Exegetical Issue—Tyler

Introduction

Most modern translations follow the Masoretic Text of Psalm 19:4 (MT), which reads as follows:

MT אֵין־אֹמֶר וְאֵין דְּבָרִים בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם׃

They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. (NIV)

A minority of translations, however, follow the LXX and other ancient versions by translating the final part of the phrase as a relative clause.

LXX : οὐκ εἰσὶν λαλιαὶ οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν

There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. (ESV)

The alternative translations substantially change the meaning of the verse. In the first option (i.e., independent clause), the words and speech cannot be heard. In the second option (i.e., relative clause), the words and speech are heard by everyone (Futato, 2009, 89-90).

Argument Maps

19:4b as an Independent Clause

The majority of modern translations render Psalm 19:4b as an independent clause (cf. NET, NIV, CEV, GNT, etc.).

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[Conclusion]: Psalm 19:4b is an independent clause.
  +<Absence of a Relative Particle>: The Masoretic Text does not have a relative particle before בלי נשׁמע קולם.
    <-[Ommission of Relative Particle]: The relative particle is sometimes omited in Hebrew poetry (Calvin, :C:) #dispreferred 
    <-[Necessary Words]: Some additional word (e.g., like, but, etc.) must be provided to make sense of the relationship between v. 4b and its surrounding context if this is not a relative clause (cf. “yet” at the beginning of 19:5 in the NRSV). (Charry, 2015, Psalm 19 :C:; Brueggemann, 2014: 102 :C:) #dispreferred 
    +[Parataxis]: Parataxis is a common feature of Hebrew poetry and may be evidence of the oral traditions behind the text's composition. Therefore, the lack of connecting words is not a problem. (Watson, 1986, 81 :M:; Briggs, 1906: 165:C:).
  +<The Antecedent of קולם>: The 3mp suffix refers either to יוֹם and  לַיְלָה or הַשָּׁמַיִם. (Kirkpatrick, 1897, 103, :C:; Alexander, 1864, 96, :C: )
    <-[דברים as antecedent]: The plural noun דברים can function as the antecedent of the pronominal suffix. #dispreferred
  -<Ancient Versions>: Most of the ancient versions translate 19:4b as a relative clause. (cf. LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Peshitta, Jerome). #dispreferred
    <_[Unnecessary Emendation]: The introduction of a relative particle in the ancient versions could be the result of a translator trying to correct a perceived problem with the text's coherence. (Kraus, 1960: 155 :C:)
  -<Contradiction>: If 19:4b is an independent clause, it creates a contradiction in the Psalm's message. #dispreferred
    +[Sound or Not?]: The absence of sound does not make sense with the psalm's emphasis on the heavens making a sound (Charry, 2015, Psalm 19 :C:). #dispreferred
      <_[This is a Pseudo-Contradiction]: The two statements seem contradictory on the surface, but the contradiction highlights the verse's truth: one cannot literally hear the heavens' speech, but you can certainly perceive it. (Wagner, 1999: 250 :A:)
  -<בלי with Passive Participles> #dispreferred
    <_[בלי and אשׁר]: The Hebrew word בלי never occurs in a clause with אשׁר or שׁ without a preposition (cf. Deut 4:42; 9:28; 19:4). 
    <_[בלי at the head of a clause]: The only other time בלי stands at the head of one half of the verse (i.e., either side of the ʾAthnâḥ), the clause is independent (cf. Ps 59:5)

19:4b as a Relative Clause

A few modern translations render Psalm 19:4b as a relative clause (JPS 1985; ESV; NIV 1984). Numerous ancient versions support this translation (cf. LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Jerome, Peshitta).

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[Conclusion]: Psalm 19:4b is a relative clause. #dispreferred
  +<Ancient Versions>: Several ancient versions have a relative participle (cf. LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Targum, Peshitta) #dispreferred
    +[Vorlage]: The abundance of ancient witnesses to a relative particle suggests the vorlage(n) behind these texts may have contained a relative particle. #dispreferred
    <_[Lectio Difficilior]: A scribe is more likely to have inserted a relative particle in an attempt to fix a perceived problem of coherence than to remove one and introduce ambiguity. Therefore, the text-critical rule of Lectio Difficilior is in favor of reading this as an independent clause. (cf. Tov, 2012, 274, :M:)
  +<Relationship with V. 5>:Verse 5 presupposes a statement like the relative clause exhibited in the ancient versions (Futato, 2009: 89-90 :C:) #dispreferred
    <_[Parataxis]: Parataxis is a common feature of Hebrew poetry and may be evidence of the oral traditions behind the text's composition. Therefore, the lack of connecting words is not a problem. (Watson, 1986, 81 :M:; Briggs, 1906: 165 :C:).
  +<Coherence with Romans 1:18-23>: Taking this as a relative clause emphasizes the universal scope of creation's witness to God's glory that is similar to Romans 1:18-23 (Wilson, 2014: ???? :C:) #dispreferred
    <_[The Psalm Still Makes the Point]: The universal reach of creation's witness to God's glory is evident in vv. 2 and 5. It is not dependent on the relative clause.
  +<בלי with Passive Participles>: When בלי occurs with a passive participle, it marks a subordinate clause (cf. 2 Sam 1:21; Hos 7:8; Futato, 2009: 89-90 :C:) #dispreferred
    <_[בלי and אשׁר]: The Hebrew word בלי never occurs in a clause with אשׁר or שׁ without a preposition (cf. Deut 4:42; 9:28; 19:4).
    <_[בלי at the head of a clause]: The only other time בלי stands at the head of one half of the verse (i.e., either side of the ʾAthnâḥ), the clause is independent (cf. Ps 59:5)

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have translated Psalm 19:4b as an independent clause: There is no speech and there are no words. Their sound is unheard.

The issues raised by the two strongest arguments in favor of the opposite view (i.e., 19:4b as a relative clause) are better explained on other grounds.

For example, while the ancient versions frequently mark Ps 19:4b as a relative clause with a relative particle, the text-critical rule of Lectio Difficilior better explains the issue. A scribe was more likely to insert the relative particle to fix a perceived problem than to remove it.

Additionally, the perceived contradiction between Ps 19:4 and its surrounding context is overstated. The terseness of Hebrew poetry and the prevalence of parataxis suggest that the statements can easily coexist. The heavens can declare God's glory without making a literal sound.

In summary, Psalm 19:4b functions as an independent clause. It emphasizes the non-literal speech that declares the glory of God throughout the whole earth.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: οὐκ εἰσὶν λαλιαὶ οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν
  • "There are no conversations, there are no words, the articulations of which are not heard."
• Aquila: οὐκ ἔστι λόγος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι ῥήματα,οὗ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ
• Symmachus: οὐ ῥήσεσιν, οὐδὲ λόγοις, ὧν οὐκ ἀκούονται
• Jerome: non est sermo et non sunt verba quibus non audiatur vox eorum
• Targum: לית מימר דתורעמתא ולית מילי דשגושא דלא משתמע קלהון׃
  • "There is no word of commotion, nor are there words of confusion, and their voice is not heard."
• Peshitta: ܠܝܬ ܡܐܡܪܐ ܐܦ ܠܐ ܡ̈ܠܐ܂ ܕܠܐ ܢܫܬܡܥ ܒܩܠܗܘܢ܂
  • "There is no speech or words, for their voice is not heard."

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)
• Dies alles geschieht ohne Worte, ohne einen vernehmlichen Laut. (HFA)
• Sie tun es ohne Worte, kein Laut und keine Stimme ist zu hören. (NGU)
• ohne Rede und ohne Worte, mit unhörbarer Stimme. (ELB)
• ohne Rede und ohne Worte, ungehört bleibt ihre Stimme. (EU)
• Kein Wort wird gesprochen, kein Laut ist zu hören (GNB)
• ohne Sprache, ohne Worte, mit unhörbarer Stimme. (ZUR)
• Ce n’est pas un recit, il n’y a pas de mots, leur voix ne s’entend pas (TOB)
• Ce n'est pas un langage, ce ne sont pas des paroles, on n'entend pas leur voix. (NBS)
• Ce n'est pas un langage, ce ne sont pas des paroles, Leur voix n'est pas entendue. (NVSR)
• Ce ne sont pas des paroles, ce ne sont pas des discours, ni des voix qu’on peut entendre. (BDS)
• Ce n’est pas un discours, il n’y a pas de paroles, aucun son ne se fait entendre. (PDV)
• Ce n'est pas un discours, ce ne sont pas des mots, l'oreille n'entend aucun son. (NFC)
• Ce n’est pas un langage, ce ne sont pas des paroles, on n’entend pas leur son. (S21)
• No hay lenguaje ni palabras ni es oída su voz. (RVR95)
• Sin palabras, sin lenguaje, sin una voz perceptible, (NVI)
• Aunque no se escuchan palabras ni se oye voz alguna, (DHH)
• Donde no hay lenguaje ni idioma, la voz de Ellos no es para ser oida, (BTX4)

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)
• There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. (NIV 1984)