Exegetical Issue—Hunter

Introduction

The Hebrew text of Ps. 19:4 reads as follows:

אֵֽין־אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים

בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃

Consider the following two translations of this verse:

• They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. (NIV)
• There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. (ESV)

There are two ways to understand the syntax of v. 4b:

1. as an independent clause
2. as a relative clause

As seen in the above translations, these renderings produce essentially opposite meanings. As an independent clause, the "speech" and "words" are not heard (i.e. no one hears them). As a relative clause, the "speech" and "words" are heard (i.e. everyone hears them).

Argument Maps

Independent Clause

Most modern translations read בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם as an independent clause (i.e. their voice is not heard), resulting in three separate clauses in v. 4: there is no speech; and there are no words; their voice is not heard. According to this understanding, no one hears the heavenly witness.

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Independent Clause]: בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם is an independent clause (''their voice is not heard'').
 + <name of argument>: argument here
  + <evidence for argument>: E.g. Pss

Relative Clause

Several translations read בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם as an unmarked relative clause (i.e. whose voice is not heard), resulting in two separate clauses in v. 4: there is no speech; and there are no words whose voice is not heard. According to this understanding, everyone hears the heavenly witness.

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Relative Clause]: בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם is a relative clause (whose voice is not heard).
 + <Context>: The surrounding context communicates the all-encompassing nature of the heavenly witness. (Author Date:Page :C:).
   + [Verses 3 and 5]: In v. 3, the prepositional phrases יוֹם לְיוֹם and לַיְלָה לְּלַיְלָה indicate the reoccurrence of the heavenly witness (i.e. they never stop communicating day after day, night after night) In v. 5, the prepositional phrases בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ and בִקְצֵה תֵבֵל signal the extent of the heavenly witness (i.e. it reaches to the uttermost parts of the world).
 + <Ancient Versions>: The LXX, Symmachus, and the Vulgate include a relative pronoun.
   + [Ancient Versions]: LXX: ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν. Symmachus: ὧν οὐκ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναί. Vulgate: quibus non audiatur vox eorum.
 + <Clause Constituents>: The co-occurrence of a negative particle, a passive participle, and a resumptive element identifies בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם as an unmarked relative clause. 
   + [Resumptive Element]: The resumptive 3mp pronominal suffix (ם) refers back to its indefinite head noun (דְּבָרִים), tethering וְאֵין דְּבָרִים and בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם together. (Miller-Naudé and Naudé 2015,189-192 :A:; BHRG §36.1.5.2 :G:)
   + [Negative Particle + Passive Participle]: A negative particle followed by a passive participle as a predicate can signal an unmarked relative clause. E.g.: 1 Kgs 10:21: אֵ֣ין כֶּ֗סֶף לֹ֥א נֶחְשָׁ֛ב בִּימֵ֥י שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לִמְאֽוּמָה׃; Ez 22:24: אַ֣תְּ אֶ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א מְטֹהָרָ֖ה הִ֑יא (Miller-Naudé and Naudé 2015,189-190 :A:).
     <_ <לֹא>: Of the negative particles, only לֹא occurs within relative clauses (Miller-Naudé and Naudé 2015,196 :A:)

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: οὐκ εἰσὶν λαλιαὶ οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν
  • "There are no conversations, nor are there words, the articulations of which are not heard."
• Aquila: οὐκ ἔστι λόγος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι ῥήματα, οὗ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ
• Symmachus: οὐ ῥήσεσιν, οὐδὲ λόγοις, ὧν οὐκ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναί
• Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): non est sermo et non sunt verba quibus non audiatur vox eorum
• Targum: לית מימר דתורעמתא ולית מילי דשגושא דלא משתמע קלהון
  • "There is no word of commotion, nor are there words of confusion, and their voice is not heard."
• Peshitta: ܠܝܬ ܡܐܡܪܐ ܐܦ ܠܐ ܡ̈ܠܐ܂ ܕܠܐ ܢܫܬܡܥ ܒܩܠܗܘܢ
  • "There is no speech or words, for their voice is not heard."

Modern

v. 4b as independent clause

• They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. (NIV)
• They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.(NLT)
• They don't speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. (CEV)
• No speech or words are used, no sound is heard; (GNT)
• There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. (NET)
• and this without speech or language or sound of any voice. (REB)
• There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; (NRSV)
• No utterance at all, no speech, not a sound to be heard, (NJB)
• ohne Sprache und ohne Worte; unhörbar ist ihre Stimme. (LUT)
• Dies alles geschieht ohne Worte, ohne einen vernehmlichen Laut. (HFA)
• Sie tun es ohne Worte, kein Laut und keine Stimme ist zu hören. (NGÜ)
• ohne Rede und ohne Worte, mit unhörbarer Stimme. (ELB)
• ohne Rede und ohne Worte, ungehört bleibt ihre Stimme. (EÜ)
• Kein Wort wird gesprochen, kein Laut ist zu hören (GNB)
• ohne Sprache, ohne Worte, mit unhörbarer Stimme. (ZÜR)
• Ce n'est pas un récit, il n'y a pas de mots, leur voix ne s'entend pas. (TOB)
• Ce n'est pas un langage, ce ne sont pas des paroles, on n'entend pas leur voix. (NBS)
• Ce n'est pas un langage, ce ne sont pas des paroles, Leur voix n'est pas entendue. (NVS78P)
• Ce ne sont pas des paroles, ╵ce ne sont pas des discours, ni des voix qu’on peut entendre. (BDS)
• Ce n’est pas un discours, il n’y a pas de paroles, aucun son ne se fait entendre. (PDV2017)
• Ce n'est pas un discours, ce ne sont pas des mots, l'oreille n'entend aucun son. (NFC)
• Ce n’est pas un langage, ce ne sont pas des paroles, on n’entend pas leur son. (S21)
• No hay lenguaje ni palabras ni es oída su voz. (RVR95)
• Sin palabras, sin lenguaje, sin una voz perceptible, (NVI)
• Aunque no se escuchan palabras ni se oye voz alguna, (DHH94I)
• Donde no hay lenguaje ni idioma, La voz de Ellos no es para ser oída, (BTX4)

v. 4b as relative clause

• There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. (ESV)
• There is no utterance, there are no words, whose sound goes unheard. (JPS85)