Property: Text
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
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P
and nothing is hidden from his heat. +
whose sound is not being heard. +
YHWH’s rules are true; +
and the firmament is telling about the workmanship of his hands. +
and night after night imparts knowledge. +
For the director. A psalm. By David. +
and its words [have gone forth] throughout the edge of the world. +
He is glad, like a warrior, to run his course. +
and his turning point is at its edges, +
* Option 1 (preferred): singular '''מעשה''' (abstract noun: 'workmanship, skill' or collective noun: 'work'); so MT, LXX, Aquila, Jerome IH, Peshitta. The singular might refer to collectively to YHWH's works, specifically to YHWH's creation of the world, or to the abstract quality of YHWH's craftsmanship (Isa 5:12; 29:23; Ps 28:5; Eccl 5:5; cf. HALOT). It makes for a fitting parallel to the abstract noun 'honor.'
* Option 2: plural '''מעשי''' ('works, deeds'); so Sym (καὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ), Tg (ועובדי ידוי). This option works well with the verbs ספר and נגד, which often imply a plurality of deeds (cf. ספר + מעשים in Pss 107:22; 118:17). However, Symmachus and Targum Pss might just be interpreting the singular מעשה as a collective (cf. Ps 90:17 מעשה ידינו; Judg 2:7 כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה יְהוָה֙ הַגָּד֔וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל %5Balso v. 10%5D). In any case, the first option has the better attestation. Furthermore a move from singular/collective מעשה to explicitly plural can be documented frequently in the tradition. 11Q5, for example, regularly reads such singulars as plurals (Pss 102:26; 143:5; additions in 146:9; 145:13%5Bnun line%5D; 151A:4).
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* '''Sky''' (הַשָּׁמַיִם):
%5B%5BFile: Psalm 8 - Shamayim.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C700px%5D%5D
* '''Declaring honor (מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים כְּבֽוֹד): Cf. Psa 96:3 - סַפְּר֣וּ בַגּוֹיִ֣ם כְּבוֹד֑וֹ בְּכָל־הָֽ֝עַמִּ֗ים נִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃.
* '''Honor''' (כְּבוֹד):
%5B%5BFile: Psalm 29 - Kabod.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C700px%5D%5D
* '''Firmament''' (הָרָקִיעַ):
%5B%5BFile: Reqia - firmament.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C700px%5D%5D
* For the parallel of '''ספר''' and '''הגיד''', see Job 12:7-8.
* '''Telling about''' (מַגִּיד): "The most frequent content of such recounting, however, is Yahweh’s mighty salvific deeds; this is especially the case in the psalms... The salvific deeds themselves are described in a summary fashion as nip̱lāʾôṯ (Ps. 9:2%5B1%5D; 26:7; 75:2%5B1%5D; 96:3 %5B1 Ch. 16:24%5D) or as maʿaśîm (Ps. 107:22; 118:17; cf. ʿāśâ in 66:16), or are circumscribed with the noun šēm as an expression of Yahweh’s greatness and might as manifested in such deeds (22:23%5B22%5D; 102:22%5B21%5D; Sir. 51:1; cf. also geḏullâ in Ps. 145:6, kāḇôḏ in 96:3 %5B1 Ch. 16:24%5D..." (TDOT).
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'''הוּא as resumptive pronoun or copula'''
* There are two main ways of reading the הוּא in words "דְּע֗וּ כִּֽי־יְהוָה֮ ה֤וּא אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים" of v. 3.
** '''Resumptive pronoun''': The first way is to read the clause with יהוה dislocated as a ''casus pendens'', and with הוּא functioning as a resumptive pronoun representing the subject of the verbless clause. This is reflected in the following translations:
*** Know that the LORD, he is God! (ESV, NKJV, TLV)
*** Know that the LORD Himself is God (NASB)
*** LXX: γνῶτε ὅτι κύριος, αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θεός...
**** NETS: Know that the Lord, he is God...
*** Jerome: scitote quoniam Dominus ipse est Deus...
**** The Lord alone/himself is God...
** '''Copula''': The second way to read הוּא is as a copula, reinforcing the predication that "YHWH '''is''' God". The copular reading technically leaves הוּא untranslated, although functionally it corresponds to the word "is" in the following translations (note that even if the clause simply read "יְהוָה֮ אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים", without ה֤וּא, one would still supply the word "is" to complete the predication implied by the Hebrew verbless clause). This copular reading is reflected in the following translations:
*** Know that the LORD is God (NIV, NLT, NRSV, JPS)
*** Acknowledge that the LORD is God (NET, REB)
* '''Issue in scholarship''':
** This issue must be seen in light of a long running dispute amongst scholars between the resumptive and copular readings of הוּא in verbless clauses. Some have argued that all occurrences are copular (e.g. Albrecht 1888, Ewald 1879, Brockelmann 1913, Bendavid 1971, Sappan 1981, see Holmstedt and Jones 2014, 54-55, 86-89 for complete bibliography). Others have argued that all occurrences are resumptive (e.g. Driver 1892, Davidson 1901, GKC 1910, Joüon 1923, Muraoka 1985, 1999, 2006, Waltke and O'Connor 1990, and more. See Holmstedt and Jones 2014, 54-55, 86-89 for complete bibliography).
** It is most plausible, however, that both copular and resumptive readings are possible, and the function of הוּא must be determined case by case (Holmstedt and Jones 2014, esp 76-77, Sappan 1982, Khan 1988, 2006).
* '''Arguments''': In this case, it is more plausible that הוּא functions as a resumptive pronoun, with יהוה dislocated as the topic of the clause. The main reasons for this reading are as follows:
** '''Discourse Function''': Reading this verse as a casus pendens coheres with the discourse flow and rhetorical thrust of this psalm far more than a copular reading.
*** The copular reading would make this an unmarked clause simply saying that "Acknowledge that YHWH is God".
*** In contrast, the ''casus pendens'' reading establishes YHWH as the marked topic in order to identify him "as the sole entity to whom following predications could be attributed" (BHRG §48.2.2b). In other words, this construction specifically emphasises that "YHWH, and YHWH alone, is God, there is no other", and furthermore "YHWH, and YHWH alone, created us, there is no other".
** '''Hebrew usage''':
*** This reading coheres with at least 5 other similar constructions declaring that YHWH (and no other god) is God (Deut 4:35, 39; 1 Kgs 8:60; 18:39; 2 Chr. 33:13). Deut 4:35 brings this rhetorical thrust out clearly:
**** לָדַ֔עַת כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ין ע֖וֹד מִלְבַדּֽוֹ׃
**** "...that you might know that YHWH, he is God; there is no other besides him."
** '''Ancient Support''': Although the evidence is not conclusive, ancient versions, especially LXX and Jerome, seem to reflect a dislocation/resumption reading of this clause.
*** LXX: γνῶτε ὅτι κύριος, αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θεός.
**** NETS: "Know that the Lord, he is God."
*** Jerome: scitote quoniam Dominus ipse est Deus.
**** "Know that the Lord himself is God."
* '''תודה thank-offering''' / thanksgiving: The word תודה here can refer either literally to a thank-offering/sacrifice (a toda offering) (SDBH), or more generally to thanksgiving and praise. On its meaning in this context see %5B%5BThe Meaning of לְתוֹדָה in Ps 100:1%5D%5D.
: %5B%5BFile: Psalm 100 - Todah.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C700px%5D%5D
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'''v. 17''' – The LXX's finite "they provoked the Most High in the waterless place" (παρεπίκραναν τὸν ὕψιστον ἐν ἀνύδρῳ) for the MT's infinitive לַֽמְר֥וֹת "to rebel" is likely stylistic, as there is no Hebrew manuscript evidence for the finite מָרוּ. +
'''v. 42''' – Our interpretation of the syntax of this verse is followed by all the ancient versions and most modern translations. A minority of modern translations, however, understand the phrase headed by "day" (יוֹם) as adverbial, providing the time in which they did not remember his show of strength (see, e.g., CSB: "They did not remember his power shown on the day he redeemed them from the foe"; cf. CJB, DHH, NFC). +
* The participial phrase translated '''those rising against me''' (קָמִים עָלָי) could either be the main verbal predication of the clause ("are rising against me," cf. LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Jerome %5Biuxta Hebr.%5D, ESV, NRSV, NET, NEB) or the subject of the clause ("those rising against me," cf. Peshitta, Targum, KJV, NJPS, REB). In context, the focus of the clause appears to be on the vast number of his enemies (cf. v. 2a, 3a): "those rising against me are ''many''." This emphasis is clearer if we interpret קָמִים עָלָי as the subject of the clause, with "many" (רִבִּים) as the fronted predicate complement (see Macrosyntax).
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* The phrase '''my voice >> aloud''' (קוֹלִי) appears to be functioning adverbially. Thus, the Peshitta, for example, adds a ''bet'' preposition: "''with'' (ב) my voice (קלי)" (cf. LXX: φωνῇ μου %5B"with my voice"%5D, Jerome %5Biuxta Hebr.%5D: voce mea %5B"with my voice"%5D; R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi: אקרא בקול רם). Similarly, modern European translations render the phrase adverbially, either as "%5Bcry%5D with my voice" (KJV, ESV, cf. LUT, ELB) or "%5Bcry%5D aloud" (NRSV, CSB, NJPS, NEB, REB, HFA, EÜ, ZÜR).
* Alternatively, GKC analyzes קוֹלִי as a second subject: "my voice—I cry unto the Lord."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' According to GKC, "A peculiar idiom, and one always confined to poetic language, is the not infrequent occurrence of two subjects in a verbal sentence, one of the person and the other of the thing. The latter then serves—whether it precedes or follows—to state the instrument, organ, or member by which the action in question is performed, and may be most often rendered in English by an adverb, as a nearer definition of the manner of the action."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' The debate on how best to analyze these syntactic constructions goes back centuries. See, for example, the different opinions presented by Radak in his %5Bhttps://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_HaShorashim%2C_אוה.1?lang%3Dbi book on Hebrew roots%5D.
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* On the syntactic function of the participle '''saying''' (אֹמְרִים) see the note on v. 2b.
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* The noun '''victory''' (יְשׁוּעָה) is highlighted, not only by its repetition throughout the psalm (vv. 3b, 9a; verbal form in 8b) but by its morphology. The first occurrence of the word here in v. 3b has a unique ending (תָה- cf. Ps 80:3; Jon 2:10). This ending appears to be the remains of an earlier case ending which is now, according to GKC, "used merely for the sake of poetical emphasis %5B%3D poetic foregrounding%5D."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' The word is also prosodically foregrounded by the Masoretic accentuation (יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה); it has the rare accent ''shalshelet qetana'' (only 8 times in the Hebrew Bible).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' The foregrounding of the word is appropriate because "victory" is "the key motif in the psalm."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' The same word (יְשׁוּעָה) occurs again in the last verse of the psalm as the only word in the psalm to have the definite article (ה).
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* The word '''jaw''' or "cheek bone" (לֶחִי) is an adverbial accusative, "indicating the part or member specially affected by the action, e.g., Ps 3:8 ''for thou hast smitten all mine enemies'' לֶחִי (as to) ''the cheek bone'', equivalent to ''upon the cheek bone''."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"'
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