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
* '''שֵׁם אֱלֹהֵי-נוּ''' ("our God's name"): Possession (characteristic)–possessor. God's name refers to the core of his identity, reflecting the essence of his being (SDBH). Hence, the construct relationship is that of characteristic-possessor.
* '''לְ-אֵל זָֽר׃''' ("to another god"): The preposition ל most frequently denotes direction "to" or "towards" an object (Arnold and Choi 2018, §4.1.10a). Here, the figure of "%5Bspreading%5D our palms to another god" is an idiomatic description of prayer (SDBH).
+
* '''The sense of הֹרַגְנוּ:''' While the psalmist has not literally been killed, the inclusion of himself in the first-person plural could be explained on the basis of corporate solidarity (see Exegetical Issue: %5B%5BThe Speaker of Ps. 44:5, 7, and 16%5D%5D), wherein the experience of the community is shared by the individual. Thus, Israel's experience of death by means of military defeat (v. 10) or plundering (v. 11) is reflected in the experience of the psalmist as well.
+
* '''כָל־הַיּוֹם''' ("all day long"): Indication of duration of time. This noun phrase specifies the temporal duration of the psalmist's experience of the threat of death. The focus appears to be on the experience's continuous—rather than unending—nature, as the psalmist is requesting that God deliver him from it.
* '''עָלֶי-ךָ''' ("because of you"): The preposition עַל can indicate indirect goal, "for the sake of" (BHRG, §39.20.3c), or cause, "because of" (Ibid, §39.20.4). The distinction between goals and causes can be difficult to distinguish (IBHS, §11.2.13e). However, within the present context of lament, the portrayal of God as the active agent in the psalmist's suffering points to a causal nuance.
* '''כְּ-צֹאן טִבְחָֽה׃''' ("as sheep for slaughtering"): The preposition כ frequently indicates similarity (BHRG, §39.10.1).
+
* '''The meaning of לָנֶצַח:''' The term נֵצַח is typically understood as "endurance, everlastingness, endlessness" (DCH). However, it has been noted that this meaning is difficult in instances where it is found alongside temporal questions of "How long?" (Pss 13:2; 74:10; 79:5; 89:47). It has been suggested that, based on a root meaning of "pre-eminent," נֵצַח can communicate a superlative sense (Thomas 1956, 108). If so, then the sense here would be, "Do not reject ''utterly''." However, as the traditional rendering of "forever" is intelligible—even in difficult cases—by means of literary device, this temporal rendering is preferred (cf. NIDOTTE, 3:139–40).
+
* '''אֲדֹנָ-י''' ("our lord >> Lord): Kinship/relationship–possessor. When used in אֲדֹנָי, the 1cs suffix loses its force, as the entire construction is understood as a divine title (GKC, §135q).
+
* '''פָנֶי-ךָ''' ("your face"): Possession (body part)–possessor. With פָנֶי used figuratively to refer to one's presence (DCH), the construct relationship would be closer to that of characteristic-possessor.
+
* '''The meaning of שָׁחָה:''' Typically connected with the root I-שׁוח "to sink down," most modern translations render this clause as, "our soul has sunk/bowed down to the dust." This could also be idiomatically understood as "to be downcast, depressed" (DCH). Alternatively, the verb could be associated with the root III-שׁוח (DCH) or שׁיח (HALOT) "to melt." As the Aramaic and Syriac cognates of שׁיח can have the sense of "to melt away, ''vanish''," it is possible that this would imply a sense of dissolution. Thus, melting away לֶעָפָר ("to dust") could have the sense of dissolving ''into'' dust, or becoming dust (cf. Gen 3:19).
: However, in light of the parallel line that follows ("our body clings to the earth"), it seems preferable to associate שָׁחָה with a downward movement, either physically down to the dust, or idiomatically with respect to being emotionally downcast (NIDOTTE, 4:98).
+
* '''לֶ-עָפָר''' ("into the dust"): With verbs of motion, the preposition ל can denote the goal of the movement (terminative) (Arnold and Choi 2018, §4.1.10a). See note above on שָׁחָה.
* '''לָ-אָרֶץ''' ("to the earth"): The preposition ל can denote the location of an object at a certain point (Arnold and Choi 2018, §4.1.10b). However, the gloss "clings at the earth" would not conform to English idiom.
+
* '''The meaning of פְדֵנוּ:''' The basic meaning of the verb פדה is "to achieve the transfer of ownership from one to another through payment of a price or an equivalent substitute" (TWOT, 716). While the commercial concept of payment sometimes recedes in contexts of deliverance from danger (Ibid, 717), here in Ps 44, the term could be understood as a reversal of God's "selling" his people (v. 13).
+
* '''לָּ-נוּ''' (To our %5Bassistance%5D): The ל of interest (dativus commodi or benefactive dative) indicates the person for whom an action is directed (IBHS, §11.2.10d).
+
* For a discussion of the textual and grammatical issues in v. 38, see %5B%5BThe Text and Meaning of Ps 89:38b%5D%5D.
+
* Most modern translations render the verb '''שָׁמַעְנוּ''' as a present perfect ("we have heard"; so NIV, ESV, NASB, CSB, NET), which would highlight the resultant state of the action. This fits the context of the psalm, in light of its theme of appealing to past events for present circumstances (Craigie 2004, 333). As a present perfect, no reference point movement is expected.
* Most modern translations render the verb '''סִפְּרוּ''' as a present perfect ("our ancestors have recounted"; so NIV, ESV, NASB, CSB, NET), which would highlight the resultant state of the action. This fits the context of the psalm, in light of its theme of appealing to past events for present circumstances (Craigie 2004, 333). As a present perfect, no reference point movement is expected.
* The verb '''פָּעַלְתָּ''' introduces an asyndetic relative clause that qualifies פֹּעַל (i.e., "the deeds %5Bwhich%5D you did..."). The reference time of פָּעַלְתָּ is established by the relative clause, as well as the adverbial modifiers בִימֵיהֶם and בִּימֵי קֶדֶם. Thus פָּעַלְתָּ denotes a simple past action within the newly established reference time, and reference point movement is expected.
+
* '''הוֹרַשְׁתָּ''' ("dispossessed"): Paired qatal and yiqtol constructions can denote a general truth. The typically habitual value of the yiqtol can be viewed as providing an overlapping circumstantial description to the qatal (Niccacci 2006, 257–58). Here in v. 3a, the qatal '''הוֹרַשְׁתָּ''' is likely a summary statement that encompasses a dispossession which, historically, occurred in stages. The habitual yiqtol תָּרַע in v. 3c clarifies that this was not a one-time occurrence—a dynamic that is also implied by the plural objects גּוֹיִם (v. 3a) and לְאֻמִּים (v. 3c).
* '''וַתִּטָּעֵם''' ("you planted them"): While the wayyiqtol does not necessarily denote temporal succession, its association with narrative texts can be used in poetry to mark departures from typical parallelistic structure (BHRG §21.2.3). Here, it likely denotes that the planting of Israel temporally followed the dispossession of the nations.
* '''תָּרַע''' ("you would afflict"): Paired qatal and yiqtol constructions can denote a general truth. The typically habitual value of the yiqtol can be viewed as providing an overlapping circumstantial description to the qatal (Niccacci 2006, 257–58). Previously in v. 3a, the qatal הוֹרַשְׁתָּ was likely a summary statement that encompasses a dispossession which, historically, occurred in stages. The habitual yiqtol '''תָּרַע''' here in v. 3c clarifies that this was not a one-time occurrence—a dynamic that is also implied by the plural objects גּוֹיִם (v. 3a) and לְאֻמִּים (v. 3c).
* '''וַֽתְּשַׁלְּחֵֽם''' ("you would set them free"): While the wayyiqtol does not necessarily denote temporal succession, its association with narrative texts can be used in poetry to mark departures from typical parallelistic structure (BHRG §21.2.3). Here, it likely denotes that the setting free of Israel temporally followed the affliction of the nations. As it follows upon the habitual yiqtol תָּרַע, the wayyiqtol וַֽתְּשַׁלְּחֵֽם also denotes habitual occurrences. The piel of שׁלח can mean "to set free" or "to expel," depending on the context (TWOT, 928). Based on the parallel with וַתִּטָּעֵם in v. 3b, the verb likely denotes, "you would set %5BIsrael%5D free." For further discussion, see Participant Analysis.
* '''רְצִיתָֽם''' ("you were pleased"): As part of an explanatory כּי-clause, the qatal is not temporally sequential, but rather a perfect of result (i.e., "you had been pleased with them %5Bin the past%5D" >> "you are %5Bnow%5D pleased with them"). Thus, no reference point movement is expected.
+
* '''מְצַוֶּה''' ("commanding"): For the emendation of the MT אֱלֹהִ֑ים צַ֝וֵּ֗ה see Grammar notes.
+
* '''נְנַגֵּחַ''' ("we can gore"): Without reference point movement, the yiqtol denotes habitual action. Since the fronted instrumental בְּךָ indicates replacing focus (see Macrosyntax), the nuance here is, "With you %5Band no other%5D we gore..." Hence, the modality indicated is that of ability, "we are able to gore...".
* '''נָבוּס''' ("we can thread down"): Without reference point movement, the yiqtol denotes habitual action. Since the fronted instrumental בְּשִׁמְךָ indicates replacing focus (see Macrosyntax), the nuance here is, "Under your authority %5Band none other%5D we tread down..." Hence, the modality indicated is that of ability, "we are able to tread down...".
+
* '''אֶבְטָח''' ("I cannot trust"): Without reference point movement, the yiqtol denotes habitual action. Since the fronted instrumental בְקַשְׁתִּי indicates replacing focus (see Macrosyntax), the nuance here is, "I do not trust in my bow %5Bsince only you can be trusted%5D..." Hence, the modality indicated is that of ability, "I cannot trust in my bow."
* '''תוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי''' ("give me victory"): Without reference point movement, the yiqtol denotes habitual action. Since the fronted instrumental וְחַרְבִּי indicates replacing focus (see Macrosyntax), the nuance here is, "my sword does not give victory %5Bsince only you can%5D..." Hence, the modality indicated is that of ability, "my sword cannot give victory."
+
* '''מְשַׂנְאֵינוּ''': "Those who hate us" >> "enemies" (SDBH).
+
* '''הִלַּלְנוּ''' ("We have been boasting"): The continual aspect of this clause is inferred from the temporal modifier כָל־הַיּוֹם "all day long." As the psalmist is describing a past action with present results, the no reference time movement is expected.
* '''נוֹדֶה''' ("we will keep declaring"): It is possible to construe נוֹדֶה as a cohortative (i.e., "Let us praise"). However, taken in parallel with the preceding qatal הִלַּלְנוּ, it is likely that the paired construction is expressing praise extending from the past (qatal הִלַּלְנוּ) to the future (yiqtol נוֹדֶה), thus emphasizing the totality of Israel's commitment.
+
* '''זָנַחְתָּ''' ("you have rejected"): In the current context, the verb denotes the resulting state of an anterior action (perfect of result). As such, no reference point movement is expected.
* '''וַתַּכְלִימֵנוּ''' ("you have put us to shame"): While typically associated with temporal succession, the wayyiqtol in this case could denote logical entailment of the preceding clause (IBHS, §33.2.1a). It is possible that the wayyiqtol is epexegetical, in that it explains the preceding clause (i.e., "you have rejected, that is, you disgraced us"; cf. similar construction in Ps 89:39; Ibid, §33.2.2a). In the current context, the verb denotes the resulting state of an anterior action (perfect of result). As such, no reference point movement is expected.
* '''תֵצֵא''' ("you do not go forth"): Without reference point movement, the yiqtol denotes habitual action. It is possible that the yiqtol form is here denoting desire (e.g., "you refuse to go out"; IBHS, §31.4h; JM, §133n).
+