִם׃ (Judg 5:4) and בְּקֶ֥רֶב שָׁנִ֖ים תּוֹדִ֑יעַ בְּרֹ֖גֶז רַחֵ֥ם תִּזְכּֽוֹר׃ (Hab 3:2).
 + <Ugaritic parallel>: The collocation of mšḥ (=משׁח) + qrn (קרן) is attested in the Ugaritic text KTU 10.2.21–23, while Ps 92:10 is understood to draw upon a common hymn also known in Ugaritic literature (see Avishur 1994, 234-249 :M:).#dispreferred
  + [KTU 10.2.21–23]: qrn dbàtk btlt ˓nt qrn dbàtk b˓l ymšḥ b˓l ymšḥ hm b˓p ("Your powerful horn, girl Anat, your powerful horns will Baal anoint, Baal will anoint them in flight").#dispreferred
  + <Contextual domain>: Both בלל and משׁח semantically belong to the same contextual domain.
 - <The verb בלל, not משׁח>: The textual parallel would be much more convincing if משׁח was used (Loewenstamm 1978, 112 :A:); the verb בלל is never used to "anoint," but always "mix" in the context of שֶׁמֶן, and indeed occurs in the same sentence as משׁח.
  + [The verb בלל]: See both בלל and משׁח modified by בַּשֶּׁמֶן in Exod 29:2; Lev 2:4; 7:12; and Num 6:15.
  - <Cooccurrence>: The cooccurrence of both בלל and משׁח in these contexts indicates a semantic development from "mix" to "smear/rub/anoint" (Tate 1998, 463).#dispreferred
   - <Semantic contribution>: This is unlikely, as the בלל and משׁח phrases do not communicate the same process.
    + <Different object>: The two phrases in these verses systematically follow בלל with חַלֹּת֙ בְּלוּלֹ֣ת, whereas משׁח is followed by רְקִיקֵי מַצּוֹת, perhaps too thin ("a thin cake, wafer"; BDB, DCH, HALOT) to be mixed with oil, and thus "smeared."
  - <Contextual domain>: Both בלל and משׁח semantically belong to the same contextual domain, so the parallel is still notable.

"My old age" (preferred)

The word בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י is not a finite verb at all, but an infinitive construct with a 1cs suffix from the root בלה. It functions as the object of the verb of the previous clause, "you lift up" (וַתָּ֣רֶם), elided.

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=== 
[Infinitive construct]: The word בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י is a 1cs-suffixed infinitive construct from the root בלה, meaning "my old age" (Goldingay 2008, 52 :C:; Loewenstamm 1978, 111-113 :A:).
 + <Ancient versions>: The Greek and Latin versions attest to this interpretation.
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX: καὶ ὑψωθήσεται ὡς μονοκέρωτος τὸ κέρας μου καὶ τὸ γῆράς μου ἐν ἐλαίῳ πίονι ("And my horn will be exalted like a unicorn's, and my old age with thick oil; NETS); Symmachus: ... ἡ παλαίωσίς μου ὡς ἐλαία εὐθαλἠς ("... my old age (is) like a flourishing olive tree"); Gallican Psalter: et exaltabitur sicut unicornis cornu meum et senectus mea in misericordia uberi ("But my horn shall be exalted like that of the unicorn: and my old age in plentiful mercy"; Douay-Rheims); Iuxta Hebraeos: et exaltabitur quasi monocerotis cornu meum et senecta mea in oleo uberi ("And my horn will be exalted as an ox and my old age in rich oil").
 + <Discourse context>: The contribution of "my old age" fits the message of the psalm, as v. 15 discusses the righteous in their old age and describes them as רַֽעֲנַנִּ֣ים, just as the בְּשֶׁ֣מֶן רַעֲנָֽן in the present verse.
  + [v. 15]: ע֖וֹד יְנוּב֣וּן בְּשֵׂיבָ֑ה דְּשֵׁנִ֖ים וְרַֽעֲנַנִּ֣ים יִהְיֽוּ׃ ("They will still thrive in old age; they will be vigorous and fresh"). 
 <_ <Semantics of בלה> It is not clear that the semantics of בלה are altogether compatible with "old age," being more prototypically "worn out" objects. שֵׂיבָתִי would be much clearer.#dispreferred
  - <בלה as "old age">: There are instances involving people described with a simile of worn out garments (Isa 50:9; 51:6; Ps 102:27; Job 13:28), and even explicitly used as old age (Gen 18:12; Job 21:13)
   + [בלה as "old age"]: Gen 18:12: אַחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן ("After I am (already) old do I have pleasure – and my husband is old"); Job 21:13: יְבַלּוּ בַטּ֣וֹב יְמֵיהֶ֑ם וּ֝בְרֶ֗גַע שְׁא֣וֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ ("They wear out their days >> grow old in prosperity; in a moment they go down to Sheol").
    <_ <Text of Job 21:13>: It is unclear whether יְבַלּוּ (ketiv) or יְכַלּוּ (qere) should be preferred for the MT of 21:13, as the LXX reads συνετέλεσαν (יְכַלּוּ).#dispreferred
 + <Other psalms> People are compared to a tree with רַעֲנָן (cf. 92:13-14) in the context of the house of God.
  + [Ps 52:10]: וַאֲנִ֤י׀ כְּזַ֣יִת רַ֭עֲנָן בְּבֵ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים; cf. Ps 92:13-14: צַ֭דִּיק כַּתָּמָ֣ר יִפְרָ֑ח כְּאֶ֖רֶז בַּלְּבָנ֣וֹן יִשְׂגֶּֽה׃ שְׁ֭תוּלִים בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה בְּחַצְר֖וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣ינוּ יַפְרִֽיחוּ׃.
 + <Symmetrical structure>: The symmetry of verb-prepositional phrase-object//object-prepositional phrase explains the post-verbal order prepositional phrase-object (כִּרְאֵ֣ים קַרְנִ֑י) in the first line.
  + [Other verb-gapped symmetrical structures]: See, e.g., Isa. 35:6 (V-PP-S//S-PP): כִּֽי־נִבְקְע֤וּ בַמִּדְבָּר֙ מַ֔יִם וּנְחָלִ֖ים בָּעֲרָבָֽה׃.
 + <Surrounding syntax>: There is also verb gapping in previous line.
 <_ <Event semantics>: Since this would be the only instance of the inf. of this root as the object of a verb, it is not clear if רום with this object makes much semantic sense, nor whether ones "old age" can be lifted up with fresh oil.#dispreferred
  <_ <Prepositional phrase>: With Symmachus, the prepositional phrase should be read as כְּ (Loewenstamm 1978 :A:) such that a comparison is in view and, just like in Ps 52:10, a tree, if שֶׁ֣מֶן רַעֲנָֽן is also read as an ellipse, referring to the oil of a fresh tree (Goldingay 2008: 59 :C:).

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: καὶ ὑψωθήσεται ὡς μονοκέρωτος τὸ κέρας μου καὶ τὸ γῆράς μου ἐν ἐλαίῳ πίονι.
  • "And my horn will be exalted like a unicorn's, and my old age with thick oil."
• Symmachus: ... ἡ παλαίωσίς μου ὡς ἐλαία εὐθαλἠς.
  • "... my old age [is] like a flourishing olive tree."
• Gallican Psalter: et exaltabitur sicut unicornis cornu meum et senectus mea in misericordia uberi
  • "But my horn shall be exalted like that of the unicorn: and my old age in plentiful mercy."
• Iuxta Hebraeos: et exaltabitur quasi monocerotis cornu meum et senecta mea in oleo uberi
  • "And my horn will be exalted as an ox and my old age in rich oil."
• Peshitta: ܘܨܒܥܬܢܝ ܒܡܫܚܐ ܡܒܣܡܐ
  • "you have sprinkled me with fragrant oil."
• Targum: רביתא יתי במשח רבותא רטיבא דזית עבוף
  • "you have anointed me with the fresh oil of a luxuriant olive."

Modern

1sg Passive

• I shall be anointed with fresh oil (KJV; cf. CEB, CSB, ISV, NASB, NET, NIV, NJPS, REB)
• je suis arrosé avec une huile fraîche (SG21; cf. BDS, NBS, NVSR, TOB)
• mit frischem Öl bin ich überschüttet (EÜ)

2sg Active

• you have poured over me fresh oil (ESV; cf. CJB, GNT, NABRE, NJB, NRSV)
• tu verses sur moi une huile parfumée (PDV; cf. NFC)
• y sobre mí verterás aceite fresco (RVA; cf. DHH)
• und salbst mich mit frischem Öl (Luther 2017; cf. ELB, ZÜR)

References

92:11