Exegetical Issue—Tyler

Introduction

The Hebrew text of Psalm 19:4 reads as follows:

אֵֽין־אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים

בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם: Consider the following alternative translations of this clause:

• There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. (NET)
• There is no utterance,there are no words, whose sound goes unheard. (JPS 1985)

There are two ways to understand the relationship between the clauses in these verses.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• οὐκ εἰσὶν λαλιαὶ οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν (LXX)
• non est sermo et non sunt verba quibus non audiatur vox eorum (Jerome)
• οὐκ ἔστι λόγος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι ῥήματα,οὗ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ (Aquila)
• οὐ ῥήσεσιν, οὐδὲ λόγοις, ὧν οὐκ ἀκούονται
• לית מימר דתורעמתא ולית מילי דשגושא דלא משתמע קלהון׃ (PsTargum)
• ܠܝܬ ܡܐܡܪܐ ܐܦ ܠܐ ܡ̈ܠܐ܂ ܕܠܐ ܢܫܬܡܥ ܒܩܠܗܘܢ܂ (P Psalms)

Modern

v. 4b independent clause

• There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. (NET)
• They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. (NIV)
• They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. (CEV)
• No speech or words are used, no sound is heard; (GNT)
• They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. (NLT)
• and this without speech or language or sound of any voice (NEB)
• No utterance at all, no speech, not a sound to be heard, (NJB)
• ohne Sprache und ohne Worte; unhörbar ist ihre Stimme. (Luther 2017)

v. 4b relative clause

• There is no utterance,there are no words,whose sound goes unheard. (JPS 1985)
• There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. (ESV)