Property: Text
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
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P
The word צבא signifies an army or host. As such, it can represent (a) a military group organized for war'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"'; (b) a body of celestial beings (i.e., the host of heaven)'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"'; (c) luminaries collectively'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"'; and (d) all of creation.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000003-QINU`"' As part of the divine name, צבא serves as "an epithet of God with focus on his being in charge of the host of heavenly beings surrounding his throne, praising him, and carrying out his will in earth." Additionally, as an epithet, "it relates to God's power and control of the cosmos as the divine king and warrior” (''SDBH'').'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"' As such, this martial title fits the context of Psalm 46 well, i.e., YHWH, %5Bthe God of%5D Hosts, fights for his people, protecting them against the foreign nations and kingdoms. +
The collocation '''the God of Jacob''' (אלהי יעקב) casts God as being in a relationship with, or followed by, Jacob (one of Israel's prominent ancestors). E. Peterson has rendered it, poetically, as “Jacob-wrestling God” (cf. Genesis 32).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' +
V. 8 also contains several prepositional phrases (for which see the Grammatical Diagram above). In the collocation '''with us''' (עמנו), the preposition signifies both “fellowship/companionship” and “a locality, i.e., being close to, beside...” Significantly, in v. 8, it represents divine companionship and divine closeness in relation to Israel.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' +
In '''for us''' (לנו), “us” is the recipient of God’s protective actions, i.e., God serves as a fortress for his people, sheltering them and offering them security.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' +
This prepositional phrase לנו is linked to the noun משגב, which is “a high and therefore unattainable location, either because of its natural environment or as a result of human construction efforts"; thus, it is associated "with security and protection from the enemy” (''SDBH'').'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' +
For the MT's משגב־לנו here and v. 12, the LXX has ἀντιλήμπτωρ ἡμῶν, "our helper" or "supporter" (NETS; cf. ''Pesh''. which has ܘܡܥܕܪܢܢ/"and our helper"), perhaps harmonizing the refrain, conceptually, with v. 2 (cf. Ps 118:7). +
V. 9 contains two construct phrases (for which also see the Grammatical Diagram above). The collocation '''the works of YHWH''' (מפעלות יהוה) represents the acts of God (cf. Ps 66:5: מפעלות אלהים), the deeds carried out by him in the land, making it desolate (שמות; cf. Isa 13:9). +
In '''in the land''' (בארץ) (v. 9), the preposition ב is spatial, signifying “the idea of being or moving within some definite region.”'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' +
In the collocation '''to the ends of the earth''' (עד־קצה הארץ), the "end" is part of the divided whole, that is, the earth. The preposition עד here connotes "the idea of being or acting within some definite region”'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"', more specifically "up to" a point or landmark in space. Of interest here is also the notion of a far-reaching action or event (cf. עד לשמים %5B2 Chr 28:9; Ezra 9:6%5D). Cumulatively, עד־קצה הארץ signifies the ''extent'' of God's focused and comprehensive termination of armed conflicts. The definite article in הארץ (vv. 9, 10, 11) is due to the noun's identifiability, i.e., it marks a unique referent.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' +
Other notable features include the imperatives '''Come! Perceive!''' (לכו־וראו), which is a case of the serial verb construction. In the text, these imperatives are made one prosodic word with the maqqef.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' +
The noun '''devastation''' (שמה) in v. 9 represents "a state in which an area has become empty as a result of destruction and depopulation" (''SDHB''). As such, it can be used to speak of land, cities, and other locales.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' Additionally, it can communicate a negative response to destructive actions, that is, appallment or horror.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' In Isa 13:9, turning the land into a desolation (לשום הארץ לשמה) is linked to the Day of the Lord... The plural form שׁמות in v. 9 could be a plural of amplification, emphasizing the special character of God's actions, i.e., God's decisive, great devastation in the land.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' Notably here, in Psalm 46, people are invited to come and ''see'' the works of YHWH and how he brought about great devastation in the land. Cf. "Therefore the wrath of the LORD was against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror/לשמה, and of hissing, ''as you see with your own eyes''" (2 Chr 29:8). +
The ''hiphil'' of שׁבת indicates a “causative process by which humans or deities cause an activity to come to an end--to make cease, to stop” (''SDBH''). It can be used with mirth (Hos 2:13); work (2 Chr 16:5; Neh 4:5); sacrifice (Dan 9:27); and war (Ps 46:10, cf. Isa 13:11; Ezek 7:24; Prov 18:18). It can also be rendered as "to exterminate, destroy" (2 Kgs 23:5,11; Am 8:4; Hos 1:4; Ps 8:3; 119:119; Jer 36:29; Lev 26:6; Ezek 34:25; אלילים Ezek 30:13; Deut 32:26) (''BDB; HALOT'').'"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"' +
Furthermore, v. 10 lists several items related to weaponry and military activity in general, which the Lord destroys. Thus, the first weapon that God is said to shatter in v. 10b is '''a bow''' (קשת),'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' “a strong but flexible piece of wood to which a string is attached for the firing of arrows, ► used for hunting or as weapon of war” (''SDBH''). In HB, it appears with a variety of other weapons in contexts related to warfare (Gen 48:22; Josh 24:12; Hos 1:7; 2:20; 1 Sam 18:4; 2 Sam 1:22; 2 Kgs 6:22; Isa 41:2, etc.). As the distance weapon ''par excellence'', the bow (especially the composite type, with a range of c. 120m) was in wide use in antiquity, being particularly effective at various stages of siege.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000003-QINU`"' +
The next weapon that God destroys is '''a spear or javelin''' (חנית)'"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"' which is “a long, straight rod, usually made of wood, with a sharp iron head or point; used for piercing by thrusting; its length varied from the height of a man to much longer” (''SDBH''). In HB, a חנית is featured as "thrown" (1 Sam 18:10, 11; 19:9, 10 %5Bx2%5D; 20:33); as held by king (1 Sam 22:6); or as a sign of king’s presence (1 Sam 26:7, 8, 11, 12, 16, 22).
* The final item listed in v. 10b, and which is also destroyed, is '''carts''' or '''transport wagons''' (עגלות). Although the majority of scholars prefer to follow the LXX and read "shields" here, the MT's עגלות, i.e., "carts" or "transport wagons" should be preferred. On the use of עגלות/"carts" in HB and Psalm 46, see further the Venn diagram below and %5B%5BThe Meaning of עגלות in Ps 46:10%5D%5D.
%5B%5BFile:Psalm 046 - VD2.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C700px%5D%5D +
V. 10 contains one prepositional phrase (for which see also the Grammatical Diagram above). In the phrase באש, the preposition ב either signifies the idea of being in the domain of something'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' or serves as an “instrument”.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' In this psalm, the two uses of ב can be viewed as coinciding, i.e., the '''fire''' here serves both as a site for the destruction of wagons (i.e., there are literally placed '''into''' it to be destroyed), and as a means through or substance '''with''' which they are destroyed. +
V. 11 contains two prepositional phrases (for which also see the Grammatical Diagram above). In the phrase '''among the nations''' (בגוים), the preposition ב could be viewed as connoting “the sense of among (in the domain of), e.g. Mi 7 יָשָׁר בָּֽאָדָם אָ֫יִן there is none upright among men.”'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' The article in this phrase represents "totality of an identifiable group", i.e., the nations. +
In the phrase '''throughout the earth''' (בארץ), the preposition ב signifies “the idea of being or moving within some definite region.”'"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"' The definite article here (cf. vv. 9, 10) is due to the earth's "identifiability", i.e., the article marks the earth which is a unique referent.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"' +
Some interesting vocabulary in this verse includes the verb הרפו in ''hiphil'', for which see the Venn diagram below:
%5B%5BFile:Psalm 046 - VD3.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C700px%5D%5D +
Since v. 12 contains the refrain featured in v. 8, for its discussion, see notes on v. 8 above. +
'''v. 6''' – The prepositional phrase לְ֭שֵׁטֶף מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים could be understood as one of specification, i.e., ''concerning'', and thus left-dislocated (GKC §143e). This is perhaps supported by the accents, which place an ''atnakh'' on רַבִּ֑ים, and the Peshitta, which provides a conjunction ܘ after "heavy" left-dislocation: lit. "but the rush of many waters, '''and''' will not come near to him" (adapted from Taylor 2020, 113; ܚܐܦܐ ܕܝܢ ܕܡ̈ܝܐ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܐ '''ܘ'''ܠܘܬܗ ܠܐ ܢܬܩܪܒܘܢ).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' Nevertheless, the plural verb in the main clause, יַגִּֽיעוּ, leads one to expect a plural subject, though שֵׁטֶף מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים is grammatically singular, so cannot stand in apposition to a singular subject. Our preferred reading understands לְ֭שֵׁטֶף מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים as an adverbial, though the implied grammatical subject is "many waters" (מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים), as indicated by the plural verb. +