The Meaning of ענותו in Ps. 132:1

Note: This is a draft form of this exegetical issue. It has not been reviewed and is not ready for use.

Introduction

Psalm 132 begins with a petition for YHWH to remember, but the difficult word ענותו makes the content of this remembrance challenging to understand. The MT reads זְכוֹר־יְהוָ֥ה לְדָוִ֑ד אֵ֝ת כָּל־עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ׃: "Remember, YHWH, for David’s sake, כָּל־עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ!"

The main options for what exactly the psalmist asks YHWH to remember are as follows:

1. All David's humility or meekness
2. All David's afflictions (external opposition)
3. All David's self-inflicted hardship

There are several related issues including:

• Establishing the text (MT or emendation?)
• The sense of the Hebrew infinitive from ענה
• Allusion to other traditions in the Hebrew Bible relating to bringing the ark to Jerusalem

Argument Map(s)

Reading 1

The first interpretive option takes the word as a noun, humility, meekness. This reading is reflected in the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible: "O Lord, remember David, and all his meekness."

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[The text should be repointed to the nominal form עַנְוָתוֹ]: Instead of MT pu. inf. constr., the noun form ('humility', 'meekness') is the correct reading.
 + <Ancient versions>: This reading is supported by the LXX and Syriac.
  + [Evidence for supporting argument]: Evidence.
 + <Ideological consistency>: The quality of humility is stressed throughout the Psalter, and is demonstrated here in David's determination to find an appropriate home for the ark (Johnson, 18 :M:).
  <_ <Undercutting argument>: This is an undercutting argument. #dispreferred
 - <Refuting argument>: refuting. #dispreferred
  + [Evidence for refuting argument]: This is evidence for the refuting argument. #dispreferred

Reading 2

The second interpretive option for this phrase understands it to refer to external opposition. This interpretation is reflected in the ESV: "Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured."

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[The phrase refers to external opposition]: Statement.
 + <Supporting argument>: Explanation.
  + [Evidence for supporting argument]: Evidence.
  <_ <Undercutting argument>: This is an undercutting argument. #dispreferred
 - <Refuting argument>: refuting. #dispreferred
  + [Evidence for refuting argument]: This is evidence for the refuting argument. #dispreferred

Reading 3

The third interpretive option for this phrase understands it to refer to voluntary hardship or deprivation. This interpretation is reflected in the NIV: "LORD, remember David and all his self-denial."

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[The phrase refers to voluntary hardship.]: Statement.
 + <Supporting argument>: Explanation.
  + [Evidence for supporting argument]: Evidence.
  <_ <Undercutting argument>: This is an undercutting argument. #dispreferred
 - <Refuting argument>: refuting. #dispreferred
  + [Evidence for refuting argument]: This is evidence for the refuting argument. #dispreferred

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: Μνήσθητι, κύριε, τοῦ Δαυιδ καὶ πάσης τῆς πραΰτητος αὐτοῦ (Lord, remember David, and all his meekness [Brenton LXX Translation]
• Syriac: עַנְוָתוֹ (his humility)
• Vul.: Memento Domine David et omnis adflictionis eius (Remember, Lord, David and all the affliction of him)

Modern

Humility

• Douay-Rheims Bible: O Lord, remember David, and all his meekness. 

External Opposition

• KJV: LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:
• ESV: Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured,
• NLT: LORD, remember David and all that he suffered.
• CEB: LORD, remember David— all the ways he suffered.
• NBS: Seigneur, souviens-toi de David, de toutes ses afflictions!
• BDS: O Eternel, souviens-toi de David et de toutes ses peines;
• PDV2017: Seigneur, souviens-toi de David et de toutes ses souffrances.
• Lutherbibel 2017: Gedenke, HERR, an David und all seine Mühsal,

Self-inflicted Hardships

• NIV: LORD, remember David and all his self-denial.
• NET: O LORD, for David's sake remember all his strenuous effort,
• Hfa: HERR, erinnere dich doch, welche Mühe David auf sich nahm!
• NGÜ: Denke an all die Mühe, HERR, die David auf sich genommen hat!

Secondary Literature

"Remember, Yahweh, in David’s favor, all his painstaking effort." MT ענותו is a pual inf. const. (GKC §75aa) with a suf. and connotes self-affliction (cf. Lev 23:27, 29) and so voluntary effort; cf. 1 Chr 22:14, where David’s preparations for the temple are associated with 'affliction' (עני)." (Allen, Psalms 101–150 [Revised], vol. 21, WBC [Dallas: Word 2002], 263; emphasis added)

"The hymn begins with a striking appeal to Yahweh to remember on David's behalf 'all his humility'. This is a quality which we find stressed repeatedly in the Psalter as the characteristic attitude which Yahweh requires of all His followers, king and subjects alike; and its use in the present connexion is then explained in terms of David's reverent concern for the Ark and his untiring determination to find a suitable home for this important cultic object, which was the guarantee of Yahweh's presence with His people . . ." (Johnson, Aubrey. Sacral Kingship in Ancient Israel. P. 18)

References

132:1