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 phrase לְדֹר וָדֹר (lit.: "for a generation and a generation"), occuring both in v. 2 and in v. 5, is a Hebrew figure of speech that essentially means "forever" (see e.g., Isa 34:17; Joel 4:20; Pss 10:6; 33:11; 77:9; 79:13; 85:6; 102:13; 106:31; 119:90; 135:13; 146:10; Lam 5:19). It is often paralleled in poetry with the adverbial עוֹלָם or לְעוֹלָם. The NLT's translation of this phrase ("young and old") is innaccurate, because the phrase does not refer to groups of people but to a measurement of time. The ESV's translation ("to all generations," so also KJV, CSB, NET) is also inaccurate in our view, because the ''lamed'' preposition does not indicate the recipient of the speech ("I will make known ''to'' all generations"), but the temporal frame of the speech ("for/through all generations"), as in the common phrase לְעוֹלָם (see uses of לְדֹר וָדֹר listed above; cf. Jenni 2000, 275). More accurate in this regard is the translation of the NIV: "through all generations."
+
* In the construct chain תִפְאֶרֶת עֻזָּמֹו, literally, "the glory/beauty of their strength" (ESV, NRSV, cf. CEB), it is difficult to determine how the two nouns "glory/beauty" and "strength" are related semantically. The NIV simply coordinates the two nouns: "You are their glory and strength" (NIV; cf. Ps 96:6—עֹז וְתִפְאֶרֶת). The NLT thinks that the first noun "glory" specifies the characteristic of the second noun "strength": "their glorious strength" (cf. CSB). But, in construct chains, it is more typical for the second noun to specify some characteristic of the first (e.g., הַר קָדְשִׁי in Ps 2:6). Thus, it is plausible that the second noun "strength" would characterizes the first noun "glory": "their strong glory" (cf. Symmachus: "their unconquerable glory" %5Bἀγλάϊσμα ἀήττητον αὐτῶν%5D; cf. Isa 13:9—תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת גְּאֹ֣ון כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים "the proud glory of the Chaldaeans" %5BHALOT%5D). This interpretation might make sense if "glory" (תִּפְאֶרֶת) is understood as "object of glory, pride, boasting" (so DCH). Thus, it would mean "the strong object of their glory >> the strong one in which they glory." Slightly differently, DCH suggests that it means "the strength in which they glory" (so also Hupfeld 1860, 473). Radak seems to hold a similar view: "They had no strength (עוז) except with you, and it was in your strength that they gloried/boasted (מתפארים) over the nations" (cf. Judg 7:2).
+
* The ''bet'' preposition in the phrase וּבִרְצֹנְךָ is causal: "because of your favor" (Jenni 1992, rubric 1685; cf. notes on vv. 13, 17).
+
* For the ''bet'' prepositional phrase "because of your name" (בְּשִׁמְךָ), see note above on v. 13.
* The ''bet'' preposition in the phrase וּבְצִדְקָתְךָ is similarly causal: "because of your righteousness" (Jenni 1992, rubric 1635). Cf. NJPS: "they are exalted through Your righteousness."
* The adverbial phrase translated always (כָּל־הַיּוֹם) is, literally, "all day long" (NIV, ESV, GNT, NJPS), which is a figurative way of saying "always" (cf. EÜ, ZÜR: allezeit; see e.g., Ps 37:26).
+
* Verse 16 is essentially one big construct chain: "The happiness of the people, those knowing the signal, who go about in the light of your presence, YHWH!" On the meaning and function of אַשְׁרֵי at the head of a construct chain, see notes on Ps 1:1.
+
* Many modern translations render v. 14a as "You have a mighty arm" (e.g., NRSV). The Hebrew text says more literally, "You have an arm together with (עִם) strength." Normally, Hebrew would express a phrase like "mighty arm" by using a construct chain: זְרוֹעַ גְּבוּרָה ("arm of might," see e.g., זְרוֹעַ עֻזְּךָ in v. 11). In this case, however, it has the preposition "(together) with" (עִם), indicating accompaniment or addition. This use of עִם to join to nouns ("''this'' together with ''that''") occurs "chiefly in poetry" (BDB). E.g., Ps 83:7—"Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia together with (עִם) the inhabitants of Tyre." Thus, we should probably understand "arm" as a figure of speech (metonymy) for "strength" and interpret the whole clause as saying "strength together with might are yours" or "strength is yours, and might in addition." Cf. the Peshitta: "The arm belongs to you (ܕܝܠܟ) and strength belongs to you (ܘܕܝܠܟ)" (Taylor 2020, 365).
+
* The ''bet'' prepositional phrase "at your name" (בְּשִׁמְךָ) is a ''bet'' of cause (Jenni 1992, 107). YHWH's name (i.e., his identity or character) is the cause, or source, of the mountains' joy, and their joy is directed towards it. This construction is normal for verbs of rejoicing (cf. Jenni 1992, 106-108; e.g., 1 Sam 2:1—עָלַץ לִבִּי בַּיהוָה). English can use various prepositions to express this relationship, e.g., "at your name" (NIV, CSB), "in your name" (NET), or "because of your name."
+
* The ''lamed'' prepositions in v. 12 indicate possession: "belong to you" (NET), "are yours" (NIV, NLT, ESV). See also vv. 14a, 19. Cf. BHRG §39.11(1), "relationship of belonging."
+
* The three-member construct chain in v. 11b is literally "the arm of strength of you." The second member of the construct chain ("strength") characterizes the first member ("arm") (%3D "arm of strength" >> "strong arm"), and the third member of the chain ("you") indicates possession ("your strong arm," so NIV, CEB, NET, cf. NLT, ESV, CSB, CEV, NJPS).
+
* The phrase כֶחָלָל in the Masoretic Text has the definite article, lit.: "like the slain one." The article is generic, not referring to a specific or unique individual but rather to "a kind, species, or class" (Bekins 2017, 31; cf. IBHS §13.5.1f, who note that this use of the article is "especially common in comparisons"). Thus, "like those who are slain" (cf. the Peshitta which also uses the plural: ܐܝܟ ܕܠܩ̈ܛܝܠܐ܂). Note also that the same word occurs in the previous psalm (Ps 88:6): "just like the slain (כְּמוֹ חֲלָלִים) who are lying in the tomb."
+
* '''v. 1: עַל-מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת'''
:"The meaning of ''mahalath-leannoth'' is uncertain, but it is often assumed to be a tune or chanting pattern to be used with the psalm" (Tate 1990, 394).
:Mowinckel (1962, 2:210) suggests that ''mahalath'' is equal to “song” or “playing instrument” (probably a “reed-pipe”) and suggests the reference is to the flute or “flute playing,” which he argues would indicate a psalm of lament (reed pipes/flutes were played at lamentation ceremonies (cf. Jer 48:36). However, he argues that in 88:1 the עַל-מָחֲלַת means “in connection with (properly ‘over’) illness” and relates to purification from illness. Most modern translations as well as LXX keep ''mahalath''; Jerome reads "chorus" (namely, 'to the musical director over the chorus'); Targum has "according to the prayer"; BDB understands it as a name of a tune. We will take Mowinckel's reading as the preferred one, as it fits with the content of our psalm. Eerdmans' (1947, 138) interesting theory supports this reading. He notes that in Assyrian incantation texts for healing, the name of the patient had to be mentioned when they were recited, and he supposes that such is the case in the use of Pss 53 and 88. The עַל-מָחֲלַת... לְעַנּוֹת would mean “on account of the sickness of ...” , with the name of the sufferer added in each case.
:As for לְעַנּוֹת, Mowinckel takes it as “for penance” (properly “to humiliate / abase ; a piel inf. const. from עני) and argues that it indicates that the psalm was used as a psalm of penitence and lamentation, probably in rituals associated with purification from illness (Tate 1990, 395). This purpose, however, does not seem to be matched by the psalm itself, where the psalmist does not show penitence or profess a sin. LXX reads לענות in qal (“to answer”), which does not make much sense in the context, while Jerome reads in the same way morphologically, but chooses a different polysemous meaning of the root (“to sing“). It seems, however, that the kind of singing related to the root עני has to do with mass festivities and praises (Ex 15:21, 1Sam 21:12), which does not suit the general tone of the psalm. We prefer to read this infinitive form as '''for self-affliction''', a possible ellipsis of the idiom עִנָּה נֶפֶשׁ "to humble oneself" (cf. Ps 35:13).
* '''v. 1: Heman the Ezrahite'''
:The adjective Ezrahite (LXX has 'Israelite') may be understood as either a gentilic reference to Heman's being a progeny of Zerah (1Chr 2:6) or as "native" (i.e. “from a pre-Israelite family”), derived from the noun אֶזְרָח. There seems to be a confusion between two figures called Heman, one from Judah (see above) and one who was among the Korahite Levite singers in the temple, c.f. 1Chr 6:18, 22. "There seems to be no real answer to all this confusion. We are probably dealing with more than one Heman in the traditions... The inscription is probably a double one, perhaps derived from two different sources, possibly indicating that a Heman psalm has been taken into a Korahite collection, regardless of the lineage of Heman" (Tate 1990, 395).
* '''v. 1: הָאֶזְרָחִי'''
:An attributive adjective must agree with the noun its modifying in terms of definiteness. In our case the noun is a proper name, naturally definite (הֵימָן). Additionally, the article identifies this Heman as a particular historical figure known to the hearers, probably a Levite singer.
* The infinitive לְעַנּוֹת is read as a purpose clause indicating the religious function of the psalm: "it indicates that the psalm was used as a psalm of penitence and lamentation, probably in rituals associated with purification from illness." (Tate 1990:395); cf. note in Lexical Semantics. Under this reading, we take the infinitive as indicating a continuous action reflecting the process of purification. Since the English simple infinitive is unmarked in terms of aspect, the continuous aspect is not reflected in our CBC.
+
* '''v. 2b''' The preferred reading follows the one found in most modern translations and which sounds more plausible content-wise being a merism (‘day and night’). It is still a difficult reading for two reasons: (a) יוֹם used adverbially without a preposition, which does not seem to be attested elsewhere in the Bible; (b) יוֹם... לַיְלָה are asyndetic and separated from each other, a very unusual construction. We therefore analyse this hard verse as made of two asyndetic clauses, with the verb elided in the second one, to get "I have been crying out by day %5Band I have been crying%5D at night before you". For the sake of simplicity though, we rendered this verse in the CBC as "I have been crying out day and night before you". BHS emends MT to אֱלֹהַי שִׁוַּעְתִּי יוֹמָ֑ם צַעֲקָתִי בַלַּיְלָה נֶגְדֶּךָ with dittography assumed in יְשׁוּעָתִי and haplography in יוֹם, but that reading is not supported by any of the Ancient Versions.
%5B%5BFile: Psalm 088 - grammar v. 2 alt 1.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C825px%5D%5D
* '''v. 2b alt #1''' This alternative is similar in meaning to the preferred reading, but assuming one clause, with יום and לילה being separated and asyndetic, and yet forming one phrase, which is less plausible than our preferred reading.
%5B%5BFile: Psalm 088 - grammar v. 2 alt 2.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C825px%5D%5D
* '''v. 2b alt #2''' This reading is suggested by NLT, GNT and ZÜR, and may also be understood that way in LXX. It considers this verse as made of two asyndetic clauses, with the second one being a nominal one with an adverbial predicate ("I am before you at night"). It is less preferable semantically, as it abolishes the elegant merism and in general makes less sense ("crying in the day while %5Bstanding%5D in front of YHWH at night"). Another fact that speaks against this reading (namely, two distinct clauses) is the absence in MT of a dagesh lene in the ב of בלילה and the conjunctive accent (טרחא) in preceding word צָעַקְתִּי.
%5B%5BFile: Psalm 088 - grammar v. 2 alt 3.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C825px%5D%5D
* '''v. 2b alt #3''' Alternative is suggested by both Targum and NET, but not supported by either the MT or LXX and may therefore be a case of intentional emendation or harmonisation with the next verse, that has the explicit noun תְּפִלָּתִי in both MT and LXX.
%5B%5BFile: Psalm 088 - grammar v. 2 alt 4.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C825px%5D%5D
* '''v. 2b & v. 3a alt #4''' Alternative is suggested by CEV and NRSV. This reading assumes 2b to be a subordinate temporal clause of the main clause in 3a. It is thus understood as "When at night I cry out before you, may my prayer come before you!" The syntactic structure underlying this reading is of a construct chain with a verb, namely a predicate, as the ''nomen rectum''. This particular usage of the construct chain is very common with time-determinators as ''nomen regens'', and particularly following בְּיוֹם (N.B. our verse lacks the preposition), cf. Gesenius §131d. Interesting similar cases in Psalms are 102:3 and 56:10.
* '''v. 2: בַלַּיְלָה'''
:This prepositional phrase refers here not to one night in particular, but by virtue of the article to all nights (in an habitual sense).
+
* The lack of movement and the context, which indicates an habitual process, prompts us to render צָעַקְתִּי in English as a present perfect progressive.
+
* '''v. 4b חַיַּי''' The noun חַיִּים "life" is ''pluralia tantum'', i.e. a noun used in the plural only, with no singular form attested. Most of these nouns are abstract in meaning (JM §90f); cf. note on תוֹעֵבוֹת in v. 9b.
+
* '''v. 4: נפש as a substitute for personal pronoun'''
:"The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself > paraphrase for pers. pron. especially in poetry and ornate discourse" (BDB), cf. Psa 11:1; 7:3. Most translations keep the literal phrase "my soul" (ESV), some understand it as a personal pronoun (CEV, NIV).
+
* '''v. 3: לְפָנֶיךָ'''
:The idiom בָּא לִפְנֵי is understood following Gesenius' definition as "find favor / be approved with someone" (Gesenius Hebrew Dictionary on לִפְנֵי: "in the presence of --> Fig. with the approval of (since we only put those things which please us before our eyes)", e.g. יִֽהְי֥וּ לְרָצ֨וֹן׀ אִמְרֵי־פִ֡י וְהֶגְי֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ Ps 19:15 "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD," (NLT).
:Still, the preposition here is analyzed in its concrete non-figurative sense from which the idiom is derived.
+
* Imperatives and jussives, such as תָּבוֹא and הַטֵּה, default to reference point movement (unless they're imperfective, e.g. 'keep on eating!').
* The verb שָׂבְעָה is morphologically and semantically a stative, and so the ''qatal''' is taken to stand for a present state. BDB understands all instances of this verb as statives, rather than inchoatives.
* The lack of reference-point movement with הִגִּיעוּ prompts us to render this in English as a present perfect (instead of a simple past).
+
* Verbs of perception in ''qatal'' often have present tense stative value. Modern translations all render נֶחְשַׁבְתִּי as a present state.
* The attributive participle יוֹרְדֵי is not marked in terms of tense or aspect, and since the context is not decisive enough here, there are various options. Tate (1990:396) suggests an attractive reading of the participle as an imminent future ('those about to go to the Pit'). Nevertheless we take the consensual choice among Modern Translations to read that participle as a present gnomic one. This is further backed by the Greek and Latin present participle καταβαινόντων and descendentibus.
* The verb הָיָה is either stative ('to be') or dynamic-inchoative ('to become'). A qatal present stative is rare (cf. JM §111i, Gen 42:31), therfore we choose the inchoative reading, supported by Goldingay:2007; Dahood:1974. Cf. also Gen 3:22.
+