Exegetical Issue—Tyler

Introduction

Most modern translations follow the Masoretic Text of Psalm 19:4 (MT), which reads as follows:

MT אֵין־אֹמֶר וְאֵין דְּבָרִים בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם׃

They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. (NIV)

A minority of translations, however, follow the LXX and other ancient versions by translating the final part of the phrase as a relative clause.

LXX : οὐκ εἰσὶν λαλιαὶ οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν

There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. (ESV)

The alternative translations substantially change the meaning of the verse. In the first option (i.e., independent clause), the words and speech cannot be heard. In the second option (i.e., relative clause), the words and speech are heard by everyone (Futato, 2009, 89-90).

Argument Maps

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Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: οὐκ εἰσὶν λαλιαὶ οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν
  • "There are no conversations, there are no 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
• Jerome: 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 independent clause

• There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. (NET)
• They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. (NIV)
• 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)
• They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. (NLT)
• and this without speech or language or sound of any voice (NEB)
• No utterance at all, no speech, not a sound to be heard, (NJB)
• ohne Sprache und ohne Worte; unhörbar ist ihre Stimme. (Luther 2017)

v. 4b relative clause

• There is no utterance,there are no words,whose sound goes unheard. (JPS 1985)
• There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. (ESV)