Property: Text
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
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* On the phrase '''by David''' (לְדָוִד) as a designation of authorship, see %5Bhttps://psalms.scriptura.org/w/Ledavid Ledavid%5D.
* In the ancient Near East, "kings were portrayed as shepherds (cf. 1 Kgs. 22:17; Jer. 23:1–4; Ezek. 34:1–10), and to portray God as shepherd is to portray God as a royal figure (cf. Ezek. 34:10–16)."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' Some of the shepherd's professional duties included leading, feeding, sheltering, and protecting the flock.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"'
: God is often referred to as the shepherd of his people (e.g., Pss 80:1; 95:7; 100:3; Isa 40:11). However, in Ps 23:1, YHWH is presented as David's personal shepherd. David, who had experience as a shepherd (1 Sam. 16:11; 17:34), declares: "YHWH is my shepherd"; i.e., YHWH is the one who rules, leads, and provides (food, water, protection, etc.) for me.
* The verb '''חסר''' ("to lack") is "most frequently used to express the sufficiency of God’s grace to meet the needs of his people."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' YHWH is my shepherd; therefore, I lack nothing. This verb also occurs in Neh 9:21 in reference to God's provision to Israel in the wilderness (וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֛ה כִּלְכַּלְתָּ֥ם בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר לֹ֣א חָסֵ֑רוּ - "Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000003-QINU`"'). The psalmist (Ps 23:1) along with those who trust (e.g. the widow in 1 Kgs 17:14), fear (Ps 34:10), seek (Ps 34:11), and worship (Isa 51:14) YHWH have no lack. "Conversely, the lack of bread or other blessings points to God’s disfavor because of lack of faith (Isa 32:6; Ezek 4:17)."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"'
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* "Such a case as לדוד מזמור (Ps. 24:1; etc.) is not to be regarded as a transposition, but מזמור is used epexegetically for the general term omitted before לדוד (as it were, a poem of David, a psalm)."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"'
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* On the text, see %5B%5BThe Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Ps. 110:3%5D%5D.
* After the textual issues have been worked out, one main grammatical issue remains: what is the syntactic function of לך?
**Option 1: לך as predicate complement (lamed of possession). "The dew of your youth will be yours" (ESV, cf. KJV, JPS, REB, NET, RVR95).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"'
**Option 2 (preferred): לך as adverbial (lamed dativum) modifying implied verb. "The dew of your youth comes to you" (cf. RSV, NRSV, ZÜR; cf Targum: יסתרהבון לך %5B"will hasten to you"%5D). Cf. 2 Sam. 12:4; ; Isa. 49:18; Amos 6:1; Zech. 9:9. A verb like בוא is "implied in the preposition 'to'"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' as well as by the other prepositional phrases which specify the location of some activity: the king's young men will come "from the womb of the dawn on the holy mountains."
**Option 3: לך as adverbial modifying טל (interpreted as a 3ms qal of טלל, cf. קל as 3ms qal of קלל). Cf. Ug. denom. ṭll to drop (dew) (1 Aqht 41, Gordon Ugaritic Textbook). According to DCH, two possible occurrences of this verb in the Hebrew Bible are in Hag. 1:10 and Deut. 33:13, though both require revocalization of the vowels). This view is unlikely because ילדות is a feminine noun.
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* See %5B%5BThe Grammar and Meaning of Ps. 110:4%5D%5D.
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* Verse 5 may be either one clause ("YHWH, who is at your right hand, has crushed..."; cf. KJV, NEB, LUT, ELB) or two clauses ("YHWH is at your right hand. He has crushed..."; cf. NIV, NLT, ESV, REB, JPS85, GNT, CEV, HFA, NGÜ, ZÜR). The division of the MT accents (atnach) may suggest two separate clauses, while the lack of any line division in most LXX mss (see Rahlfs) may suggest one clause (so also Jerome according to Weber-Gryson 5th edition). The fact that יְמִֽינְךָ֑ is a contextual form and not a pausal form (יְמִינָךְ) may support reading these lines as a single clause.
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* The verb מלא may be intransitive ("it is full of corpses"; cf. Ps. 33:5) or transitive ("he fills %5Bit/them%5D with corpses"; cf. 1 Kings 18:24). The LXX reads it in a transitive sense: πληρώσει πτώματα ("will make full with corpses" NETS), as does the Targum, which supplies the word "land" (ארעא) from the following line: מלי ארעא גושמי רשיען קטילין "he has filled the earth with the corpses of the wicked that have been slain."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' Others read it in an intransitive sense (e.g., Radak: ועשה דין ומשפט בגוים עד שמקום המלחמה מלא גויות). In either case, something must be supplied, either the subject or the object.
* Another option is to read מלא גויות as an asyndetic relative clause (%3D אשר מלא גויות) modifying גוים. This interpretation is supported by two considerations: (1) Analyzing מלא גויות as an asyndetic relative clause solves the problem of the missing constituent. There is no need to supply "the earth" in order to make the sentence grammatical. Instead, the text reads: "He will judge the nations whom he has filled with corpses." (2) The two clauses (ידין בגוים and מלא גויות) constitute a single poetic line; the prosodic unity supports the possibility of a syntactic unity. See e.g, Ps. 7:7c (וְע֥וּרָה אֵ֝לַ֗י מִשְׁפָּ֥ט צִוִּֽיתָ) in which the two clauses within a single line are probably to be read, with the LXX, as a single sentence: ἐξεγέρθητι, κύριε ὁ θεός μου, ἐν προστάγματι, ὧ ἐνετείλω.
* Some may object that מלא גויות cannot be an asyndetic relative clause, because the antecedent (גוים) is not resumed (e.g., מלא גויות אותם). Resumption of the direction object is optional, however, in cases in which the direct object lacks the definite direct object marker (את).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"'
* Others may object that it would be odd to fill a "nation" with something; usually the act of "filling" involves some kind of container. But the word “nation” (גוי) implies both “people” and “land” (cf. phrase like אַרְצ֣וֹת גּוֹיִ֑ם in Ps. 105:44), and lands can be filled (e.g., Ezek. 8:17; 30:11).. Ps. 106:26-27 speak of the גּוֹיִם in the sense of “nations > land.” The fact that a beth preposition is prefixed to goyim in Ps. 110:6 (as in Ps. 106:27 above) might support this interpretation here: “He will judge among (localization) the nations whom he filled with corpses.” I had previously analyzed this beth as a beth of social contact (“he will judge the nations”), but it could also indicate location as DCH suggests: “בְּ of place, among, + גּוֹי nation Ps 110:6.”
* What does עַל אֶרֶץ רַבָּה modify?
** Option 1: the PP עַל אֶרֶץ רַבָּה modifies the noun רֹאשׁ (e.g., NIV, ELB). This option is likely if ראש refers to a leader'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"', since "heads" (%3Dleaders) are said to be "over" people (Ex. 18:25; Deut. 1:15; Jdg. 11:11). Some point out that if עַל אֶרֶץ רַבָּה were intended to describe "heads," then we might have expected a construct chain (ראש ארץ רבה'"`UNIQ--ref-00000003-QINU`"') or a lamed preposition (ראש לארץ רבה'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"'). But the analogous noun phrases מלך על (2 Kgs. 8:13; Job 41:26; Eccl. 1:12) and פקיד על (2 Kgs. 25:19%3DJer. 52:25; Neh. 11:9) support reading ראש על in the sense of "head%3Dleader over."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"' This interpretation is further supported by the parallel in the previous verse (מָחַץ...מְלָכִים).
** Option 2 (preferred): the PP עַל אֶרֶץ רַבָּה modifies the verb מָחַץ (e.g., NET, JPS, EÜ). When the phrase מחץ ראש occurs in Ps. 68:22 (יִמְחַץ רֹאשׁ אֹיְבָיו // קָדְקֹד שֵׂעָר) and Hab. 3:13, "head" refers not to leaders but to the literal body part (so Delitzsch 1871:195). If "head" is to be understood literally (as a body part), then עַל אֶרֶץ רַבָּה probably modifies מָחַץ. The construction is similar to Ps. 74:13: שִׁבַּ֖רְתָּ רָאשֵׁ֥י תַ֝נִּינִ֗ים עַל־הַמָּֽיִם.
* The singular noun רֹאשׁ is probably a collective (cf. LXX κεφαλὰς) as in Ps. 68:22 (רֹאשׁ אֹיְבָיו), and it may be short for רֹאשׁ מלכים (cf. Targum: רישי מלכיא), מלכים being implied from the previous verse (v. 5b).
* The word רַבָּה probably modifies אֶרֶץ with which it agrees in gender (f) and number (s) and to which it is prosodically bound (merka).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"' Some have argued that because "earth" (אֶרֶץ) is never described as רַבָּה, the word רַבָּה must be an adverb as in Ps. 62:3 and 78:15 (cf. Pss. 123:3).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000007-QINU`"' But the phrase אֶרֶץ רַבָּה, though unique, is analogous to the common phrase תְּהוֹם רַבָּה (Gen. 7:11; Amos 7:7; Ps. 36:7; etc.).
* What does בדרך modify?
** Option 1: The prepositional phrase בדרך modifies ישתה ("he will drink on the way"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"'). The accents group בדרך prosodically with ישתה and not with נחל, suggesting that בדרך does not modify נחל but ישתה: "on the way he will drink from the stream" (ELB) >> "on his campaign the king will drink from the stream" (NGÜ).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' Cf. Ps. 102:24 (עִנָּה בַדֶּרֶךְ כֹּחוֹ); Ezra 8:22 (לְעָזְרֵנוּ מֵאוֹיֵב בַּדָּרֶךְ). This view is likely if דרך refers to a military campaign (cf. 1 Sam. 15:18, 20).
** Option 2 (preferred): The prepositional phrase בדרך modifies נחל ("a stream by the road"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"'). The simplest explanation of the word order is that בדרך modifies נחל. Otherwise one must explain why two constituents (instead of just one constituent) are fronted.
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מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד בְּבָרְחוֹ מִפְּנֵי ׀ אַבְשָׁלוֹם בְּנֽוֹ׃ +
יְהוָה מָֽה־רַבּוּ צָרָי
רַבִּים קָמִים עָלָֽי׃ +
רַבִּים אֹמְרִים לְנַפְשִׁי
אֵין יְֽשׁוּעָתָה לּוֹ בֵֽאלֹהִים סֶֽלָה׃ +
וְאַתָּה יְהוָה מָגֵן בַּעֲדִי
כְּבוֹדִי וּמֵרִים רֹאשִֽׁי׃ +
קוֹלִי אֶל־יְהוָה אֶקְרָא
וַיַּֽעֲנֵנִי מֵהַר קָדְשׁוֹ סֶֽלָה׃ +
אֲנִי שָׁכַבְתִּי וָֽאִישָׁנָה
הֱקִיצוֹתִי כִּי יְהוָה יִסְמְכֵֽנִי׃ +
לֹֽא־אִירָא מֵרִבְבוֹת עָם
אֲשֶׁר סָבִיב שָׁתוּ עָלָֽי׃ +
קוּמָה יְהוָה ׀ הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי אֱלֹהַי
כִּֽי־הִכִּיתָ אֶת־כָּל־אֹיְבַי לֶחִי
שִׁנֵּי רְשָׁעִים שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃ +
לַיהוָה הַיְשׁוּעָה
עַֽל־עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ סֶּֽלָה׃ +
* '''YHWH's oracle''' (נְאֻם יְהוָה) is "an almost completely fixed technical expression introducing prophetic oracles."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' The use of this term suggests that Psalm 110 (or, at least the quoted speech in v. 1) is to be read as a prophetic oracle.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' Many translations render the noun phrase "YHWH's oracle" as a clause: "the Lord says/said to my Lord" (NIV, ESV, NLT, GNT).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' The NET more closely reflects the grammar of the Hebrew text: "Here is the LORD's proclamation to my lord."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000003-QINU`"'
* The oracle is addressed '''to my lord.''' A "lord" is a "man who is in a position of authority over another person" (SDBH), and the third-person phrase "my lord" is often used when an inferior addresses a superior.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"' The title "lord" is often applied to kings, and thus the use of this word is the first of several indications in the psalm that the addressee is a king.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"'
%5B%5BFile: Adon - lord.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C825px%5D%5D
* YHWH invites the king to '''sit at my right side''' (שֵׁב לִימִינִי). The Hebrew word for '''right side''' (יָמִין) (so GNT, CEV; cf. NGÜ, GNB), often translated here as "right hand" (e.g., KJV, ESV, NIV, NLT, NET), refers to "the side of the human body which is to the south when facing the direction of the rising sun" (SDBH). The right side/hand of a king is "the position of honor, privilege, and preference."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"' The NLT translation makes this assumption explicit: “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand" (NLT).
* Because YHWH himself sits on a heavenly throne (see e.g., Ps. 11:4), to sit at YHWH's right might mean either to sit on a throne next to YHWH's throne'"`UNIQ--ref-00000007-QINU`"' or to sit next to YHWH on his throne.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000008-QINU`"' In either case, the king is invited in v. 1 to occupy a place of high honour in YHWH's heavenly throne-room.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000009-QINU`"' Because only priests were allowed access into YHWH's throne-room,'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000A-QINU`"' the king's position at YHWH's right anticipates the oath in v. 4 that he is a priest forever. Thus, as Emadi writes, 'The language of “right hand” does more than metaphorically communicate authority, power, and kingship; it also highlights the messiah’s privileged position of access to Yahweh. David’s lord will reign from the very heavenly throne room of God... Thus, we do not have to wait until 110:4 to see the priestly identity of David’s lord. Like the messianic picture in Psalm 2, the Davidic messiah will exercise kingly authority while enjoying priestly access to the very presence of God.''"`UNIQ--ref-0000000B-QINU`"'
%5B%5BFile:Psalm 110 - yamin.jpg%7Cclass%3Dimg-fluid%7C825px%5D%5D
* YHWH promises that he will '''make your enemies a footstool for your feet.''' A '''footstool''' (הֲדֹם) refers to "a low stool... for resting the feet on when sitting," and it is "often associated with authority" (SDBH).'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000C-QINU`"'
* In the biblical world, the placement of enemies under one's feet was an expression of authority and victory.'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000D-QINU`"' As in the Neo-Assyrian royal prophecies'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000E-QINU`"' and biblical narratives,'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000F-QINU`"' ultimate credit for subduing the king's enemies belonged to the king's god.
* The oracle is addressed '''to my lord.''' The ''lamed'' preposition indicates the addressee. '"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"'
* YHWH invites the king to '''sit at my right side''' (שֵׁב לִימִינִי). The preposition "at" is used to translate the ''lamed'' preposition, which here indicates orientation on a horizontal axis.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"'
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* The phrase '''your strong staff''' (מַטֵּה־עֻזְּךָ) is, in Hebrew, a construct chain: lit.: "the staff of your strength." The second noun in the construct chain ("strength") expresses an attribute of the first noun ("staff").'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' Thus, translations have "strong staff" or "mighty scepter" (NIV, ESV, CSB). Other translations make it clear that the king's strong staff is a metonymy for his kingdom: "your powerful kingdom" (NLT), "your royal power" (GNT), "your dominion" (NET).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"'
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* The word '''willing''' (נְדָבֹת)—which, in Hebrew, is a plural noun—can refer either to (1) a "voluntary/freewill offering," or (2) "voluntariness" or "freewill" in the abstract.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' Thus, Ps. 110:3a may say either (1) "your people are freewill offerings,"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' or (2) "your people are freewill" >> "your people are willing, eager to volunteer."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' The latter is more likely in light of Judges 5, which twice describes people eagerly volunteering for battle: בְּהִתְנַדֵּב עָם (Jdg. 5:2); הַמִּתְנַדְּבִים בָּעָם (Jdg. 5:9).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000003-QINU`"' GKC explains the use of the plural נְדָבֹת instead of the singular נְדָבָה as a means of attaining "emphasis," citing also Ct. 5:16 (חִכּוֹ מַמְתַקִּים) and Dn. 9:23 (חֲמוּדוֹת אָתָּה).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"' The NGÜ does a good job of bringing out this emphasis: "with all their heart your people stand ready..."
* The word '''power''' (חַ֫יִל) is often used in military contexts, and it often refers to an "army."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"' In this context, "the day of your (military) power" is "the day of the waging of your war" (Targum).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"'
* In the second clause (v. 3bc) the king's army is compared to the early-morning '''dew''' that falls on the mountains of Zion. For more information on this implied metaphor, see the imagery table in the notes for %5Bhttps://psalms.scriptura.org/w/Psalm_110_Verse-by-Verse#Notes_3 v. 3%5D which explores this implied metaphor ''the king's young men are dew''.
* The phrase '''on the holy mountains''' (בְּהַרְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ), which occurs also in Ps. 87:1 בְּהַרְרֵי־קֹֽדֶשׁ, refers to the mountains around Jerusalem (cf. Ps. 125:2; 133:3). Several modern translations read "holy mountains" (RSV, NRSV, GNT, NET, DHH94I, PDV2017, NFC), while a majority of modern translations follow the Masoretic Text in reading "holy garments" (בְּהַדְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000007-QINU`"' The difference between the two readings is a single letter (ד vs ר). Our preferred reading (בְּהַרְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ) is found in a number of medieval Hebrew manuscripts, and it is reflected in the translations of Symmachus and Jerome. This reading fits very well in the context, which mentions "Zion" (v. 2, cf. Ps. 87) and "dew" (cf. Ps. 133). The scribal change from בְּהַרְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ to בְּהַדְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ is easy to explain: the letters ''dalet'' and ''resh'' look nearly identical, not only in the Aramaic square script but also in earlier forms of the Hebrew script. See %5B%5BThe Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Ps. 110:3%5D%5D for details.
* The phrase '''from the womb of dawn''' is difficult, but it probably refers to the way in which the dew (i.e., the king's army) falls on the mountains early in the morning, at the break of dawn, as though the dawn were giving birth to the dew-like army of young men.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000008-QINU`"'
* The word '''dawn''', which occurs only here, is probably 'a byform of the more common word שחר meaning "dawn". Note that words of this semantic field typically bear the mem before the root— thus מזרח "sunrise, east", מוצא "sunrise, east", מבוא "sunset, west", and מערב "sunset, west"—so it should not be surprising to encounter the word משחר "dawn" in the ancient Hebrew lexicon."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000009-QINU`"'