The Grammar and Meaning of Ps. 13:6d

Introduction

The final clause of Psalm 13 is a ki clause which has been understood as causal (‘because’), temporal (‘when’), or as a complementizer (‘that’). These three options are illustrated in the following translations:

Causal: I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me (ESV)

Temporal: I will sing to the Lord when he vindicates me (NET)

Complementizer: Ich will dem Herrn singen, dass er so wohl an mir tut (Luther Bible 2017)

The LXX, on the other hand, skips the ki altogether, simply modifying the Lord with the expansion, who has worked good for me.

This clause has major implications for the Psalm as a whole. As a Psalm of individual lament, it provides the words for those suffering to express their anguish before the Lord. If the clause is temporal, the suffering that the psalmist complains of in vv. 2-3 is ongoing, yet he has a firm expectation that he will turn to sing and praise the Lord when this period of suffering is past, and indeed that it will pass. Such a reading would also imply a future perfect reading of the qaṭal, so that the suffering will have ended when the psalmist turns to the Lord in praise.

In contrast, neither the complementizer nor causal readings necessitate that the suffering will end, but express a totally different perspective between vv. 5 and 6. Whenever this situation might abate, the psalmist confesses that the Lord has been good to him in the past, according to His ḥesed, and will continue to do so, therefore the psalmist can trust in God’s character even in dark times. Because of the similarities of their implications for the entire Psalm, the complementizer and causal readings are treated as one in the argument map below.

Conclusion

The most likely reading, along with the majority of ancient and modern translations, is taking the ki clause as causal and the gml as anterior and perfective, i.e. YHWH has provided generously for me [and will continue to do so].

The two strongest arguments against this interpretation involve the current situation in which David finds himself and the abrupt shift of attitude between v.5 and v.6 - how can he claim that YHWH has provided generously for him in his current state of distress? In other passages it is not uncommon for the psalmist to boldly declare his position of trust in the present despite current circumstances. For example, Ps. 6:9 declares that ‘YHWH has heard the sound of my weeping’. Of course, it is grammatically possible to read ki as temporal and therefore the gml as a future perfect, yet it does not seem the most likely considering the prototypical characteristics of temporal ki clauses as previous to the main clause and containing a yiqtol verb. In any case, the cohortative verb, ‘I will sing’ can still take place in the future, when deliverance is realised, yet the disposition to do so is already present. Furthermore, the other two instances in which a ki clause introduces gml + על are unambiguously causal, even in the NET translation, which seems to be the biggest proponent of the temporal reading in Ps. 13:6.

Maintaining this interpretation is important for two main reasons: (1) the change of attitude, although perhaps strange on a cursory reading, portrays the lamenting itself as an agency of change, and (2) the Psalm teaches us to trust in YHWH’s character at all times, regardless of our present circumstances, because of His goodness in the past and in expectance of His goodness in the future.

Research

Translations

Ancient

LXX: ᾄσω τῷ κυρίῳ τῷ εὐεργετήσαντί με

S: ܘܐܫܒܚ ܠܡܪܝܐ ܕܦܪܩܢܝ

Vg: cantabo Domino qui bona tribuit mihi / qui reddidit mihi

Tg: אֲשַׁבַּח קֳדָם יְיָ מְטוּל דִפְרִיעַ עֲלָי טָבְתָא

Modern

English:

because he has dealt bountifully with me (ESV; cf. CEV, NIV, GNT, JPS 1985, NRSV, NLT; because he is good to me, NLT)

when he vindicates me (NET)

German:

dass er so wohl an mir tut (Luther 2017; cf. ELB)

weil er mir Gutes erwiesen hat (NGÜ; cf. HFA, EÜ, GNT, ZÜR)

French:

car il m’a fait du bien (NBS; cf. NVSR, BDS [without ki])

pour le bien qu’il m’a fait (TOB; cf. PDV, NFC)

Spanish:

porque ma ha hecho bien (RVR1995; cf. LBLA, BTX)

por el bien que me ha hecho (DHH)

El Señor ha sido bueno conmigo (NVI)

Secondary Literature

“A liturgical addition rejoices in salvation already enjoyed… כי gives ground or reason of exultation” (Briggs: 1906: 99, 103) ≠ The כי is “causal o temporal” (Alonso-Schöckel 1992: 255)

“I will sing to Jahve that he hath dealt bountifully with me” (Delitzsch 1883: 250)

“that his heart might give thanks to God for his salvation, which, as already inwardly promised to him, he sees with the eye of faith as actually present” (Hengstenberg 1863-64: 202)

“The basis of his faith is the covenant, and “salvation” here is either the saving acts of the God of the covenant in past days, his own anticipated deliverance, or, most likely, the expectation of the latter, encouraged by recalling the former. Verse 6 summarizes his ultimate verdict on the situation, viewed retrospectively.” (Grogan 2008)

“He looks back from the stand-point of deliverance granted.” (Kirkpatrick 1897: 65)

“The confidence is expressed within the tension which exists between past experience and future hope. The past experience of the psalmist has been one of trust in God’s “lovingkindness,” namely the faithful covenant love of God which characterized all his dealings with his chosen people. The present reality was of such a nature as to undermine that past experience of trust, but it is in the nature of confidence to transform the present on the basis of past experience and thus to create hope for the future; and so the psalmist can affirm that he will “rejoice” in God’s deliverance, even though it has not yet come. The actual song of praise would burst forth once deliverance had been accomplished, but the knowledge that deliverance was coming created an anticipatory calm and sense of confidence… The confidence which finally comes (v 6) is based primarily upon a change of attitude, not a change in physical well-being” (Craigie 1983)

“In contrast to the enemies, who rejoice in God’s seeming absence and lack of care, the psalmist expects that the godly will ultimately rejoice in God’s salvation.” (VanGemeren 2006)

“God will save or rescue the psalmist. He can be sure of that, because God is good.” (Longman 2015)

References

13:6