The Grammar and Meaning of Ps. 67:3

Introduction

Translators and interpreters have differed in their understanding of the syntax and semantics of Psalm 67:3, especially the first word לָדַ֣עַת. These differences change how one understands the relationship between verses 2-4, with implications for how we understand the Psalm as a whole.

The text is as follows:

2 ‏ אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ| May God be gracious to us and bless us.
יָ֤אֵ֥ר פָּנָ֖יו אִתָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה׃ | May he make his face shine on us {selah},

3 לָדַ֣עַת בָּאָ֣רֶץ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ | ? to know ? your way on earth,
בְּכָל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ | your salvation among all nations.

4 יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | Let the peoples praise you, O God.
י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ | Let the peoples praise you, all of them.

Five Options:

There are five main options for rendering this verse. Four of them read לָדַ֣עַת as introducing a purpose/result clause continuing v.2, and one of them as a circumstantial clause prefacing v.4.

These options, illustrated by modern translations, are as follows:

Purpose/result clause:

1. “Us” as subject
We will know - your way - on earth

• Douay: That we may know thy way upon earth, thy salvation in all nations.

2. “Way” as subject
Your way - be made known - on earth

• ESV: that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

3. “Earth” as subject
The earth - will know - your way

• NJB: Then the earth will acknowledge your ways, and all nations your power to save.

4. Preserve ambiguity
To know - your way - on earth

• Robert Alter: to know on the earth Your way, among all the nations Your rescue

Circumstantial clause:

5. Circumstantial
Knowing - your way - on earth

• Marvin Tate (WBC): Knowing your way on the earth, your saving-work among all the nations,
  

In the following argument maps we will first address the issue of whether לָדַעַת here should be read as a introducing a purpose/result clause or as a circumstantial clause. Then we will consider the strengths and weaknesses of the four purpose/result clause options.

Argument Maps

Purpose/Result Clause or Circumstantial Clause?

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[Purpose/Result Clause]: The לָדַעַת of v.3 should be read as introducing a purpose/result clause continuing from v.2. 
 <_ <''Selah''>: The ''Selah'' seems to create a break between the main clause of v.2 and the purpose/result clause of v.3. #dispreferred
  <_ <Parallel Uses of ''Selah''>: In Ps.55:19 Selah appears in the middle of a sentence. Also possibly in Ps. 68:8.
 + <Default Reading>: This is the default reading of an infinitive construct with a ל-prefix.
  + [ADD CITATION FROM GRAMMAR?]: Or not necessary?
 + <Ancient + Modern Support>: Almost all translations, ancient and modern, follow this reading.
  + [See ancient and modern translations below]
 + <Context>: This reading fits more logically with the overall structure of the Psalm.
  + For example, it does not break up the fixed section of v.4-6 which begins and ends with the same refrain. Also mirrors the possible purpose/result clause of v.8. 

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[Circumstantial Clause]: The לָדַעַת of v.3 should be read as introducing a circumstantial clause prefacing v.4. #dispreferred 
 + <''Selah''>: The ''Selah'' seems to create a break between the main clause of v.2 and the purpose/result clause of v.3. It is therefore preferable to connect v.3 with v.4. #dispreferred
  <_ <Parallel Uses of ''Selah''>: In Ps.55:19 Selah appears in the middle of a sentence. Also possibly in Ps. 68:8.
 + <לָדַעַת as circumstantial>: Tate argues that לָדַעַת can be read a circumstantial, quoting GKC §114o (Tate 1998 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <Unusual Order>: In GKC §114o 34 examples of circumstantial infinitive constructs are listed. However, in every single one the infinitive-circumstantial clause occurs after the main clause, whereas in Ps.67:3 it would precede the main clause. 

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[Main point title]: Main point.
 + <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

"YHWH examines the righteous"

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[Righteous / wicked]: The text should be divided as follows: "YHWH examines the righteous / but the wicked and the one who loves violence, his soul hates."
 + <MT accents>: The word יִ֫בְחָ֥ן has the accent *ole-weyored*, and this accent very frequently corresponds to a line end (Sanders & de Hoop forthcoming :A:).
  <_ [Not grammatical or logical]:The accentuation "seems, however, to be rather musical than grammatical or logical" (Alexander 1864:62 :C:) "Die Akzentuation ist jedenfalls in Unordnung" (Kittel 1922:36-37 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Pausal form>: The word יִבְחָן is in pause and so marks the end of the line (Revell 1981 :A:).
 + <Hebrew manuscripts>: The Aleppo Codex, Sassoon 1053, and the Babylonian codex Or 2373 support this division of the text.
 + <Ancient versions>: Both Jerome (see Codex Amiatinus) and the Syriac Peshitta (see Codex Ambrosianus) divide the text in the same way.
 + <Word order>: The order of the words (יהוה צדיק יבחן ורשע instead of יהוה יבחן צדיק ורשע) suggest that רשע is not coordinate with צדיק as a second object of יבחן.
  - [Textual error]:The original arrangement of the words is as follows: יהוה יבחן צדיק ורשע (BHS; Duhm 1899:35 :C:; Kraus 1960:88 :C:).#dispreferred
   + [LXX & Syriac]: Both the LXX and Syriac Peshitta appear to swap the order of "examine" (יבחן) and "righteous" (צדיק). #dispreferred
  - [Poetic purpose]: "The word order helps to make the point: literally, 'Yhwh faithful examines and faithless.' Yhwh’s examining divides faithless from faithful" (Goldingay 2006:192 :C:). #dispreferred
  - ["YHWH is righteous"]: "Righteous" (צדיק) is not an object but a predicate complement ("YHWH is righteous") (so αλλος: κυριος δικαιος). The object of יבחן is ורשע; the *waw* is emphatic. "We take into account in this way the unusual order of the words" (Auffret 1981 :A:; cf. Dahood 1966:68 :C:; Zenger 1993:90-1 :C:). #dispreferred
   + [Emphatic waw]: According to Dahood and Penar (1966:361ff :G:), emphatic *waw* is prefixed to an object following a verb in the following instances: Ps 27:8 71:20 83:17 109:4 64:7 (Auffret 1981 :A:). #dispreferred
 + <Semantic contrast>: "We get a better antithesis by contrasting God's dealings with the righteous and the wicked in the two lines. ורשע is the proper antith. to צדיק" (Briggs 1906:93 :C:; cf. Craigie 2004:132 :C:).
 - <Imbalance>: According to this division, the lines are imbalanced (3 words / 5 words).#dispreferred
  - ["Lover of violence" gloss]: The phrase אהב חמס "seems, for metrical reasons, to be a gloss" (Baethgen 1904:31; cf. Morgenstern 1950 :A:; Briggs 1906:93 :C:).
   - [Love / Hate]: The terms "love" (אהב חמס) and "hate" (שנאה נפשו) are juxtaposed in v. 5b (cf. Ps. 97:10) (Olshausen 1853 :C:; cf. Ehrlich 1905:23 :C:; Gunkel 1927:42-43).#dispreferred

"YHWH examines the righteous and the wicked"

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References

67:3