The Meaning of לְהָרַע in Ps 15:4c

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Introduction

Psalm 15:4c, לְ֝הָרַ֗ע is difficult to translate, particularly because, as Dahood notes, "the more common Biblical Hebrew usage would require the phrase to be translated More common biblical Hebrew usage would require that the phrase nisba? Fhära* vflö* yämlr be translated "he swore to do wrong, and he did not retract" he swore to do wrong and he did not retreat" (302). This translation would be problematic given that the subject in this verse is presented in the Psalm as the individual (or group) who is the answer to the questions of the first verse: “O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? This individual walks with integrity, works righteousness and speaks truth in his heart (v. 2), and in verse 3 is said to not do “evil (רָעָ֑ה) to his fellow". This individual, then, would not be expected to swear to ‘do wrong and not retreat’. Both text critical and semantic issues concerning the phrase לְ֝הָרַ֗ע, 'to do wrong', require consideration when addressing this issue.

Argument Map(s)

Text Critical Question: Should לְ֝הָרַ֗ע, 'to do wrong/harm', be retained as per the MT or emended to לְהַרֵעָ, 'neighbour/friend'? 

 
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[Swearing to harm (לְ֝הָרַ֗ע)]: Masoretic vocalizations should be retained and the word should be interpreted as "swearing to harm" (without textual emendation).
 + <Modern Versions>: (NIV, ESV, NET, CEV, JPS/1985, NLT, GNT, NRSV, NEB/REB, NJB?) Dictionaries and commentaries also support this reading (Author Date:Page :C:).
  + [Lectio difficilior]: More difficult reading often preferred.
  - [Some modern translations emend]:Douay-Rheims (Author Date:Page :C:; Author Date:Page :A:).#dispreferred
 + <Ancient Support>: Aq, Rashi, Kimchi, NJPS, Jer "swears to his detriment" (Author Date:Page :C:).
  - [Ancient counter]: LXX, Sym, Jer, Syr (Author Date:Page :C:; Author Date:Page :A:).#dispreferred
   - [Scholarly support]: Briggs and Alter (Author Date:Page :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Context>:
  + [Background of Lev. 5:4]: Lev. 5:4, potentially a background for Psalm 15:4c, translates 'לְ֝הָרַ֗ע' as to harm'
  + [Community behavior theme]: MT reading reflects the focus on behavior in the community.
   - [Emended reading focuses on community behavior]: the emended reading 'swears to a neighbor' reinforces the HB and ANE emphasis on the importance of oath keeping in community.#dispreferred
 - <Emend to 'neighbour'>: 'he swears to his friend and does not change’ (Author Date:Page :G:).#dispreferred
  + [Context with v.3]: fulfilling an oath to his neighbor does not contradict the earlier portrayals, including that ‘he does no evil to his neighbor’ (v. 3).#dispreferred 
   - [Semantic readings of לְ֝הָרַ֗ע]: some semantic readings of לְ֝הָרַ֗ע also do not contradict v.3 or the rest of the psalm.


Argument Mapn0Swearing to harm (לְ֝הָרַ֗ע)Masoretic vocalizations should be retained and the word should be interpreted as "swearing to harm" (without textual emendation).n1Lectio difficiliorMore difficult reading often preferred.n10Modern Versions(NIV, ESV, NET, CEV, JPS/1985, NLT, GNT, NRSV, NEB/REB, NJB?) Dictionaries and commentaries also support this reading (Author Date:Page 🄲).n1->n10n2Some modern translations emendDouay-Rheims (Author Date:Page 🄲; Author Date:Page 🄰).n2->n10n3Ancient counterLXX, Sym, Jer, Syr (Author Date:Page 🄲; Author Date:Page 🄰).n11Ancient SupportAq, Rashi, Kimchi, NJPS, Jer "swears to his detriment" (Author Date:Page 🄲).n3->n11n4Scholarly supportBriggs and Alter (Author Date:Page 🄲).n4->n3n5Background of Lev. 5:4Lev. 5:4, potentially a background for Psalm 15:4c, translates 'לְ֝הָרַ֗ע' as to harm'n12Contextn5->n12n6Community behavior themeMT reading reflects the focus on behavior in the community.n6->n12n7Emended reading focuses on community behaviorthe emended reading 'swears to a neighbor' reinforces the HB and ANE emphasis on the importance of oath keeping in community.n7->n6n8Context with v.3fulfilling an oath to his neighbor does not contradict the earlier portrayals, including that ‘he does no evil to his neighbor’ (v. 3).n13Emend to 'neighbour''he swears to his friend and does not change’ (Author Date:Page 🄶).n8->n13n9Semantic readings of לְ֝הָרַ֗עsome semantic readings of לְ֝הָרַ֗ע also do not contradict v.3 or the rest of the psalm.n9->n8n10->n0n11->n0n12->n0n13->n0


Semantic Question: how should the word לְ֝הָרַ֗ע be read in the context of Psalm 15?

  • harm to self
  • harm to others
  • moral evil
 
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[Self-harm (לְ֝הָרַ֗ע)]: "swears to do evil to his own detriment
 + <Textual support>:  Dictionaries and commentaries also support this reading (Author Date:Page :C:).
  + [Modern versions]:(NIV, ESV, NET, CEV, JPS/1985, NLT, GNT, NRSV, NEB/REB, NJB?)
   <_ [Some modern versions disagree]: Kezler, Ibn Ezra (translates as self harm in this passage but as harm to another in Lev. 5:4.#dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: (Author Date:Page :C:; Author Date:Page :A:).
   <_ [Some ancient versions emend text]: (Author Date:Page :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Context of v.3>:
  + [Repeated roots read negatively]: vv.3-4 are embedded in a listing of who qualifies to enter the house. V.3 disqualifies someone who does harm to a neighbour (anyone in the community). V.4 uses the same root? and it would be contradictory to then say that someone who does harm to another in the community would still qualify to enter.
  - [Defense Harm]: Could be referring to harm of an enemy.#dispreferred
  - [Judicial Harm]: Could be referring to a punishment when it would be justice to harm one in the community.#dispreferred
    + [No contrast specified]: No contrasted situation or group of people is mentioned in relation to not harming neighbours.
 + <Lev. 5:4 parallel>: shared lexical and thematic features (Author Date:Page :G:).
  + [Harm/good]: Milgrom, Schenker, Rashi etc.. view the merism as referring to harm/good rather than moral/immoral. Milgrom takes Lev. 5:4 takes harm to self not harm to another.
   + [Asam offering]: Milgrom chooses this reading for Lev. 5:4, pointing out the topic of oaths that harm others is addressed later in the chapter in vv 21-26
   - [Ibn Ezra disagrees]: Ibn Ezra takes it as harm to another.#dispreferred
   - [Lev. 5:4 not the background]: Lev 5:4 is explicitly about rash oaths so could not be in the background of Ps. 15:4.#dispreferred
 - <Harm to others>: #dispreferred
  + [King's role to defend and judge]: 1 Sam 8:19 the role of the king is to fight (and presumably harm) enemies of the Lord. A king will also judge 2 Sam 4:9-12 is an instance when David makes and carries out an oath to punish the murderers of Ish-bosheth.#dispreferred
  + [Jephthah kills his daughter]: Judges 11 he does so for a vow and his action is not stigmatized because it was done to keep a vow.
   - [Text neither condemns nor celebrates]: This is given as a story without condemning or celebrating Jepthah's actions.
  + [Ibn Ezra interpretation]: Lev. 5:4 refers to oath against another #dispreferred
   - [Milgrom chooses alternate reading]: rather with Rashi, Talmud and others he reads the lehara to refer to self-harm. He finds harm to others in Lev. in a different chapter and so assumes Lev.5:4 refers to a different kind of harm.
   - [Ibn Ezra reads Ps.15 as self-harm]
 - <Moral Evil>: 'sworn to do no wrong and does not falter' Dahood and Craigie #dispreferred 
  + [Lamed read in 'separative sense']: also in Ps. 40:11 and 84:12 Craigie p.150 #dispreferred
   + [Ugaritic texts]: 'A wider knowledge of Hebrew grammar, made possible by the Ugaritic texts, renders any textual change needless, for the ras shamra tablets provide clear examples of the preposition lamed "to" with the meaning "from".'
   - [Lamed read "to" a person]: Kottsieper "swears to the wicked and does not violate it" but even here the oath is not broken.
   - [Lamed read as a verbal adjunct (result)]: to do harm [to himself]
  + [Solves the question of v.3 repetition]: 'sworn to do no wrong'#dispreferred


Argument Mapn0Self-harm (לְ֝הָרַ֗ע)"swears to do evil to his own detrimentn1Modern versions(NIV, ESV, NET, CEV, JPS/1985, NLT, GNT, NRSV, NEB/REB, NJB?)n24Textual supportDictionaries and commentaries also support this reading (Author Date:Page 🄲).n1->n24n2Some modern versions disagreeKezler, Ibn Ezra (translates as self harm in this passage but as harm to another in Lev. 5:4.n2->n1n3Ancient versions(Author Date:Page 🄲; Author Date:Page 🄰).n3->n24n4Some ancient versions emend text(Author Date:Page 🄲).n4->n3n5Repeated roots read negativelyvv.3-4 are embedded in a listing of who qualifies to enter the house. V.3 disqualifies someone who does harm to a neighbour (anyone in the community). V.4 uses the same root? and it would be contradictory to then say that someone who does harm to another in the community would still qualify to enter.n25Context of v.3n5->n25n6Defense HarmCould be referring to harm of an enemy.n6->n25n7Judicial HarmCould be referring to a punishment when it would be justice to harm one in the community.n7->n25n8No contrast specifiedNo contrasted situation or group of people is mentioned in relation to not harming neighbours.n8->n7n9Harm/goodMilgrom, Schenker, Rashi etc.. view the merism as referring to harm/good rather than moral/immoral. Milgrom takes Lev. 5:4 takes harm to self not harm to another.n26Lev. 5:4 parallelshared lexical and thematic features (Author Date:Page 🄶).n9->n26n10Asam offeringMilgrom chooses this reading for Lev. 5:4, pointing out the topic of oaths that harm others is addressed later in the chapter in vv 21-26n10->n9n11Ibn Ezra disagreesIbn Ezra takes it as harm to another.n11->n9n12Lev. 5:4 not the backgroundLev 5:4 is explicitly about rash oaths so could not be in the background of Ps. 15:4.n12->n9n13King's role to defend and judge1 Sam 8:19 the role of the king is to fight (and presumably harm) enemies of the Lord. A king will also judge 2 Sam 4:9-12 is an instance when David makes and carries out an oath to punish the murderers of Ish-bosheth.n27Harm to othersn13->n27n14Jephthah kills his daughterJudges 11 he does so for a vow and his action is not stigmatized because it was done to keep a vow.n14->n27n15Text neither condemns nor celebratesThis is given as a story without condemning or celebrating Jepthah's actions.n15->n14n16Ibn Ezra interpretationLev. 5:4 refers to oath against another n16->n27n17Milgrom chooses alternate readingrather with Rashi, Talmud and others he reads the lehara to refer to self-harm. He finds harm to others in Lev. in a different chapter and so assumes Lev.5:4 refers to a different kind of harm.n17->n16n18Ibn Ezra reads Ps.15 as self-harmn18->n16n19Lamed read in 'separative sense'also in Ps. 40:11 and 84:12 Craigie p.150 n28Moral Evil'sworn to do no wrong and does not falter' Dahood and Craigie n19->n28n20Ugaritic texts'A wider knowledge of Hebrew grammar, made possible by the Ugaritic texts, renders any textual change needless, for the ras shamra tablets provide clear examples of the preposition lamed "to" with the meaning "from".'n20->n19n21Lamed read "to" a personKottsieper "swears to the wicked and does not violate it" but even here the oath is not broken.n21->n19n22Lamed read as a verbal adjunct (result)to do harm n22->n19n23Solves the question of v.3 repetition'sworn to do no wrong'n23->n28n24->n0n25->n0n26->n0n27->n0n28->n0


Conclusion

Research

Translation

Ancient

  • LXX: ὁ ὀμνύων τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἀθετῶν·
    • "he who swears to his fellow and does not renege"
  • Aq.: τον κακώσαι...
    • "you hurt him"
  • Th.: τον κακώσαι...
    • "you hurt him"
  • Sym.: ό όμόσας εταίρος είναι, και μη άλλαγείς
    • "the same partner is and does not change"
  • Jer.: iurat ut se adfligat et non mutat
    • "he swears to afflict himself and does not change"
  • Jer. Jurat ad malefaciendum (in damnum suum), nec muta
    • "he swears to do evil (to his own dtriment), and does not change"
  • Jer. psalterium gall.: Qui jurat proximo suo, et non decipit
    • "he who swears to his neighbor, and does not deceive"
  • Jer. juxta hebraicum: urat[etiam]ad damnificandum et non mutat(!); argentum suum non commodat cum foenore et munus adversus innocentem non accipit
    • "he swears [also] to damage and does not change (does not accept interest and obligation against the innocent)
  • Syr.: ܝܡܐ ܠܚܒܪܗ ܘܠܐ ܡܕܓܠ
    • "he takes an oath with his friend and does not deceive" For MT לְ֝הָרַ֗ע to his harm P has to his friend (cf. LXX,τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ).

The difference is due to confusion with regard to vocalization of the Hebrew word. For MT לְ֝הָרַ֗ע to his harm the Greek and Syriac translators understood τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦto his friend Tg.: לאבאשא לגרמיה ולא משלחף/יפרג

    • "who will swear to do harm to himself and does not change"

Modern

Secondary Literature

References

15:4