Property: Text
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
"Text" is a predefined property that represents text of arbitrary length and is provided by Semantic MediaWiki. This property is pre-deployed (also known as special property) and comes with additional administrative privileges but can be used just like any other user-defined property.
P
The article in '''כַּֽ(הַ)צָּהֳרָֽיִם''' (midday) indicates ''identifiability - specific referent''. In other words, there is only one mid-point of each day; similarly in English: "the middle of the day". Alternatively, ''inclusiveness-class''. +
The verb '''be silent''' (דמם) is associated with hope (cf. Ps 62:6). +
The verb '''הִתְחוֹלֵל''' elsewhere means "to writhe with fear" (HALOT, cf. Jer 23:19; Job 15:20; for the possible combination of fear and silence, cf. Ps 4:5—רִגְזוּ... וְדֹמּוּ), but this is not appropriate to the context. Thus, virtually all translation agree that the verb הִתְחוֹלֵל here means to "wait longingly" (BDB, DCH; cf. NIV, NLT, ESV, GNT, NET, NJPS, NEB, LUT, HFA, NGÜ, ELB, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR). So also the Targum (ואוריך ליה) and Aquila (ἀποκαραδόκει). Cf. the similar phrase וּתְח֥וֹלֵֽל לֽוֹ in Job 35:14—"you must wait for him" (NIV, cf. NLT, ESV, NET, etc.). The verbal root חיל/חול in Ps 37:7 and Job 35:14 is probably different from the root חיל/חול ("to writhe") and is instead related to the root יחל ("to wait", so Briggs 1906, 333; cf. DCH, SDBH). +
The expression '''עשות מזמות''' refers to carrying out plans (cf. Jer 11:15), not to forming them. The latter is expressed with the verb חשׁב, e.g., בִּמְזִמֹּ֖ות ז֣וּ חָשָֽׁבוּ (Ps 10:2). +
In the phrase '''בְּמַצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכּ֑וֹ בְּ֝אִ֗ישׁ עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְזִמּֽוֹת''', the second member specifies a characteristic action of the first member ("...at someone who makes his way successful, at a person carrying out schemes"). +
The verb '''ירשׁ''' (qal) occurs five times in Psalm 37 (vv. 9b, 11a, 22a, 29a, 34b). SDBH gives the gloss "take possession." Some English translations simply have "possess" (e.g., NLT, NET, GNT) and others have "inherit" (e.g., NIV, ESV, NJPS, CSB). Similarly, most German translations have "besitzen" (%3D"possess") (HFA, ELB, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR), but at least one has "erben" (%3D"inherit") (LUT). Despite the popularity of the gloss "inherit" for the verb ירשׁ (qal), this meaning is relatively rare in the Bible and appears to be late. As Lohfink writes, "Only in very late passages does this usage come to refer also to inheritance of the family’s wealth by whoever takes over family leadership when the father dies. Earlier contexts always involve 'acquisition' of something additional, without stipulating the specific mode of acquisition, usually purchase" (TDOT). This developed meaning of the verb ("inherit") might reflect Aramaic influence (cf. Aramaic ירת). In Ps 37, the verb is more accurately glossed as "possess" rather than "inherit." The word "possess," like the verb ירשׁ, can communicate both the initial act of taking possession (cf. 1 Kgs 21:15) or the continued act of possessing (cf. Josh 1:15b; 1 Chron 28:8). In Ps 37, both senses of "possess" are in view to some extent. On the one hand, the righteous are already living in the land, and many of them are probably land-owners. Thus, the psalm affirms that, whereas the wicked will lose possession of the land, the righteous will continue to possess it. On the other hand, the fact that the wicked lose possession of the land implies the righteous will gain land, i.e., they will "take possession." "The wicked, who have taken more than their fair share, will be destroyed in the end, leaving the meek in sole possession" (Kidner 1973, 150). Cf. Isa 57:13; 60:21; 65:9. The following Venn diagram explores some of the similarities and differences between the English word "inherit" and the Hebrew verb ירשׁ (qal).
:%5B%5BFile:Psalm 037 - yrš - to inherit.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C650px%5D%5D
The '''land''' (אֶרֶץ) is a key theme in this psalm (cf. vv. 9, 11, 22, 29, 34). The word refers to the land of Canaan which YHWH promised to give to Abraham and his descendants (see Gen 12:7; 15:7, 18-21). In the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, YHWH fulfilled his promise (see Josh 21:43-45; Jdg 2:6; 1 Kgs 8:56), but Israel's continued possession of the land depended on their faithfulness to the covenant (see Lev 26; Deut 28; cf. Ezra 9:12; 1 Chron 28:8). In Ps 37, it is only ''the righteous'' who will possess the land in the end (cf. Isa 60:21), perhaps hinting at the idea that only the righteous—i.e., those who trust in YHWH and practice covenant faithfulness—are the true descendants of Abraham to whom the land has been given. On the land theme throughout the Bible, see Martin 2013. The following Venn diagram explores some of the similarities and differences between the English word "land" and the Hebrew word אֶרֶץ.
:%5B%5BFile:Psalm 037 - ʾereṣ - land.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C650px%5D%5D +
The verb '''קוה''' ("hope") refers to a "state in which humans are confident that their longing will be fulfilled" (SDBH). It is synonymous with התחולל (from the root חול/חיל, a by-form of יחל) in v. 7. TDOT compares the two verbs as follows: "It is difficult to distinguish semantically the various verbs for hoping and waiting. As far as the two most frequent verbs are concerned, one can perhaps best follow Westermann’s suggestion that ''yḥl'' 'in reference to God retains the entire range of meaning that it has in nontheological usage,' whereas ''qwh'' is much more influenced by its theological use. Similar to ''ḥkh'' and ''śbr'', ''yḥl'' would then emphasize more the aspect of 'waiting' and ''qwh'' more the aspect of 'hoping.' One consideration, however, is that these verbs and their derivatives appear not only in similar contexts but generally also in late (exilic-postexilic) texts, suggesting that they have lost much of their original semantic content and have become increasingly synonymous such that the use of the one or the other depends more on stylistic than semantic considerations." +
HALOT: "עוֹד מְעַט just a little time Ex 17:4 Is 10:25 Jr 51:33 Hos 1:4 Ps 37:10" +
The '''humble''' (ענוים) here refer to those who quietly suffered while the wicked prospered. +
The clause translated '''they have drawn their swords''' is literally "they have opened their swords." In Hebrew, a sword is like a mouth that devours (e.g., Deut 23:42—וְחַרְבִּ֖י תֹּאכַ֣ל בָּשָׂ֑ר). Just as a person opens their mouth to prepare to eat, so a warrior "opens" his sword to prepare to slay someone. English uses the verb "to draw" (so most English translations; so LXX: ῥομφαίαν ἐσπάσαντο; cf. BDB, DCH; cf. Ezek 21:33—חֶ֣רֶב חֶ֤רֶב פְּתוּחָה֙ לְטֶ֣בַח מְרוּטָ֔ה). +
The clause translated "they have strung their bows" (cf. NLT) is literally "they have stepped on their bows." The reference is not to pulling the string back to fire an arrow but to "the method of bending the unstrung bow enough %5Busing one's foot%5D to slip the bowstring in place on the end of the bow" (Pritz 2009, 107). See J. A. Emerton, “Treading the Bow,” ''Vetus Testamentum'' 53, no. 4 (2003): 465–486. +
'''עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן''' ("person who is afflicted and poor"): Two synonymous words forming a fixed compound. +
It’s significant that after the '''arms''' of the wicked are broken YHWH “supports” the psalmist, since “supporting” in non-theological usage involves holding oneself up with one’s arms (see e.g., Amos 5:19; see TLOT 2:804). +
"YHWH knows (יוֹדֵעַ) the days of the blameless (יְמֵי תְמִימִים)." SDBH: "literally: to know; hence: %3D state in which humans or deities are actively involved in circumstances relating to the life of humans and animals and care for their well-being." If, as SDBH claims, the word "knows" (יוֹדֵעַ) means "care for," then "days of the blameless" is probably figurative for "the life-span >> life of the blameless" (cf. Ps 1:6—כִּֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הוָה דֶּ֣רֶךְ צַדִּיקִ֑ים, where דֶּרֶךְ is figurative for "life"; cf. Baethgen 1904, 106—"Die Tage sind Bezeichnung des Lebens..."). The point is that "each day of their lives is known to God and comes within his protective care" (Craigie 1983, 298). "Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent" (NIV, cf. NET, CEV). +
"The force of bôš is somewhat in contrast to the primary meaning of the English 'to be ashamed,' in that the English stresses the inner attitude, the state of mind, while the Hebrew means 'to come to shame' and stresses the sense of public disgrace, a physical state" (TWOT). +
'''בְּעֵת רָעָה''' ("during hard times"): Entity–characteristic. It refers to a period of time which is characterized by trouble, i.e., "hard times" (NLT, NET). +
Verse 20 contains one of the most difficult exegetical issues in this psalm. It is not clear whether the phrase '''כִּיקַר כָּרִים''' in v. 20b refers to "the fat of lambs" (KJV), "the glory of the pastures" (ESV), or "fuel in a furnace" (REB). See %5B%5BThe Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Ps 37:20%5D%5D for an in-depth discussion. In short, the phrase probably refers to "the glory of the pastures" (ESV, cf. Ps 65:14), i.e., "the flowers of the field" (NIV), which, despite their beauty, quickly "come to an end" (אבד, v. 20a). The determining factor for this decision is the surrounding context of agricultural images for the wicked. The agricultural image for the wicked here at the end of the first half of the psalm (vv. 1-20) corresponds to the agricultural image for the wicked at the beginning of the psalm ("like grass," v. 2). Indeed, all of the similes for the wicked in Ps 37 are taken from the agricultural domain (cf. vv. 2, 20, 35). Furthermore, the image of fading flowers fits well with the image of vanishing smoke in the next line (v. 20c). Both flowers and smoke are images of transitoriness (cf. Hos 13:3; Ps 103:15-16). The point of these images is that the end of the wicked will be soon and sudden. This is the point of the verse even if an alternative interpretation is adopted ("fat of lambs" or "burning of ovens"). As Klein writes, "Entscheidend ist jedoch nicht das Bild, sondern die Aussage: Die Bösewichte verschwinden, als wären sie Rauch. Von ihnen bleibt nichts übrig, nicht einmal Asche" (Klein 2018, 68). Although they appear to flourish for the moment, their demise is imminent. And when they are destroyed, there will be no trace of their existence. +
SDBH defines '''כָּלוּ''' as "literally: to finish; hence: %3D process by which humans and objects completely disappear from existence." The literal gloss "be finished" works well in the context, since the word (emphatically repeated) also signals that the first half of the psalm is finished (cf. כָּלוּ in Ps 72:20; cf. the use of אבד "come to an end" as the last word of Ps 1). +
There is a textual problem in v. 20c regarding the phrase translated '''like smoke''' (*כֶעָשָׁן*). Some translations read the text as כֶעָשָׁן ("like smoke"), while other translations read the text as בֶעָשָׁן ("in smoke"). See grammar notes for a detailed discussion. The ''beth'' preposition of the MT is best analyzed as a ''beth essentiae'': "they will vanish as smoke." +