Psalm 119 Verse-by-Verse
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
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Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 119!
The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.
The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.
- A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
- The verse in Hebrew and English.[1]
- An expanded paraphrase of the verse.[2]
- A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.[3]
- A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).
v. 1
Watch the Overview video on v. 1.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 1a | אַשְׁרֵ֥י תְמִֽימֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ | The happiness of those blameless in their way, |
| 1b | הַֽ֝הֹלְכִ֗ים בְּתוֹרַ֥ת יְהוָֽה׃ | of those walking in the instruction of YHWH! |
Expanded Paraphrase
Let me put on display the happiness of those blameless in their way, of those walking in the instruction of YHWH, listening to his teaching and obeying it!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The largest of the acrostic psalms, Ps 119 consists of sections of eight verses with a line pair in each verse. The first letter of each line pair begins with the thematic letter of that eight-verse section, such that vv. 1-8 begin with the letter aleph, vv. 9-16 begin with the letter beth, etc. For further details and their poetic effect, see the poetic feature From Aleph to Taw.[4]
- There are eight significant words relating to YHWH's communication and instruction throughout the psalm, for which, see the poetic feature The Big Eight. Nonetheless, it seems that תּוֹרָה takes a privileged position as mentioned in the first verse, as well as being the most frequent (25 instances). For the denotatum of תּוֹרָה in Ps 119, see the exegetical issue, The Meaning of תּוֹרָה in Ps 119.[5]
- Psalm 119:1 begins with an exclamation concerning the happiness of those whose way is perfect as well as those who walk in the way of YHWH.[6] See Pss 1, 32, 112 and 128 for those likewise beginning with אַשְׁרֵי (lit. “the happiness of”).
- Note, also, the TORAH IS JOURNEY metaphor present in the phrase, those walking in the instruction of YHWH. The metaphor is present throughout the entire psalm, as summarized in the following table:
- Vv. 1-4 contain the first of two instances of the absence of the psalmist as a participant for three or more verses. The second is vv. 89-91, which begins the second half of the psalm. This is a major factor in reflecting the poetic structure, in which v. 89 provides a significant section boundary. Nevertheless, the psalmist’s allies (“the congregation”) have been determined as the addressee from vv. 1-3, [7] since YHWH is in the third person throughout, changing to “You have commanded” only in v. 4:
v. 2
Watch the Overview video on v. 2.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 2a | אַ֭שְׁרֵי נֹצְרֵ֥י עֵדֹתָ֗יו | The happiness of those keeping his testimonies! |
| 2b | בְּכָל־לֵ֥ב יִדְרְשֽׁוּהוּ׃ | They seek him with a whole heart. |
Expanded Paraphrase
Let me put on display the happiness of those keeping his testimonies! They seek him with nothing less than a whole heart and, therefore, find him.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Notice the focus fronting of the adverbial with a whole heart.[8] The psalmist counts himself among the happy ones who seek YHWH in v. 10, individualizing the general characteristic provided in vv. 1-3.
v. 3
Watch the Overview video on v. 3.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 3a | אַ֭ף לֹֽא־פָעֲל֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה | Also, they have not done injustice; |
| 3b | בִּדְרָכָ֥יו הָלָֽכוּ׃ | they have walked in his ways. |
Expanded Paraphrase
Also, they have not done injustice which would disqualify them from finding YHWH. But rather, they have walked in his ways.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Note that v. 3 is one of only three verses in the psalm without one of the Big Eight words, as discussed in the poetic feature introduced under v. 1 (see also vv. 90, 122). At least in the case of v. 3 and 90, there is probably a structural motivation behind the absence (being the beginning of the first and second halves of the psalm).[9]
- Although in his ways (בִּדְרָכָ֥יו) could be understood as fronted for replacing focus (that is, rather than carry out injustice as in v. 3a, it's in YHWH's ways that they walk), it is more likely simply the first of many fronted B-lines for poetic binding of the couplet.[10]
v. 4
Watch the Overview video on v. 4.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 4a | אַ֭תָּה צִוִּ֥יתָה פִקֻּדֶ֗יךָ | You have commanded your precepts, |
| 4b | לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹֽד׃ | so that people might fully keep them. |
Expanded Paraphrase
You, YHWH, have commanded your precepts, so that people, including myself, fully keep them.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- As noted under v. 1, v. 4 introduces YHWH as the addressee for the remainder of the psalm (with the exception of v. 115).
- There is an agency shift from the main clause into the infinitive clause in this verse, which we interpret as an impersonal construction.[11] In light of the impersonal construction, the infinitive can be rendered with the generic people or with a passive.[12]
- Note that fully (for מְאוֹד) has been borrowed from ganz, völlig ("completely, totally") as a more generic intensifier.[13] More specific nuance, though perhaps not licensed by מְאוֹד, is found in glosses such as diligently (CSB, ESV, KJV, NASB, NJPS), carefully (CEB, NET), or faithfully (GNT, REB). For fully in a modern English translation, see, e.g., the NIV.
v. 5
Watch the Overview video on v. 5.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 5a | אַ֭חֲלַי יִכֹּ֥נוּ דְרָכָ֗י | I pray that my ways might be committed |
| 5b | לִשְׁמֹ֥ר חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ | so that I keep your decrees. |
Expanded Paraphrase
I pray that my ways might be committed like those blameless people so that I keep your decrees.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The section of vv. 1-8 has been described as a commitment to seek YHWH with a whole heart largely due to the hope expressed in this and the following verse, followed by the firmer commitment in v. 8. Indeed, the macro speech act beginning here is hoping his ways will reflect the happy ones who seek YHWH with a whole heart, with the central emotion of determination.
- The story triangle reflects the sequence of results following this commitment:
- The particle אַחֲלַי only occurs here and in 2 Kgs 5:3.[14] The suggested translation should involve a realistic hope, as our CBC.[15] It is advisable to maintain the optative/wish semantics behind the particle, while being careful to avoid a counterfactual reading as if it were not only not true, but also impossible, real world, to fulfill. The latter is typically implied by English translations with a past simple verb following the optative particle and a conditional in the second clause (as the CSB's If only my ways were committed to keeping your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed...). Preferable, then, is modal verb of possibility following the particle and a simple future in the second clause (as the ESV's Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame...). [16]
v. 6
Watch the Overview video on v. 6.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 6a | אָ֥ז לֹא־אֵב֑וֹשׁ | Then I will not be ashamed |
| 6b | בְּ֝הַבִּיטִ֗י אֶל־כָּל־מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ | when I consider all of your commands. |
Expanded Paraphrase
Then I will not be ashamed when I consider all of your commands and see myself fall short.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- See notes on v. 5
v. 7
Watch the Overview video on v. 7.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 7a | א֭וֹדְךָ בְּיֹ֣שֶׁר לֵבָ֑ב | I will praise you with a sincere heart |
| 7b | בְּ֝לָמְדִ֗י מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃ | when I learn your righteous rules. |
Expanded Paraphrase
But rather, I will praise you with a sincere heart when I learn your righteous rules and do them.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The illocution begun in the previous verse continues into the present as stating the result of his ways being committed, viz. he will not be ashamed, but will praise, such that the psalmist is both hopeful that his pursuit of obedience will result in praise with a sincere heart and passionate about the righteous nature of YHWH's rules.
- Here, and throughout the psalm, למד should be understood as the "process by which humans or animals acquire knowledge or skill from an identified or unidentified source, ► which usually results in a specific behavior or skill" (SDBH).[17]
v. 8
Watch the Overview video on v. 8.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 8a | אֶת־חֻקֶּ֥יךָ אֶשְׁמֹ֑ר | I will keep your decrees. |
| 8b | אַֽל־תַּעַזְבֵ֥נִי עַד־מְאֹֽד׃ | Do not forsake me at all! |
Expanded Paraphrase
This is my commitment: I will keep your decrees. But do not forsake me at all in this endeavor, or I will fail miserably!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The combination עַד מְאֹד can be used to modify an adjective.[18] In this psalm, however, only sole מְאוֹד functions as such (see vv. 96, 138, 140). Each instance of עַד מְאֹד in this psalm modifies a verb phrase (cf. also vv. 4, 43, 51, 107), so unto greatness i.e., exceedingly, completely (HALOT). Furthermore, it provides a similar ending to the מְאֹֽד found at the half-way point of the section of vv. 1-8:
- Note that the fronting of אֶת־חֻקֶּיךָ (your decrees) simply fulfills the א-acrostic. Nevertheless, it may also be significant that this is the second instance of חֹק in this section, so while אַ֭חֲלַי יִכֹּ֥נוּ דְרָכָ֗י לִשְׁמֹ֥ר חֻקֶּֽיךָ was the psalmist's wish in v. 5, the final verse of the section provides the determined resolution to carry it out.[19]
v. 9
Watch the Overview video on v. 9.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 9a | בַּמֶּ֣ה יְזַכֶּה־נַּ֭עַר אֶת־אָרְח֑וֹ | How will a young man keep his way pure? |
| 9b | לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ | By keeping it according to your words. |
Expanded Paraphrase
Think about it: How will a young man keep his way pure? Only by keeping it according to your words.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The section begun in this verse (vv. 9-16) provides the second part of the introduction to the psalm (see poetic structure), namely, that of affirmation of the commitment made in the aleph-section.
- These two sections are bound semantically and formally in that the generic 3rd person is found both in vv. 1-3 and v. 9, describing those “blameless in their way” and the one keeping his way pure, respectively, such that the young man should be considered as part of the psalmist’s allies, just as in vv. 1-3 (as well as the “simple person” in v. 130), a group to which the psalmist aspires to belong. [20] Some, however, have argued that the psalmist is referring to himself as the “young man,” in light of the similar descriptions of the psalmist throughout the psalm.[21]
- It is possible to read this verse as only the question, though we have preferred to interpret the verse as including both the question and answer.[22]
- The piel זכה could be read as a causative, "to purify," or, as our preference, pluractional, indicating repetition through time, i.e., "to keep pure,” with the modality of ability.[23] Further, although Revell (2004; http://www.pericope.net/Assets/pericope_texts/Pausal_Forms_Revell/PausalTNK.pdf ) reads כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ as a pausal form, the plural is almost certainly intended in light of all of the ancient versions and a large number of Hebrew manuscripts.[24]
v. 10
Watch the Overview video on v. 10.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 10a | בְּכָל־לִבִּ֥י דְרַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ | I have sought you with all my heart. |
| 10b | אַל־תַּ֝שְׁגֵּ֗נִי מִמִּצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ | Do not let me stray from your commands! |
Expanded Paraphrase
That's why I have sought you with nothing less than all my heart. But I still need your help, so do not let me stray from your commands!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the comparison between those the psalmist describes as the happy, who seek YHWH “with a whole heart” (v. 2), and the psalmist himself, who now the counts himself among them, see the poetic structure.[25]
- The hiphil שׁגה could be read as causative (“to make stray”), but is more likely tolerative (“let stray”),[26] implying that, if not for YHWH’s hindrance (in force-dynamic terms),[27] the psalmist’s probable tendency could be to stray, such that he is conscientious of his own weakness and neediness, according to our emotional analysis.[28]
v. 11
Watch the Overview video on v. 11.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 11a | בְּ֭לִבִּי צָפַ֣נְתִּי אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ | I have treasured your word in my heart, |
| 11b | לְ֝מַ֗עַן לֹ֣א אֶֽחֱטָא־לָֽךְ׃ | so that I might not sin against you. |
Expanded Paraphrase
I have treasured your word in my heart and think about it all the time, so that I might not sin against you.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The use of “heart” (לֶב) is either that of "midst, inner self," that is, in that place unseen by others, so we have a blend of the idea of the heart as an internal organ and the idea of the heart as a locus of thought, such that to do X "in one's heart" is to do X in a place it cannot be seen or heard. The result of this interpretation is that, if in a secret place, it may be that the contents of YHWH's word can never be taken away from the psalmist. However, most of these examples use prepositions of movement, such as אֶל, not ב.[29]
- Note that the malefactive interpretation of the lamed preposition, i.e., dative of "disadvantage" > sin against, is quite rare, though see also Gen. 20:6; Exod. 10:16; Num. 32:23; Dt 1:41, etc.
v. 12
Watch the Overview video on v. 12.
| v. | Hebrew | Close-but-Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 12a | בָּר֖וּךְ אַתָּ֥ה יְהוָ֗ה | You are blessed, YHWH. |
| 12b | לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ | Teach me your decrees. |
Expanded Paraphrase
You are blessed, YHWH; I praise you. Teach me your decrees, as I know you will eventually.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The expression blessed are you, YHWH (בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה) became a stereotypical expression (cf. 1 Chr. 29.10) from around this time into later Rabbinic literature.[30] The passive adjective :blessed" (בָּרוּךְ) is always followed by YHWH (יְהוָה) in the Psalms, even when the pronoun is absent (see Pss 28.6; 31.22; 41.14; 72.18; 89.53; 106.48; 124.6; 135.21).
- The declaration amounts to a performative action of praise on the part of the psalmist.[31]
v. 13
Watch the Overview video on v. 13.
v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 13a בִּשְׂפָתַ֥י סִפַּ֑רְתִּי With my lips I have proclaimed 13b כֹּ֝֗ל מִשְׁפְּטֵי־פִֽיךָ׃ all the rules that come from your mouth. Expanded Paraphrase
With my lips I have proclaimed all the rules that come from your mouth.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The construct chain מִשְׁפְּטֵי־פִֽיךָ is a relationship of product-author/source, hence the our translation “the rules of your mouth” >> the rules that come from your mouth.[32] Furthermore, the body part of “mouth” takes on even more prominence with the inclusio of final פִֽיךָ with the fronted בִּשְׂפָתַ֥י (with my lips).
v. 14
Watch the Overview video on v. 14.
v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 14a בְּדֶ֖רֶךְ עֵדְוֺתֶ֥יךָ שַׂ֗שְׂתִּי I rejoice in the way of your testimonies 14b כְּעַ֣ל כָּל־הֽוֹן׃ as one rejoicing over all wealth! Expanded Paraphrase
I rejoice in the way of your testimonies as one rejoicing over all wealth!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For over (עַל) as part of a rejoicing (שׂושׂ) verb phrase, see Deut 28:63; 30:9; Isa 62:5; Jer 32:41; Zeph 3:17 (cf. HALOT, DCH and the NIV's as one rejoices in great riches and SG21's dynamic que si je possédais tous les trésors).[33]
- The function of the quantifier all (כֹּל) in the phrase all wealth (כָּל־הֽוֹן) is inclusive of all differentiable members of this set, in comparable fashion to "thousands of gold and silver pieces" (אַלְפֵ֗י זָהָ֥ב וָכָֽסֶף) in v. 72.[34]
v. 15
Watch the Overview video on v. 15.
v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 15a בְּפִקֻּדֶ֥יךָ אָשִׂ֑יחָה Let me meditate on your precepts 15b וְ֝אַבִּ֗יטָה אֹרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃ and let me consider your ways. Expanded Paraphrase
That's why this is all I want to do: Let me meditate on your precepts and let me consider your ways and think about all you have done.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- As part of the psalmist’s affirmation, there is a certain emotion of determination evident in the present verse, indicated clearly by the cohortative verb forms.
- In light of parallels in Book 5 of the Psalms, it may be the YHWH’s precepts here are comparable to, or possibly include, his actions (see Ps 111:7: מַעֲשֵׂ֣י יָ֭דָיו אֱמֶ֣ת וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט נֶ֝אֱמָנִ֗ים כָּל־פִּקּוּדָֽיו).
v. 16
Watch the Overview video on v. 16.
v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 16a בְּחֻקֹּתֶ֥יךָ אֶֽשְׁתַּעֲשָׁ֑ע I will delight in your decrees. 16b לֹ֭א אֶשְׁכַּ֣ח דְּבָרֶֽךָ׃ I will not forget your words. Expanded Paraphrase
Let me confirm my commitment: I will delight in your decrees. I will not forget your words.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Though not formally indicated by a ה-suffix, as the cohortative verbs of the preceding verse, we have preferred to read the two yiqtol verbs of the current verse, I will delight (אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע) and I will not forget (לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח) as indirect speech acts of commissives, just as in v. 15.[35] Thus, the psalmist concludes his determined affirmation of commitment to obedience. Note that this is also the first instance of a verse containing two of the Big Eight words in the same verse (as discussed in the poetic feature, The Big Eight).[36]
- Although Revell (2004) reads דְּבָרֶֽךָ as a pausal form, which would make the noun singular rather than plural, the plural is almost certainly intended in light of all of the ancient versions, 11Q5, and a large number of Hebrew manuscripts.[37] Hence: “your words.”
- This verse begins the gimel stanza, with a new global speech act of plea:
- For the MT's גְּמֹל and alternative reading of גְּמֹר is found in the text of 4Q90 and 11Q5, as “avenge[38] for [the benefit of] your servant.” It is contextually understandable and semantically comparable to the preferred deal fairly from גמל, though not followed by any of the ancient or modern translations.[39] For the MT’s reading, the best understanding in context seems to be “deal fairly with.”[40] It must be stressed that the "dealing fairly with" is the result of recompense for integrity, as indicated by all of the ancient versions (apart from the Syr.) and both 4Q90 and 11Q5's גמור, “avenge.”</ref>
- Note that this verse contains the first appearance of the term servant (עֶבֶד) in the psalm. A number of interpretations have been offered for such a self-identification on the part of the psalmist. The most relevant contributions to the message of the psalm include the psalmist’s lowly position, on the one hand, but also his covenantal relationship to YHWH, on the other.[41] The term, in combination with the root דבר, also provides a structural inclusio for the gimel stanza.[42]
- The second verb of the verse, I will live (אֶחְיֶה), is introduced asyndetically (without a conjunction). While this is unusual for an interpretation of purpose/result, the semantics of the verse seem to point strongly in this direction, as it is a very common construction throughout the psalm (albeit with the explicit weyiqtol form; see, e.g., vv. 18, 27, 33, 34, etc.). Furthermore, it seems that the same interpretation should be applied to the third verb, “I will keep,” which has explicitly been interpreted as purpose/result.[43]
- Revell (2004) again reads your words (דְבָרֶֽךָ) as a pausal form, which would make the noun singular rather than plural. Nevertheless, the plural is almost certainly intended in light of all of the ancient versions and a large number of Hebrew manuscripts.[44]
- The request to “open my eyes” (גַּל־עֵינַי)[45] entails the following in the context of the psalmist's journey with Torah:
- One interpretation of the “wonderful things” (נִפְלָאוֹת) which makes sense of the entire gimel stanza is that it involves YHWH’s dealings with the psalmist and his adversaries detailed in other surrounding verses:
- The big question in the following verse is the meaning of sojourner (גֵּר) and therefore the scope of בָאָרֶץ as either a specific “land” or “the earth” in general?[46] Should the land of Israel be in view here? Is the exile in view?[47] Or is this a spiritual disposition in general for the whole planet? Is it an identification with vulnerable groups of people?[48] The other uses of אֶרֶץ in the psalm point to a cosmic reading (vv. 64, 87, 90), though v. 119 seems to present a certain ambiguity, as the current case. The article may also point in this direction, as a particular land has not been activated in the discourse. The advantage of the generic “earth” reading is that it does not requiring a specific setting within which to understand the psalm, for example the exile or post-exile.[49] The meaning of “sojourner on the earth” could therefore be a spiritualization.[50] Nevertheless, in the land has been preferred, in light of the sojourning imagery employed:[51]
- For the first word, is consumed (גָּרְסָה), the sense is dependent on the longing (תַּאֲבָה) for YHWH's judgments. The preposition with (לְ), then, seems to most naturally indicate the stimulus role of the גרס verb phrase.[52]
- The verse concludes with all the time (כָל־עֵת), the first temporal adverb in a series which will become more prevalent from v. 89 onwards (see the poetic feature Always and Forever).
- This verse introduces the psalmist’s adversaries for the first time. As here, they are typically described by their attitude and reputation, as well as their actions in relation to the psalmist and their actions in relation to YHWH and Torah. Their attitude and reputation involve being arrogant (vv. 21, 51, 69, 78, 85 and 122), cursed (v. 21), wicked (vv. 53, 61, 95, 110, 155), the wicked of the earth (v. 119), and evildoers (in the psalmist's only direct address towards them – v. 115), double-minded (v. 113), adversaries (vv. 139, 157), unfaithful (v. 158), and man(kind) (v. 134) in general. Significantly, they are characterized as "leaders" (vv. 23, 161), probably in contrast to the low social status adopted by the psalmist's perspective of himself (see the notes under v. 17).[53] On one occasion, the result of their actions – distress and affliction – is construed as agentive (v. 143: צַר־וּמָצוֹק מְצָאוּנִי). On their relationship with both YHWH and YHWH’s word, see the following relations diagram:
- The intepretation involving the appositional relationship between the three descriptions of this group has been preferred.[54]
- On those who abandon: while שׁגה is quite consistently "do wrong... unintentionally",[55] both here and in v. 118 we have unique cases of to "do wrong against something (really to wander away from),” in which the verb “has the more general sense of to sin.”[56]
- For the MT’s גַּ֣ל, we have preferred the revocalization follows 11Q5's roll from גול and as represented in all the ancient versions (περίελε; aufer; אעדי; ܐܥܒܪ) and modern translations.[57]
- Although this is the only instance in which insult (חֶרְפָּה) and contempt (בּוּז) appear as a pair, they both belong to the contextual domain of human status (SDBH) and are thus unlikely to refer to two completely different concepts, but rather complementary sides of the same social status.
- Both גַּם here, also, and in v. 24, "indeed," has been interpreted as a proposition-level discourse particle scoping over their entire respective sentences.[58]
- In terms of participant analysis, the “leaders” (שָׂרִים) mentioned here have been understood to belong to the group of the psalmist’s adversaries (see v. 21 above). For the appearance of "leaders" (שָׂרִים) elsewhere in the psalm, see v. 161.[59]
- Note that the use of בְּ in a דבר verb phrase for the malefactive sense of “against” is extremely rare.[60]
- Since sitting (ישׁב) is understood as conceptually subordinate to speaking (דבר), the compound verb phrase may indicate the continuous aspect of ongoing slander.
- For notes on indeed (גַּם), see v. 23.
- Note that, rather than an appositional relationship between your testimonies (עֵדֹתֶיךָ) and my advisers (אַנְשֵׁי עֲצָתִי; which are not linearly adjacent, in any case), we have preferred a second verbless clause with subject-elision.[61]
- In contrast to the leaders (שָׂרִים) in v. 23, who may be expected to carry out this function of advising, it turns out to be your testimonies that are personified as those carrying out the expected function of my advisers.[62]
- This verse begins the global speech act of explanation, with the first half of the stanza (vv. 25-28) providing a mini-lament (see emotional analysis):
- Once again (see vv. 17, 23 above), the verbal root דבר, here your promise, provides an inclusio, though this time for only the half-stanza (vv. 25-28) and paired with my life/I נַפְשִׁי:[63]
- For the expression of sticking (דבק) to the dust as “almost dying” or “feel like I am dying,” cf. Ps 22:30 and especially the treatment in Ps 22:16, where we have both the root "stick" (דבק) and "dust" (עפר) in the same verse.[64]
- Note that we have preferred according to your promise (כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ) as a singular because Revell (2004) reads it as a pausal form. Only Targum Psalms contains a plural among the ancient versions, though the number of Hebrew manuscripts containing the mater yod is not few.[65] The use of דבר, in any case, indicates that the psalmist had received specific promises of protection (see vv. 49, 76).
- For the meaning of the clause I declared my ways (דְּרָכַי סִפַּרְתִּי), compare with v. 59's חִשַּׁ֥בְתִּי דְרָכָ֑י וָאָשִׁ֥יבָה רַ֝גְלַ֗י אֶל־עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ, which is the only other instance of the combination (non-stative) qatal + wayyiqtol in the psalm, beside v. 73 (see the verbal semantics table). Compare also the clearer sense of כָל־דְּרָכַ֣י נֶגְדֶּֽךָ in v. 168.
- For way (דֶּרֶךְ) as general circumstances of suffering (and even accompanying מִשְׁפָט – probably undertood as a “right”), see Isa. 40:27: לָ֤מָּה תֹאמַר֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּתְדַבֵּ֖ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל נִסְתְּרָ֤ה דַרְכִּי֙ מֵיְהוָ֔ה וּמֵאֱלֹהַ֖י מִשְׁפָּטִ֥י יַעֲבֽוֹר׃. On the other hand, see the JOURNEY metaphor throughout the psalm, however, which may indicate simply a holistic view of his life(style), both in relation to God's law and to other people.[66]
- Although lack of expected reference movement preceding an imperative (i.e., providing the grounds for the following imperative) is the prototype throughout the psalm, the current instance of a qatal verb, I declared (סִפַּרְתִּי), is slightly different in that it is followed by a wayyiqtol, and you answered me (וַתַּעֲנֵנִי). It seems Allen is probably correct, then, to posit that, "The psalmist appeals in v26 to an earlier lament that received a divine answer, in hope of another positive response."[67] Thus, the illocution in context is one of reminding YHWH of previous episodes of salvation.
- For the purpose/result reading of the weyiqtol', so that I will meditate (וְאָשִׂיחָה), see also Symmachus.[68]
- For the rare verb weep from grief' (דלף), see also Eccl 10:18 and Job 16:20.[69]
- We take according to your promise (כִּדְבָרֶךָ) to be singular because Revell (2004) reads it as a pausal form, only Targum Psalms and the LXX contain a plural among the ancient versions, though the number of Hebrew manuscripts containing the mater yod is not few.[70] Although the LXX gives slightly more evidence for the plural than in v. 25b, for consistency within the stanza that singular is preferred here also.
- In the phrase be gracious to me, the idea of “graciously giving” is possibly in view, as in Gen. 33.5: הַיְלָדִ֕ים אֲשֶׁר־חָנַ֥ן אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־עַבְדֶּֽךָ.[71]
- The preferred instrumental nature of your instruction (תוֹרָתְךָ) as an adverbial is transparent in the LXX and Jerome.[72] It seems most plausible, therefore, that the reception of the law is the gracious action, i.e., “be gracious to me by (means of giving) your law”.[73]
- Although “treachery" is not the most obvious sense of שֶׁקֶר (SDBH), it works well in the sense of general covenant unfaithfulness (≠ faithfulness in v. 30)[74]
- The indefinite construct chains דֶּֽרֶךְ־שֶׁ֭קֶר and דֶּֽרֶךְ־אֱמוּנָ֥ה in both verses 29 and 30 are nonspecific, so “remove from me a way of disloyalty" >> “remove from me any disloyal ways” and “I have chosen a way of faithfulness” >> “I have chosen a faithful path.”
- While the fronting of disloyal ways (דֶּרֶךְ־שֶׁקֶר) could be read as poetic, as in vv. 26-27, its topical status quickly becomes clear in contrast to the following verse's "a faithful way" (דֶּרֶךְ־אֱמוּנָה), also fronted. The waw, (as uniquely additive in this stanza) and discourse unit (see the discussion of v. 26's wayyiqtol and v. 27's result in verbal semantics) allows for further binding between these two verses, in which "a faithful way" (דֶּרֶךְ־אֱמוּנָה) is confirmed as that which the psalmist has chosen, implicitly rejecting the possibility that he had chosen "disloyal ways" (דֶּרֶךְ־שֶׁקֶר).
- For the contrast with the preceding verse, see the notes there.
- The difficulty in the second clause seems to be the verb I have set (שִׁוִּיתִי) lacking any locative prepositional phrase, which is more commonplace. Hence, we have supplied the expected before me.[75]
- Providing a "sticks to/clings" (דבק) inclusio for the dalet-stanza (see also v. 24), “this verse substitutes 'stipulations' in place of God himself."[76]
- Other verses in the psalm make explicit the understanding that avoiding shame comes through right commitment to YHWH’s word (v. 6) and integrity (v. 80).
- The preferred interpretation of along the path of your commands (דֶּרֶךְ־מִצְוֺתֶיךָ) as a nominal adverb is explicit in the Peshitta’s ܒܐܘܪܚܐ, “in/along the way.” The lack of an explicit preposition in the MT is probably due to the ד–initial acrostic.[77] The nominal adverb reading also seems to best favour the manner/lifestyle domain of the path metaphor throughout the psalm, best glossed as something similar to DCH's "(by) way (of)" (as the Peshitta, ESV, NIV, KJV's “in” and the NET's “along”). The image seems to continue the “obedient life as journey” metaphor (cf. Ps. 1; 119: 1, 3, etc.), though here at a faster pace (cf. v. 60, 147–148)![78]
- The continuous aspect of the yiqtol of run (אָרוּץ) has been preferred here over a future reading, as supported by the LXX’s aorist ἔδραμον and the Peshitta’s perfect ܗܠܟܬ.[79]
- The Peshitta is the only ancient version to explicitly offer a sense of the expression תַרְחִיב לִבִּי, here translated you broaden my understanding. Rather than a wooden lexeme-for-lexeme, as the others (e.g. "you made my heart spacious," NETS), it opts for the “rejoicing” reading (see the qal in Isa. 60:5). However, the “understanding” interpretation has been preferred here (see the DCH, NIV, NJPS, SDBH).[80]
- The present verse begins a new global speech act of petition:
- Note that clause-initial vocatives are not possible within the constrains of the acrostic, so second position is the next natural (if not clause-final). Although caused by the acrostic need for a ה-initial line, pragmatically, the vocative could provide extra prominence for the "detached element," indeed, at the beginning of the entire ה–stanza.[81] Thus, the vocative YHWH (יְהוָה) further highlights the importance of the root "teach" ירה in the psalm as a whole (this being only one of two occurrences of the verbal form – see also v. 102).[82] Notice also the chiastic structure of vv. 33-34:
- Although the nominal עֵקֶב can indeed mean “reward” (see Ps 19:12), the LXXs' διὰ παντός (“continually") and Targum Psalms' עד גמירא (“to the utmost”) make the adverbial “to the end” reading more likely. Further support for temporal adverb reading is the prevalent thematic position of such, as discussed in the poetic feature, Always and Forever.[83]
- The most natural reading of the fronting of in it (בוֹ) seems to be as completive focus, that is, under the presupposition the psalmist "delights in" something, that something happens to be the path of your commands. On the other hand, it may simply provide another instance of a verb-final B-line (see note under v. 3).
- The negator, not (אַל), typically occurs with a yiqtol verb as a prohibition. Such an elision here has been understood, in parallel to the positive imperative in the first clause.
- The second half of the ה-stanza is quite clearly demarcated by the chiasm involving the imperative keep me alive.[84]
- Our preferred text follows 11Q5's reading, כדברכה (according to your word), in light of the pattern of keep me alive (חַיֵּנִי) + prepositional phrase throughout the psalm (cf. חַ֝יֵּ֗נִי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ in vv. 25, 107, כְּֽמִשְׁפָּטֶ֥ךָ חַיֵּֽנִי in vv. 149, 156 and כְּחַסְדְּךָ֥ חַיֵּ֑נִי in vv. 88 and 159). None occur with a בְּ PP, as the MT here.[85].
- The preferred interpretation, for the fear of you (as the MT) is also read in the NASB and (roughly) the CSB, ESV, NIV, Luther 2017, EÜ, ZÜR, TOB, that is, YHWH's word has, for its purpose, the fear of YHWH.[86]
- The question then arises: is the function of לְ in "for fear of you" (לְיִרְאָתֶךָ) as belonging, re-evaluation, normative, that is, “according to,” or purpose?[87] With the “promise" semantics of אִמְרָה in this verse, purpose seems the most likely.[88]
- Note that this verse seems to be the only verse which indicates that the psalmist fears something which is not YHWH or his word. The emotional result accompanying the request (throughout vv. 38-39) is one of concern for his own reputation and perhaps the repercussions of YHWH not fulfilling his promise (v. 38). The expected result is that YHWH-fearers who see the psalmist’s hope will rejoice (v. 74) and join with him (v. 79), which may not be the case if the present insults damage his reputation beyond repair.
- For the clausal relationships of jussive + result (vv. 41-42) // jussive + result (vv. 44-48) see the exegetical issue: The Cohesion of Ps. 119:41-48. The jussive of the present verse, let...come (וִיבֹאֻנִי), is explicitly supported by the LXX's optative ἔλθοι and Jerome's subjunctive veniant. At a glance, the grammatical cohesion of the stanza can be seen as follows:
- Note that the suffix on a qal בוא can often encode the goal of movement, which would require an oblique constituent in many languages, such as the Greek ἐπʼ ἐμὲ and English “to me.”[89]
- Note the thematic effect of the root a word/words (דבר) in vv, 42-43, providing lexical cohesion within this poetic section. These are two of only three instances in the psalm not suffixed as “your word(s)”:
- Note that, regarding the suffix on the participle those insulting me (חֹרְפִי), “The singular reference to enemies in v 42a is doubtless collective."[90] The LXX and Peshitta contain a plural form in the present verse, and the psalmist’s adversaries are uniformly referred to in the plural throughout the psalm.[91]
- The temporal frame of the because (כִּי) clause is the future, being governed by the result and I will answer (וְאֶֽעֱנֶה) clause, so one could render “I will have trusted in your words.” Nevertheless, our translation maintains the simple English stative, which is clearer and communicates the same effect.
- Although Revell (2004) reads in your words (בִּדְבָרֶךָ) as a pausal form, the plural is almost certainly intended in light of all of the ancient versions (except Jerome) and a large number of Hebrew manuscripts, contra 11Q5, however.[92]
- For a similar function of temporal adverbials for good closure of a strophe, see also v. 20 and the מֵעוֹלָם of v. 52. However, we do not get another forever לְעוֹלָם until v. 89, the mid-point (and turning point) of the psalm, as discussed in the poetic feature, Always and Forever. (Notice that v. 44 is the half-way point to this transition.) Furthermore, the pair forever and ever (לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד; also found in Exod 15:18; Mic 4:5; Pss 9:6; 10:16; 21:5; 45:7, 18; 52:10; 104:5; 111:8; 145:2 and 21) is a common construction of intensification, which is all the more remarkable, as preceded by always (תָמִ֗יד) in the present verse.[93]
- For walking around (in the hithpael stem, as here) carefree in the land of the living, see אֶ֭תְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה בְּ֝אַרְצ֗וֹת הַֽחַיִּֽים (Ps 116.9). Note that the articular רְחָבָה is probably to be understood as a characteristic class, as reflected in its use in the more dynamic expansion: I will walk about in the wide place >> I will live at ease.[94]
- The kings are only mentioned here, which provides quite a significant event in terms of the summary story of the entire psalm:
- The question arises: should the kings (מְלָכִים) be considered as part of the psalmist's adversaries, or neutrally, as those who will receive the psalmist’s testimony when he is delivered from the current ordeal? While some have considered them to belong to the adversaries,[95] since the שָׂרִים (“leaders”) are unambiguously adversaries (vv. 23, 161) and other contexts of foreign kings in the Psalter (Ps 2:2; 48:5; 68:13, 15; 110:5; 149:8) indicate their status as antagonists, the rebellion of the psalmist's own people are more so in view in this psalm (see v. 139). Furthermore, their neutral position has been preferred since the action of speaking of YHWH's testimonies is not one of antagonism, but rather an invitation to covenant relationship with YHWH (and, by extension, submission to his divine kingship).[96] The adversaries throughout the psalm are aware of YHWH's word, but choose to ignore it (see verses 21, 53, 118, 126, 135, 150, 155 158). Elsewhere in the Psalter, and indeed the Hebrew Bible, we witness an ingathering of kings and nations (Isa 2:1-4; 60:3; Ps 2:10-12; Ps 102:19-23; Ps 148:11 and especially Ps 138:1-5),[97] while such testimony provides the typical "praise among the congregation" turn in the back half of many laments (e.g., Ps 22). Finally, the other contexts of foreign kings in the Psalter (see, e.g., Pss 138:4; 148:11), unambiguously and (as it turns out, quite consistently in Book 5, though see 149:8) describe the kings as welcomed to praise.
- This verse contains quite a rare collocation of piel דבר with בְּ as “about/concerning,” though see also Deut 3:26 (especially the Vulgate's de hac); 6:7; 11:19 and Ezek 33:30's הַנִּדְבָּרִ֤ים בְּךָ֙.
- Note the poetic binding of this and the following verse:
- This and a number of other uses of love (אהב) throughout the psalm (vv. 48, 119, 127, 140, 159, 167) "are the only verses in the Hebrew Bible where any of these synonyms for God’s word are the object of the verb “to love.”"[98]
- This verse has proved controversial both textually and semantically. Notice the linear structure of vv. 47-48 in 11Q5, the earliest manuscript of the psalm organised by poetic lines:[99]
- Such vertical alignment of the two verses, along with the strange expression “I raise my hands towards your commands,” has raised concerns of dittography, with a suggested emendation of וְאֶשָּֽׂא־כַפַּ֗י אֵלֶיךָ וְאָשִׂ֥יחָה בְחֻקֶּֽיךָ׃, ("I will lift my hands to you and I will rejoice in your decrees.").[100]
- Nevertheless, there is no textual evidence for the emendation in either Hebrew manuscripts or ancient translations, so emendation should not be undertaken lightly. If indeed a textual error, it appeared extremely early in the transmission process. The apparent difficulties introduced by dealing with the Masoretic Text as it stands are far from insurmountable. In Ps 63:5 the “lifting of hands” seems to refer to praise or an oath, while in Ps 141:2 it is in parallel to “prayer.” In Lam 2:19 it is also unmistakably a prayer, while in Lam 3:41 it is a vow or prayer of repentance. Thus, the only way such a collocation could be used in reference to "your commands" (מִצְוֺתֶיךָ) is as a vow to keep them. Under the emended reading, however, it would be a matter of prayer/praise.[101] Nevertheless, since "idioms are partially decomposable," [102] other "hand" nouns and "lifting" verbs can shed light on our case, such as Neh 8:6 (וַיַּֽעֲנ֨וּ כָל־הָעָ֜ם אָמֵ֤ן׀ אָמֵן֙ בְּמֹ֣עַל יְדֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּקְּד֧וּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוֻּ֛ לַיהוָ֖ה אַפַּ֥יִם אָֽרְצָה).[103] If ever there was a context in which an expression of determined devotion is expressed towards YHWH’s word, it is in the present psalm, noted by scholars as containing numerous cases in which “it is more appropriate to speak of metaphorical metonymy."[104] Ps 119 is not unique in this sense, however. Notice the similar expressions regarding YHWH's word in Ps 97:8 (שָׁמְעָ֬ה וַתִּשְׂמַ֨ח׀ צִיּ֗וֹן וַ֭תָּגֵלְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת יְהוּדָ֑ה לְמַ֖עַן מִשְׁפָּטֶ֣יךָ יְהוָֽה׃) and Isa 42:21 (יְהוָ֥ה חָפֵ֖ץ לְמַ֣עַן צִדְק֑וֹ יַגְדִּ֥יל תּוֹרָ֖ה וְיַאְדִּֽיר׃).
- Note, finally, that the preferred reading (the MT) includes the present verse being only the second instance of a verse with two occurrences of the Big Eight (see the poetic feature), after v. 16. Such an occurrence, however, is supported by the structural contribution of this feature in the last verse of the ב-stanza and the last verse of the ו-stanza, both, indeed, concluding their respective macro speech acts (see the notes under v. 9 and v. 33 above).
v. 49
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 49a זְכֹר־דָּבָ֥ר לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ Remember the promise for your servant 49b עַ֝֗ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִֽחַלְתָּֽנִי׃ in which you have caused me to hope. Expanded Paraphrase
Remember the promise for your servant in which you have caused me to hope, your promise that you discipline me as a son, but will not finish me off.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The beginning of the ז-stanza marks the beginning of the next macro speech act: explanation.
- The word remember (זְכֹר), which begins the ז-stanza, is paired with the verbal root נחם (“comfort”) to create the following binding of the first half of the stanza:[105]
v. 50
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 50a זֹ֣את נֶחָמָתִ֣י בְעָנְיִ֑י This is my consolation in my suffering: 50b כִּ֖י אִמְרָתְךָ֣ חִיָּֽתְנִי׃ that your word has kept me alive. Expanded Paraphrase
This is my consolation in my suffering: that your word has kept me alive.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- An alternative interpretation takes the that (כִּי) clause as a causal subordinator ("because") (as Targum Psalms, Syr, and possibly the LXX/Jerome). It is difficult to find a satisfactory antecedent for this (זֹאת) in the previous verse, however, so the complementizer reading has been preferred.[106]
v. 51
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 51a זֵ֭דִים הֱלִיצֻ֣נִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד Arrogant people have completely derided me. 51b מִ֝תּֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א נָטִֽיתִי׃ I have not turned from your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
Even still, arrogant people have completely derided me. But I have not turned from your instruction.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the prepositional phrase עַד מְאֹד as “completely," see Jerome's nimis, while the other ancient versions isomorphically mimic the MT. BHRG comments on the function of עֵד as "extend[ing] to an extreme dimension,"[107] so "greatly." Nevertheless, the negative examples throughout the psalm imply complete negation (vv. 8, 43), not only "great," as does לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹֽד in v. 4. In light of the hyperbole used on numerous occasions "greatly >> completely" seems appropriate.
v. 52
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 52a זָ֘כַ֤רְתִּי מִשְׁפָּטֶ֖יךָ מֵעוֹלָ֥ם ׀ יְהוָ֗ה I remember your decisions which are from eternity, YHWH, 52b וָֽאֶתְנֶחָֽם׃ and I am comforted. Expanded Paraphrase
Instead, I remember your decisions which are the same from eternity past, YHWH, and I am comforted.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The present verse is unique in the psalm as having only one prosodic word in its B-line.[108] Further, it contributes to the poetic feature, Always and Forever, by containing the temporal adverb.
- The preferred diagram has the adverbial from eternity (מֵעוֹלָם) as modifying your decisions (מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ),[109]
- For the sequence of a wayyiqtol' with stative semantics (and I am comforted וָאֶתְנֶחָם) following a stative qatal, see the discussion in Joüon-Muraoka §118p.
v. 53
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 53a זַלְעָפָ֣ה אֲ֭חָזַתְנִי מֵרְשָׁעִ֑ים Rage has seized me because of wicked people, 53b עֹ֝זְבֵ֗י תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃ those who reject your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
In fact, rage has seized me because of wicked people, those who reject your instruction.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The present half-stanza finds its cohesion in the alternation between phrases containing “instruction,” and the construction "have become" הָיָה + לִי:
- The rare word זַלְעָפָה in the expression rage has siezed me seems at home in the ANGER IS HEAT metaphor, in light of עוֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ כְּתַנּ֣וּר נִכְמָ֔רוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י זַלְעֲפ֥וֹת רָעָֽב in Lam 5:10. Compare the similar expression "zeal has consumed me" (צִמְּתַ֥תְנִי קִנְאָתִ֑י) in v. 139, where the psalmist claims to be destroyed by "strong emotions."[110]
v. 54
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 54a זְ֭מִרוֹת הָֽיוּ־לִ֥י חֻקֶּ֗יךָ Your decrees have become my songs 54b בְּבֵ֣ית מְגוּרָֽי׃ during my sojourning. Expanded Paraphrase
Your decrees have become my songs during my sojourning, as I seek to obey your word. They bring me joy and I think about them all the time.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the imagery of YHWH’s decrees as the psalmist’s songs, see the following imagery table:
- The construct chain בֵית מְגוּרָי is a relationship of entity – characteristic, i.e., the house of my sojourning >> the house where I sojourn. This is the only instance of בֵּית with מָגוֹר, which is more typically found with אֶרֶץ (which, as a location, is similar to the present case) or יְמֵי 'days of' (i.e., 'the time during which I sojourned'). For justification of the phrasal gloss, during my sojourning, cf. the comments by Procházková: "One variant of the journey metaphor in the Bible regards passages that include the theological motif of homelessness and pilgrimage,"[111] in light of the TORAH IS JOURNEY metaphor throughout the psalm.
v. 55
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 55a זָ֘כַ֤רְתִּי בַלַּ֣יְלָה שִׁמְךָ֣ יְהוָ֑ה I remember your name in the night, YHWH, 55b וָֽ֝אֶשְׁמְרָ֗ה תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃ and I keep your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
I remember your name all the time, even in the night, YHWH, that is, your character and what you have done, and it helps me obey, so I keep your instruction.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- There are a couple of possible interpretations concerning the significance of in the night (בַלַּיְלָה) in this verse. One is very positive, “the time for spiritual devotions by people... Conversely, if night is the time when a person is freed from distracting activity, it can become the occasion for troubling thoughts and emotional turmoil."[112] In light of the B-line and v. 62, the first sense seems most likely here (that is, devotion at all times), such that a primary emotion of the present verse is enthusiasm for YHWH’s instruction.
v. 56
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 56a זֹ֥את הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֑י This has become mine: 56b כִּ֖י פִקֻּדֶ֣יךָ נָצָֽרְתִּי׃ that I have kept your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
This has become mine: that I have kept your precepts. I have nothing else to call mine.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Just as in v. 50 (discussed above), translations are divided between reading the כִּי in the present verse as either a complementizer (that) or a causal subordinator ("because").[113]The latter is unlikely, however, with lack of a satisfactory antecedent for זֹאת (“this”). Instead, the keeping of YHWH's precepts was the psalmist's “possession,” just as YHWH is his “lot” in v. 57. As well as fulfilling the ז acrostic, the focal nature of the cataphoric זֹאת in זֹ֥את הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֑י is quite uncontentious, with the content arriving in v. 56b (כִּ֖י פִקֻּדֶ֣יךָ נָצָֽרְתִּי).
- The verb הָיְתָה has been preferred as has become instead of “has been.”[114]
v. 57
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 57a חֶלְקִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אָמַ֗רְתִּי My lot is YHWH. I commit 57b לִשְׁמֹ֥ר דְּבָרֶֽיךָ׃ to keeping your words. Expanded Paraphrase
My lot is nothing else than YHWH rather than territory or possessions, so I can hope in him, so I commit to keeping your words.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The mention of my lot (חֶלְקִי) at the beginning of v. 57 sets the tone for the entire ח-stanza, culminating in the mention of הָאָ֗רֶץ in v. 64. Despite the enemies' traps potentially restricting the psalmist's feet (v. 61), he “turns" them to YHWH's testimonies (v. 59). The use of חֲצֽוֹת (v. 62) may also hint at spatial restriction: “half”[115], or at least the inclusion of both time and space.[116]
- The story of שׁמר throughout the stanza evolves from I commit to (v. 57) to 'I rushed to do so' (v. 60), to 'I'm not the only one' (v. 63). The fact that there are others who "keep your precepts" (שֹׁמְרֵ֗י פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ) is proof that "YHWH, the earth is full of your faithfulness" (חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֗רֶץ; v. 64) within the frame of texts like Josh. 14.5: כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה כֵּ֥ן עָשׂ֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיַּחְלְק֖וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ and in light of the parallels between 'Israel', the 'house of Aaron' and 'fearers of YHWH in Pss 115.9-11 and 118.2-4. Thus, "the hymn [v. 64a] fittingly concludes the canto as a whole."[117]
- Note that this verse contains the only third person reference of YHWH between v. 4 and v. 115. Nevertheless, we understand YHWH to be the addressee of this verse, just as of the surrounding discourse, since:
- One clause probably does not constitute a significant change in addressee (whereas a whole verse [v. 115] does). See also v. 126a.
- "Verse 57a contains a "spiritualized Levitical confession" ... This Levitical confession later is transferred to the mouth of the pious" (Kraus 1989, 417), so may have become a refrain, hence the third person. >> "V 57 repeats an old Levitical formula" (Allen 2002, 188; cf. Κατὰ τοὺς Λευίτας, οἷς διηγόρευται μηδὲν κεκτῆσθαι κατὰ τὸν βίον in Eusebius 2022, 157); see also Ps 16:5; 73:26; 142:6. See a similar idea in the use of נחל in v. 111: נָחַ֣לְתִּי עֵדְוֺתֶ֣יךָ לְעוֹלָ֑ם כִּֽי־שְׂשׂ֖וֹן לִבִּ֣י הֵֽמָּה. A number of grammatical alternatives take YHWH as a vocative, so consistency in addressee is probably still intended even under our preferred syntax.
- The preferred interpretation is represented in the Gallican Psalter, Targum Psalms, BTX4ª, CSB, CEB, ELB, ESV, NABRE, NET, NIV, JPS 1985.[118]
- For "I say" אמר plus לְ inf. as an intention/commitment (I commit), see also Exod. 2.14; 2 Sam. 21.16; 30.6; 1 Kgs. 5.19; Ps. 106.23 (HALOT vol. 1: 66; DCH vol. 1: 324). A further entailment of commitment or promise is found in 1 Kgs. 8:19 (& 2 Chr. 21:7), Jer. 48:8, Joel 3:5, 1 Chr. 27:23.
v. 58
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 58a חִלִּ֣יתִי פָנֶ֣יךָ בְכָל־לֵ֑ב I have entreated your favor with a whole heart. 58b חָ֝נֵּ֗נִי כְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ׃ Be gracious to me according to your promise! Expanded Paraphrase
I have entreated your favor with a whole heart. So be gracious to me according to your promise!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For construction piel חלה plus פָּנִים (I have entreated your favor), see also Ps 45:14; Job 11:19 and Prov 19:6, all of which refer to an inferior seeking an audience with the face of X, i.e., entering into their presence is to seek their favor.[119]
v. 59
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 59a חִשַּׁ֥בְתִּי דְרָכָ֑י I considered my ways 59b וָאָשִׁ֥יבָה רַ֝גְלַ֗י אֶל־עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ׃ and turned my feet to your testimonies. Expanded Paraphrase
After you disciplined me, I considered my ways and immediately turned my feet to your path in order to obey your testimonies.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the verbal sequence of qatal + wayyiqtol as indicating an anterior event, see the notes under v. 26 above. The illocution of both this and the following verse, therefore, is the psalmist’s explanation of his previous zeal of obedience.
v. 60
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 60a חַ֭שְׁתִּי וְלֹ֣א הִתְמַהְמָ֑הְתִּי I hurried and did not delay 60b לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ in keeping your commands. Expanded Paraphrase
I hurried and did not delay in keeping your commands.
Grammatical Diagram
v. 61
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 61a חֶבְלֵ֣י רְשָׁעִ֣ים עִוְּדֻ֑נִי The ropes of traps laid by wicked people have surrounded me. 61b תּֽ֝וֹרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃ I have not forgotten your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
Even though the ropes of traps laid by wicked people have surrounded me. Nevertheless, I have not forgotten your instruction.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The information packaging of the entire utterance the ropes of traps laid by wicked people have surrounded me (חֶבְלֵ֣י רְשָׁעִ֣ים עִוְּדֻ֑נִי) is quite plausibly construed as thetic. In the B-line, the fronting of your instruction תּֽ֝וֹרָתְךָ֗ is almost certainly functioning to bind the couplet, as in numerous other cases throughout the psalm (see the notes under v. 3).
- The gloss “the ropes of traps laid by wicked people” is drawn from the sense of the construct chain חֶבְלֵ֣י רְשָׁעִ֣ים as a semantic relationship of entity–source.[120]
v. 62
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 62a חֲצֽוֹת־לַ֗יְלָה אָ֭קוּם לְהוֹד֣וֹת לָ֑ךְ I get up at midnight to praise you 62b עַ֝֗ל מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃ for your just rules. Expanded Paraphrase
I get up at midnight to praise you for your just rules, because I know you will eventually come through.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the significance of midnight, see the note above under v. 55.
v. 63
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 63a חָבֵ֣ר אָ֭נִי לְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְרֵא֑וּךָ I am a friend to all who fear you 63b וּ֝לְשֹׁמְרֵ֗י פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ׃ and to those who keep your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
I am a friend to all who fear you and to those who keep your precepts. I am not alone in this.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The and (waw) links two verbal modifiers describing two habitual actions of the same group of people.
v. 64
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 64a חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֗רֶץ YHWH, the earth is full of your faithfulness. 64b חֻקֶּ֥יךָ לַמְּדֵֽנִי׃ Teach me your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
Indeed, YHWH, the earth is full of your faithfulness to those who have trusted in you for salvation. Teach me your decrees. Help me understand them!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The sense of חֶסֶד (faithfulness) is to be differentiated from the other instances throughout the psalm, since “the earth” does not enjoy the same particular covenant relationship and Torah history as “your servant.”[121]
v. 65
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 65a ט֭וֹב עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִֽם־עַבְדְּךָ֑ You have done good to your servant, 65b יְ֝הוָ֗ה כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ YHWH, according to your promise. Expanded Paraphrase
I believe that you have done good to your servant, YHWH, according to your promise.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse not only begins the ט-stanza, but also a new macro speech act of petitioning wisdom and integrity, so that others who fear YHWH will be encouraged and the wicked shamed:
- As the present verse, to root טוב accounts for five of the eight verses of the stanza.[122]
v. 66
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 66a ט֤וּב טַ֣עַם וָדַ֣עַת לַמְּדֵ֑נִי Teach me goodness, that is, discernment and knowledge, 66b כִּ֖י בְמִצְוֺתֶ֣יךָ הֶאֱמָֽנְתִּי׃ because I believe in your commands. Expanded Paraphrase
Teach me goodness, that is, discernment and knowledge to really understand it, because I believe in your commands.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Despite the construct chain ט֤וּב טַ֣עַם וָדַ֣עַת, only a number of French versions[123] seems to capture this, with most other modern translations taking טוּב as attributively modifying only טעם (e.g., the ESV's Teach me good judgment and knowledge). The construct chain could be interpreted either as entity–synonym: goodness, that is, discernment and knowledge (cf. all the other instances of the imperative לַמְּדֵנִי in the psalm); entity–result: “goodness (which leads to) discernment and knowledge”; or entity–origin: “goodness (which comes from) discernment and knowledge.” The first option has been preferred.[124]</ref>
- Note that "this is the only example in the Hebrew Bible in which commandments (מצות) is the object of belief."[125] In light of the causal כִּי, the idea seems to be that the psalmist believes in the trustworthiness and effectiveness of keeping the commands, since “knowledge” and “discernment” are characterised as “goodness.” Nevertheless, “the idea that Torah includes promises occurs elsewhere in Ps 119."[126]
v. 67
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 67a טֶ֣רֶם אֶ֭עֱנֶה אֲנִ֣י שֹׁגֵ֑ג Before I was afflicted, I was going astray, 67b וְ֝עַתָּ֗ה אִמְרָתְךָ֥ שָׁמָֽרְתִּי׃ but now I have kept your word. Expanded Paraphrase
This is what happened: Before I was afflicted, I was going astray, but now that you have chastened me, I have kept your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The strategic role of the root ענה, here I was afflicted, begins to accelerate in this verse. Having already appeared as a noun עני “my suffering” in v. 50 – which will show up again in vv. 92 and 153), the verbal form is found in increasingly dramatic circumstances in vv. 71 and 75 (see the notes there).
- Note that before indicates the “going astray” of the main clause was previous to the event of “being afflicted.” The participle found within the main clause is also indicative of “going astray” as an ongoing wayward life.[127]
- For the root, שׁגג, clearly related to שׁגה (see vv. 10, 21, 118), the sense of erring/sinning inadvertently is in view.[128] Applied to the LIFE AS PATH metaphor throughout the psalm, going astray has been preferred.[129] Nevertheless, the innocence of being deceived externally, as in Job 12:16's עִ֭מּוֹ עֹ֣ז וְתֽוּשִׁיָּ֑ה ל֝וֹ֗ שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה (the deceived and the deceiver are his; ESV) is probably not in view here, as the psalmist needed YHWH's discipline (see Story Behind). The plain sense of 'erring' is the prototype also in Rabbinic Hebrew.[130]
v. 68
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 68a טוֹב־אַתָּ֥ה וּמֵטִ֗יב You are good and one who does good. 68b לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ Teach me your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
I know that you are good and one who does good. Teach me your decrees so that I will understand your treatment of me.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- One who does good seems to be quite a unique use of the hiphil participle of יטב (although, of course, in other conjugations its sense approaches that found here), with the other five instances as getting tipsy (Judg 19:22), being good at playing an instrument (1 Sam 16:17; Ezek 33:32), and being impressive, in general (Prov 30:29 x2).[131]
v. 69
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 69a טָפְל֬וּ עָלַ֣י שֶׁ֣קֶר זֵדִ֑ים Arrogant people have covered me in lies. 69b אֲ֝נִ֗י בְּכָל־לֵ֤ב ׀ אֱצֹּ֬ר פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ׃ I keep your precepts with a whole heart. Expanded Paraphrase
Arrogant people have covered me in lies, since I was afflicted, looking down on me as if my faith was in vain and as if I had not responded to your discipline. But I keep your precepts with nothing less than a whole heart.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Both this verse and the next highlight the contrast between the psalmist and his adversaries:
- The double fronting of I, with a whole heart (אֲ֝נִ֗י בְּכָל־לֵ֤ב; and "I, your instruction is my delight" [אֲ֝נִ֗י תּוֹרָתְךָ֥ שִֽׁעֲשָֽׁעְתִּי] in v. 70) is a classic case of topic + focus. In the first instance, "I" אֲ֝נִ֗י is introduced to contrast the preceding "arrogant people" (זֵדִ֑ים), while the lie (שֶׁ֣קֶר) may involve ulterior motives for the psalmist's obedience, the presupposition of which is corrected by the focal “with a whole heart” (בְּכָל־לֵ֤ב). In the second instance, "I" (אֲ֝נִ֗י) is again contrasted with the antecedent of the suffix in “their heart” (לִבָּ֑ם), while the psalmist confirms (or rejects otherwise false accusations to the contrary) that "your instruction" (תּוֹרָתְךָ֥) is his delight, not whatever the other may appreciate with their insensitive and hardened hearts.
- Our preferred interpretation of the grammar is found in all the major modern translations, Jerome's Hebr. and Targum Psalms.[132]
- The verb "smear/cover" (טפל) is quite rare, only found in Job 13:4 and 14:17 otherwise in the Hebrew Bible.[133] The Akkadian cognate ṭapālu might indicate an early instances of its metaphorical use,[134] presented in the following table:
- We take according to your promise (כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ) to be singular because Revell reads it as a pausal form, only Targum Psalms and the LXX contain a plural among the ancient versions, though the number of Hebrew manuscripts containing the mater yod is not few.[135] Although the LXX gives slightly more evidence for the plural than in v. 25b, for consistency within the stanza that singular is preferred here also.
v. 70
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 70a טָפַ֣שׁ כַּחֵ֣לֶב לִבָּ֑ם Their heart is insensitive like animal fat. 70b אֲ֝נִ֗י תּוֹרָתְךָ֥ שִֽׁעֲשָֽׁעְתִּי׃ I delight in your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
Their heart is insensitive like animal fat. In other words, they do not care that they do not obey your word; they do not react when you rebuke them. But as for me, I delight in your instruction and not their approval.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- There are a number of grammatical, textual and lexical issues with this verse.[136] Nevertheless, Symmachus reads "is fat>>insensitive" (טפשׁ) as ἐμυαλώθη, from μυελόομαι, 'be full of marrow' (LSJ), which may simply be a colloquial way of communicating “be fat/plump.” The sense seems to be comparable to hiphil קשׁה the heart (cf. Ps 95.8 אַל־תַּקְשׁ֣וּ לְ֭בַבְכֶם כִּמְרִיבָ֑ה and Prov 28.14 וּמַקְשֶׁ֥ה לִ֝בּ֗וֹ יִפּ֥וֹל בְּרָעָֽה) or qal חזק the heart (cf. Exod 9:35 וַֽיֶּחֱזַק֙ לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל, passim).[137] The image of their insensitivity is summarized in the following table:
v. 71
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 71a טֽוֹב־לִ֥י כִֽי־עֻנֵּ֑יתִי It was good for me that I was afflicted, 71b לְ֝מַ֗עַן אֶלְמַ֥ד חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ so that I would learn your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
It was good for me that I was afflicted, so that I would learn your decrees.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The ט-stanza concludes with two verses beginning with the phrase good/better for me טוֹב לִי.[138]
- This verse picks up on the afflicted (ענה) theme (see the notes under v. 67). As the MT reads, the verb here is first singular passive, so the agent of the affliction is still not explicit until v. 75. The LXX, however, reads ἐταπείνωσάς με “you afflicted me” here, as does עניתני in 11Q5, giving the clue away a few verses early.
- We also have here one of only two instances of the construction teach me your decrees not as an imperative (as in vv. 12, 26, 64, 68, 124, 135), concluded by a yiqtol verb in v. 171, which provides another notable point of progression in a psalm which is very much a static prayer.
v. 72
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 72a טֽוֹב־לִ֥י תֽוֹרַת־פִּ֑יךָ The instruction which proceeds from your mouth is better for me 72b מֵ֝אַלְפֵ֗י זָהָ֥ב וָכָֽסֶף׃ than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Expanded Paraphrase
The instruction which proceeds from your mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. I do not need anything the arrogant could offer me!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- As a cardinal numeral modification construction,[139] thousands in מֵאַלְפֵי זָהָב וכָֽסֶף has been understood similarly to quantifiers proper, probably in reference to “pieces” as glossed on the construct dependents זָהָב וָכָסֶף.
- See also the word pair gold and silver in the context of the Exodus in Ps 105:37 (וַֽ֭יּוֹצִיאֵם בְּכֶ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֑ב) and idols in Ps 115:4 (עֲֽ֭צַבֵּיהֶם כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֑ב מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה יְדֵ֣י אָדָֽם) and 135:15 (עֲצַבֵּ֣י הַ֭גּוֹיִם כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֑ב מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה יְדֵ֣י אָדָֽם).
v. 73
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 73a יָדֶ֣יךָ עָ֭שׂוּנִי וַֽיְכוֹנְנ֑וּנִי Your hands made me and established me. 73b הֲ֝בִינֵ֗נִי וְאֶלְמְדָ֥ה מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ Give me understanding so that I learn your commands. Expanded Paraphrase
Your hands made me and established me. I am your loyal subject, so do not abandon me now! Give me understanding so that I learn your commands.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- While also initiating the yod–stanza, the fronting of your hand (יָדֶיךָ) also plausibly serves as a topic shift (drawn from the set of body parts already activated by "your face" [פִּיךָ] in v. 72).
- The uncommon collocation of you made and you established may be an allusion to the Song of Moses, speaking of Israel as a whole: ה֥וּא עָֽשְׂךָ֖ וַֽיְכֹנְנֶֽךָ (Deut 32:6). More natural is reference to the creation of the earth (בּוֹרֵ֨א הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם ה֣וּא הָאֱ לֹהִ֗ים יֹצֵ֨ר הָאָ֤רֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ֙ ה֣וּא כֽוֹנְנָ֔הּ; Isa. 45.18), or sky (שָׁ֭מֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂ֣י אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה; Ps 8:4). Thus, here the psalmist is appealing to and is confident in his relationship to YHWH.[140]
v. 74
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 74a יְ֭רֵאֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּנִי וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ Those who fear you will see me and rejoice, 74b כִּ֖י לִדְבָרְךָ֣ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃ because I have hoped in your word. Expanded Paraphrase
And when I do, those who fear you will see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The introduction of those who fear you as a topic shift (the psalmist's allies have not been mentioned since v. 63) in this verse provides the beginning of a symmetrical structure governing the stanza as a whole (compare also the root ידע in vv. 75, 79 and יְהִי).[141]
- The verbal collocation see (ראה) and rejoice (שׂמח) is also found in 1 Sam 6:13 (the return of the Ark); 2 Sam 19:5 (Saul being pleased with David's victories); Ps 69:33 (the humble rejoicing in the psalmist's salvation); 107:42 (the upright rejoicing at the deliverance of the poor); and Job 22:19 (the righteous rejoicing at the destruction of the wicked). In light of the parallels of rejoicing after the act of deliverance (see, e.g., Ps 69.33 – the humble rejoicing in the psalmist's salvation; 107.42 – the upright rejoicing at the deliverance of the poor; and Job 22.19 – the righteous rejoicing at the destruction of the wicked), the temporal sequence here seems to involve present trusting (“I have trusted”) with the assurance that the psalmist will be delivered and enlightened, so those YHWH fearers around him will have cause for rejoicing after the fact.
v. 75
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 75a יָדַ֣עְתִּי יְ֭הוָה כִּי־צֶ֣דֶק מִשְׁפָּטֶ֑יךָ I know, YHWH, that your rules are absolutely just 75b וֶ֝אֱמוּנָ֗ה עִנִּיתָֽנִי׃ and [that] you afflicted me in faithfulness. Expanded Paraphrase
I know, YHWH, that your rules are absolutely just and [that] you afflicted me in faithfulness, not out of anger or spite.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- We are finally introduced (according to the MT) to the agent of the psalmist’s affliction in our present verse, after a number of hints (most recently vv. 67 and 71; see the notes there).
- For the intensive equative reading of the nominal predicate in צֶ֣דֶק מִשְׁפָּטֶ֑יךָ (cf. אֱמוּנָה in v. 86), we draw upon GKC §141c: "The employment of a substantive as predicate of a noun-clause is especially frequent, either when no corresponding adjective exists ... or when the attribute is intended to receive a certain emphasis. For in all cases there is a much greater stress upon a substantival predicate, since it represents something as identical with the subject... than upon an adjectival or verbal predicate" (§141c). While the adjectival צַדִּיק is evidently an option, GKC's "emphasis" argument amounts to an intensive focal nature of an equative construction: "Your rules are justice itself" >> "Your commands are absolutely just.”
- In line with Targum Psalms' בקושטא סגפתני ("in truth you have afflicted me" (Stec 2004, 214) i.e., justly, in faithfulness communicates the right action of YHWH in carrying out his disciplinary duties upon his covenant subject when necessary (see story behind for further discussion). Furthermore, while a subordinate B-/C-line would naturally be verb-final, as in most other cases throughout the psalm (see the note under v. 3), the adverbial אֱמוּנָ֗ה is a prime candidate for a corrective focus reading, in that the psalmist's affliction had no other initial cause than YHWH's faithfulness.
v. 76
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 76a יְהִי־נָ֣א חַסְדְּךָ֣ לְנַחֲמֵ֑נִי Please let your loyalty comfort me 76b כְּאִמְרָתְךָ֥ לְעַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ according to your promise which you gave to your servant. Expanded Paraphrase
But please let your loyalty keep comforting me according to your promise which you gave to your servant.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This is the first of a couple of instances of jussive יְהִי + infinitival whereby the היה seems to primarily indicate modality (let) and also satisfy the acrostic (here yod, but see also taw in v. 173 – תְּהִֽי־יָדְךָ֥ לְעָזְרֵ֑נִי).[142] Furthermore, this verse begins a sequence of five verse-initial jussive verb forms; five verse-initial jussives are also found in the ת-stanza.
- While the relationship from the psalmist to YHWH's word (especially the Big Eight) is unambiguous throughout the psalm (see Participant Analysis), there are a few occasions in which YHWH's word and actions work towards the psalmist. This seems to be what is intended by the בוא phrases in vv. 41 and 77. “To come” then, in these verses, probably means “come to my aid.” speaking both of YHWH's loyal acts, salvation, and, in our present verse, merciful acts.
v. 77
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 77a יְבֹא֣וּנִי רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ וְאֶֽחְיֶ֑ה Let your merciful acts come to me so that I will live, 77b כִּי־תֽ֝וֹרָתְךָ֗ שַֽׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃ because your instruction is my delight. Expanded Paraphrase
Let your merciful acts come to me so that I will live, because your instruction is my delight.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- While the relationship from the psalmist to YHWH's word (especially the Big Eight) is unambiguous throughout the psalm (see Participant Analysis), there are a few occasions in which YHWH's word and actions work towards the psalmist. This seems to be what is intended by the בוא phrases in vv. 41 and 77. “To come” then, in these verses, probably means “come to my aid.” speaking both of YHWH's loyal acts, salvation, and, in our present verse, merciful acts.
v. 78
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 78a כִּי־שֶׁ֣קֶר עִוְּת֑וּנִי Let arrogant people be ashamed, because with a lie they have caused me to be seen as crooked. 78b אֲ֝נִ֗י אָשִׂ֥יחַ בְּפִקּוּדֶֽיךָ׃ I meditate on your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
On the other hand, let arrogant people be ashamed, because with a lie they have caused me to be seen as crooked, as if I was all-talk but did not walk in integrity. I, on the other hand, am focused on one thing: I meditate on your precepts.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The present verse introduces the final structural section of the yod-stanza with a contrast involving the verb be ashamed.
- The lexicons understand the verb עות, translated here as they have caused to be seen as crooked.[143] Since perversion of justice seems to be the verb's primary sense, in this context, and accompanied by the nominal adverb שׁקר, the psalmist’s reputation in society is at stake.[144]
- For the clarification of the nominal adverb to unjustly see the ancient versions (ἀδίκως, inique, על שקרא).
v. 79
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 79a יָשׁ֣וּבוּ לִ֣י יְרֵאֶ֑יךָ Let those who fear you turn to me, 79b וְ֝יֹדְעֵ֗י עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ׃ and those who know your testimonies. Expanded Paraphrase
Let those who fear you turn to me, and those who know your testimonies, since they might be going through something similar.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the sense of those joining the psalmist and his cause, compare the ingathering to David in 1 Sam 22:1-2, also in defiance of the “leaders.”[145]
v. 80
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 80a יְהִֽי־לִבִּ֣י תָמִ֣ים בְּחֻקֶּ֑יךָ Let my heart be blameless in regard to your decrees, 80b לְ֝מַ֗עַן לֹ֣א אֵבֽוֹשׁ׃ so that I will not be ashamed. Expanded Paraphrase
Let my heart be blameless in regard to your decrees, so that I will not be ashamed when I and others who fear you consider my life and obedience, no matter what the arrogant say.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The preposition בְּ in the phrase blameless in regard to your decrees (תָמִ֣ים בְּחֻקֶּ֑יךָ) is similar to "figurative contact by means of mental process,"[146] though here תָמִ֣ים is an evaluative quality, rather than emotional-cognitive process.[147]
v. 81
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 81a כָּלְתָ֣ה לִתְשׁוּעָתְךָ֣ נַפְשִׁ֑י My soul has wasted away for need of your salvation. 81b לִדְבָרְךָ֥ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃ I have hoped in your word. Expanded Paraphrase
But do it now! My soul has wasted away for need of your salvation, even though I have hoped in your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse begins the macro speech act of lamenting lamenting his lack of salvation and YHWH's seeming slowness to carry out justice against the psalmist's adversaries.
- The כ–stanza has been characterized as “by far the most desperate,”[148] hitting a record low before the poignant transition into the heights of vv. 89-112 (see below). It begins with the repetition of כלה (“waste away, fade”) in the first two verses, which are further bound by the symmetry in post-verbal לִתְשׁוּעָתְךָ֣ נַפְשִׁ֑י here and כָּל֣וּ עֵ֭ינַי לְאִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ in v. 82, followed by two instances of the question “Why?”[149]
- Regarding the emotions of the second line of this verse we have preferred a positive affirmation (in line with the other instances of this expression throughout the psalm – cf. vv. 43, 49, 74, 114, 147), indicative of a gritting of teeth and adversative relationship to its surrounding clauses. It is distinct from the other instances in that it is found in a context of such clear lament. Another possibility involves reading piel יחל as 'wait', so the psalmist continues to wait (not necessarily as a positive reflection of his faith) until deliverance comes.
v. 82
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 82a כָּל֣וּ עֵ֭ינַי לְאִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ My eyes have started fading for need of your word, saying, 82b לֵ֝אמֹ֗ר מָתַ֥י תְּֽנַחֲמֵֽנִי׃ "When will you comfort me?" Expanded Paraphrase
My eyes have started fading in weeping and weariness for need of your word, saying, "When will you comfort me?"
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- While some have understood כלה in the present verse as “my eyes look constantly until they fail” (Rashi; צופים תמיד עד כי כלו), notice the parallel with נַפְשִׁ֑י in the previous verse. The sense is undoubtedly "literally: to be finished; hence, process by which objects are heavily damaged to the extent that they are almost gone" (SDBH), where נַפְשִׁ֑י (v. 81) refers to the psalmist('s life) himself and עֵ֭ינַי (here) represent health and vigor in general.[150] There is a blend from "eyes" into the whole person of the psalmist in the grammar of the present verse, however, with the eyes as the grammatical subject of the main clause, being followed by the infinitive לֵ֝אמֹ֗ר (see also v. 148), which is unambiguously carried out by the psalmist himself.
- We take לְאִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ to be singular because it is singular in all the ancient versions, Revell reads it as a pausal form, there is no mater yod in either 11Q5 and 4Q89 (it is only present in Kennicott 148).
v. 83
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 83a כִּֽי־הָ֭יִיתִי כְּנֹ֣אד בְּקִיט֑וֹר because I have become like a leather bottle in smoke. 83b חֻ֝קֶּ֗יךָ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃ I have not forgotten your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
'because I have become like a leather bottle in smoke, an unworthy sojourner in need of your discipline, but becoming increasingly brittle and at risk of not making it through this if it does on any longer!'''''Look, I have not forgotten your decrees.
Grammatical Diagram
See diagram for v. 82
Notes
- The noun קִיטוֹר, clearly derived from the verbal root קטר (“make a sacrifice,” “go up in smoke”), only appears elsewhere in the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, where it is said that וְהִנֵּ֤ה עָלָה֙ קִיטֹ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ כְּקִיטֹ֖ר הַכִּבְשָֽׁן׃ (Gen 19:28). For the imagery of a leather bottle in smoke, see the following table:[151]
- 11Q5 contains "you have made me" (עשיתני) for the MT’s I have become (הָיִיתִי) and "your loyalty" (חסדכה) in place of the MT's your decrees (חֻקֶּיךָ). The former unambiguously involves YHWH as the ultimate causer of the psalmist’s discipline. Furthermore, the fact that the function of smoke treatment of leather bottles was intentional up to a point, but risky afterwards, seems plausible from Targum Psalm's addition of "a skin bottle that hangs (דתלי) in the smoke."[152]</ref>
v. 84
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 84a כַּמָּ֥ה יְמֵֽי־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ How many are the days of your servant? 84b מָתַ֬י תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בְרֹדְפַ֣י מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ When will you carry out judgment against those persecuting me? Expanded Paraphrase
How many are the days of your servant? Am I going to have much life left to live after this ordeal? When will you carry out judgment against those persecuting me?
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For כַּמָּ֥ה as 'How much/many' cf. the LXX and Jerome’s πόσαι εἰσὶν and quot sunt. One possibility of the intended sense may be in line with the psalmist's self-identification as “insignificant and unworthy” (צָעִ֣יר אָנֹכִ֣י וְנִבְזֶ֑ה; v. 141) and his identification with the “young man” (נַּ֭עַר) and “simple people” (פְּתָיִֽים) in vv. 9, 130. (See the participant analysis notes.) Similarly, a request follows the self-identification as a “sojourner” in v. 19 (גֵּ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י בָאָ֑רֶץ אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֥ר מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ). In sum: "I am young and weak (and yes, unworthy), so I have no hope of vindication outside of you.” More likely, however, in light of the surrounding co-text (see the following question, for example), is that the question of "days" is actually "How many are the days [of] my [suffering]?”[153]
v. 85
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 85a כָּֽרוּ־לִ֣י זֵדִ֣ים שִׁיח֑וֹת Arrogant people have dug pits for me, 85b אֲ֝שֶׁ֗ר לֹ֣א כְתוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃ which is not done according to your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
Arrogant people have dug pits for me to catch me by any means possible, just like with their ropes and traps, which is not done according to your instruction. Are you going to do something about it?
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Once again, this half-stanza is semantically organized by a contrast between the psalmist’s actions and those of his adversaries.
- For the phrase they have dug pits (כָּרוּ ... שִׁיחוֹת), see the only other occurrence in Jeremiah 18:22: כִּֽי־כָר֤וּ שִׁיחָה לְלָכְדֵ֔נִי (ESV: “For they have dug a pit to take me”).[154]
v. 86
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 86a כָּל־מִצְוֺתֶ֥יךָ אֱמוּנָ֑ה All of your commands are absolutely trustworthy. 86b שֶׁ֖קֶר רְדָפ֣וּנִי עָזְרֵֽנִי׃ They have persecuted me without cause. Help me! Expanded Paraphrase
If all of your commands are absolutely trustworthy, why do they get away with it when they have persecuted me without cause? Help me before it is too late!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For an explanation of the nominal for an adjectival function, see the note under v. 75 above. Here GKC’s (§141c) "emphasis" argument again amounts to an intensive focal nature of an equative construction: "Your commands are faithfulness itself" >> "Your commands are absolutely trustworthy".
v. 87
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 87a כִּ֭מְעַט כִּלּ֣וּנִי בָאָ֑רֶץ They have almost finished with me in the land, 87b וַ֝אֲנִ֗י לֹא־עָזַ֥בְתִּי פִקֻּודֶֽ יךָ׃ but I have not abandoned your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
They have almost finished with me in the land, but I have not abandoned your precepts, since I am holding out hope in your salvation.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The ancient versions are ambiguous as to whether כִּמְעַט refers to temporality (They will “soon” finish me) or ability (they “almost” finished me). The qatal verb form, however, makes the ability (and potentially finished implications) preferable, since the temporal interpretation would require a future time reference.
- The sense of the preferred preposition in (בְּ) seems not to be the action of destroying taking place in the land, but rather the result of that finishing off, “(from being) among those (living) in the land", which bring us very close to the מארץ read in 11Q5.[155] Nevertheless, the gloss “finish with” (as the ESV) sounds natural enough in English to access the intention of these elided ideas.[156]
v. 88
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 88a כְּחַסְדְּךָ֥ חַיֵּ֑נִי Keep me alive according to your loyalty, 88b וְ֝אֶשְׁמְרָ֗ה עֵד֥וּת פִּֽיךָ׃ so I will keep the testimony which proceeds from your mouth. Expanded Paraphrase
Keep me alive according to your loyalty, so I will keep the testimony which proceeds from your mouth. If you do not save me how can I pursue obedience to your word?
Grammatical Diagram
v. 89
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 89a לְעוֹלָ֥ם יְהוָ֑ה Forever, YHWH, 89b דְּ֝בָרְךָ֗ נִצָּ֥ב בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ your word endures in heaven. Expanded Paraphrase
Let me get some perspective. No less than forever, YHWH, your word endures in heaven.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- At the half-way point of the psalm, the emotional contrast between כ- and ל-stanzas is the starkest.[157] The present verse moves from lament into the macro speech act of praising YHWH for the endurance of his word and faithfulness.
- The beginning of this stanza also contains an absence of "I" phrases in vv. 89-91, just as vv. 1-4 (see participant analysis) and two of the only three verses in the psalm lacking one of the Big Eight (vv. 3, 90) along with v. 122.[158]
- While the acrostic-fulfilling constituent is frequently in pre-vocative position, here,לְעוֹלָם is indeed focused as preceding the vocative,[159] as well as preceding the entire participial clause, which exhibits standard order otherwise. The lamed prepositional phrases in the entire stanza progress from forever (v. 89) to “for many generations” (v. 90) to “today” (v. 91), back to “forever” (v. 93), culminating in the רְחָבָ֖ה ... מְאֹֽד going beyond קֵ֑ץ in v. 96![160] As discussed in the poetic feature, Always and Forever, temporal adverbs are especially prevalent in this stanza yet take a central role throughout the remainder of the psalm. Notice the previous instances of לְעוֹלָם falls exactly half way up to this point (v. 44), and is picked up again at the end of the צ–stanza in vv. 142, 144; the end of the ק–stanza in v. 152; and at the end of the ר–stanza in v 160. Thus the ל, מ and נ–stanzas have been delimited as structurally central and form a thematic interlude between the first and section larger sections (vv. 1-88 and 113-160, respectively). Similarly, the final two stanzas form a structural conclusion to the poem (see poetic structure).[161]
v. 90
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 90a לְדֹ֣ר וָ֭דֹר אֱמֽוּנָתֶ֑ךָ Your faithfulness endures throughout each generation. 90b כּוֹנַ֥נְתָּ אֶ֝֗רֶץ וַֽתַּעֲמֹֽד׃ You established the earth and it stands. Expanded Paraphrase
Your faithfulness endures throughout each and every generation. Long before I was around, you established the earth and it stands.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- As noted in the poetic feature, The Big Eight, this is only the second verse without even one occurrence of the eight “Torah words” (after v. 3).
- While the constituent throughout each generation (לְדֹ֣ר וָ֭דֹר) is necessarily line-initial for purposes of the acrostic, as a temporal adverbial in a verbless clause, its fronting also indicates constituent focus.
- The waw in לְדֹ֣ר וָ֭דֹר creates the repetition which gives rise to a distributive reading: “generation and generation” >> “each generation.” For the directional reading of the preposition לְ as throughout, see BHRG (§39.11(5)(b)).
- Just as the statives "endures" (נצב) in v. 89 and "stand" (עמד) in v. 91, this wayyiqtol עמד can also indicate [the movement into] a state, so it [began to] stand >> it stands.
v. 91
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 91a לְֽ֭מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ עָמְד֣וּ הַיּ֑וֹם They stand today by your decisions, 91b כִּ֖י הַכֹּ֣ל עֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃ because all things are your servants. Expanded Paraphrase
They, that is, both heaven and earth, are still standing today by no other force or power than your decisions, because all things are your servants, so you retain the prerogative to act as you, in your divine wisdom, see fit!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The preferred grammatical interpretation is attested in the ELB, ESV, EÜ, KJV, Luther 2017, NABRE, NASB, NET, ZÜR. The antecedent is best judged to be the entirety of heavens (בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם in v. 89) and earth (אֶ֝֗רֶץ in v. 90), as a merism, hence הַכֹּ֣ל.[162] See also Jer 51:19, where YHWH is described as the one who formed “all” (כִּֽי־יוֹצֵ֤ר הַכֹּל֙ ה֔וּא).[163]
- While the by your decisions (לְמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ) is necessarily line-initial for purposes of the acrostic, it also fits the profile as a focused constituent, as reflected in the expanded paraphrase. "And it stands" (וַֽתַּעֲמֹד) was activated in the previous clause, so can be taken as given, while "forever" (לְעוֹלָם) and "throughout the generations" (לְדֹ֣ר וָ֭דֹר) also imply that they still stand "today" (הַיּוֹם), so this, too, can be taken as given.
v. 92
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 92a לוּלֵ֣י ת֭וֹרָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י If your instruction was not my delight, 92b אָ֝֗ז אָבַ֥דְתִּי בְעָנְיִֽי׃ then I would have perished in my affliction. Expanded Paraphrase
If your instruction was not my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. But you gave me the promises to hope in, so I came through it.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- After a three-verse absence, the psalmist enters the discourse once again here in the first person.
- With this counterfactual assertion, the psalmist is convinced about his need for YHWH's instruction, otherwise he would not have come through his previous periods of affliction.
- Note: the sense of my affliction (עני) does not speak of material privation (as in Deut 15:11; Job 24:9), but rather the psalmist's state of persecution and oppression by his adversaries.
v. 93
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 93a לְ֭עוֹלָם לֹא־אֶשְׁכַּ֣ח פִּקּוּדֶ֑יךָ I will never forget your precepts, 93b כִּ֥י בָ֝֗ם חִיִּיתָֽנִי׃ because you have kept me alive by them. Expanded Paraphrase
I will never ever forget your precepts, because you have kept me alive by them.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Just as in the first half of the stanza (beginning in v. 89), the second half also begins with the prepositional phrase forever (לְ֭עוֹלָם).
v. 94
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 94a לְֽךָ־אֲ֭נִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי I am yours; save me, 94b כִּ֖י פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ דָרָֽשְׁתִּי׃ because I care about your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
I am yours; so save me, as I know you will eventually, because I, for one, care about your precepts.
Grammatical Diagram
v. 95
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 95a לִ֤י קִוּ֣וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לְאַבְּדֵ֑נִי Wicked people have waited for me to kill me. 95b עֵ֝דֹתֶ֗יךָ אֶתְבּוֹנָֽן׃ I pay attention to your testimonies. Expanded Paraphrase
Wicked people, on the other hand, have waited for me to kill me. I only pay attention to your testimonies.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- In contrast to the first clause, the psalmist does not pay attention to those out to get him, but rather stays focused on YHWH's testimonies. See the similar contrast in v. 161 (שָׂ֭רִים רְדָפ֣וּנִי חִנָּ֑ם וּמִדְּבָרֶיךָ פָּחַ֥ד לִבִּֽיוּ֝מִדְּבָרְךָ֗ וּ֝מִדְּבָ֯רְיךָ֗), where he does not fear those persecuting him, but rather YHWH's words.
v. 96
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 96a לְֽכָל תִּ֭כְלָה רָאִ֣יתִי קֵ֑ץ I have seen everything come to an end. 96b רְחָבָ֖ה מִצְוָתְךָ֣ מְאֹֽד׃ Your command extends even beyond. Expanded Paraphrase
I have seen everything come to an end, that is, people come and go, including the wicked and their plans. Your command extends even beyond the passing nature of everything else!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The word תִּכְלָה only appears here in the Bible, though it is quite unambiguously drawn from the root כלה,[164] See also the similar תַּכְלִית in Job 28:3: וּֽלְכָל־תַּ֭כְלִית ה֣וּא חוֹקֵ֑ר ("and searches out to the farthest limit," ESV). Although “quality” could be in view (with “perfection”), the terminus (as similarly, “end”) is probably a more accurate interpretation in light of the surrounding co-text's discussion of YHWH and his word's eternal value, rather than the temporal nature of suffering. Thus, as indicated by the clearer instances of the root כלה, completion has been preferred, along the lines of TgPs's לכל מה דאשתרי ואשתכלל ("all that is begun and finished").[165] Thus: I have seen an end to every completed thing >> I have seen everything come to an end.
- The sense seems to be that even if everything else, no matter how perfect, comes to an end, YHWH's command goes above and beyond even that.[166] Hence the fronting of the constituent "to every completed thing" (לְֽכָל תִּ֭כְלָה). While it also fulfills the acrostic, it plausibly provides a topic shift which sets up the contrast with מִצְוָתְךָ֣ “your command” in the next line.
v. 97
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 97a מָֽה־אָהַ֥בְתִּי תוֹרָתֶ֑ךָ How I love your instruction! 97b כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם הִ֣יא שִׂיחָתִֽי׃ It is my meditation all day. Expanded Paraphrase
How I love your instruction! It is my meditation all day.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- “Love” has already been mentioned in the psalm (though not since vv. 47-48 – see notes there), but here begins a significant pattern of contrast throughout the majority of the rest of the psalm. On occasion the contrast is evident in a single verse (see, e.g., vv. 113 and 163), but is here used as a thematic inclusio for the entire מ-stanza.
- The present verse also initiates a new macro speech act. While it is somewhat continuous with the previous stanza,[167] the repetition of the exclamative "how!" (מָה) both here and in v. 103 is determinative for a the macro speech act as exclaiming the supreme wisdom and goodness of YHWH's word.
- Part of the continuity with the previous stanza involves the sustained interest in temporal adverbs, such as “all day” here and “forever” in v. 98, which are both focus-fronted.
v. 98
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 98a *מֵ֭אֹ֣יְבַי תְּחַכְּמֵ֣נִי *מִצְוָתֶךָ Your command makes me wiser than my enemies, 98b כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם הִיא־לִֽי׃ because it is mine forever. Expanded Paraphrase
Your command makes me wiser than my enemies, because no one can take it away from me and it is mine forever.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse begins a sequence of three verses with comparative מִן followed by a כִּי clause.[168]
v. 99
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 99a מִכָּל־מְלַמְּדַ֥י הִשְׂכַּ֑לְתִּי I have gained more insight than all my teachers, 99b כִּ֥י עֵ֝דְוֺתֶ֗יךָ שִׂ֣יחָה לִֽֿי׃ because your testimonies are my meditation. Expanded Paraphrase
I have gained more insight than all my teachers, because it is your testimonies that are my meditation all day.
Grammatical Diagram
v. 100
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 100a מִזְּקֵנִ֥ים אֶתְבּוֹנָ֑ן I gain more understanding than elders, 100b כִּ֖י פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ נָצָֽרְתִּי׃ because I have kept your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
I gain more understanding than even elders, because I have not only meditated on, but have kept your precepts.
Grammatical Diagram
v. 101
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 101a מִכָּל־אֹ֣רַח רָ֭ע כָּלִ֣אתִי רַגְלָ֑י I have withheld my feet from every evil path 101b לְ֝מַ֗עַן אֶשְׁמֹ֥ר דְּבָרֶֽךָ׃ so that I might keep your words. Expanded Paraphrase
To that end, I have withheld my feet from every evil path so that I might keep your words.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The phrase every path provides a structural inclusio for the second half of the present stanza:
- Although Revell reads your word (דְּבָרֶֽךָ) as a pausal form, the plural is almost certainly intended in light of all of the ancient versions and a large number of Hebrew manuscripts.[169]
v. 102
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 102a מִמִּשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ לֹא־סָ֑רְתִּי I have not turned away from your rules, 102b כִּֽי־אַ֝תָּ֗ה הוֹרֵתָֽנִי׃ because you have instructed me. Expanded Paraphrase
I have not turned away from your rules, for one simple reason: because you have instructed me.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For a similar case of “turning” from YHWHs rules, see Deut. 5:32 (וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֛ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם אֶתְכֶ֑ם לֹ֥א תָסֻ֖רוּ יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹֽאל׃).
v. 103
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 103a מַה־נִּמְלְצ֣וּ לְ֭חִכִּי אִמְרָתֶ֗ךָ How pleasing are your words to my palate! 103b מִדְּבַ֥שׁ לְפִֽי׃ [They are] more [pleasing] to my mouth than honey. Expanded Paraphrase
How pleasing are your words to my palate! [They are] more [pleasing] to my mouth than honey, that is, they are both satisfying and invigorating.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the imagery of honey, see the following table:[170]
- The verb מלץ only appears here in the Bible,[171] though it is related to: מְלִיצָה as an allusive (slippery) expression or proverb (see Hab. 2.6 and Prov. 1.6).
- The lamed in both to my palate (לְחִכִּי) and to my mouth (לְפִי) of this verse indicates an experiencing organ, rather than locative, as in, “in my mouth” (BHRG §39.11.2); see the LXX's bare dative τῷ στόματί μου, ESV, KJV, NABRE, NASB, NIV; contra the CSB, CEB.
- Although Revell reads your words אִמְרָתֶ֗ךָ as a pausal form, the plural is almost certainly intended in light of the verbal form and the ancient versions (with the exception of Jerome's Iuxta Hebraeos).[172]
v. 104
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 104a מִפִּקּוּדֶ֥יךָ אֶתְבּוֹנָ֑ן I gain understanding from your precepts. 104b עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן שָׂנֵ֤אתִי ׀ כָּל־אֹ֬רַח שָֽׁקֶר׃ Therefore, I hate every path of falsehood. Expanded Paraphrase
I gain understanding from your precepts. Therefore, I hate every path of falsehood and do not go near them.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- As well as the end of the מ-stanza, the logical discourse marker therefore (עַל־כֵּן) indicates the conclusion of a larger thought unit (see also vv. 119, 127-129).
v. 105
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 105a נֵר־לְרַגְלִ֥י דְבָרֶ֑ךָ Your word is a lamp for my feet 105b וְ֝א֗וֹר לִנְתִיבָתִֽי׃ and a light on my path. Expanded Paraphrase
I do not get lost, because your word is even a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The present verse begins the נ-stanza and a new macro speech act of committing to obey YHWH's word, despite the psalmist’s precarious situation:
- Whereas other places in the Bible attribute light to YHWH himself (see, e.g., Isa 2:50, ”In Ps 119, many statements made earlier regarding God are carried over to the "word of God."[173] Furthermore, it is significance that the dominant metaphor for YHWH’s word throughout the psalm is as the “path,” whereas here it is “the light” upon the path, resulting in a conceptual blend between TORAH IS A PATH/JOURNEY and TORAH IS A LIGHT:[174]
- For the pair lamp (נֵר) and light (אוֹר), cf. Prov 6:23: כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תּוֹכְח֥וֹת מוּסָֽר, which makes explicit the דֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים!
- The evidence is quite evenly split between the singular and plural readings of your word (דְבָרֶ֑ךָ).[175] So the conservative approach should most likely be followed, viz. the addition of the mater yod came about from the pausal reading.
- A similar variation is found in the suffix of my feet (רגלי), which is plural in all the ancient versions (except Jerome's pedi). The class (singular) is probably the intention of the MT, however, as in the case of “eye” for “sight” generally in Pss 88:10 and 92:12, so a plural gloss has been found preferable.
v. 106
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 106a נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי וָאֲקַיֵּ֑מָה I have solemnly sworn 106b לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃ to keep your righteous rules. Expanded Paraphrase
I have solemnly sworn to keep your righteous rules.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Note: both the NJPS (I have firmly sworn to keep Your just rules) and NABRE (I make a solemn vow to observe your righteous judgments) read נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי וָאֲקַיֵּ֑מָה as a serial verb construction, rendered here as I have solemnly sworn. Compare the construction with Gen 26:3: וַהֲקִֽמֹתִי֙ אֶת־הַשְּׁבֻעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם אָבִֽיךָ.[176] Since this is a unique case of intransitive piel קום, it seems preferable to read as part of the שׁבע verb phrase, and thus as the serial verb construction.[177]
- The serial verb construction contributes to the poetic structure of this half-stanza in providing continuity between the declaration of the vow & the request for its acceptance:
v. 107
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 107a נַעֲנֵ֥יתִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד I am utterly afflicted, 107b יְ֝הוָ֗ה חַיֵּ֥נִי כִדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ YHWH, keep me alive according to your word. Expanded Paraphrase
At the same time, I am utterly afflicted, YHWH, so keep me alive according to your word and both I and others will praise you for your salvation.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse introduces a speech act until v. 110 of lamenting his situation and the wicked actions of his adversaries, similar to vv. 25-28 and the כ-stanza, but on a smaller scale.
- The line-initial position of the vocative may indicate the urgent nature of the following request,[178] or, since this imperative is very common in the psalm and only follows a line-initial vocative in v. 149 and v. 159, simply differentiate the verse's two lines.[179] It may be, however, that the psalmist intensifies his request throughout the psalm: the imperative חַיֵּנִי appears in vv. 25, 37, 40 and 88 all without a vocative, though from here on they are preceded by vocatives (vv. 149, 159, and, similarly, v. 156, though on the previous poetic line).[180]
v. 108
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 108a נִדְב֣וֹת פִּ֭י רְצֵה־נָ֣א יְהוָ֑ה Please accept with pleasure the offering coming from my mouth, YHWH, 108b וּֽמִשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ לַמְּדֵֽנִי׃ and teach me your rules. Expanded Paraphrase
Please accept with pleasure the offering of this prayer coming from my mouth, YHWH, and fulfill my request of teaching me your rules, so that I will learn to obey them fully.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For other instances of qal רצה as accept with pleasure see Amos 5:22, Mal 1:10 (both with מִנְחָה), and Ps 51:18 (with עֹלָה). The נִדְב֣וֹת פִּ֭י are perhaps comparable to the “sacrifices of thanksgiving” in זֶ֣בַח תּוֹדָ֑ה (Ps. 116:17) and וְ֭יִזְבְּחוּ זִבְחֵ֣י תוֹדָ֑ה וִֽיסַפְּר֖וּ מַעֲשָׂ֣יו בְּרִנָּֽה (Ps 107:22).[181]
v. 109
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 109a נַפְשִׁ֣י בְכַפִּ֣י תָמִ֑יד I am always in danger, 109b וְ֝תֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃ but I have not forgotten your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
I am always in danger, but I do not know why, since I have not forgotten your instruction.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Just as at the beginning of this macro-poetic section (vv. 89-112), the present verse once again begins a sustained pattern of temporal adverbs to close out the stanza:
- For other instances of someone's life (נֶפֶשׁ) being in their hand (כַּף; always with שִׂים, except here) see also Judg 12:3; 1 Sam 19:5; 1 Sam 28:21 and Job 13:14, which all amount to "take a risk." Here the risk seems to be involuntary, however, so simply "be in danger" is in view.[182]The conceptualization of בְכַפִּ֣י as spatially limited may be in contrast to the mention of רחב elsewhere (see, esp. וְאֶתְהַלְּכָ֥ה בָרְחָבָ֑ה in v. 45).
v. 110
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 110a נָתְנ֬וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים פַּ֣ח לִ֑י Wicked people have set a trap for me, 110b וּ֝מִפִּקּוּדֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א תָעִֽיתִי׃ but I have not wandered from your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
Wicked people have set a trap for me, but I have not even wandered from your precepts. What is going on?
Grammatical Diagram
v. 111
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 111a נָחַ֣לְתִּי עֵדְוֺתֶ֣יךָ לְעוֹלָ֑ם I have inherited your testimonies forever, 111b כִּֽי־שְׂשׂ֖וֹן לִבִּ֣י הֵֽמָּה׃ because they are the joy of my heart. Expanded Paraphrase
It seems I have nothing besides your word. I have inherited your testimonies forever, come what may, because they are nothing less than the joy of my heart.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- See the notes under v. 109 for the contribution of “my heart” and the temporal adverbs to the poetic structure.
- The predicational they are the joy of my heart (שְׂשׂ֖וֹן לִבִּ֣י הֵֽמָּה) probably provides a scalar focus reading of "the joy of my heart," since "they" is unambiguously the topic.[183]
v. 112
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 112a נָטִ֣יתִי לִ֭בִּי לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת חֻקֶּ֗יךָ I have turned my heart to carry out your decrees 112b לְעוֹלָ֥ם עֵֽקֶב׃ forever - to the end! Expanded Paraphrase
So I have turned my heart and decided to carry out your decrees forever - to the end!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- There are a number of ancient and modern translations which take עֵקֶב as the noun "reward," though we have preferred the sense of "end" (cf. the notes under v. 33).[184]
v. 113
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 113a סֵעֲפִ֥ים שָׂנֵ֑אתִי I hate double-minded people, 113b וְֽתוֹרָתְךָ֥ אָהָֽבְתִּי׃ but I love your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
I hate double-minded people with split loyalties, but I love your instruction, because it teaches me how to obey and trust you.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse introduces a new macro speech act of petitioning support in his situation, alleviation from his situation, and wisdom to understand his situation, which stretches all the way to v. 128:
- In a stanza of contrasts, the following can be discerned: “the double-minded” and “your law” (v. 113); “the double-minded” and “my shelter and shield” (vv. 113-114); “evildoers” and “my God” (v. 115); “evildoers” and “my hope” (vv. 115-116); the psalmist and “those who go astray” (vv. 117-118), especially in their relation to “your decrees”; and “the wicked of the earth” and the psalmist (vv. 119-120). The result: the objects of the psalmist's love and hate are clear. Furthermore, it is YHWH's word that he fears, not the wicked.
- As a unique occurrence in this particular form, much of the sense of סֵעֵף in translations is drawn from the clearer context of סְעִפָּה in 1 Kgs. 18:21.[185]
- The question then arises, do the double-minded people belong to the psalmist's adversaries[186] or simply those struggling with temptation, as the psalmist frequently seems to? We have preferred to understand them as belonging to the psalmist’s adversaries in light of the ancient translations, particularly the LXX and the revisers (παράνομος “lawless,” διάφορος “disagreeing,” παραβάτης “transgressor”).[187]
v. 114
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 114a סִתְרִ֣י וּמָגִנִּ֣י אָ֑תָּה You are my shelter and my shield. 114b לִדְבָרְךָ֥ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃ I have hoped in your word. Expanded Paraphrase
No matter what has happened, you are still my shelter and my shield. I have hoped in your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the imagery of shelter and shield, consider the following table:
- This seems to be a unique case of this word-pair for shelter and shield, but their semantic proximity is apparent in uses such as Ps 32:7 (אַתָּ֤ה׀ סֵ֥תֶר לִי֮ מִצַּ֪ר תִּ֫צְּרֵ֥נִי); Ps 91:1 (יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן); and מָגֵן in Pss 3:4; 18:31; 115:9-11; 144:2, etc.
v. 115
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 115a סֽוּרוּ־מִמֶּ֥נִּי מְרֵעִ֑ים Get away from me, evildoers, 115b וְ֝אֶצְּרָ֗ה מִצְוֺ֥ת אֱלֹהָֽי׃ so that I will keep the commands of my God! Expanded Paraphrase
So you, evildoers, get away from me, so that I will keep the commands of my God without being distracted by your nonsense!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse is the first instance since v. 3 that someone other than YHWH has been directly addressed by the psalmist.[188]
v. 116
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 116a סָמְכֵ֣נִי כְאִמְרָתְךָ֣ וְאֶֽחְיֶ֑ה Sustain me according to your word, so that I will live; 116b וְאַל־תְּ֝בִישֵׁ֗נִי מִשִּׂבְרִֽי׃ and do not let me be put to shame because of my hope. Expanded Paraphrase
Sustain me according to your word when I do not have strength, so that I will live; and do not let me be put to shame because of my hope, if it turned out to be misplaced.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Out of the two options for וְאַל־תְּ֝בִישֵׁ֗נִי מִשִּׂבְרִֽי, namely: “Do not let me be ashamed of my hope” and Do not let me be put to shame because of my hope, the latter is preferred in light of the more common causal function of מִן and the two-participant event of the hiphil, “X puts Y to shame,” rather than a simple “X is ashamed.”[189]
v. 117
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 117a סְעָדֵ֥נִי וְאִוָּשֵׁ֑עָה Uphold me so that I will be saved, 117b וְאֶשְׁעָ֖ה בְחֻקֶּ֣יךָ תָמִֽיד׃ and I will always pay regard to your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
Uphold me when I am weak, so that I will be saved, and I will always pay regard to your decrees.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the contribution of the temporal adverb always, see the poetic feature, Always and Forever.[190]
v. 118
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 118a סָ֭לִיתָ כָּל־שׁוֹגִ֣ים מֵחֻקֶּ֑יךָ You have rejected all those who go astray from your decrees, 118b כִּי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר תַּרְמִיתָֽם׃ because their betrayal is unprompted. Expanded Paraphrase
You have rejected all those who go astray from your decrees, because their betrayal of me is unprompted. I had done nothing to incite their rage.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Despite some variation in the versions, reject[191] has been preferred for סָ֭לִיתָ.[192]
- The verbless clause שֶׁ֝֗קֶר תַּרְמִיתָֽם is often taken as borderline tautologous (see, e.g., “their deceit is falsehood” in the KJV), so care should be taken to make transparent the correct nuance.[193] Nevertheless, taking שֶׁקֶר as adverbial, as other instances in the psalm (vv. 78, 86), seems to be the most satisfying. Furthermore, in light of the clearer instances of the root רמה (see, e.g., the verb רָמָה and the nominals רְמִיָּה and מִרְמָה), it seems safe to treat תַּרְמִית as “treachery” >> “betrayal.” The result could either be: “without cause” i.e., unprompted negative actions towards the psalmist (cf. the LXX: “their betrayal is unjust/unprompted,” or “in vain,” i.e., useless (Symmachus, NIV, NASB, SG21), in their actions against the psalmist or in their rejection of Torah.[194] In the end, “without cause” seems to best accommodate the actions against the psalmist or rejection of Torah in general, in that they will not get away with it, so YHWH rightly ends up rejecting them.[195]
v. 119
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 119a סִגִ֗ים *חָשַׁבְתָּ* כָל־רִשְׁעֵי־אָ֑רֶץ You consider all the wicked of the earth dross. 119b לָ֝כֵ֗ן אָהַ֥בְתִּי עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ׃ Therefore I love your testimonies. Expanded Paraphrase
You consider all the wicked of the earth dross, that is, useless, to be burned off the purified metal. Therefore I love your testimonies that I have heard about, because you judge rightly in your dealings with people.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Our preferred reading is the emended חָשַׁבְתָּ from the MT's הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ.[196] For a similar construction of qal חשׁב with a double object, see Isa. 53:4 (וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ). There may be an attraction to וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֥י חַיָּֽה־רָעָ֖ה מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ (Ezek. 34:25), which has an explicit מִן, however, and not a double object. The major problem with the MT's הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ is the logical relation with the following לָ֝כֵ֗ן.[197] The preferred, “you considered” fits the logical connection with v. 119b the best, only emending a he to a khet.
- For the imagery of “considering dross,” see the table under v. 140.
- The most accurate analysis of the construct phrase all the wicked of the earth (כָל־רִשְׁעֵי־אָ֑רֶץ) seems to be entity–location/origin.[198]
v. 120
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 120a סָמַ֣ר מִפַּחְדְּךָ֣ בְשָׂרִ֑י My skin has goose bumps from fear of you, 120b וּֽמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ יָרֵֽאתִי׃ and I am in awe of your rules. Expanded Paraphrase
My skin has goose bumps from my fear of you and your justice, and I am in awe of your rules. I want nothing else than to to follow them as long as I live.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This "is the only place in the Hebrew Bible that משפט is the object of the verb 'to fear.'"[199]The verb has goosebumps (סָמַר) shares its root with the nominal מַסְמֵר “nail” in Eccl. 12:11 and as a כְּיֶ֥לֶק סָמָֽר “bristly/hairy locust” in Jer. 51:27. See also Job 4:15: וְ֭רוּחַ עַל־פָּנַ֣י יַחֲלֹ֑ף תְּ֝סַמֵּ֗ר שַֽׂעֲרַ֥ת בְּשָׂרִֽי (“A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up”; ESV). Though in the piel, we have the same collocation of סמר and בָּשָׂר, so we can safely assume the same expression of fear (and probably hair) is in view both in Job 4:15 and here.[200]
v. 121
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 121a עָ֭שִׂיתִי מִשְׁפָּ֣ט וָצֶ֑דֶק I have carried out justice and righteousness. 121b בַּל־תַּ֝נִּיחֵ֗נִי לְעֹֽשְׁקָֽי׃ Do not leave me to my oppressors! Expanded Paraphrase
That is why I have carried out justice and righteousness, just like you do. So do not leave me to my oppressors!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This stanza begins with two consecutive verses lacking any of the Big Eight Torah words, as discussed in the poetic feature, The Big Eight. The lines are also structurally bound by the repetition of negators (בַּל, אַל) and the root עשׂק “oppression.”[201]
v. 122
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 122a עֲרֹ֣ב עַבְדְּךָ֣ לְט֑וֹב Take responsibility for your servant for my good; 122b אַֽל־יַעַשְׁקֻ֥נִי זֵדִֽים׃ do not let arrogant people oppress me. Expanded Paraphrase
Take responsibility for your servant so that it all turns out for my good; do not let arrogant people oppress me.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the analysis of the lamed in "take responsibility for your servant for my good" (עֲרֹ֣ב עַבְדְּךָ֣ לְט֑וֹב), BHRG comments that it is as a result relationship: "Be responsible for your servant that it may go well with him [lit. for good]”.[202]
v. 123
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 123a עֵ֭ינַי כָּל֣וּ לִֽישׁוּעָתֶ֑ךָ My eyes have started fading for need of your salvation, 123b וּלְאִמְרַ֥ת צִדְקֶֽךָ׃ of your just promise. Expanded Paraphrase
My eyes have started fading in weeping and weariness for need of your salvation, for need of of your just promise.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- In the midst of a speech act of requesting liberation and favorable treatment (vv. 121-125), the mini-lament of the present verse is unique.
- For the analysis of the lamed following כלה, for need of, see the note on under v. 81.
- The waw is probably one of re-characterization, rather than two distinct entities, and is best rendered either zero or with whatever conventions the target languages uses for re-evaluative apposition: “My eyes have started fading for need of your salvation, of your just promise.”
v. 124
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 124a עֲשֵׂ֖ה עִם־עַבְדְּךָ֥ כְחַסְדֶּ֗ךָ Deal with your servant according to your loyalty 124b וְחֻקֶּ֥יךָ לַמְּדֵֽנִי׃ and teach me your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
Please, quickly deal with your servant according to your loyalty and teach me your decrees.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The function of with (עִם) in "deal with your servant" (עֲשֵׂ֖ה עִם־עַבְדְּךָ֥) is that of human interaction, i.e., "the sharing of an activity between a trajector x and landmark y".[203]
v. 125
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 125a עַבְדְּךָ־אָ֥נִי הֲבִינֵ֑נִי I am your servant; give me understanding 125b וְ֝אֵדְעָ֗ה עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ׃ so that I will know your testimonies. Expanded Paraphrase
I am your servant; give me understanding so that I will know your testimonies.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 126
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 126a עֵ֭ת לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת לַיהוָ֑ה It's time for YHWH to act – 126b הֵ֝פֵ֗רוּ תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃ they have broken your law! Expanded Paraphrase
It is time for YHWH to act – look, the arrogant people, they have broken your law, after all!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the grammatical alternatives of this verse and their significance, see the exegetical issue The Grammar and Meaning of Ps. 119:126.
- Regarding the addressee of the verse, we have preferred a continuation of YHWH, despite his third-person mention in the first line as the only third-person reference of YHWH between v. 115 and the end of the psalm. One clause probably does not constitute a significant change in addressee (whereas a whole verse, as v. 115, does). For a similar case of one line containing YHWH in the third-person, see also v. 57a. Further, as a contribution towards the multiple pleas for YHWH to act, the nudge is directed towards YHWH, whether third person or not. (See the exegetical issue for a number of vocative interpretations of לַיהוָ֑ה). For other intended perlocutionary effects concerning the right time to act, see the psalmist's prompts of מָתַי “when” in vv. 82, 84.
- Should the third-plural agent of they have broken (הֵפֵרוּ) be considered impersonal (as in v. 136 – see below) or belonging to the psalmist’s adversaries? Grammatically, the 3pl could plausibly analysed as an impersonal construction[204] and is indeed rendered as such in a number of translations (see the a passive construction in the CEB and NIV, the generic “people” in the GNT, and the impersonal French “on” in SG21 and TOB). Nevertheless, the consistent reference of the psalmist's adversaries as those who break YHWH's Torah makes the specific identity quite plausible here in light of the encouragement to act against them (in the first line).
- For the hiphil verb have broken (פרר), the collocation with "covenant" (בְּרִית) is very much expected[205] As discussed by Reynolds, such a collocation would naturally lead one to think of Sinai,[206] whereas the scope of תּוֹרָה in the present psalm is much more extensive than Sinaitic legislation (see the exegetical issue The Meaning of תּוֹרָה in Ps 119).
v. 127
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 127a עַל־כֵּ֭ן אָהַ֣בְתִּי מִצְוֺתֶ֑יךָ Therefore I love your commands 127b מִזָּהָ֥ב וּמִפָּֽז׃ more than gold, even more than pure gold. Expanded Paraphrase
You have rejected them and consider them dross, so I know you will act. Therefore I love your commands more than gold, even more than pure gold. There is nothing I want more than to obey your word. There is nothing I need more than your justice.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The ע-stanza concludes with two occurrences of the conjunction עַל כֵּן, with the verses 127-128 being further bound by yet another instance of the love/hate contrast.
- The waw is one of intensification, i.e., X even Y, rather than X and Y. פַּז as a semantic hyponym of זָהָב is unlikely to be added to the latter (cf. Ps 19.11).
v. 128
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 128a עַל־כֵּ֤ן ׀ כָּל־*פִּקּוּדֶיךָ* יִשָּׁ֑רְתִּי Therefore I have performed all your precepts correctly. 128b כָּל־אֹ֖רַח שֶׁ֣קֶר שָׂנֵֽאתִי׃ I hate every path of falsehood. Expanded Paraphrase
Therefore I have performed all your precepts correctly. I hate every path of falsehood, just like you do.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The preferred emendation your precepts follows the suffix found on the LXX's πάσας τὰς ἐντολάς σου and Syr. ܦܘܩ̈ܕܢܝܟ, (both, “your commandments”) only requiring the lack of lamed on the MT's כֹ֣ל (thus עַל־כֵּ֤ן׀ כָּל־פִּקּ֣וּדֵיךָ יִשָּׁ֑רְתִּי for the MT’s עַל־כֵּ֤ן׀ כָּל־פִּקּ֣וּדֵי כֹ֣ל יִשָּׁ֑רְתִּי). It also provides a 2ms suffix in a verse where otherwise there would not be one, which is uncharacteristic of the psalm (every other instance of פִּקּוּדִים throughout the psalm has the 2ms suffix).[207]
- The Information Structural contribution of the fronted all your precepts (*כָּל־*פִּקּוּדֶיךָ) is most likely constituent focus, since it follows the אָהַ֣בְתִּי “I love” clause of v. 127 – thus accommodating what would be performed rightly by someone who loves YHWH’s commands – possibly also causing the repetition of "therefore" (עַל־כֵּ֤ן; though also fulfilling the acrostic). The fronting of every path of falsehood (כָּל־אֹ֖רַח שֶׁ֣קֶר) in the second line indicates its contrastive topical status between the אָהַ֣בְתִּי “I love” of v. 127 and שָׂנֵֽאתִי “I hate” here.
v. 129
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 129a פְּלָא֥וֹת עֵדְוֺתֶ֑יךָ Your testimonies are wonderful things! 129b עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן נְצָרָ֥תַם נַפְשִֽׁי׃ Therefore I have kept them. Expanded Paraphrase
Your testimonies are wonderful things! I have trusted them, therefore I have kept them.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse begins a new macro speech act of requesting liberation, favorable treatment and wonderful instruction, for which the psalmist longs:
- The use of wonderful things (פְּלָאוֹת) as adjectival cannot be explained for lack of an adjectival form of this root, in light of the common ptc. נִפְלָאוֹת (cf. vv. 18, 27). Like vv. 18 and 27's “wonderful things/deeds,” we follow TDOT's understanding that "The noun peleʾ has fundamentally the same meaning as nip̱lāʾôṯ" (J. Conrad, פלא). It is understandable, however, that the LXX, Jerome and Peshitta all interpret it adjectivally.[208]
v. 130
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 130a פֵּ֖תַח דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ יָאִ֗יר The explanation of your words illuminates, 130b מֵבִ֥ין פְּתָיִֽים׃ giving simple people understanding. Expanded Paraphrase
The explanation of your words illuminates, giving simple people like me understanding.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- It seems plausible that the simple people (פְּתָיִים) should be considered as part of the psalmist's allies, just as the general “young man”(נַּעַר) in v. 9.[209]The description פֶּתִי is found in parallel with דל in שֹׁמֵ֣ר פְּתָאיִ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה דַּ֝לּוֹתִ֗י וְלִ֣י יְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ (Ps 116:6), so it may be that the "simple people" are not simply young, naïve and innocent, but rather to be grouped among the vulnerable of society, tying together both spiritual illumination (desire for Torah) and physical well-being (the general salvation pleaded for throughout the psalm).[210]
- For the borrowed language of the Aaronic blessing (especially Num 6:25: יָאֵ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ), see the use of illuminates יָאִיר here, פְּנֵה־אֵלַ֥י וְחָנֵּ֑נִי in v. 132 and פָּ֭נֶיךָ הָאֵ֣ר בְּעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ in v. 135. For the image of YHWH’s word as light see the notes under v. 105.[211]
v. 131
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 131a פִּֽי־פָ֭עַרְתִּי וָאֶשְׁאָ֑פָה I opened my mouth wide and panted 131b כִּ֖י לְמִצְוֺתֶ֣יךָ יָאָֽבְתִּי׃ because I long for your commands. Expanded Paraphrase
I opened my mouth wide and panted because I long for your commands. I am desperate,
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- There may be a hint at the image of YHWH’s word as nourishment and satisfaction in the present verse, as the “honey” of v. 103 (see the notes there).[212]
v. 132
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 132a פְּנֵה־אֵלַ֥י וְחָנֵּ֑נִי Turn to me and be gracious to me 132b כְּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט לְאֹהֲבֵ֥י שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ according to the custom which is for those who love your name. Expanded Paraphrase
Turn to me and be gracious to me according to the custom which is for those who love your name.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- While the abstract “justice” is a plausible rendering of מִשְׁפָּט, in light of the lack of article, we have preferred custom, according to the manner YHWH typically graciously treats those who love his name. (Interestingly, the Babylonian manuscripts JTS 611, 631 and 680 all seem to have an article on מִשְׁפָט). For a concrete case of YHWH’s dealings with the psalmist himself, see v. 49 (זְכֹר־דָּבָ֥ר לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ עַ֝֗ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִֽחַלְתָּֽנִי). The reference to the psalmist’s allies provides structural continuity in this half-stanza:
- Note also the intertextual allusion to the Aaronic blessing (see the notes under v. 130).
v. 133
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 133a פְּ֭עָמַי הָכֵ֣ן בְּאִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ Direct my steps by your word 133b וְֽאַל־תַּשְׁלֶט־בִּ֥י כָל־אָֽוֶן׃ and do not let any evil gain control over me. Expanded Paraphrase
By your grace, direct my steps by your word and do not let any evil gain control over me, which would undoubtedly happen without your protection.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The preferred reading is a 2ms verb with YHWH as the subject and any evil (כָל־אָוֶן) as the object (as Jerome; DHH, ELB, EÜ, Luther 2017, NBS, NFC, NVSR, PDV, SG21, TOB, ZÜR).[213] For the rare hiphil שׁלט plus בְּ (only here in the Bible), see also 11Q5 Col. xix: 15: אל תשלט בי שטן ורוח טמאה (“let not Satan or an evil spirit have dominion over me”), functioning as a בְּ of social contact, "often [with] a negative effect on the landmark."[214]
- For the quantifier any (כָל) with singular אַוֶן, see the notes on כָּל־הֽוֹן under v. 14.
v. 134
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 134a פְּ֭דֵנִי מֵעֹ֣שֶׁק אָדָ֑ם Save me from the oppression of man 134b וְ֝אֶשְׁמְרָ֗ה פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ׃ so that I may keep your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
Save me from the oppression of man so that I may keep your precepts. If they have their way with me, I will not be around to follow your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Note that save (פדה) in non-theological uses denotes acquiring someone/something specifically through payment from an injurious situation (e.g., Exod 13:13, 15; Lev 27:27; Num 18:15), whereas ישע typically denotes “rescue.” In theological uses, however, the two terms are more or less synonymous.
v. 135
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 135a פָּ֭נֶיךָ הָאֵ֣ר בְּעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ Make your face shine upon your servant 135b וְ֝לַמְּדֵ֗נִי אֶת־חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ and teach me your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
Stay close to me and make your face shine upon your servant with your perpetual blessing for your people, and teach me your decrees to help me understand why you promise to bless us and keep us, yet many of your people do not even care about your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The use of make your face shine (הָאֵר פָּנֶיךָ) followed by teach me your decrees (וְ֝לַמְּדֵ֗נִי אֶת־חֻקֶּֽיךָ) seems to approximate the similar request "be gracious to me" (חָנֵּנִי) – see especially חִלִּ֣יתִי פָנֶ֣יךָ בְכָל־לֵ֑ב חָ֝נֵּ֗נִי כְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ (v. 58), in the context of seeking YHWH's favor, as well as vv. 29 and 132.
- Again, for the intertextual allusion to the Aaronic blessing, see the notes under v. 130; for the use of YHWH’s WORD IS LIGHT imagery, see v. 103.[215]
v. 136
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 136a פַּלְגֵי־מַ֭יִם יָרְד֣וּ עֵינָ֑י Streams of water have been flowing down from my eyes, 136b עַ֝֗ל לֹא־שָׁמְר֥וּ תוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃ because your instruction has not been kept! Expanded Paraphrase
Streams of water have been flowing down from my eyes, because your instruction has not been kept! This is not how it should be. You will not put up with it.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The emotions provided by the present verse, as miserably disappointed that people do not keep YHWH's instruction,[216] indicate that the third-plural verb of the second clause should be understood as an impersonal construction.[217] While the consistent reference of the psalmist's adversaries as those who break YHWH's Torah makes the specific identity possible here (as in v. 126), the sadness of the psalmist’s reaction hints that they are not the semantic agents of לֹא־שָׁמְר֥וּ, in contrast to the anger and zeal elsewhere (see, e.g., v. 53, 139), as well as YHWH's rebuke and rejection (גָּ֭עַרְתָּ and סָ֭לִיתָ in vv. 21 and 118, respectively). The result is that there is a distinction to be made between the frustration towards the wicked and the miserable disappointment regarding the psalmist’s perception of society in general, with the implication that the corruption of his enemies' conduct (cf. vv. 139, 155, 158) has affected society, the same way it could tempt the psalmist (v. 115).[218]
- The status of streams of water (פַּלְגֵי־מַ֭יִם) as the grammatical subject is explicit in both Jerome and the Peshitta’s prepositional phrases de oculis meis and ܡܢ ܥܝܢ̈ܝ (“from my eyes”; cf. BTX4ª, DHH, ELB, EÜ, KJV, Luther 2017, NET, NIV, PDV, RVA, TOB, ZÜR), though the preposition found in each translation has seemingly been determined according to sense, since the MT only provides a bare nominal “my eyes.[219]For the function of עַל as a conjunction, in this case because, see also Gen. 31:20, Exod. 17:7, Isa 53:9; Jer 2:25, Job 16.17, 32:2 and Ezr. 3:11. In Kennicott mss 38 and 39, however, we have the more common על אשר and 11QPsª has the more common על כי. See BHRG §39.20.4, GKC §158b.
v. 137
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 137a צַדִּ֣יק אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה You are just, YHWH, 137b וְ֝יָשָׁ֗ר *מִשְׁפָּטֶךָ*׃ and your justice is right. Expanded Paraphrase
You are just, YHWH, and your justice is right.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse begins a new macro speech act of praising YHWH for the enduring justice of his word, despite the perplexing situation of ongoing suffering:
- It is no surprise, then, that the poetic structure of this stanza lexically revolves around the theme of justice:[220]
- The subject of the second clause, מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, has been emended to drop the yod – which may have arisen on account of the mater lectionis vowel anyway – and read as singular, in agreement with the predicate יָשָׁר.[221] The consonants משפטך are read by Kennicott ms 43, De-Rossi 412, as well as the LXX, Jerome and Targum Psalms.[222]
v. 138
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 138a צִ֭וִּיתָ צֶ֣דֶק עֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ You have commanded your righteous testimonies 138b וֶֽאֱמוּנָ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃ and great faithfulness. Expanded Paraphrase
You have commanded your righteous testimonies and great faithfulness. Why do people not listen?
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the pair righteousness (צֶדֶק) and faithfulness (אֱמוּנָה), see Isa 11:5 (וְהָ֥יָה צֶ֖דֶק אֵז֣וֹר מָתְנָ֑יו וְהָאֱמוּנָ֖ה אֵז֥וֹר חֲלָצָֽיו); Ps 96:13 (יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק וְ֝עַמִּ֗ים בֶּאֱמוּנָתֽוֹ); and, of course, v. 75: יָדַ֣עְתִּי יְ֭הוָה כִּי־צֶ֣דֶק מִשְׁפָּטֶ֑יךָ וֶ֝אֱמוּנָ֗ה עִנִּיתָֽנִי.[223]
v. 139
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 139a צִמְּתַ֥תְנִי קִנְאָתִ֑י My zeal has consumed me 139b כִּֽי־שָׁכְח֖וּ דְבָרֶ֣יךָ צָרָֽי׃ because my adversaries have forgotten your words. Expanded Paraphrase
My zeal has consumed me because my adversaries have forgotten your words.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The other instances of צָמַת make the “put an end to,” or “annihilate” interpretation quite likely.[224] In any case, the hyperbole seems to be captured by the common be consumed (cf. the cases of כלה as “fade, waste away” in vv. 82-83 and 123).[225] The sense is similar – albeit more extreme – to that of v. 53a (see the notes there).
- The LXX contains τοῦ οἴκου σου “of your house” after קִנְאָתִ֑י “my zeal,” which is most likely a harmonisation to Ps. 69:10 (כִּֽי־קִנְאַ֣ת בֵּיתְךָ֣ אֲכָלָ֑תְנִי) – see Rahlfs' apparatus.[226]
v. 140
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 140a צְרוּפָ֖ה אִמְרָתְךָ֥ מְאֹ֗ד Your word is absolutely pure 140b וְֽעַבְדְּךָ֥ אֲהֵבָֽהּ׃ and your servant loves it. Expanded Paraphrase
Yet your word is absolutely pure and your servant loves it.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the imagery of purification and metallurgy, see the following table:
v. 141
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 141a צָעִ֣יר אָנֹכִ֣י וְנִבְזֶ֑ה I am insignificant and unworthy; 141b פִּ֝קֻּדֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃ I have not forgotten your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
I am totally dependent on you but I am considered insignificant and unworthy by others, as if you did not care about me, but I have not forgotten your precepts.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For insignificant (צער) as opposite of “be honored,” see וְהִכְבַּדְתִּ֖ים וְלֹ֥א יִצְעָֽרוּ (Jer 30:19). Similarly, SDBH defines uses of the niphal of unworthy (בזה) such as the one here as the “state in which someone considers someone or something else unworthy of attention or respect, and shows that by his/her actions.” Thus while something like “considered inferior” could reflect the psalmist's enemies' attitude towards him, the simple “unworthy” seems to better reflect the self-abasing attitude of the psalmist throughout the poem (see his continual use of עֶבֶד and identification with the נַעַר “young man” in v. 9 and פְּתָיִֽים “simple people” in v. 130. At the same time, this is a unique instance of this word pair. The insignificance of being young/small is present in Judg 6:15; 1 Sam 9:21 and probably directly linked to wisdom in Job 30:1; 32:6. So, as in חֶרְפָּה וָבוּז in v. 22, we may have two facets of the same social status.
v. 142
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 142a צִדְקָתְךָ֣ צֶ֣דֶק לְעוֹלָ֑ם Your justice is an eternal justice 142b וְֽתוֹרָתְךָ֥ אֱמֶֽת׃ and your instruction is truth. Expanded Paraphrase
Just as your sovereignty over creation is eternal, so your justice is an eternal justice and your instruction is truth. You are not double-minded and deceitful like my arrogant enemies.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Note the continued importance of forever (לְעוֹלָם) throughout the psalm, again repeated line-finally both here and in v. 144. Its contribution in the following two stanzas provides similar endings, occurring as the first major constituent in the final line of each. It may be the case that the twofold repetition here primes the audience for the following two in vv. 152 and 160. See further the poetic feature, Always and Forever.
- Although at first glance glaringly tautologous, none of the ancient versions make a distinction between justice (צְדָקָה and צֶדֶק) in this verse, so the salient constituent seems to be the adverbial "forever" (לְעוֹלָ֑ם), captured aptly by the Syr. paraphrase: ܙܕܝܩܘܬܟ ܩܝܡܐ ܠܥܠܡ (“your righteousness remains forever.”[227]
v. 143
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 143a צַר־וּמָצ֥וֹק מְצָא֑וּנִי Distress and affliction have found me. 143b מִ֝צְוֺתֶ֗יךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃ Your commands are my delight. Expanded Paraphrase
But at the same time, distress and affliction have found me. Even still, your commands are my delight.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the quite rare affliction (מָצוֹק), cf. the cannibalistic effects of the exile (Deut 28:53, 55, 57; Jer 19:9) and the profile of those who found refuge in David's camp during his years on the run (1 Sam 22:2). The choice of מָצוֹק is probably also for prosodic/phonetic purposes (see the poetic structure).[228]
The maqqef on צַר־וּמָצ֥וֹק is not visible in any of the major manuscripts, despite its presence in the BHS (and Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible). At the same time, neither Codex Leningrad nor Codex Aleppo have an accent on צַר, and both צַר וּמָצ֥וֹק are written almost as one word, so they are evidently very similar conceptually, indicating the thetic information packaging of this sentence.
v. 144
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 144a צֶ֖דֶק עֵדְוֺתֶ֥יךָ לְ עוֹלָ֗ם Your just testimonies are eternal. 144b הֲבִינֵ֥נִי וְאֶחְיֶֽה׃ Give me understanding so that I will live. Expanded Paraphrase
I want to believe that your just testimonies are eternal. Give me understanding of your eternal dealings so that I will live.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the continued importance of forever (לְעוֹלָם), see the notes under v. 142.
- Most modern translations follow the preferred diagram in rendering "justice" (צֶ֖דֶק) as part of a construct chain your just testimonies (צֶ֖דֶק עֵדְוֺתֶ֥יךָ).[229]
v. 145
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 145a קָרָ֣אתִי בְכָל־לֵ֭ב עֲנֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֗ה I have called out with a whole heart; answer me, YHWH, 145b חֻקֶּ֥יךָ אֶצֹּֽרָה׃ let me keep your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
Since I have called out with a whole heart; answer me, YHWH, let me keep your decrees, since only with your gracious salvation is that going to happen.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse begins the macro speech act of requesting salvation in light of the the psalmist's faithfulness and the enduring nature of his own word:
- The first word of the present verse provides the structural clue for the beginning of the stanza as a whole, which is then taken over by the roots קדם and קרב (vv. 147-148, 152).[230]
- We have interpreted the final augmented אֶצֹּֽרָה as a jussive verb form with a commissive illocution of committing to faithfulness.
v. 146
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 146a קְרָאתִ֥יךָ הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי I have called out to you; save me, 146b וְ֝אֶשְׁמְרָ֗ה עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ׃ so that I will keep your testimonies. Expanded Paraphrase
I have called out to you; save me, so that I will keep your testimonies.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 147
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 147a קִדַּ֣מְתִּי בַ֭נֶּשֶׁף וָאֲשַׁוֵּ֑עָה I have gone ahead before sunrise and called out for help. 147b לִדְבָרְךָ֥ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃ I have hoped in your word. Expanded Paraphrase
I have gone ahead before sunrise and called out for help. It is the first thing I do in my day, since I have hoped in your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The textual evidence leads to the conclusion that before sunrise is a suitable rendering of בַ֭נֶּשֶׁף (see also the notes under v. 148).[231]
- The qere tradition has been followed here (לִדְבָרְךָ֥) as most likely the singular your word.[232]
v. 148
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 148a קִדְּמ֣וּ עֵ֭ינַי אַשְׁמֻר֑וֹת I have been alert since before dawn 148b לָ֝שִׂ֗יחַ בְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ׃ to meditate on your word. Expanded Paraphrase
I know you will give me understanding through it, so I have been alert since before dawn to meditate on your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Just as in v. 82 (see the notes there), there is a blend from “my eyes" into the psalmist’s whole person (I), indicated by the agency of the infinitive לָ֝שִׂ֗יחַ without an explicit shift in grammatical subject.[233]
- The preferred reading of before dawn (אַשְׁמֻרוֹת) is as a nominal adverb.[234]/li>
- For אַשְׁמֻרוֹת as before dawn, cf. the LXX's πρὸς ὄρθρον ("at dawn," NETS). The psalmist has already spoken of being up at midnight (v. 62).
- The final form of on your word (בְּאִמְרָתֶךָ) is read as singular by TgPs and the Syr. The singular reading is also favored by the shortage of manuscripts displaying the plene yod<See VTH, Vol. 2, 420.</ref> and Revell’s (2004) classification as a pausal form.[235]
v. 149
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 149a ק֭וֹלִי שִׁמְעָ֣ה כְחַסְדֶּ֑ךָ Listen to my voice according to your loyalty; 149b יְ֝הוָ֗ה כְּֽמִשְׁפָּטֶ֥ךָ חַיֵּֽנִי׃ YHWH, keep me alive according to your justice. Expanded Paraphrase
When I call out to you, listen to my voice according to your loyalty; YHWH, keep me alive according to your justice, which is my only hope.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Note that Lam 3:56 begins very similarly: קוֹלִ֖י שָׁמָ֑עְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵ֧ם אָזְנְךָ֛ לְרַוְחָתִ֖י לְשַׁוְעָתִֽי, though, crucially, with a qatal in place of the imperative here. See also the qatals of רָאִ֤יתָה in Lam 3:59-60, where the psalmist continues to appeal רְאֵֽה in both 119:159 and 160. Thematically, one could say that the psalmist is not in Lamentations 3 yet, but still in 1-2; 4-5.[236]
v. 150
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 150a קָ֭רְבוּ רֹדְפֵ֣י זִמָּ֑ה Those pursuing a wicked scheme are near; 150b מִתּוֹרָתְךָ֥ רָחָֽקוּ׃ they are far from your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
Those pursuing a wicked scheme against me are near, but they are far from your instruction.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- While the nominal זִמָּה can simply mean “wickedness,”[237] the more concrete sense derived from the verbal root זמם “to plan” fits the context of the psalm, so it is translated here as wicked scheme. The psalmist’s oppressors have spoken against him (v. 23), insulted and derided him (vv. 42, 51), laid traps for him (vv. 61, 110), dug pits for him (v. 85) and waited to kill him (v. 95).[238]
- Note the contrast of “near” and “far” in the present verse, continued by “You are near” in v. 151. The "distance" image belongs to the TORAH AS PATH metaphor, in the same manner as turning to the right or left in Deut 5:32 (see Procházkova 2021, 57).
v. 151
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 151a קָר֣וֹב אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה You are near, YHWH, 151b וְֽכָל־מִצְוֺתֶ֥יךָ אֱמֶֽת׃ and all your commands are truth. Expanded Paraphrase
At the same time, the reality is that you are near, YHWH, and all your commands are truth.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Rendering אֱמֶֽת as the adjective “true" rather than the noun “truth” is required for a natural reading of the syntax (i.e., not equating “all of your commands” and the abstract noun “truth,” but rather commenting on their nature as “true”) since there is no adjectival form for “true” in BH (the niphal participle נֶאֱמָנִים is often employed, but typically in the sense of “firm, trustworthy”).[239]
v. 152
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 152a קֶ֣דֶם יָ֭דַעְתִּי מֵעֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ From long ago I have known from your testimonies 152b כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם יְסַדְתָּֽם׃ that you established them forever. Expanded Paraphrase
This is nothing new. From long ago I have known from your testimonies that you established them forever. They do not change and they are still worthy of my trust.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This final verse of the ק-stanza provides another instance of the importance of the temporal adverb forever (לְעוֹלָם) in the psalm, with a similar structural function to that of vv. 144 and 160, as discussed in the poetic feature, Always and Forever. In the present case, it is also augmented also by the presence of the adverbial long ago (קֶדֶם) in this case, such that the fronted constituent of each clause in the verse span a lengthy period of time in the past into eternity future.[240]
v. 153
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 153a רְאֵֽה־עָנְיִ֥י וְחַלְּצֵ֑נִי Look at my affliction and rescue me, 153b כִּי־תֽ֝וֹרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃ because I have not forgotten your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
Look at my affliction and rescue me, because I have not forgotten your instruction.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse introduces a new macro speech act of arguing that the wicked should be dealt with and the psalmist redeemed on the basis of his own word and just nature.
- Further, the very first word of the verse ends up playing a significant structural role throughout the entire ר-stanza:[241]
v. 154
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 154a רִיבָ֣ה רִ֭יבִי וּגְאָלֵ֑נִי Defend my case and redeem me. 154b לְאִמְרָתְךָ֥ חַיֵּֽנִי׃ Keep me alive by your word. Expanded Paraphrase
Defend my case against those who oppress me and want to shame me and redeem me. Keep me alive by your word, which guides me on the right path and offers life-giving promises.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The use of redeem (גאל) in the context of “defending a case” probably alludes to the "gate scene frame” (cf. Ruth 4:1-2) already activated by the mention of the leaders in v. 23 (see the notes there), who are about to reappear in v. 161. The construct chain רִ֭יבִי is analysed as entity-malefactor, that is, “the case (brought against) me.”[242]
- Note that this is a unique case of lamed functioning as normative (by), as followed by most modern translations,[243] with the preposition כְּאִמְרָתְךָ being much more frequent (see vv. 41, 58, 76, 116, 170; the two other instances of לְאִמְרָתְךָ – in vv. 82, 123 – most likely provide a stimulus for the עֵינַי כָּלוּ verb phrase in both cases).
v. 155
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 155a רָח֣וֹק מֵרְשָׁעִ֣ים יְשׁוּעָ֑ה Success is far from wicked people, 155b כִּֽי־חֻ֝קֶּיךָ לֹ֣א דָרָֽשׁוּ׃ because they do not care about your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
Success is far from wicked people. They are not going to get away with their schemes, because they do not care about your decrees.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The gender mismatch between far (רָחוֹק) and success (יְשׁוּעָה) is alleviated by both the LXX and Jerome's adverbial reading of רָחוֹק,[244] though for such an adverbial reading we would expect בְּרָחוֹק as in לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תַּעֲמֹ֣ד בְּרָח֑וֹק (Ps 10:1) or מֵרָחֹ֥ק as in וּ֝קְרוֹבַ֗י מֵרָחֹ֥ק עָמָֽדוּ (Ps 38:12). A close parallel, with the expected agreement, is Prov. 15:29 – רָח֣וֹק יְ֭הוָה מֵרְשָׁעִ֑ים. Joüon-Muroaka maintain, however, that "The adjective רָחוֹק distant, remote remains invariable and is treated like an adverb (far),"[245] that is, an adverb of suppletion, that is, "the name given to diverse parts of speech which, in view of the dearth of specifically adverbial formations, function as adverbs."[246]
v. 156
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 156a רַחֲמֶ֖יךָ רַבִּ֥ים ׀ יְהוָ֑ה YHWH, your merciful acts are numerous. 156b כְּֽמִשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ חַיֵּֽנִי׃ Keep me alive according to your judgments. Expanded Paraphrase
YHWH, your merciful acts are numerous. I have read about them and even seen them in my own life. Keep me alive according to your judgments against those who oppress me and for those who trust in you,
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Despite a number of textual variants and grammatical alternatives in this verse, largely involving the MT's כְּמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, the other ancient versions and manuscript evidence (including 11Q5) contain the plene yod, and thus the plural “your judgments” has been preferred.[247]
v. 157
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 157a רַ֭בִּים רֹדְפַ֣י וְצָרָ֑י My persecutors and my adversaries are numerous! 157b מֵ֝עֵדְוֺתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א נָטִֽיתִי׃ I have not turned away from your testimonies. Expanded Paraphrase
Because my persecutors and my adversaries are also numerous! Even still, I have not turned away from your testimonies.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Since the subject-predicate order רֹדְפַי וְצָרָי רַבִּים would have sufficiently fulfilled the acrostic, the predicational numerous (רַ֭בִּים) is initial to create a symmetrical pattern between "my persecutors and my adversaries are numerous" (רַ֭בִּים רֹדְפַ֣י וְצָרָ֑י) and "your merciful acts are numerous" (רַחֲמֶ֖יךָ רַבִּ֥ים) in v. 156a and thus a tail-head linkage between the two strophes of the ר–stanza.
- This is the only instance in the Bible of the combination persecutor (רדף) and adversary (צָר). It may be that "adversaries" (רֹדְפִים) is a hyponym of the set of "adversaries" (צָרִים), the latter an intensification of רֹדְפִים, or even a re-evaluation, that is, they constitute the same set. Since there is no external evidence for the relationship between these two lexemes, however, the simple additive waw has been maintained. See also vv. 63 and 79 for the positive counterparts of characteristic actions.
- Just as in v. 150 (see the notes there), the imperfective aspect of the participle my persecutors and its substantive use in this case would indicate an ongoing way of life, as well as the situational context of the psalm involving the continuous persecution.
v. 158
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 158a רָאִ֣יתִי בֹ֭גְדִים וָֽאֶתְקוֹטָ֑טָה I have seen unfaithful people and felt disgusted 158b אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִ֝מְרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א שָׁמָֽרוּ׃ by those who have not kept your word. Expanded Paraphrase
I have seen unfaithful people and felt disgusted by those who have not kept your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- While a number of manuscripts attest כִּי in place of אֲשֶׁר,[248] and while causal subordination is sometimes carried out by an extra implicature of אֲשֶׁר, the preferred view adopts a much more common function of אֲשֶׁר.[249]
- The root בגד often refers to objective transgression of a legal standard (see e.g., Exod 21:8; Judg 9:23; 1 Sam 14:33). In its theological usage, as is the case here, בגד is used to describe members of the covenant community who sin against God (see e.g., 1 Sam 14:33; Isa 24:16; 48:8; Jer 3:8, 11; 12:1; Psa 25:3; 78:57). We therefore use the term unfaithful to express this idea.
v. 159
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 159a רְ֭אֵה כִּי־פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ אָהָ֑בְתִּי See that I love your precepts. 159b יְ֝הוָ֗ה כְּֽחַסְדְּךָ֥ חַיֵּֽנִי׃ YHWH, keep me alive according to your loyalty. Expanded Paraphrase
See that I love your precepts. YHWH, keep me alive according to your loyalty, the same loyalty I have shown you.
Grammatical Diagram
v. 160
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 160a רֹאשׁ־דְּבָרְךָ֥ אֱמֶ֑ת The sum of your word is truth 160b וּ֝לְעוֹלָ֗ם כָּל־מִשְׁפַּ֥ט צִדְקֶֽךָ׃ and all of your just judgment is eternal. Expanded Paraphrase
I know you will do it, because the sum of your word is truth through and through and all of your just judgment is eternal and unchanging.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The present verse concludes the ר-stanza and once again contributes to the structural signals of the forever (לְעוֹלָם) prepositional phrase, as discussed in the poetic feature, Always and Forever. It also contains two instances of the Big Eight words, as discussed in the poetic feature, The Big Eight
- For this use of רֹאשׁ as “sum, total” (so BDB) cf. Ps 139:17 (וְלִ֗י מַה־יָּקְר֣וּ רֵעֶ֣יךָ אֵ֑ל מֶ֥ה עָ֝צְמוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם) and Job 22:12 (הֲֽלֹא־אֱ֭לוֹהַּ גֹּ֣בַהּ שָׁמָ֑יִם וּרְאֵ֤ה רֹ֖אשׁ כּוֹכָבִ֣ים כִּי־רָֽמּוּ) and Dan 7:1 (בֵּאדַ֙יִן֙ חֶלְמָ֣א כְתַ֔ב רֵ֥אשׁ מִלִּ֖ין) as “contents.” The Pentateuchal occurrences are particularly prevalent (see Exod 30:12; Num 1:2, 49; 4:2, 22; 26:2; 31:26, 49). The construct chain רֹאשׁ־דְּבָרְךָ֥ is thus analyzed as specification of undivided whole, in similar manner to other quantifiers, such as כֹּל.[250]
v. 161
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 161a שָׂ֭רִים רְדָפ֣וּנִי חִנָּ֑ם Leaders have persecuted me without cause, 161b וּ֝מִדְּבָרְךָ֗ פָּחַ֥ד לִבִּֽי׃ but my heart fears your word. Expanded Paraphrase
Leaders have persecuted me without cause, but my heart fears your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- In light of the concluding case of forever (לְעוֹלָם) in v. 160 (see the notes under v. 89 concerning its structural significance throughout the psalm) and the internal cohesion of the upcoming section,[251] this verse constitutes a poetic section break and opens up the final section, consisting of the ש- and ת-stanzas (in similar manner to the first two stanzas). It also begins the next macro speech act of justifying his hope: he is ever determined because of his love of YHWH's instruction and hatred of falsehood:[252]
- The fronting of the semi-active leaders (שָׂ֭רִים; not mentioned since v. 23) indicates the thetic construal of this utterance as discourse out-of-the-blue. For discussion of שָׂרִים in the psalm, see v. 23.[253]
- For heart (לב) as the "locus where the reaction to a threatening situation is physically experienced," see van der Merwe (2023, 300). Though something like “be in awe” (DCH) could seem more appropriate with YHWH's word as the object, it is contrasted with the (potential) fear of those leaders who persecute him in the first clause. See, further, clear contexts of even stronger senses of fear with YHWH's word in view, such as Isa 66:2 (וְאֶת־כָּל־אֵ֙לֶּה֙ יָדִ֣י עָשָׂ֔תָה וַיִּהְי֥וּ כָל־אֵ֖לֶּה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶל־זֶ֣ה אַבִּ֔יט אֶל־עָנִי֙ וּנְכֵה־ר֔וּחַ וְחָרֵ֖ד עַל־דְּבָרִֽי׃), and for another פחד plus מִן construction, see Ps 27:1.
v. 162
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 162a שָׂ֣שׂ אָ֭נֹכִֽי עַל־אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ I rejoice over your word 162b כְּ֝מוֹצֵ֗א שָׁלָ֥ל רָֽב׃ like one who finds great spoils of war. Expanded Paraphrase
I rejoice over your word like one who finds great spoils of war.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- As well as yet another love/hate contrast (see the notes under vv. 113, 127-128), the root רבב, great, plays a structural role in the organization of this stanza. In light of other passages – such as v. 14 (בְּדֶ֖רֶךְ עֵדְוֺתֶ֥יךָ שַׂ֗שְׂתִּי כְּעַ֣ל כָּל־הֽוֹן); v. 72 (טֽוֹב־לִ֥י תֽוֹרַת־פִּ֑יךָ מֵ֝אַלְפֵ֗י זָהָ֥ב וָכָֽסֶף) and v. 127 (אָהַ֣בְתִּי מִצְוֺתֶ֑יךָ מִזָּהָ֥ב וּמִפָּֽז) – the quantitative aspect of רָב is probably in view in the present verse.[254]
- For the imagery of spoils of war, see the following table:[255]
v. 163
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 163a שֶׁ֣קֶר שָׂ֭נֵאתִי וַאֲתַעֵ֑בָה I really hate falsehood; 163b תּוֹרָתְךָ֥ אָהָֽבְתִּי׃ I love your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
That is why I really hate falsehood, but I love your instruction.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The MT contains no conjunction in this verse, so we have preferred not to include one, despite the ancient versions' attestation of such.[256]
- Note that this final instance of "hate" (שׂנא) in the psalm is augmented by the verbal hendiadys with "abhor" (תעב): really hate, and the final "love" אהב uniquely accompanied by "completely" (מְאֹד; see v. 167).
- The preference of falsehood over “unfaithfulness” for שֶׁקֶר is supported by Jerome, Aquila and Symmachus.[257]
v. 164
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 164a שֶׁ֣בַע בַּ֭יּוֹם הִלַּלְתִּ֑יךָ I have been praising you seven times throughout the day 164b עַ֝֗ל מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃ for your just judgments. Expanded Paraphrase
I have been praising you non-stop, as much as seven times throughout the day for your just judgments.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The numeral seven (שֶׁבַע) has been analyzed as a 'selecting modifier' in similar fashion to how less-specific quantifiers would be.[258] For the bare שֶׁבַע for “seven times” see also Lev. 26.18, 21, 24, 28, likewise rendered (with the exception of v. 21) as ἑπτάκις “seven times” in the LXX (cf. שֶׁ֤בַע פְּעָמִים֙ in Lev. 4.6 et passim). Furthermore, while the fronting of שֶׁ֣בַע בַּ֭יּוֹם fulfills the ש–acrostic, it can also be plausibly read as scalar focus.
- Articular בַּיּוֹם serves as the temporal frame of extent for שֶׁבַע, that is, throughout the day,[259] as opposed to the distributive: “every day” >> “a day,” for which we would expect the accusative.[260]. The temporal frame is perhaps resuming the nighttime discussion in vv. 147-148.
- This verse contains the first of the three instances of the root הלל in the psalm, all reserved for the final section.[261]
v. 165
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 165a שָׁל֣וֹם רָ֭ב לְאֹהֲבֵ֣י תוֹרָתֶ֑ךָ Those who love your instruction have great peace 165b וְאֵֽין־לָ֥מוֹ מִכְשֽׁוֹל׃ and there is no stumbling block against them. Expanded Paraphrase
Also, those who love your instruction have great peace when they see your work in the world, and there is no stumbling block against them since they keep their way pure.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- While Biblical Hebrew usually distinguishes between predicational or presentational possession constructions[262] – sometimes referred to as ‘belong’ possession and ‘have’ possession, respectively – by placing the possessor first in the presentational construction, often for poetic reasons (such as an acrostic in the present instance) the object possessed is placed clause-initially (cf. Isa 43:8 and Ps 115:5-6), as we have here with “peace.”[263]
- In the second clause, the preposition לְ could plausibly be malefactive (that is, “there is no stumbling block (to work) against them”), which would be a comment on their good position (enjoying great peace), or causal[264] “they do not cause a stumbling block”), thus, constituting a comment on their character. The former has been preferred in light of the ancient versions and modern translations, and contrast with the “walking in a wide place” in v. 45. The causal function of לְ is also quite rare.[265]
v. 166
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 166a שִׂבַּ֣רְתִּי לִֽישׁוּעָתְךָ֣ יְהוָ֑ה I have hoped in your salvation, YHWH 166b וּֽמִצְוֺתֶ֥יךָ עָשִֽׂיתִי׃ and have carried out your commands. Expanded Paraphrase
I, too, have hoped in your salvation, YHWH, and have carried out your commands.
Grammatical Diagram
v. 167
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 167a שָֽׁמְרָ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי עֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ I have kept your testimonies 167b וָאֹהֲבֵ֥ם מְאֹֽד׃ and I completely love them! Expanded Paraphrase
I have kept your testimonies and, what is more, I completely love them!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- As many instances throughout the psalm, נַפְשִׁי “my soul” is virtually interchangeable for the psalmist, I, such that the verse can begin with grammatical agreement (3fs) with “my soul” and immediately follow with a first-person verb, as the MT has it.[266]
- Note that this final instance of love (אהב) is uniquely accompanied by completely (מְאֹד), just as the final שׂנא was augmented by the verbal hendiadys with תעב “really hate” (see v. 163).
v. 168
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 168a שָׁמַ֣רְתִּי פִ֭קּוּדֶיךָ וְעֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ I have kept your precepts and your testimonies 168b כִּ֖י כָל־דְּרָכַ֣י נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃ because all of my ways are before you. Expanded Paraphrase
I have kept your precepts and your testimonies because all of my ways are before you and I fear you. You also see when I stray and you set me back on the path of obedience.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- Just as in v. 160, as a conclusion to this stanza, v. 168 contains two instances of the Big Eight words, as discussed in the poetic feature, The Big Eight
- The prepositional phrase rendered before you, speaks of something that is "epistemologically known" by you.[267]
v. 169
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 169a תִּקְרַ֤ב רִנָּתִ֣י לְפָנֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֑ה Let my cry come near to you, YHWH, 169b כִּדְבָרְךָ֥ הֲבִינֵֽנִי׃ give me understanding according to your word. Expanded Paraphrase
Let my cry come near to you, YHWH, so that you pay attention. Give me understanding according to your word, even when I have to wait, so I can trust in your faithfulness in dealing with me.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse begins the final macro speech act of requesting wisdom and salvation, with the result of praise:
- It also begins the last stanza, which is poetically structured by means of body parts and acts of communication, a series of jussive verbs (similarly, see the yod-stanza) and the final two instances of the root "praise" הלל (of only three in the entire psalm), both in the fifth line of each sub-stanza.[268]
v. 170
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 170a תָּב֣וֹא תְּחִנָּתִ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ Let my plea come to you; 170b כְּ֝אִמְרָתְךָ֗ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃ rescue me according to your word. Expanded Paraphrase
Let my plea come to you so that you will rescue me according to your word.
Grammatical Diagram
v. 171
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 171a תַּבַּ֣עְנָה שְׂפָתַ֣י תְּהִלָּ֑ה My lips pour out praise 171b כִּ֖י תְלַמְּדֵ֣נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ because you teach me your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
Nevertheless, in the meantime, my lips already pour out praise because you do teach me your decrees.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The present verse provides the second instance of the root praise (הלל) and also the final occurrence of the construction למד חק teach decrees. After requesting this six times (vv. 12, 26, 64, 68, 124, 135) and declaring that it would be a good result of his affliction (v. 71), the psalmist now finally declares that YHWH is teaching him his decrees.[269] Somewhat falling short of a “happy ending,” however, the rest of the stanza continues with a certain tension that is left unresolved in v. 176 (see the notes there). Further, in light of the numerous cases of fronting in the B-line to create poetic binding of the couplet (see the list of instances in the notes under v. 3), the verb-initial תְלַמְּדֵ֣נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ becomes somewhat marked and accommodates an interpretation of verbal polarity focus: "'You do teach me your decrees.”'[270]
v. 172
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 172a תַּ֣עַן לְ֭שׁוֹנִי אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ Let my tongue sing your word 172b כִּ֖י כָל־מִצְוֺתֶ֣יךָ צֶּֽדֶק׃ because all of your commands are absolutely righteous. Expanded Paraphrase
Whether you answer quickly or slowly, let my tongue sing your word because all of your commands are absolutely righteous.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The present verse is the final instance of a verse containing two instances of the Big Eight words, as discussed in the poetic feature, The Big Eight.
- The common translation as the adjective righteous rather than the noun righteousness seems unfounded since the adjectival צָדִּיק is frequent in BH, so an intensitive equative is preferred here.[271] The KJV, NASB and REB are, among English versions (cf. the ELB, EÜ, NBS, NVSR, RVA and TOB), apparently alone in the rendering that which most directly represents the Hebrew text, with the REB particularly insightful: “your commandments are justice itself.”
- On the root ענה, the ancient versions vary[272], as do modern translations, between "declare" and "sing." Both "declare" and "sing" have precedence earlier in the psalm (e.g., v. 46: וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה בְ֭עֵדֹתֶיךָ נֶ֥גֶד מְלָכִ֗ים and v. 54: זְ֭מִרוֹת הָֽיוּ־לִ֥י חֻקֶּ֗יךָ) and elsewhere (Ps 138:5: וְ֭יָשִׁירוּ בְּדַרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה). Nevertheless, sing has been preferred as a commonly attested use of the root ענה and the context of הלל in vv. 164, 171 and 175.[273]
v. 173
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 173a תְּהִֽי־יָדְךָ֥ לְעָזְרֵ֑נִי May your hand help me 173b כִּ֖י פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ בָחָֽרְתִּי׃ because I have chosen your precepts. Expanded Paraphrase
Even still, may your hand help me because I have chosen your precepts.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- For the modal היה with a לְ + infinitive, see the notes under v. 76, which also occurs in a sequence of jussive verbs, as in the present stanza.
v. 174
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 174a תָּאַ֣בְתִּי לִֽישׁוּעָתְךָ֣ יְהוָ֑ה I long for your salvation, YHWH, 174b וְ֝תֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃ and your instruction is my delight. Expanded Paraphrase
I long for your salvation, YHWH, and your instruction is my delight.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 175
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 175a תְּֽחִי־נַ֭פְשִׁי וּֽתְהַֽלְלֶ֑ךָּ Let my soul live so that it will praise you 175b וּֽמִשְׁפָּטֶ֥ךָ יַעֲזְרֻֽנִי׃ and let your judgments help me. Expanded Paraphrase
Let my soul live so that it will praise you, and let your judgments help me against those who persecute me.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- This verse very much concludes the structural core of the ת-stanza as the final instance of a jussive verb,[274] the final instance of the root praise (הלל) and the continuation of the root help (עזר) from v. 173 (see the poetic structure visual under v. 169). On the other hand, the subordinating כִּי in v. 176 provides an inclusio for the half-stanza with that of v. 173.
v. 176
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 176a תָּעִ֗יתִי כְּשֶׂ֣ה אֹ֭בֵד בַּקֵּ֣שׁ עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ When I go astray like a lost sheep, search out your servant, 176b כִּ֥י מִ֝צְוֺתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃ because I will not have forgotten your commands! Expanded Paraphrase
When I go astray like a lost sheep, which will happen, since there is no one who does not sin and I may very well need your correct again, search out your servant, because I will not have forgotten your commands!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
- The final verse of our psalm is somewhat detached from the poetic structure of the rest of the stanza, since v. 175 contains the final jussive verb forms and the final instance of the root "praise" (הלל). There have been various interpretations of the verse, since, on face value, it seems to contradict v. 110 (see the notes there) in that the psalmist confesses to having gone astray, where in v. 110 he explicitly claims to not have gone astray. One solution is to understand the qatal verb as past perfective, that is, “I went astray.” This is not altogether satisfying in light of the tight connection between "go astray" (תעה) and the following imperative, “seek me out,” which is obviously relevant for the “now” of speech time.
- Adopting the perfect “I have gone astray” reading (as the most common function of the qatal throughout the psalm), a number of commentators have claimed that the nature of going astray is not into disobedience, but rather in his position and circumstances of affliction, as also discussed throughout the psalm.[275] This interpretation finds support in light of v. 153 (רְאֵֽה־עָנְיִ֥י וְחַלְּצֵ֑נִי כִּי־תֽ֝וֹרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי), where the psalmist pleads “rescue me” (similar to “seek me out” in the present verse”) in light of his affliction (עָנְיִ֥י), and provides the grounds as “I have not forgotten your instruction,” similarly to the present case of “I have not forgotten your commands.” Further, we have already seen the actions of the “leaders” as antagonists throughout the psalm (vv. 23, 161), characterized as wolves in Ezek 22:27 (שָׂרֶ֣יהָ בְקִרְבָּ֔הּ כִּזְאֵבִ֖ים טֹ֣רְפֵי טָ֑רֶף), and, indeed, who make YHWH’s people stray in Jer 50:6 (צֹ֤אן אֹֽבְדוֹת֙ הָיָה עַמִּ֔י רֹעֵיהֶ֣ם הִתְע֔וּם).[276] This interpretation would create the following understanding of the “lost sheep” imagery, but is questionable due to the common use of תעה, as already attested in the psalm:
- In the end, we deviate from the common use of the qatal verb throughout the psalm (but not unattested elsewhere in the Bible) in order to not deviate from the common sense of תעה throughout the psalm (and the Bible in general), translating תָּעִ֗יתִי as "when I go astray" with the following imagery:
- A final alternative is to allow the contradiction of v. 110 stand, as per Reynolds: "The best explanation for such inconsistencies is that the author sought to portray a complex and compelling Torah student in a variety of situations" (2010, 92).
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=Footnotes= 119
- ↑ The Hebrew text comes from Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, which presents the text of the Leningrad Codex (the Masoretic text). The English text is our own "Close-but-clear" translation (CBC). The CBC is a “wooden” translation that exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text. It is essentially an interlinear that has been put into English word-order. It is also similar to a “back-translation” (of the Hebrew) often used in Bible translation checking. It is important to remember that the CBC is not intended to be a stand-alone translation, but is rather a tool for using the Layer by Layer materials. The CBC is used as the primary display text (along with the Hebrew) for most analytical visualisations. It is also used as the display text for most videos.
- ↑ A legend for the expanded paraphrase is available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
- ↑ Legends for both the grammatical diagram and the shapes and colours on the grammatical diagram are available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
- ↑ The structure of the full acrostic–not lacking any letter–contributes to the message of the sufficiency and completion of YHWH's word, and so "the praise of tôrat yhwh" (Freedman 1999, 88; for "completion" as iconic of the acrostic, see James 2022, 324 n. 17 and the sources cited therein). It also provides order in the evidently tumultuous circumstances of the psalmist's experience (Freedman 1999, 93), such that he is at least trying, through the form of the psalm, to make sense of the message of his prayer (similar to the function of the book of Lamentations, though seemingly on an individual level). Finally, it may also hint at the required integrity of the psalmist's response (see, e.g, the use of the phrase בְכָל־לֵב in vv. 2, 10, 34, 58, 69, 145; יְהִֽי־לִבִּ֣י תָמִ֣ים in v. 80 and the very first verse: אַשְׁרֵ֥י תְמִֽימֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ).
- ↑ Taken as part of the Big Eight whole, however, more than written law or instruction is in view; all of God's communicative acts are in view, including promises (see a number of instances of דָּבָר and אִמְרָה which require such a nuance) and probably also saving acts, in light of the parallels with Ps 111 (see, e.g., v. 2 – גְּ֭דֹלִים מַעֲשֵׂ֣י יְהוָ֑ה דְּ֝רוּשִׁ֗ים לְכָל־חֶפְצֵיהֶֽם; v. 7b – מַעֲשֵׂ֣י יָ֭דָיו אֱמֶ֣ת וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט; and v. 8b עֲ֝שׂוּיִ֗ם בֶּאֱמֶ֥ת וְיָשָֽׁר).
- ↑ Hence, the first phrase could be rendered “How good it is for those who,” (as Ḥakham 1979, 378).The appositive reading is supported by the LXX's οἱ πορευόμενοι ("those who walk") and TgPss' repetition of the particle ד in טוביהון דשלימי אורחא דמהלכין באוריתא דייי ("The goodness of the perfect of way, of those who walk in the way of YHWH"). It is also functionally compatible with the relativizer in Jerome's "Bea ti immaculati in via qui ambulant in lege Domini.” The phrase, “walking in the instruction of YHWH,” is quite inextricably linked to listening to the prophets, according to Jeremiah (כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה אִם־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֵלַ֔י לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ בְּת֣וֹרָתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לִפְנֵיכֶֽם׃ לִשְׁמֹ֗עַ עַל־דִּבְרֵ֨י עֲבָדַ֣י הַנְּבִאִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁלֵ֣חַ אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם, Jer 26:4–5; וְלֹ֤א שְׁמַעְתֶּם֙ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֔ה וּבְתֹרָת֧וֹ וּבְחֻקֹּתָ֛יו וּבְעֵדְוֺתָ֖יו לֹ֣א הֲלַכְתֶּ֑ם, Jer 44:23) and to receiving YHWH's teaching, according to Isaiah (לְכ֣וּ׀ וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה אֶל־הַר־יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־בֵּית֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְיֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ מִדְּרָכָ֔יו וְנֵלְכָ֖ה בְּאֹרְחֹתָ֑יו כִּ֤י מִצִּיּוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֣א תוֹרָ֔ה וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה מִירוּשָׁלִָֽם, Isa 2:3).
- ↑ The אשׁרי theme set up in both v. 1 and v. 2, as well as the third person reference of YHWH in indicate this to be so. So these verses "lay before the community a vision that applies to everyone but needs to be appropriated by each individual" (Goldingay 2008, 381; cf. "greetings and felicitations" in Kraus 1989, 414-415; cf. Terrien 2003, 799; "commendation formula" in Allen 2002, 185]). "A few verses (e.g., vv. 1-3) speak of Yhwh in the third person, addressing people who need to learn to obey and trust Yhwh, who are perhaps the audience that is intended to overhear the psalm as a whole" (Goldingay 2008, 424; cf. Whybray 1997, 33, 38-39). At the same time, however, "The speaker in Ps 119 belongs to the class of people who walk in God’s Torah; that is, he exemplifies the characteristics introduced in vv. 1–3" (Reynolds 2010, 69).
- ↑ The same expression is said to characterize those returning from exile (Jer 29:13; elsewhere in Book 5 of the Psalter we find a similar expression in Ps 111:1 – אוֹדֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־לֵבָ֑ב). For the expression דרשׁ the Lord: "drš yhwh became such a comprehensive designation for Yahweh worship that it often stands as the antithesis of idolatry (Isa 65:1, 10; Jer 8:2; Zeph 1:6; Ezra 6:21; 2 Chron 15:12f.; 17:3f.; 34:3; cf. Psa 24:6; Ezra 4:2; 2 Chron 25:15, 20). Consequently, it occurs regularly in the evaluations of kings in Chron (2 Chron 12:14; 14:3; 17:4; 19:3; 22:9; 26:5; 30:19). But, at the same time, drš yhwh became synonymous with “to fulfill God’s will” or “to keep the commandments” (1 Chron 22:19; 2 Chron 14:6a; 31:21; likewise Psa 14:2 = 53:5; 119:2, 10 the lament no longer stands in the background here—only the conditional promise of blessing." (TLOT 1:350). An alternative text with בכל עת "at all time" is found in 11Q5 (and Kennicott 245), possibly as a harmonization with v. 20.
- ↑ There is a strange variation among the Greek and Latin versions of this verse, which requires not only an emendation, but a rearrangement of the syntax. They read, “Those who practices lawlessness do not walk in his ways” (οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ ἐπορεύθησαν and nec en im qui operantur iniquitatem in viis eius ambulaverunt, respectively). Note, too, that The particle אַף is absent in the Peshitta and scopes over the whole clause in Targum Psalms, hence the preferred discourse particle reading. Even the rendering They also do no iniquity (KJV; cf. ESV, NASB) reads more naturally as clause-level, rather than modifying only the verb, i.e., they do X and also do Y. The MT has been preferred, however.
- ↑ See also vv. 22b, 37b, 40b, 51b, 61b, 64b, 66b, 67c, 74b, 78b, 81b, 83b, 86b, 93b, 94c, 95c, 100b, 108b, 109b, 110b, 114b, 120b, 124b, 131c, 141b, 145c, 147c, 149b, 150b, 153c, 154c, 155b, 156b, 157b, 158c, 159b, v. 161b, 166b, 169b, 170b, 173b, and 176b.
- ↑ For such constructions of agency shift see the lexical note on v. 57, GKC §144n (updated and expanded in Notarius & Atkinson forthcoming); cf. especially 2 Sam. 1.18: וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְלַמֵּ֥ד בְּנֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֖ה קָ֑שֶׁת ("And he said that "Bow" should be taught to the sons of Judah"). See Auffret's renderings for our preferred reading: Toi, tu ordonnes tes préceptes, qu'on les observe entièrement (1993, 321); Toi, tu as commandé tes preceptes pour (qu'on veuille les) garder tout à fait (2006, 1). There is, however, an alternative interpretation in the Peshitta (reading ܐܢܬ ܦܩܕܬ ܕܢܛܪܘܢ ܦܘܩ̈ܕܢܝܟ ܪ̈ܘܪܒܐܝܬ "You have commanded that your commandments be carefully observed," Taylor 2020: 405; cf. NJPS, CSB and NET). Furthermore, Fassberg claims that the object of an infinitival phrase, preceding the infinitive, is possible on rare occasions due to Aramaic influence (2019 §211; המושא עשוי לבוא לפני המקור הנטוי, כנראה בהשפעת הארמית); cf. 2 Chr. 31:10 (וַ֠יֹּאמֶר מֵהָחֵ֨ל הַתְּרוּמָ֜ה לָבִ֣יא בֵית־יְהוָ֗ה) and 2 Chr. 36:19 (וְכָל־כְּלֵ֥י מַחֲמַדֶּ֖יהָ לְהַשְׁחִֽית). Nevertheless, the MT has been preferred as simpler syntax, as noted above.
- ↑ As the LXX's φυλάξασθαι and the variants למינטר and ܢܬܢܛܪܘܢ in found in TgPss and Peshitta, respectively.
- ↑ Gesenius 2013, 619.
- ↑ GKC understands this particle as morphologically derived from the interjection אָח with the desiderative לוּ = לַי (§151e). See the Ugaritic cognate ảḥl as noted in Del Olmo Lete & Sanmartín 2015, 33. Here we have a pair of yiqtol verbs, while in 2 Kgs 5:3 we have a verbless clause followed by a yiqtol. The wish expressed by the servant girl in 2 Kgs 5:3, while not true at the moment of utterance, was possible and thus fulfilled at her encouragement of Namaan to visit Elisha. The rest of Ps 119, however, makes clear that the psalmist does indeed (learn to) keep YHWH's decrees. There is an ongoing desire to learn them (לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ in vv. 12, 26, 64, 68, 124, 135, 171). The wish is (just like in 2 Kgs 5:3) fulfilled as, minimally, a possibility, and maximally, a reality by the (cohortative) yiqtols (אֶת־חֻקֶּ֥יךָ אֶשְׁמֹ֑ר, v. 8; חֻקֶּ֥יךָ אֶצֹּֽרָה, v. 145). His affliction helped teach him (טֽוֹב־לִ֥י כִֽי־עֻנֵּ֑יתִי לְ֝מַ֗עַן אֶלְמַ֥ד חֻקֶּֽיךָ, v. 71), and he has not forgotten them (חֻ֝קֶּ֗יךָ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי, v. 83).
- ↑ Targum Psalms does not seem to warrant an alternative, as it is probably a misunderstanding of אחלי (reading טב לי דתקנן אורחתי; 'It is good for me that my ways be established', Stec 2004, 211). Symmachus' ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς μου κατηυθύνθησαν αἱ ὁδοί μου (ܡܢ ܫܘܪܝܐ ܕܝܠܚ ܐܬܬܥܨܝܢ ܐܘܪܚܬܝ; 'From my beginning my ways were kept straight') is also most likely a misunderstanding of the rare אחלי. Note, also, that the LXX and Peshitta treat the infinitive here in the exact same way as in v. 4b: impersonally. That is, through the employment of a passive (φυλάξασθαι and ܢܬܢܛܪܘܢ in some variants of the Syr) the agent is suppressed. Whereas in v. 4b the referent was generic, here the agent is quite unambiguously the psalmist.
- ↑ Cf. Soll 1991, 155; Goldingay 2008, 376 n1. Note how this same wish becomes more hopeful later in the psalm (v. 80): יְהִֽי־לִבִּ֣י תָמִ֣ים בְּחֻקֶּ֑יךָ לְ֝מַ֗עַן לֹ֣א אֵבֽוֹשׁ. Indeed, "the uncertainty here is not about the course of his way, but about the petitioner's personal ability to hold to it consistently" (Amir 1985: 19); cf. also: יִהְיוּ נָא דְרָכַי קְבוּעוֹֹת לִשְׁמוֹר אֶת חֻקֶיךָ (Ḥakham 1979, 379; 'May my paths be constant to keep your decrees').
- ↑ The construct chain בְּיֹ֣שֶׁר לֵבָ֑ב is a relationship of limitation (Joüon-Muraoka §129i) or characteristic (BHRG §25.4.6) i.e., "X with regards to Y." Furthermore, for triple construct chains with pronominal suffix modifying the first constituent, see Joüon-Muraoka §129kb: "a pronominal suffix can be attached to the nomen rectum where such a pronoun relates to the entire construct phrase, effectively to the nomen regens," cf. Ps. 2:6; 24:3; 48:2, etc., such that here we have “your righteous rules,” not “the rules of your righteousness.”
- ↑ (BHRG §30.4.2c; e.g., Gen. 27:33; 1 Kgs. 1:4).
- ↑ Despite the lack of morphology to signal the cohortative (such as אֶצֹּרָה in v. 145), the yiqtol here has been interpreted as a commissive in light of the speech act of commitment throughout the section half of this section.
- ↑ One could even argue that the addressee shifts here back to the congregation addressed in vv. 1-3 (Allen 2002, 185; DeClassé-Walford 2014, 882), though we have preferred to maintain YHWH as the addressee both simply for continuity, but also, more unambiguously, by the use of pronominal suffix “your words,” just as it is used throughout the whole psalm.
- ↑ For the psalmist as "young man," see, e.g., Terrien 2003, 800. The similarities include the following:
- The means by which he will keep his way pure is לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ, which the psalmist claims to do in concerning YHWH's word(s) in vv. 17, 57, 67 and 101.
- The psalmist speaks of his own "path" in claiming to hate every false way in v. 101 (מִכָּל־אֹ֣רַח רָ֭ע כָּלִ֣אתִי רַגְלָ֑י); v. 104 (שָׂנֵ֤אתִי׀ כָּל־אֹ֬רַח שָֽׁקֶר); v. 128 (כָּל־אֹ֖רַח שֶׁ֣קֶר שָׂנֵֽאתִי), but to watch YHWH's paths in v. 15 (וְ֝אַבִּ֗יטָה אֹרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃).
- Nevertheless, the same characteristics are true of vv. 1-3, which are less ambiguous (compare, e.g., the 3pl בְּכָל־לֵ֥ב יִדְרְשֽׁוּהוּ of v. 2b with בְּכָל־לִבִּ֥י דְרַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ in v. 10a).
- ↑ In the former case, "his way" would be elided in the infinitival clause, whether with means or purpose semantics (see Soll 1991, 60-61 for discussion). Another possible alternative adverbial reflects the Syr purpose clause, ܕܢܛܪ ܦܘܩ̈ܕܢܝܟ ('so that he may observe your commandments', Taylor 2020: 497), reading the MT's כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ as the object, rather than an adverbial. The preferred reading, however, reads the verse as two clauses: a question and answer. The LXX’s ἐν τῷ φυλάσσεσθαι τοὺς λόγους σου ('by observing your words', NETS) is also presented as an alternative (cf. CSB, GNT, NJPS, NABRE, NLT, LUT 2017, ZÜR,) as it, too, reads the MT's כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ as the object, rather than an adverbial, as we have preferred, requiring an elided אָרְח֑וֹ. For the interpretation of this verse as one question (not a question and answer), see Soll (1987), “The Question of Psalm 119:9.” For a response, and defense of the traditional syntactic interpretation, as our preference, see Reynolds (2008), “The Answer of Psalm CXIX 9.” Part of the issue may be the typical function of the lamed in an infinitive construct, more prototypically as a purpose clause, though see BHRG §39.11.3.b.ii (cf. Exod. 20:8; Judg. 9:56; 1 Kgs. 3:3) for lamed infinitive constructs as explicative > specification.
- ↑ The causative reading is supported by HALOT, DCH, the factitive κατορθώσει in the LXX, the qal counterpart “be pure” (in Ps 51:6, Job 15:14, for example) and Penney (2023: 130). The preferred pluractional reading is suggested by BDB, “make or keep pure,” the context of ongoing integrity in Ps 119 and the context of the parallel (אַךְ־רִ֭יק זִכִּ֣יתִי לְבָבִ֑י) in Ps 73.13.
- ↑ See VTH: vol. 2, 416 and De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 76.
- ↑ Both instances have the “whole heart phrase” (בְּכָל ־לֵ֥ב and בְּכָל־לִבִּ֥י, respectively) focus-fronted in the clause (see macrosyntax).
- ↑ Such is Tigay's analysis (2017: 409). Although Theodotion translates with a negated subjunctive, i.e., as a prohibition, μὴ ἀγνοηματίσῃς με (cf. the LXX's μὴ ἀπώσῃ με), this is somewhat of an outlier, being LSJ's only listing of ἀγνοηματίζω, “fail to observe” (though cf. the adjective ἀγνοητικός, “performed in ignorance”; CGL).
- ↑ Talmy 2000: 418-419
- ↑ For other examples of the tolerative hiphil see v. 31 אַל־תְּבִישֵֽׁנִי “do not let me be ashamed,” (cf. v. 116), “let see” in Deut 34:4 (הֶרְאִיתִ֣יךָ בְעֵינֶ֔יךָ וְשָׁ֖מָּה לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹֽר); “let fall” in 1 Sam 3:19 (וְלֹֽא־הִפִּ֥יל מִכָּל־דְּבָרָ֖יו אָֽרְצָה); and “let go down” in 1 Kgs 2:6 (וְלֹֽא־תוֹרֵ֧ד שֵׂיבָת֛וֹ בְּשָׁלֹ֖ם שְׁאֹֽל).
- ↑ See van der Merwe 2023, 312-313. Alternatively, "the instructing word has been incorporated in the very structure of consciousness," in a similar fashion to Pss 37:31 (תּוֹרַ֣ת אֱלֹהָ֣יו בְּלִבּ֑וֹ) and 40:9 (וְ֝ת֥וֹרָתְךָ֗ בְּת֣וֹךְ מֵעָֽי; Mays 1987, 9). Revell (2004) again reads אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ as a pausal form. This time, however, the ancient versions are split between a singular (Jerome and Targum Psalms) and plural (LXX, Syr.) reading and the number of Hebrew manuscripts with the plene yod is much fewer than v. 9 (see VTH: vol. 2, 416 and De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 76). Thus, we have preferred the singular reading.
- ↑ Hurvitz 1972, 144-145.
- ↑ Consider the NET's "You deserve praise, O Lord" and the NIV's "Praise be to you, Lord”). This is also indicated by other passages, such as Ps 16:7 ("I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me." אֲבָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְעָצָ֑נִי אַף־לֵ֝יל֗וֹת יִסְּר֥וּנִי כִלְיוֹתָֽי׃). See the discussion in Bratcher & Reyburn 1991, 1001. Nevertheless, an indicative reading has been preferred here, rather than an optative (for which the jussive יְהִי could be employed – see, e.g.,"Blessed be the LORD your God..." יְהִ֨י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בָּר֔וּךְ in 1 Kgs 10:9) for reasons of discourse coherence. ”It implicitly urges Yahweh to comply with the request of v 12b and expresses the psalmist’s reason for it; elsewhere a causal construction follows (cf. v 171; Ps 28:6)" (Allen 2002, 186).
- ↑ BHRG §25.4.6, Joüon-Muraoka §129d.
- ↑ For the gloss 'as concerning' for the compound preposition כְּעַל, see Mena (2012, 124); cf. 2 Chr. 32.19. See, however, the interpretation of the Peshitta’s ܠܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܣܗܕܘܬܟ ܪܚܡܬ ܛܒ ܡܢ ܟܠܗ ܥܘܬܪܐ ('I have loved the way of your testimony more than all riches,' Taylor 2020: 497) as indicative of the alternative here, probably reading מֵעַל for the MT's כְּעַ֣ל, in the sense of מִן with עַל belonging to the elided clause dependent on שַׂ֗שְׂתִּי, which provides a comparative reading “more than all riches” (as the RVA, DHH and ELB). Support for our preferred reading is also found in the parallel instance of v. 162 ("I rejoice over your word like one who finds great spoils of war." שָׂ֣שׂ אָ֭נֹכִֽי עַל־אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ כְּ֝מוֹצֵ֗א שָׁלָ֥ל רָֽב).
- ↑ For similar instances of כָּל־הוֹן see Prov. 1:13; 24:4, which have multiple modifiers (כָּל־ה֖וֹן יָקָ֣ר וְנָעִֽים); and Ezek. 27:12, 18, which are explicitly types of wealth. On other occasions, the mention is definite, modified by בֵּיתוֹ (Prov. 6:31; Song 8:7). For the use of הוֹן as indicative of a borrowing from a Wisdom milieu see Hurvitz 1988, 45-47.
- ↑ While the cohortatives in v. 15 are explicit, the volitional effect seems to continue into v. 16. This is unmarked morphologically, however, so probably amounts to the indirect speech act of epistemic modality. According to Sjörs (though referring to 2ms yiqtols), "The direct speech act performed by these utterances is the act of telling the people what they will do in the future, but indirectly they function as commands” (Sjörs 2018, 145-6 n. 11). Thus, here, the psalmist tells what he himself will do, and so the propositions act as a quasi-commissive with inherent commitment.
- ↑ For the pilpel stem of I will delight (שׁעע) cf. v. 70: אֲ֝נִ֗י תּוֹרָתְךָ֥ שִֽׁעֲשָֽׁעְתִּי; see also Ps. 94:19 תַּ֝נְחוּמֶ֗יךָ יְֽשַׁעַשְׁע֥וּ נַפְשִֽׁי ("your consolations cheer my soul"; ESV). The hithpalpel is found in v. 47 of our current psalms (וְאֶשְׁתַּֽעֲשַׁ֥ע בְּמִצְוֺתֶ֗יךָ) as well as the the nominal form of this root, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי, in vv. 24, 77, 92, 143, 174. Though the sense "take delight in" (BDB, DCH, HALOT), "delight oneself" (SDBH) is unambiguously in view in light of the parallels and the common nominal form, the ancient versions vary in their treatment of this lexeme. The LXX translator has struggled, rendering all three instances (vv. 16, 47, 70) as μελετήσω (probably contextually guessed, based on the phonetic similarity to שׂיח and its use in the psalm; see προέφθασαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου πρὸς ὄρθρον τοῦ μελετᾶν τὰ λόγιά σου for קִדְּמ֣וּ עֵ֭ינַי אַשְׁמֻר֑וֹת לָ֝שִׂ֗יחַ בְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ in v. 148). The Syr does the same (ܪܢܝ, “to think, ponder”) both here and in v. 47, though in v. 70 it has ܢܛܪ, 'to keep' (see Weitzman 1999 for the translator’s technique of translating according to sense of a similar sounding lexeme, if unfamiliar with the precise root in question). On the other hand, Jerome has delectabor and Targum Psalms' פרנק, both “delight, take pleasure.” Although the Hebrew text of this verse has no explicit conjunction, the Peshitta interprets a connection of purpose in the second clause: ܕܠܐ ܐܛܥܐ ܡ̈ܠܝܟ (“so that I might not forget your words,” Taylor 2020, 499). While we have not preferred such an interpretation (nor do any modern translations contain such a conjunction), it is not beyond the bounds of possibility as clear in the purpose interpretation of the asyndeton in the following verse. Likewise, Ḥakham (1979, 372 n.14) suggests such an interpretation, while not preferred, is possible (ואפשר שמשמאות הכתוב: בחקתיך אשתעשע למען לא אשכח דבריך "It is possible that the meaning of the Scripture is: In your laws I delight so that I will not forget your words").
- ↑ See VTH: vol. 2, 416 and De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 76.
- ↑ So HALOT and DCH.
- ↑ The alternative with the waw is found in 4Q90, 11Q5 and Kennicott 4, 37, 38, 39, 76, 131, 156, 166 and 245. The Syr may have had a similar Vorlage, in any case providing a purpose reading, ܕܐܚܐ ('so that I might live'). The NIV's outlier, "while I live," is a temporal interpretation of the juxtaposed clause, which does not seem to be intended by the MT or any of the ancient versions.
- ↑ See, similarly, DCH ≈ BDB.
- ↑ Bridge claims, "it is often a term of deference to YHWH and implies loyalty to him, yet, at the same time, trust in YHWH is implied" (Bridge 2009, 362; cf. Firth 2023, 114). Alternatively, “The use of עבד is simply "a term of deference before YHWH... a circumlocution for 'I'" (Bridge 2009, 367). For the use in other post-exilic literature, notice the contrast between the previously disobedient kings and leaders (Neh 9:34: וְאֶת־מְלָכֵ֤ינוּ שָׂרֵ֙ינוּ֙ כֹּהֲנֵ֣ינוּ וַאֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ לֹ֥א עָשׂ֖וּ תּוֹרָתֶ֑ךָ) and 'we' i.e., servants (Neh 9:36: הִנֵּ֛ה אֲנַ֥חְנוּ הַיּ֖וֹם עֲבָדִ֑ים). It is also applied to Zerubbabel (Hag 2:23). More relevant, perhaps, is its appearance in parallel with בן אמתך “the son of your slave woman” in אָֽנָּ֣ה יְהוָה֮ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֪י עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ אֲֽנִי־עַ֭בְדְּךָ בֶּן־אֲמָתֶ֑ךָ (Ps 116:16; cf. also Ps 86:16), which, as noted by Allen, “indicates complete servitude or allegiance (2002, 156).
- ↑ On this inclusio falling in v. 23 and not v. 24: Since the final line of many of the stanzas simply summarise or conclude the content, "the seventh verse in each strophe acquires a prominent significance" (Zenger 2011, 261). See also דבק in vv. 25, 31; זכר in v. 55; שׁמר in v. 63; טֽוֹב־לִ֥י in v. 71; כִּלּ֣וּנִי in v. 87; מָה in v. 103; אָהַבְתִּי in vv. 119, 127; עַל־כֵּ֭ן in v. 127; רְ֭אֵה and חַיֵּֽנִי in v. 159; and the jussive תְּֽחִי in v. 175.
- ↑ See, e.g., Ḥakham (1979, 483): כְּדֵי שֶׁאֶשְׁמֹר אֶת דּבָרֶךָ (“so that I will keep your words”). For other examples of an asyndetic yiqtol with result semantics, see הוֹדִ֘יעֵ֤נִי יְהוָ֨ה׀ קִצִּ֗י וּמִדַּ֣ת יָמַ֣י מַה־הִ֑יא אֵ֝דְעָ֗ה מֶה־חָדֵ֥ל אָֽנִי in Ps 39:5 (Teach me, YHWH, my end, and the measure of my days – what is it? (So that) I will know how transient I am”), read as ἵνα γνῶ τί ὑστερῶ ἐγώ (“so that I will know…”) in the LXX; ה֘וֹרֵ֤נִי יְהוָ֨ה׀ דַּרְכֶּ֗ךָ אֲהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּאֲמִתֶּ֑ךָ (“Teach me, YHWH, your way, (so that) I will walk in your truth”) in Ps 86:11, read as "doce me Domine viam tuam ut ambulem in veritate tua" (“Teach me, Lord, your way, so that I will walk in your truth”) in Iuxta Hebraeos. See also the Peshitta ܕܐܚܐ ('so that I might live') in our present verse, and the explicit waw in 4Q90, 11Q5 and Kennicott 4, 37, 38, 39, 76, 131, 156, 166 and 245. It is more likely that the waw was added in these cases as the result reading is so clear, rather than being lost in the MT, and thus we do not recommend the emendation.
- ↑ See VTH: vol. 2, 416 and De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 76-77.
- ↑ A request which, according to other texts in Book 5 of the Psalter, God will be happy to grant (see Ps 111:4 – זֵ֣כֶר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאֹתָ֑יו חַנּ֖וּן וְרַח֣וּם יְהוָֽה)!
- ↑ The Peshitta’s ܥܡܘܪܐ ܐܢܐ ܥܡܟ (“I am a sojourner with you,” Taylor 2020: 499) does not seem to warrant an alternative here, as it lacks Hebrew manuscript evidence and is probably a harmonization to Ps. 39:13: גֵ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י עִמָּ֑ךְ. Indeed, the Syriac renders גר as ܥܡܘܪܐ in both cases, as well as Ps. 94:6 (see Weitzman 1999: 172).
- ↑ So Soll 1991, 152.
- ↑ Cf. יְהוָ֤ה׀ שֹׁ֘מֵ֤ר אֶת־גֵּרִ֗ים יָת֣וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֣ה יְעוֹדֵ֑ד in Ps 146:9, where the psalmist cannot claim to be a widow or orphan.
- ↑ As Soll 1991, 152 and Goldingay 2008, 390 suggest, respectively.
- ↑ So Kraus 1989, 415. Likewise, “The concept of the גר has been spiritualized... The resident alien had no territorial claim... According to Lev 25:23, Israel comprised a group of such aliens permitted to live on divine property and dependent completely on God" (Allen 2002, 186) ≈ "The psalmist is alluding to... Leviticus 25:23... Psalm 39:13" (Ḥakham 1979, 484 n. 17).
- ↑ "One variant of the journey metaphor in the Bible regards passages that include the theological motif of homelessness and pilgrimage" (Procházková 2021, 44), so the PSALMIST IS A SOJOURNER = THE PSALMIST SEEKS TO OBEY TORAH. See the Journey metaphor established in v. 1, but specifically applied to the psalmist in דְּרָכַ֣י (v. 26), נֵר־לְרַגְלִ֥י דְבָרֶ֑ךָ וְ֝א֗וֹר לִנְתִיבָתִֽי (v. 105), כָל־דְּרָכַ֣י נֶגְדֶּֽךָ (v. 168), among many more. (The "traveler" frame may also be activated by the mention of הָ֭יִיתִי כְּנֹ֣אד בְּקִיט֑וֹר in v. 83 – see the imagery there) In short, the psalmist is on a Torah-obedience journey such that he is a sojourner, without firm inheritance on the earth (vv. 57, 111). (See the implications on the story of the present stanza notes in the previous verse.) Furthermore, the article in בָאָ֑רֶץ also points in the direction of “earth" as world-knowledge-recognizable.
- ↑ Ḥakham (1979, 484) paraphrases: נשׁחקה נפשׁי “my soul is worn out.” See also the hiphil in Lam 3:16: וַיַּגְרֵ֤ס בֶּֽחָצָץ֙ שִׁנָּ֔י. The lexicons offer “languish” (HALOT), “be crushed” (DCH, BDB), “sich verzehren” (“consume oneself”; Gesenius 2013: 230), and the ancient versions: ἐπιποθέω (LXX; “desire, long for,” LSJ, BDAG); desiderare (Hebr.); רגג (Targum Psalms; “to desire,” Sokoloff 2017: 591); ܨܒܝ (Peshitta; “to delight, take pleasure,” Sokoloff 2009: 1271). It should also be noted that there is a close relationship with the by-form גרשׂ, with both roots generally attested as “to grind,” and “to consume, devour” in Northwest Semitic (Hoftijzer & Jongeling, vol. 1, 1995: 235). The latter, therefore, seems to be safely in view here (cf. Gesenius, SDBH). There are a number of grammatical variations in the ancient versions of this verse. For example, while the MT provides a noun as the stimulus of being consumed: “with longing” (לְתַאֲבָה), the alternative infinitival represents the LXX's and Jerome's reading inf. τοῦ ἐπιθυμῆσαι and desiderare (“to desire”), as followed by RVA's por anhelar and possibly Symmachus’ participle θἐλουσα, “desiring,” as possibly represented by the BTX4ª's gerund, anhelando. Furthermore, the Peshitta provides a compound verb phrase ܨܒܬ ܢܦܫܝ ܘܐܬܪܓܪܓܬ (“I have desired and longed,” Taylor 2020: 499), which would require reading לְתַאֲבָה as וְתַאֲבָה.
- ↑ The neutral status of the "kings" mentioned in v. 46, however, should not be lumped together with these “leaders."
- ↑ The first appositive specifies the status of the first member, while the second specifies characteristic action. Nevertheless, some modern translations understand the relationship to be one of relative modification, such as the NIV’s “You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed.” Similarly, some understand the article, הַ, as a relativiser, though its function is better understood as anaphoric, thus the NIV's those who stray from your commands. Another alternative reading involves the verbless clause found in the LXX, Peshitta and Jerome for the MT's אֲרוּרִ֑ים הַ֝שֹּׁגִים מִמִּצְוֺתֶֽיךָ (which also runs against the syntactic signals indicated by the Masoretic accents). Such a reading is followed by the GNT, NET, BTX4ª.
- ↑ HALOT
- ↑ HALOT. See, also the parallel profile of this group of adversaries in v. 53: זַלְעָפָ֣ה אֲ֭חָזַתְנִי מֵרְשָׁעִ֑ים עֹ֝זְבֵ֗י תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ.
- ↑ GKC's (§67p) and Joüon-Muraoka's (§82l) claim that גַּל is a unique form of the imperative, possibly a shortened form of גֵּל, is special pleading for this one instance. The versions read גֹּ֣ל in Ps 22:9, for example, as an indicative, presumably based on the reading גַּל (see the exegetical issue The Text, Grammar and Participants of Ps 22:9). There may also be an attraction to גַּל of v. 18 for the purposes of poetic structure (Fokkelman 2003, 239). In any case, it seems beyond doubt that an imperative is intended here.
- ↑ See van der Merwe 2009, 328. The focus-particle interpretation makes little sense of “your testimonies,” as it would implicate that “things that are my delight” was presupposed such that “also your testimonies are my delight,” which is unlikely. Indeed, this would be much more plausible for שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֗י (since the חֻקֶּֽיךָ of v. 23b and עֵ֭דֹתֶיךָ here are near-synonyms, the focus would escalate from “meditation" to “delight.” Since שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֗י is distanced from גַּם, however, this is an implausible reading of the syntax.
- ↑ The only other place they appear in the Psalter is in Ps 148:11, in parallel to kings, peoples and judges: מַלְכֵי־אֶ֭רֶץ וְכָל־לְאֻמִּ֑ים שָׂ֝רִ֗ים וְכָל־שֹׁ֥פְטֵי אָֽרֶץ. Nevertheless, here, they are almost certainly replaced by עֵ֭דֹתֶיךָ “your testimonies” in v. 24, as carrying out the expected function of אַנְשֵׁ֥י עֲצָתִֽי “my advisers.” Note that scholarship is somewhat at a loss concerning their precise identification. Nevertheless, they “are evidently influential and powerful people of the ‘upper class’” (Zenger 2011: 268). Note also the contrast with the repeated self-identification of the psalmist as “your servant” (Ḥakham 1979, 375). See also the similar episodes of the “leaders” vs. Naboth in 1 Kgs 21 and Jeremiah vs. national leaders or Nehemiah vs. other nations' leaders. Similarly, could they be comparable to the city elders, who also “sat” during their sessions of judgment (Ruth 4:1-2). Judges are also described as שָׂרִים in Exod 18:21 and possibly still referred to as such in Zeph 3:3 and Jer 36:21. See, further, the extortion carried out by such שָׂרִים in Ezek 22:27. Firth concludes, "The ‘I’ of Psalm 119 may be royal, as he is opposed by princes (שׂרים, 119: 23, 161), and speaks before kings (מלכים, 119:46)" (2023, 117). The opposition to the prophets (as discussed in common ground) is more likely, however.
- ↑ For (possibly) the only other instance, see Ezek 33:30. It may be that this latter example is better understood as specification, i.e., “talk about you” (see the LXX's οἱ λαλοῦντες περὶ σοῦ and the Vulgate's loquuntur de te), whereas both the LXX (κατʼ ἐμοῦ κατελάλουν) and Jerome (adversum me loquebantur) are unambiguous in our present verse. Nonetheless, the בְּ could perhaps be most neutrally read as specification, i.e., “about,” even if the intended consequences were negative (in light of v. 161), due to the less ambiguous case of עַל in Mal 3:13 – חָזְק֥וּ עָלַ֛י דִּבְרֵיכֶ֖ם אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם מַה־נִּדְבַּ֖רְנוּ עָלֶֽיךָ ("Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’"; ESV).
- ↑ The elision of עֵ֭דֹתֶיךָ in a second verbless clause perhaps accounts for the presence of a second full clause in LXX's καὶ γὰρ τὰ μαρτύριά σου μελέτη μού ἐστιν, καὶ αἱ συμβουλίαι μου τὰ δικαιώματά σου (“For also your testimonies are my meditation, and my counsels are your decrees”), though a distinct Vorlage for the second clause may be in view. The Peshitta’s ܒܣܗܕܘܬܟ ܪܢܝܬ ܘܒܬܪܥܝܬܟ ܛܒܬܐ (“I have meditated on your testimony and on your good counsel,” Taylor 2020, 499) seems like a total paraphrase and should not be considered a grammatical alternative to the MT. Barthélemy notes its unique nature (Pour 24b la S semble littérairement autonome. On ne peut, en effet, lui assigner une Vorlage précise, 2005, 780). For the alternative apposition, note that Jerome provides quasi ('like') before אַנְשֵׁ֥י עֲצָתִֽי. It seems more likely that what is elided in this comparative phrase is “like my advisors are your decrees,” not, “like my advisors find their delight in your decrees,” and so would be subsumed under the preferred diagram. Symmachus' ὡς ἄνδρες ὁμογνώμονές μοι (“as men like-minded to me”) and Aquila's ὡς ἄνδρες βουλῆς μου (“as men of my counsel”) are similar.
- ↑ For the contrast between the expectation of the שׂרים as "counsellors" and the reality of Torah as taking this function: "The torah of the Lord replaces wisdom and its human teachers. The responsibility that once was primarily that of Israel's leaders is laid squarely on the shoulders of the pious" (Mays 1987, 4). For another instance of עצה with the wicked, see Ps 1:1: אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר׀ לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים.
- ↑ The post-verbal לֶעָפָ֣ר נַפְשִׁ֑י also probably primes the poetic structure’s inclusio with v. 28’s דָּלְפָ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִתּוּגָ֑ה, though it may also be caused by the semantic dependency of the דבק plus עָפָר construction.
- ↑ cf. Bratcher & Reyburn: "This is a way of saying that he is close to death" (1991, 1005). Alternatively, however, "lying on the ground is not an expression of creaturely feeling, as is the case in spontaneous proskynesis, nor is it a pointless expression of grief and powerlessness, as in the pure lament. Its purpose is rather to manifest distress in order to establish a request" (Keel 1997, 319-320). Such a posture could be in view in the depressed state of Ps 44:26: כִּ֤י שָׁ֣חָה לֶעָפָ֣ר נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ דָּבְקָ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ בִּטְנֵֽנוּ.
- ↑ See De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 77.
- ↑ Cf. both "my needs and my sin" (את צרכי ואת חטאתי) as argued by Rashi).
- ↑ Allen 2002, 187.
- ↑ He provides the explicit ἵνα διηγήσωμαι (“so that I will tell”), despite the LXX's καὶ ἀδολεσχήσω ἐν τοῖς θαυμασίοις σου (“And I will ponder in your wondrous works,” NETS). Cf. also Ḥakham’s note: ואפשר שכל הפסוק משפט אחד: דרך פקודיך הבינני, כדי שאשיח בנפלאותיך (“It is possible that the whole verse is one sentence: “give me understanding of the way of your precepts so that I will meditate on your wonderful deeds’” (1979, 387).
- ↑ Both here and in Job, the eyes are referred to, whereas Eccl 10:18 speaks of the “leaking” of a house. Thus the lexicons offer “weep, shed tears” (HALOT); “drip, leak, shed tears” (DCH); “drip, i.e. weep” (BDB); “tränen, weinen” (“weep, cry,” Gesenius 2013, 252). The ancient versions have στάζω (LXX; “drop, fall, trickle,” LSJ, BDAG); destillare (Hebr.; “drip, trickle down”); אגם (TgPs; “to grieve,” CAL); and ܛܪܦ (Peshitta. Ethpalel stem.; “to be shaken, jolted,” Sokoloff 2009, 555). Alternatively: גופי נמס טפים טפים (“my body melts bit by bit,” Ḥakham 1979, 387).
- ↑ See De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 77.
- ↑ It seems that "be gracious" (חנן) may then, on rare occasions, allow a double object construction. The Peshitta’s inclination to take ܢܡܘܣܟ (“your law”) as the object forces a change of verb to ܐܠܦܝܢܝ, “teach me.” The NIV tries to conflate both into be gracious to me and teach me your law, while the CSB, ESV, KJV, NASB and NET have to gloss חנן as something like graciously give me. SG21 is a bit more creative, with accorde-moi la grâce de suivre ta loi.
- ↑ These read τῷ νόμῳ σου and ablative lege tua (both ≈ “by your law”), respectively. Nevertheless, even in Gen. 33:5 the LXX has a dative: Τὰ παιδία, οἷς ἠλέησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν παῖδά σου (“The children, by whom God has shown mercy to your servant”); while those versions which read "children" (ילדים) as an object, translate “give” and render with the dative/ܠ of recipient in the ditransitive construction (parvuli sunt quos donavit mihi Deus servo tuo; ܛ̈ܠܝܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܕܝܗ̣ܒ ܐܠܗܐ ܠܥܒ̣ܕܟ). Further, it is not clear that "giving" is so much in view here, in light of the absolute uses of חנן elsewhere in the psalm (see vv. 58, 132).
- ↑ So Ḥakham 1979, 387: תן לי תורתך ביד רחבה וברוח נדיבה – "Give me your Torah with an open hand and willing spirit"), though the enactment of the Torah judgment (≈ מִשְׁפָּט) could also be in view.
- ↑ As Allen notes: "שקר, rendered "faithlessness," has the sense of betrayal of covenant values, in contrast to v 30" (2002, 187; cf. also Jer 9:2: וַֽיַּדְרְכ֤וּ אֶת־לְשׁוֹנָם֙ קַשְׁתָּ֣ם שֶׁ֔קֶר וְלֹ֥א לֶאֱמוּ נָ֖ה גָּבְר֣וּ בָאָ֑רֶץ and the tail-head linkage in v. 86 of the current psalm – see notes there).
- ↑ Reynolds notes, "the phrase משפטיך שויתי... is enigmatic because it is incomplete. Regardless of how this phrase is interpreted, something must be supplied to complete the syntax. Many translations (JPS, KJV, NASB, RSV) supply the phrase “before me” in order to complete the syntax of v. 30, thus “I have set your regulations [before me].” This solution is based on Ps 16:8 which reads, “I have set YHWH before me continually” שויתי יהוה לנגדי תמיד. Since the author substitutes Torah in place of God himself in so many other verses in the chapter, the substitution here is plausible" (2010, 41). The LXX reads τὰ κρίματά σου οὐκ ἐπελαθόμην (“your judgments I did not forget,” NETS), for which it is difficult to reconstruct a Hebrew Vorlage similar to the MT but is almost certainly a harmonization to other similar passages (vv. 61, 83, 109, 141, 153, 176). Though not as far off, the Peshitta reads ܨܒܝܬ, “I have delighted,” in the place of "I have set" שִׁוִּֽיתִי, perhaps reading "I rejoiced" שַׂשְׂתִּי.
- ↑ Reynolds 2010, 35. Reynolds continues, “Clinging to God” figures commitment to God and thus the exclusion of other gods. In Deut 4:3–4 those who “clung to YHWH" (דבק) were not destroyed like those who followed Baal Peor, and in Deut 10:20 the people are commanded, "You shall fear YHWH your God, serve him, and cling to him" (2010, 35-36).
- ↑ Though both the LXX and Jerome have an accusative here, 'the way of your commandments' (ὁδὸν ἐντολῶν σου, viam mandatorum tuorum), they may either indicate the grammatical direct object or an adverbial accusative. As noted, the latter is more likely as it is unclear that run (רוּץ) is ever considered transitive in BH (as in the English, “run a race”). Thus the ESV, NET, NIV, RVR2015, BTX4ª, SG21, CEI, LND, NR2006 provide in/along the way of your commands, while the KJV and NASB read, quite unnaturally, I will run the way of your commandments (and the German versions also have the accusative, den Weg). The question is whether BH's רוּץ is a path of motion verb vs. a manner of motion verb, the former of which can be transitive (“enter a cave”), whereas the latter is typically encoded with a subject-oblique strategy (“run into a cave”; see Croft 2022, 214-216). As a BH analogy to this example: מִגְדַּל־עֹ֭ז שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה בּֽוֹ־יָר֖וּץ צַדִּ֣יק וְנִשְׂגָּֽב (Prov. 18:10; see also הַהֹלְכִים֙ הַדֶּ֣רֶךְ לֹא־ט֔וֹב in Isa 65:2). The evidence of the three poetic books points to רוּץ as manner of motion (see the intransitives Ps. 59.5; Prov. 4.12 and PP-complemented instances Ps. 147.15, Job 9.25; 15.26; 16.14; Prov. 1.16; 6.18; 18.10). Besides the verb phrase taking דֶּֽרֶךְ־מִצְוֺתֶ֥יךָ as a theme argument (which, as just argued, seems unlikely), the only other satisfying condition for the direct object reading would be interpreting qal רוץ as “pursue” (as SDBH, CEB), which seems to be special pleading for the present instance.
- ↑ "The generic narrative structure to run along the path can be understood as a variant of the central generic narrative structure to walk along the path" (Procházková 2021, 54)
- ↑ Thus, as per Kraus, “I am running the way of your commandments" (1989, 403; cf. "I run" Allen 2002, 171; Goldingay 2008, 396). Note that 1Q10 has the singular מצותך for the MT's plural your commands מִצְוֺתֶ֥יךָ. Further, although the LXX reads ὅταν ἐπλάτυνας τὴν καρδίαν μου (“when you widened my heart”) for the because (כִּי) clause, Symmachus prefers the causal ὅτι εὐρυχώρησας (cf. the Peshitta’s ܡܛܠ ܕܪܘܚܬ; “because you enlarged”). The causal reading of כִּי has been preferred.
- ↑ Notice the same phraseology in 1 Kgs 5:9, unambiguously in parallel to wisdom: וַיִּתֵּן֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים חָכְמָ֧ה לִשְׁלֹמֹ֛ה וּתְבוּנָ֖ה הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וְרֹ֣חַב לֵ֔ב כַּח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיָּֽם.
- ↑ Miller 2010, 357; Kim 2022, 227-233.
- ↑ Alternatively, the vocative may slow down processing and draw the reader’s attention to what follows (Kim 2022, 233-235), which in this case would create a continuity with the pattern of "way" דֶּרֶךְ so prevalent in the preceding stanza.
- ↑ TOB (“et ma récompense sera de les observer”) follows the understanding of עקב as “reward,” largely based on v. 112 (see notes there). The required syntax, however, is implausible from the MT's וְאֶצְּרֶ֥נָּה עֵֽקֶב (similarly unlikely is the REB's “in keeping them I shall find my reward”.)
- ↑ Fokkelman claims, “This strategic placement [of חַיֵּנִי] demarcates the substanza (vv. 37-40), with the paradoxical result that the first substanza no longer needs a powerful structure" (2003, 241). Nevertheless, we have already noted the mini chiasm in vv. 33-34 above. Furthermore, there is a pattern of waw initiating the B-lines throughout vv. 33-34, 36 and conspicuously abandoned in vv. 37-40.
- ↑ The MT reads "by your way" (בִּדְרָכֶךָ), while Targum Psalms has (בדברייך, “by your words”; cf. Kennicott 148. Barthélemy comments that Kennicott 148, as a fourteenth-century manuscript consisting of the Psalms and six other OT poems, has questionable textual value (Un ms composé de cette façon n'a évidemment aucune valeur de témoin pour la tradition textuelle du M, 2005, 782) and De-Rossi 34, ּBabylonian JTS Mss. 631, 680 and BL Or 2373's read בִדרָכַיךָ. Note that while Barthélemy prefers the committee's decision to maintain 11Q5's reading of כדברכה as original, it does so not as a corrective to the MT/LXX, but rather as representative of a "different recension" of the text in question, citing Ps 18 and 2 Sam 22 as two recensions of one poem by analogy (2005, 787-788). On the other hand, the alternative verb, representing 11Q5's reading of "live" חיה as from the root חנן, i.e., “show favor to,” has not been preferred. Though not offered as an alternative throughout, this same interchange of חנן in 11Q5 for the MT’s חיה occurs in vv. 40, 88, 107, 156, 159 (though see 11Q5’s חיני in v. 154!).
- ↑ An alternate adverbial is found in the LXX and Jerome's (εἰς τὸν φόβον σου; in timore tuo; in timorem tuum), that is, “Establish your word for the fear of you” without the relative particle. Several versions revocalize from לְיִרְאָתֶךָ ("for fear of you") to יְרֵאֶיךָ ("[who] is in fear of you"), the adjectival form found in v. 79 (read in the BDS, BTX4ª, DHH, GNT, JPS 1985, NABRE, NBS, NET, NFC, NVSR, PDV, REB, SG21). Similarly, the Peshitta reads ܐܫܪ ܡܠܬܟ ܠܥܒܕܟ ܕܕܚܠ ܠܟ ('Confirm your word to your servant, who stands in awe of you,' Taylor 2020, 503; cf. KJV, RVA). In this case the relative modifies "your servant" (עַבְדְּךָ) instead of the more immediate antecedent, "your promise" (אִמְרָתֶךָ).
- ↑ BHRG §39.11(1)(a); (4)(a); (6)(c); (6)(d), respectively.
- ↑ See, e.g., Stec's (2004, 212) rendering of TgPs's די לדחלתך: “which is for your fear.”
- ↑ On the other hand, 4Q89 reads the hiphil ויביאני, which makes the rest of the clause's syntax difficult to interpret. Note that the suffix on a qal בוא can often encode the goal of movement, which would require an oblique constituent in many languages, such as the Greek ἐπʼ ἐμὲ and English “to me.” Note that for the the MT’s let your loyal acts come to me, YHWH (וִֽיבֹאֻ֣נִי חֲסָדֶ֣ךָ יְהוָ֑ה), the LXX has Καὶ ἔλθοι ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τὸ ἔλεός σου, κύριε, (“And let your mercy come to me, Lord”) while 11Q5 reads ויבואוני חסד יהוה (“And let the loyalty of YHWH come to me”). The points of divergence are found in the singular or plural "let come'" (pl: וִֽיבֹאֻנִי or sg: וִיבֹאנִי) representing the LXX in the alternative verb. Agreement should be sought with the subject, so the singular וִיבֹאנִי (ἔλθοι) is indexed with τὸ ἔλεός σου (the emended חַסְדְךָ; 'your mercy', followed by BDS, BTX4ª, CSB, ESV, EÜ, JPS 1985, Luther 2017, NABRE, NASB, NET, NFC, NIV, NVSR, REB, RVR, SG21 ≠ ELB, KJV, TOB, ZÜR). The evidence for the plural verb (11Q5's ויבואוני, as also read in Babylonian JTS Ms. 631), however, is persuasive, as are the numerous Kennicott mss' explicit חסדיך makes a strong case for the plural. (Note that GKC §91k considers that both here and in vv. 37, 43 and 98, the singular is intended, but, again, see the plethora of manuscripts with the plene yod in v. 43, not to mention the ancient versions). Thus, the preferred diagram is the MT's vocalization as plural, though lacking the plene yod. The final alternative, חֶסֶד יְהוָה, represents 11Q5's suffix-less חסד presumably in construct with יהוה: "the loyalty of YHWH." This is problematic for the same manuscript's apparently unambiguously plural verb, though if it was deemed to be indexed to the subjects of both clauses, i.e., חֲסָדֶ֣ךָ and תְּ֝שֽׁוּעָתְךָ֗, the plural makes sense. This would be unusual without a waw, however, and the ellipsis reading is preferred. Finally, note that the Peshitta's ܕܐܡܪܬ (“as you promised,” Taylor 2020, 503 ≈ DHH, NBS) seems rather to be a free rendering of the MT's "according to your word" כְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ, rather than a textual difference. The Hebrew text would require either a כְּ-proclitic inf., כַּאֲמֹרְךָ, or, more naturally, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ.
- ↑ Allen 2002, 187.
- ↑ For the MT's וְאֶעֱנֶה, in 11Q5's we have וענה, presumably the imperative עֲנֵה, in light of the surrounding 2sg volitives verb forms, which would be translated "and answer." A variant of the subordinate clause in 4Q89's פִּּקּוּדֶיךָ נָצַרְתִּי otherwise lacks Hebrew manuscript evidence (11Q5 agrees with the MT).
- ↑ See De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 77.
- ↑ Note that 4Q89 provides the plural "your instructions" תורתיך (with Kennicott 131, 133 and 259), against the MT, 11Q5 and 1Q10, which have your instruction (תוֹרָתְךָ).
- ↑ See the same function of מֶרְחָב in Ps 18:20 (וַיּוֹצִיאֵ֥נִי לַמֶּרְחָ֑ב); Ps 31:9 (וְלֹ֣א הִ֭סְגַּרְתַּנִי בְּיַד־אוֹיֵ֑ב הֶֽעֱמַ֖דְתָּ בַמֶּרְחָ֣ב רַגְלָֽי); and Ps 118:5 (מִֽן־הַ֭מֵּצַ֥ר קָרָ֣אתִי יָּ֑הּ עָנָ֖נִי בַמֶּרְחָ֣ב יָֽהּ). Cf. Ḥakham's (1979, 393) note: כלומר: להיות חפשׁי מלחץ ומצוקה, העלולים למנע אותי מלעסש בתורה ("That is: to be free from pressure and distress, which may prevent me from engaging in Torah"); Deissler (1955, 145): die Idee der Befreiung und Freiheit von feindlichem Druck ("the idea of liberation and freedom from enemy pressure"); and Allen (2002, 187): "The idea of spaciousness in v 45a is spiritualized and relates to life released from restrictions of distress and so free to develop its full potential." See also SDBH: "literally: a broad place; hence: = a situation in which humans experience relief after a time of trouble -- at ease.”
- ↑ Kimḥi, Ibn Ezra.
- ↑ cf. Allen 2002, 187; Deissler 1955, 146; Zenger 2011, 270.
- ↑ Such that, ”One can imagine a person such as Ezra or Nehemiah speaking of Yhwh's teaching and its promises before Persian emperors, knowing Yhwh will honor their commitment to the declarations and their reliance on the promises" (Goldingay 2008, 401).
- ↑ Reynolds 2010, 39.
- ↑ See Parry, Donald W. , and Andrew C. Skinner eds., Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library Biblical Texts. In Consultation with Emanuel Tov and Eugene Ulrich. Leiden: Brill, 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2451-9383_dss.11q5.dsbo-eng2.
- ↑ For extensive discussion of מִ֭צְוֺתֶיךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהָ֗בְתִּי as dittography, see Freedman 1999, 44ff. In short,
- The three words מִ֭צְוֺתֶיךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהָ֗בְתִּי are identical to that of the previous verse, so dittography is a real possibility The inclusion of the three words creates a bicolon of 4-2 prosodic words, instead of 2-2 (a superior balance, and congruent with the 2-2 of v. 47)
- This is the only case of its 22 occurrences in which מִצְוָה appears with another of the major eight Torah words in the same verse.
- This creates 177 appearances of the Torah words, rather than 176 corresponding to the 176 verses of the psalm, if the emendation is accepted.
- Most significantly, it creates a difficult sense of lifting your hands to something other than God (as is explicit in Lam. 2.19; 3.41 and implicit, i.e., without אֶל, in Ps. 63.5 and 141.2 – the only instances of the root נשׂ׳׳א with כַּף).
- ↑ For the collocation נשׂא כפים אֶל something as 'awe, reverence' (DCH) Pss 63:5 and 141:2 come the closest, but lack the אֶל preposition. We are left with just two parallels, Lam 2:19; 3:41, the latter of which has textual issues: The combination נשׂא and יד is quite common; limiting it to the inclusion of אֶל and לְ, however, we have: Lev 9:22 (blessing); Deut 32:40 (promise/vow); Isa 49:22 (summons?); Ezek 20:5-6 (promise/vow); Ezek 20:15 (promise/vow); Ezek 20:23 (promise/vow); Ps 106:26 (promise/vow). The majority of these constructions convey a promise/vow, which is, therefore, the best way to understand the present verse.
- ↑ Warren-Rothlin 2013, 229.
- ↑ On the other hand, could וְאֶשָּֽׂא־כַפַּ֗י אֶֽל־מִ֭צְוֺתֶיךָ be directional אֶל in 1 Kgs 8 style? Ps 138:2 (probably also exilic, following 137), hints at something similar: אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֨ה אֶל־הֵיכַ֪ל קָדְשְׁךָ֡. "The ritual gesture of the lifted hands makes the prayer as ardent as the words" (Terrien 2003, 800); see also שְׂאֽוּ־יְדֵכֶ֥ם קֹ֑דֶשׁ in 134:2 (as noted in Soll 1991, 85).
- ↑ Procházková 2021, 81; cf. Reynolds’ (2010) list of unique constructions usually reserved for YHWH himself.
- ↑ For a similar use of imperative זכר in a ז–acrostic, see Lam 1:7 (זָֽכְרָ֣ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם יְמֵ֤י עָנְיָהּ֙ וּמְרוּדֶ֔יהָ) and 3:19 (זְכָר־עָנְיִ֥י וּמְרוּדִ֖י לַעֲנָ֥ה וָרֹֽאשׁ), in both cases with עני, just as in בְעָנְיִ֑י in 119.50 (see below). Note also that the 2nd person suffix on "promise/word" (דבר) is found in the LXX (τὸν λόγον σου; 'your word,' cf. Theodotion), Syr and 11Q5 (cf. CSB, CEB, ESV, JPS 1985, NBS, NET, NIV, NSVR, RSV, SG21). On the other hand, Symmachus reads μνημόνευσον λόγων ἐμῶν τοῦ δούλου σου (“Remember my words, of your servant”). The addition of the suffix is probably a later development as conformity to the pattern throughout the psalm (this is the only instance without the suffix in which YHWH is the author of the דבר).
- ↑ Among modern translations, the complementizer interpretation is found in the BDS, CSB, CEB, DHH, ELB, ESV, EÜ, ISV, JPS 1985, Luther 2017, NABRE, NBS, NFC, NIV, PDV, REB, RSV, RVA 2015, ZÜR, while the causal subordinator interpretation is found in the BTX4ª, KJV, NET, NVSR, SG21, TOB.
- ↑ §39.19(3).
- ↑ Grosser understands "a clear one-word line" to emerge here (2023, 259) and draws parallels with v. 46b (וְלֹ֣א אֵבֽוֹשׁ׃), which, under other circumstances, may very well have been conjoined by a maqqef.
- ↑ The Peshitta makes this interpretation explicit ܐܬܕܟܪܬ ܕܝܢ̈ܝܟ ܡܪܝܐ ܕܡܢ ܥܠܡ (“I remembered your judgments, Lord, which are from eternity,” cf. BDS, BTX4ª, CEB, DHH, ELB, ESV, EÜ, GNT, KJV, JPS 1985, Luther 2017, NABRE, NASB, NBS, NET, NFC, NIV, NVSR, PDV, RVA 2015, SG21, TOB, ZÜR). An alternative interpretation involves מֵעוֹלָם as modifying the verb, such that the remembering of these rules is ancient (and ongoing), as possibly read by the CSB's "Lord, I remember your judgments from long ago and find comfort" (cf. also the REB).
- ↑ SDBH. See also the similar expression, וזלעו̇פות אחזונו מלפני לשון גדופיהם ([plural] זלעופות have seized me because of the tongue of their abuse) in 4Q501 (4QapocrLamB; cf. זל]ע̊ו̊פ̇ות אחזוני in 4Q429 [4QHod-c] as discussed in Elwolde 1999, who concludes that "The combination as such appears to have been a clichéd expression of terror/horror" (1999, 88).
- ↑ 2021, 44
- ↑ Ryken et al., 1998, 2008.
- ↑ The complementizer clause is attested in the BDS, CSB, DHH, ESV, Luther 2017, ELB, NASB, NFC, NIV, SG21, TOB, ZÜR; the causal subordination in BTX4ª, CEB, EÜ, JPS1985, KJV, NABRE, NBS, NET, NVSR, REB, RVA, and explicitly in both TgPs and Syr.
- ↑ Notice the alternation in the LXX's ἦσάν (v. 54) and ἐγενήθη (v. 56) and Jerome's erant (v. 54) and factum est (v. 56). The possibility of reading היה as eventive “happened” is attractive (see the RVA [Esto me ha acontecido] , BTX4ª [Esto me ha sucedido] ≈ the ESV [This blessing has fallen to me]), but multiplies the difficulties with the an tecedent of זֹאת (whether positive or negative, and if negative – as the tone of the psalm would suggest – should כִּי be read as adversative…?).
- ↑ Fokkelman 2003, 245.
- ↑ Auffret 2006, 23. For the sense of YHWH being the psalmist’s lot indicating his status as a sojourner, see the imagery and notes under v. 19. Note, however, the Levitical connotations of such an affirmation (Deut 10:9; 12:12: 14:27; 14:29; 18:1). For an identical phrase in a ח–acrostic, see Lam 3:24: חֶלְקִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אָמְרָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֔י עַל־כֵּ֖ן אוֹחִ֥יל לֽוֹ.
- ↑ van der Lugt 2013, 308.
- ↑ Alternative interpretations include a vocative accompanied by a verbless clause containing a 2sg referent, i.e., You are my portion, Lord (cf. DHH, KJV, REB, RVA 2015. Similarly, Jerome's (Iuxta Hebraeos) has Pars mea Domine dixi ut custodiam verbum tuum (“My portion, Lord, I spoke, in order to keep your word”). Nevertheless, more common among modern (German and French) translations is to take the object as the entire content clause represented by Luther 2017's (≈ ZÜR) Ich habe gesagt: HERR, das soll mein Erbe sein, dass ich deine Worte halte) and SG21's (= BDS, NBS, NFC, NVSR, PDV, TOB) Mon lot, Eternel, je le dis, c’est d’obéir à tes paroles. The EÜ's Mein Anteil ist es, HERR, das habe ich versprochen, deine Worte zu beachten is similar, but the verbless clause's subject and complement in reverse order to that of Luther 2017, ZÜR, and the French versions.
- ↑ Though probably simply a free addition for a natural rendering in the target language, the alternative suffix on heart (לֶב) represents the LXX's καρδίᾳ μου and the Peshitta's ܠܒܝ ("my heart”), as followed also by English and French translations.
- ↑ For mention of a variety of traps, see Ps 140:6: טָֽמְנֽוּ־גֵאִ֨ים׀ פַּ֡ח לִ֗י וַחֲבָלִ֗ים פָּ֣רְשׂוּ רֶ֭שֶׁת לְיַד־מַעְגָּ֑ל מֹקְשִׁ֖ים שָֽׁתוּ־לִ֣י סֶֽלָה. While the adversaries employ ropes (חֶבֶל) here, they will be using a “trap” (פַּ֣ח) in v. 110.
- ↑ Of course, the fact that there are others who "keep your precepts" (שֹׁמְרֵ֗י פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ; v. 63) is proof that חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֗רֶץ (v. 64) within the frame of texts like Josh. 14:5: כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה כֵּ֥ן עָשׂ֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיַּחְלְק֖וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ and in light of the parallels between 'Israel', the 'house of Aaron' and 'fearers of YHWH in Pss 115:9-11 and 118:2-4. Thus, this assertion “fittingly concludes the canto [the ח–stanza] as a whole (v. 64a)" (van der Lugt 2013, 308). The JPS's (cf. a number of French versions) “Your steadfast love, O Lord, fills the earth; teach me your laws” may be a dynamic rendering of the first clause's syntax, but strictly does not fit the gender agreement of the feminine singular "full" (מָלְאָ֥ה) (for which “the earth” must be the subject”). The clause-initial position, probably for purposes of the acrostic structure, may prompt the subject reading, as this is a more natural position than clause-initial manner adverbial. The Gallican Psalter’s misericordia Domini plena est terra is presumably a misreading of the LXX's τοῦ ἐλέους σου, κύριε, πλήρης ἡ γῆ.
- ↑ For the predominance of טוֹב in the ט–stanza, cf. also the three consecutive lines in Lam 3:25-27.
- ↑ See, e.g., TOB's Enseigne-moi les bienfaits du jugement et dè la science ≈ NBS, NFC, PDV.
- ↑ It is the simplest interpretation and is somewhat reflected in the LXX and Syr. (χρηστότητα καὶ παιδείαν καὶ γνῶσιν and ܛܥܡܐ ܘܛܝܒܘܬܐ ܘܡܕܥܐ). This is the only instance of the pair טַ֣עַם וָדַ֣עַת in the Bible, but see also חָכְמָה וָדָֽעַת in Isa 33:6 and מוֹעֵצוֹת וָדָֽעַת in Prov 22:20. Despite the repetition of καί and ܘ ('and') in the LXX and Peshitta, it does not seem necessary to posit an original waw in the Hebrew text, as these translations have probably interpreted the three as a list with the first two constituents asyndetically adjacent and only the last item needing the conjunction.
- ↑ Reynolds 2010, 38.
- ↑ Reynolds 2010, 142.
- ↑ The MT's וְ֝עַתָּ֗ה could alternatively be interpreted as a compound discourse particle (which the Masoretic accents might indicate), rather than conjunctive וְ and adverb עַתָּה “now.” The LXX's διὰ τοῦτο (“because of this”) though semantically distinct from וְ֝עַתָּ֗ה, may likewise treat the entire compound as a conjunction. See Jerome's shift from propterea (“therefore”) in the Gallican Psalter to nunc autem (“but now”) in the Iuxta Hebraeos for support of our preferred interpretation of עַתָּה as an adverb.
- ↑ So BDB and DCH; cf. the LXX's πλημμελέω and Jerome's delinquo.
- ↑ HALOT.
- ↑ Jastrow 1903, vol. II: 1521.
- ↑ The vocative "my Lord," though lacking in the MT, is read in the LXX (κύριε), Syr (ܡܪܝܐ), and 11Q5 (אדוני). The Qumran and LXX evidence at first seem persuasive as to its originality, as well as providing five prosodic words to this verse, rather than four, and thus a closer balance to the surrounding seven and eight. However, note the tendency for the LXX to add a vocative where the MT lacks one throughout the psalm (e.g., vv. 93 and 97), and 11Q5 reads אדני, which does not occur elsewhere in the psalm. The emendation has thus not been preferred. Furthermore, the LXX provides ἐν τῇ χρηστότητί σου (“with your goodness”) in place of the MT's מֵטִ֗יב.
- ↑ Alternative reading include taking שֶׁ֣קֶר זֵדִ֑ים as a construct chain, the subject of the verb phrase טָפְל֬וּ עָלַ֣י, misunderstood as 'multiply' by the LXX's ἐπληθύνθη ἐπʼ ἐμὲ ἀδικία ὑπερηφάνων ("Injustice of the arrogant filled out against me," NETS) and Syr. ܣܓܝ ܥܘܠܐ ܕܫܒܗܪ̈ܢܐ ("The iniquity of the boastful is great," Taylor 2020, 509). Furthermore, the word “heart” (לב) contains a pronominal modifer in the LXX's καρδίᾳ μου and the Syr ܠܒܝ (“my heart”), though probably a target-language problem (cf. “in toto corde,” lit. “in all heart,” in both the Gallican Psalter and the Iuxta Hebraeos). This is typically resorted to also in English (but see the JPS and REB's “wholeheartedly”) and most French versions, though not Spanish (“de todo corazón”) or German (“von ganzem Herzen”).
- ↑ See also, however, Ben Sira 51.5: משפתי זמה וטפלי שקר וחצי לשון מרמה “lying words”; NRSV). SDBH discussed the word as "surfaces; ≈ often associated with efforts to make something appear different from what it actually is -- to whitewash, to smear", while the other lexicons offer smear (HALOT) cover, plaster, smear (DCH, BDB); anschmieren, andichten (“smear, seal”; Gesenius 2013: 428).
- ↑ Glossed as "scorn, insult, slander”; CAD: vol 19, 47).
- ↑ See De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 77.
- ↑ Targum Psalms of the present verse reads אנא אורייתך פירנוקי (“As for me, your law is my delight,” Stec 2004, 214). Though providing the same sense as the MT's “I delight in your instruction,” is perhaps textually derived from the nominal form שַׁעֲשֻׁעַי (“my delight”) in the place of שִֽׁעֲשָׁעְתִּי (“I delight”), as found also in Kennicott 156's שעשועי. The resulting alternative treats תּוֹרָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעַי as a verbless clause, with the pronoun אֲנִי as a hanging topic (cf. NJPS's Their minds are thick like fat; as for me, Your teaching is my delight). See vv. 77, 92 and 174 for possible sources of harmonization. The expected hithpalpel and בְּ (cf. vv. 16, 47) might also have been a cause of confusion. A further confusion arises in some versions reading “milk” (חָלָב) for “fat'” (חֵלֶב), as the case of the LXX's γάλα and the Syr ܚܠܒܐ (as well as De-Rossi 864). In the case of the LXX, the necessary verb would be קפא as the only other Hebrew source for the LXX's τυρόω as found in Job 10:10: הֲלֹ֣א כֶ֭חָלָב תַּתִּיכֵ֑נִי וְ֝כַגְּבִנָּ֗ה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃ (aside from Ps. 68:16's τετυρωμένα for the MT's גַּבְנֻ֫נִּ֥ים, as probably some confusion for “cheese”...). In any case, the verb τυρόω has probably been provided both here and in the Syr. ܐܬܓܒܢ (gbn, “to set, coagulate”; CAL) to make sense of the supposed “milk,” yet the verb קפא is unlikely to find its origins in a Hebrew Vorlage. The confusion has caused the LXX (followed by the Gallican Psalter) and Peshitta to read the verb as “curdle” (ἐτυρώθη; coagulatum est; ܐܬܓܒܢ), unsupported by any of the lexicons or the Akk. cognate ṭapāšu, 'become plump' (CAD: vol. 19, 49).
- ↑ See also Targum Jonathan's טַפֵיש לִבֵיה דְעַמָא הָדֵין for the MT's הַשְׁמֵן֙ לֵב־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה (Isa 6:10). The context here is telling: Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (ESV) See also Targum Onkelos’s יִמחֵינָך יוי בְטַפשוּתָא for the MT's יַכְּכָ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה בְּשִׁגָּע֖וֹן in Deut 28:28. So also, "be covered with fat, be inaccessible, dull, obdurate, stupid" in Talmudic literature (Jastrow vol I: 548). Though the verb only occurs here, the adjectival טפשה is found in the margin of manuscript B of Ben Sira 42:6, replacing רעה in על אשה רעה חותם (see Beentjes 1997, 73).
- ↑ Compare also the double גָּם in vv. 23-24 and double עַל כֵּן in vv. 127-128.
- ↑ Croft 2022, 109.
- ↑ "Maker alludes also to a recognized ANE motif in religious texts that the gods have created the individual worshipper who uses the text and itself may carry the connotation of service to the gods, given that a number of Mesopotamian creation myths have humans created for the sole reason to serve the deities" (Bridge 2009, 372); cf. מַעֲשֵׂ֖י יָדֶ֣יךָ אַל־תֶּֽרֶף (Ps 138:8)
- ↑ “YHWH fearers” (as both here and in v. 79) are found in parallel to both “Israel” and the “house of Aaron” in Ps 115: יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל בְּטַ֣ח בַּיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא׃ בֵּ֣ית אַ֭הֲרֹן בִּטְח֣וּ בַיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא׃ יִרְאֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה בִּטְח֣וּ בַיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא (Ps 115:9–11); and even “us,” in general: יְהוָה֮ זְכָרָ֪נוּ יְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ יְ֭בָרֵךְ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְ֝בָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת־בֵּ֥ית אַהֲרֹֽן׃ יְ֭בָרֵךְ יִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה (Ps 115:12–13). The “we” at the end of the psalm (וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ׀ נְבָ֘רֵ֤ךְ יָ֗הּ; Ps 115:18.) could bring to mind a similar commitment in Josh. 24.18: גַּם־אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ נַעֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כִּי־ה֖וּא אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ. See also Ps 118.2-4.
- ↑ For similar TAM functions, see Gen 8:5: וְהַמַּ֗יִם הָיוּ֙ הָל֣וֹךְ וְחָס֔וֹר עַ֖ד הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽעֲשִׂירִ֑י (aspect); Num 24:22: כִּ֥י אִם־יִהְיֶ֖ה לְבָ֣עֵֽר קָ֑יִן (result); Deut 5:29: מִֽי־יִתֵּ֡ן וְהָיָה֩ לְבָבָ֨ם זֶ֜ה לָהֶ֗ם לְיִרְאָ֥ה אֹתִ֛י (purpose).
- ↑ This is an “action by which someone acts towards someone else in a morally or ethically unacceptable manner -- to wrong” (SDBH); “bend [ways, justice, etc], falsify [scales], lead astray” (HALOT); “bend, falsify, put in wrong” (DCH); “subvert, deprive of justice” (DCH, BDB); “ungerecht behandeln, bedrücken” (“treat unfairly, oppress”; Gesenius 2013: 940).
- ↑ A number of modern translations (most French, most German, and DHH) treat the subordinate clause as a relative modifier ("who have caused me to be seen as crooked; e.g., Qu’ils soient couverts de honte, les hommes arrogants qui me maltraitent sans raison!; SG21), which is a possible reading of the Syriac ܕ, but not congruent with the uncontroversial "becuase" כִּי in the MT. The Peshitta’s reading ܡܟܟ (“humbled me,” Taylor 2020, 511) for the MT's עות is probably a misreading of the verb as the piel of ענה.
- ↑ The alternative represents the Ketiv – consonants וידעו as a weqatal וְיָדְעוּ (though a weyiqtol, וְיֵדְעוּ, is possible, the weqatal is more probable in this context). Such is read also in 11Q5's וידעו, Targum Psalms' וידעין, and followed by the ESV, Luther 2017, REB and possibly NFC and PDV). The Qere's participle וְ֝יֹדְעֵ֗י (as the LXX, Peshitta, and Jerome) forms a compound subject in place of the compound predicate caused by the ketiv. The latter has been preferred by analogy to v. 63 and the explicit attestation in the majority of Hebrew manuscripts. As in v. 63, then, the waw indicates that “Those who fear you” (יְרֵאֶ֑יךָ) and “those who know your testimonies” (וְ֝יֹדְעֵ֗י עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ) go hand in hand (as do “those who fear you” and “those who keep your precepts”; v. 63).
- ↑ BHRG §39.6.1.ii.b.
- ↑ See also 'Ort = Weg' in Jenni 1992, 177 "bildlich für Befolgung positiver Normen"), i.e., "regarding the sphere of your decrees." Alternatively, it could be read as mode/instrument, but that is unlikely here.
- ↑ Soll 1991, 100.
- ↑ For the function of לְ after כלה ("hoped for"), Jenni simply groups these two in with "mental contact" (in this case, “yearn [for]”; 2000, 129), in the same fashion as תאב in vv. 40, 174 (cf. Targum Psalms' and the Peshitta's רג׳׳ג/ܪܓܓ, here). See also Targum Psalms' rendering of כָּלְתָ֨ה׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ לְחַצְר֪וֹת יְה֫וָ֥ה (Ps 84:3) as תאיבת נפשי לדרת יהוה.
- ↑ See the reverse of כָּל֣וּ עֵ֭ינַי לְאִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ in v. 123's עֵ֭ינַי כָּל֣וּ לִֽישׁוּעָתֶ֑ךָ. cf. also Lam 2:11: כָּל֨וּ בַדְּמָע֤וֹת עֵינַי֙. In 11Q5, we have כלתה for the MT’s כָּל֣וּ, though this is almost certainly erroneously copied from the previous line (v. 81). Of course this would also require revocalisation of עֵינַי to the singular עֵינִי for the 3fs verb.
- ↑ The LXX, Peshitta and Jerome read "frost" for the MT's קִיטוֹר (ἐν πάχνῃ; ܐܓܠܝܕܐ; in pruinam), which is unlikely a misunderstanding of the lexeme, but rather an attempt at a more intelligible image (confusion between the khet and tet as well as metathesis, produced by קֶרַח, seems unlikely). The intended sense, then, may have been lost quite early.
- ↑ Stec 2004, 214. Another grammatical alternative involves the first clause as temporally subordinate to the second, as Jerome seems to read: et cum essem quasi uter in pruinam praecepta tua non sum oblitus (“and when I was as a leather bottle in frost I did not forget your precepts”). It could also perhaps be read as concessive (CSB, DHH, JPS 1985, NASB, NIV, REB, RVA 2015), while ZÜR provides an asseverative Fürwahr (“truly”). We have preferred, however, both in the use of כִּי and the semantics of the two verses, the causal subordination of the כִּי clause in v. 83.
- ↑ Somewhat similar is Ringleben’s (2019, 186-187) comment: "Because the worshipper also thinks of his own dwindling time of life (84a), all the culpable behavior he has experienced against him on the part of the unbelievers finally pushes him to the passionate question to the Lord" ("Weil der Beter auch an seine eigene schwindende Lebenszeit denkt (84a), drängt ihn alles, was er an schuldhaftem Verhalten gegen ihn von Seiten der Unfrommen erleben muss, schließlich zu der leidenschaftlichen Frage an den Herrn”). There is benefactive pronominal “for me” in both the LXX (μοι) and the Peshitta (ܠܝ) of the verse’s second question. These are probably smoother renderings for the Greek and Syriac target languages, rather than reflections of a different Hebrew Vorlage.
- ↑ The relative clause would also be understood to modify the שִׁיח֑וֹת (pits) or the זֵדִ֣ים ("arrogant people"). The former seems to be the interpretation of Jerome (foveas quae non erant iuxta legem tuam; “a pit which was not according to your law” cf. KJV). In the clausal fragment of the relative clause in the preferred version (cf. CEB, CSB, DHH, ESV, EÜ, GNT, ISV, Luther 2017, NASB, SG21, ZÜR) the verb עשׂה is the most likely to have been elided with כְּ + תּוֹרָה following (cf. Josh. 1:7; 2 Kgs.17:34). Since אֲשֶׁר לֹא כְּ/בְּ is a LBH feature, primarily attested in Aramaic (די) and Rabbinic Hebrew (שֶׁ–), the Targum's expansion seems to be relatively trustworthy (כרו לי זדונין שווחן דלא פקידתנון באוריתך; “The arrogant have dug pits for me, which you did not command them in your law,” Stec 2004, 214). See also the eventive reading in Esth. 4.16: אָב֤וֹא אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־כַדָּ֔ת but the עשׂה probably elided in Jer. 17.11: עֹ֥שֶׂה עֹ֖שֶׁר וְלֹ֣א בְמִשְׁפָּ֑ט and Dan. 2.34: הִתְגְּזֶ֤רֶת אֶ֙בֶן֙ דִּי־לָ֣א בִידַ֔יִן. Indeed, Ibn Ezra explicitly connects it to the prohibition of the action of not shedding innocent blood (אשר לא כתורתך - שצוית לא ישפך דם נקי). The LXX's ἀλλά (“but”) does not seem to fit the MT's אֲשֶׁר (though see Symmachus' ἅ, “which”). Targum Psalms' דלא פקידתנון באוריתך (“which you did not command them in your law,” Stec 2004: 214), as just mentioned above, is likely a paraphrase of the MT's כְתוֹרָתֶֽךָ, not בְּתוֹרָתֶֽךָ (though see a number of Hebrew manuscripts reading בתורתך cited in VTH vol 2, 418 and De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol 4, 78). Note also that 11Q5 reads שחת for the MT's שִׁיח֑וֹת, which is the more common by-form of שִׁיחוֹת, though singular.
- ↑ The alternative PP represents 11Q5's "from the land" מארץ, which, while intuitively reasonable, we would actually expect to be מֵעַל (cf. Exod. 32:32; Deut. 28:21). The sense may be closer to the expected כרת מֵאֶרֶץ (e.g., Ps. 109.15).
- ↑ Ḥakham explains, "In great straits and very near to falling by the hands of my enemies, who are seeking to finish me, to destroy me and to kill me, so that I will not be found any more in the land, in this world (And some interpret: in the land of Israel)" (1979, 406; בצרה גדולה וקרוב מאד לפּל בידי אויבי המבקשים לכלותני, להשמידני ולהרגני, למען לא אהיה עוד נמצא בארץ, בעולם הזה (ויש מפרשים: בארץ־ישראל)).
- ↑ Furthermore, "Except for the norm [Torah] words, Kaph and Lamed have few expressions in common" (Fokkelman 2003, 249).
- ↑ Our preferred grammatical reading is attested in the BDS, BTX4ª, CEB, ELB, ESV, EÜ, KJV, NASB, NBS, NVSR, PDV, RVA, SG21, TOB, ZÜR. One possible alternative involves a vocative, but provides a verbless clause with the subject “your word,” which is then elided from the second clause (as the CSB, DHH, GNT, NABRE, NET, NIV, NFC, REB). The comparative found in Luther 2017's HERR, “dein Wort bleibt ewiglich, so weit der Himmel reicht” is unique. Another possible reading follows the Syr ܠܥܠܡ ܐܢܬ ܗܘ ܡܪܝܐ (“You, O Lord, are forever,” Taylor 2020, 513). The JPS 1985's “The LORD exists forever; Your word stands firm in heaven,” is similar, though the Lord has not been spoken of in the third person since v. 3.
- ↑ Miller 2010, 357.
- ↑ For the assurance of stability of God's creation, see also Ps 24:1-2. Applied to God's word, cf. Isa. 40.8: יָבֵ֥שׁ חָצִ֖יר נָ֣בֵֽל צִ֑יץ וּדְבַר־אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יָק֥וּם לְעוֹלָֽם; and even further, Luke 21:33).
- ↑ Furthermore, YHWH's word is said to נִצָּ֥ב בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם (lit. "stand in heaven"). Booij states, "In my opinion, נִצָּ֥ב of Ps 119,89 represents a special usage. The participle niphal of נצב, in connection with על, sometimes means "(standing) in charge of" or, by way of a noun, "official over" (1 Sam 19,20; 1 Kgs 4,7; Ru 2,5-6); in that meaning it is used without על as well and may be rendered then by "overseer", "officer" (2 Chr 8,10), or "deputy" (1 Kgs 4,5; 5,7; 22,48). "Stand over", used in that way, is equal to "claim authority", "be in command" - which suits Ps 119,89 quite well. "Heaven" is the place where, through his word, YHWH rules over all things (Ps 2,4; 11,4; 103,19)" (1998, 539). Such an assertion is suspect, however, in light of the absence of עַל in our verse and the indirect agency assumed in Booij's final statement. Furthermore, the adverb לְעוֹלָ֥ם at the beginning of the verse marks the mid-point of the psalm and initiates a concentrated sequence of temporal adverbs throughout vv. 89-112, and indeed dictating the closure of the צ, ק and ר stanzas (see poetic structure), so the sense of 'endures forever' has been preferred for נִצָּ֥ב (cf. Zech 11:16; Ps 39:6).
- ↑ The more dynamic translations' understanding that הַכֹּל as backwards elided, however, is attractive: “All things remain to this day because of your command, because they are all your servants” (GNT); “Todas las cosas siguen firmes, conforme a tus decretos, porque todas ellas están a tu servicio” (DHH ≈ BTX4ª); “C’est d’après tes lois que tout subsiste aujourd’hui” (SG21 ≈ BDS, NFC, PDV, TOB).
- ↑ "In addition to the great expanses such as heaven and earth, sea and world of the dead, the universe also includes the innumerable things which inhabit and adorn the expanses of the cosmos... In the postexilic period, the term "all things" is occasionally used to denote heaven and earth and all that is in them" (Keel 1997, 56-57). The modern translations which take “your decisions” as the subject of the plural verb do not account for the MT's lamed in לְֽ֭מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (see the CEB, CSB, NIV, REB). While GKC claims "Sometimes a substantive introduced by לְ (“in respect to," cf. §119u) serves the same purpose as the casus pendens beginning the sentence," they go on to state, "On the other hand, ... ψ119:91 [is] very doubtful" (§143e). Another alternative interpretation is the LXX's τῇ διατάξει σου διαμένει ἡ ἡμέρα (“By your arrangement the day endures,” NETS), with הַיּוֹם as the subject and thus the verb necessarily singular. The JPS 1985's (They stand this day to [carry out] Your rulings) understanding of the PP לְֽ֭מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ as an elided infinitival clause is unique. This verse is absent in the Peshitta which "may mean that the translator's eye sometimes failed to return to the right spot, within a block of eight verses all beginning in the same latter" (Weitzman 1999, 18).
- ↑ Hence the suggestions of the lexicons “perfection” (SDBH); “completeness” (HALOT, BDB); “perfection” (HALOT, DCH, BDB); “Vollendung, Vollkommenheit, Ende” (“perfection, completion, end” Gesenius 2013: 1438). See also the ancient versions πάσης συντελείας (LXX > Gall. omni consummationi = Hebr.); τῇ πάσῃ τελέσει (Aquila): “fulfillment”; πάσης κατασεκευῆς (Symmachus) "permanent or fixed assets" (LSJ) ≠ παρασκευή; לכל מה דאשתרי ואשתכלל “all that is begun and finished” (Stec 2004, 215); ܣܘܦܐ (Syr. 'end', CAL, Sokoloff 2009, 987).
- ↑ Stec 2004, 215.
- ↑ In the contrast of v. 96b, the domains of space and time are blended to comments on the endurance of YHWH's command, though with echoes of vv. 32, 45).
- ↑ Cf. Fokkelman’s comment: "it looks as if the close link forged between Lamed and Mem at the start of the second series of eleven octets is the counterpart to and parallel of the connections between Aleph and Beth at the start of the first series" (2003, 250).
- ↑ "Teachers" and "elders" can, without contradiction, follow "enemies" since "The torah of the Lord replaces wisdom and its human teachers. The responsibility that once was primarily that of Israel's leaders is laid squarely on the shoulders of the pious" (Mays 1987, 4). An alternative interpretation is the LXX's ἐσόφισάς and Jerome's instruis, reading a 2ms “you made wise” instead of the preferred 3fs with מִצְוֺתֶ֑ךָ as the subject. In this case, מִצְוֺתֶ֑ךָ functions as a nominal adverb. The Syr imperative ܚܟܡܝܢܝ, (“make me wise”) is probably a modal interpretation of the same 2ms reading. The primary reason the 3fs is the preferred reading is the discourse continuity into the next clause, in which הִיא is the subject (cf. v. 97). The 2ms reading is followed by the KJV, Luther 2017, RVA. The 3fs reading is followed by the BDS, BTX4ª, CSB, CEB, DHH, ELB, ESV, EÜ, JPS 1985, NABRE, NASB, NBS, NET, NFC, NIV, NVSR, PDV, REB, SG21, TOB, ZÜR. In both cases, however, the revocalization from the plural מִצְוֹת to the singular מִצְוָה is necessary, in light of היא in the following clause.
- ↑ See De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 79, perhaps contra 5Q5, however. Furthermore, in place of the 1cs "I have withheld," a 2ms "you have withhelf" is found in Rahlfs' 55 (ἐκώλυσας vs. LXX's ἐκώλυσα) and the Vetus Latina (Rahlfs' LaG; prohibuisti).
- ↑ "A search of the Old Testament has so far unearthed the conceptual metaphor the Torah / Law is sweetness only in the Torah-Psalms, namely, Psalms 19:11b, 119:103 and 119:131. It is clearly a rare and unusual metaphor within the Old Testament Hebrew canon. It is slightly different from the metaphors of light, water and property in that the metaphorical conceptualisation of the source domain involves not the source of life but the source of a higher quality of life" (Procházková 2021, 81) ... "the Torah / Law is sweetness can be understood as a variant of the Torah / Law is food, or more generally, the Torah / Law is the source of life" (ibid., 86). Compare the words of Ezekiel's call, which were also “sweet" to him: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י בֶּן־אָדָם֙ בִּטְנְךָ֤ תַֽאֲכֵל֙ וּמֵעֶ֣יךָ תְמַלֵּ֔א אֵ֚ת הַמְּגִלָּ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן אֵלֶ֑יךָ וָאֹ֣כְלָ֔ה וַתְּהִ֥י בְּפִ֖י כִּדְבַ֥שׁ לְמָתֽוֹק׃ (Ezek. 3:3)
- ↑ The lexicons offer “niph. to be pleasing” (SDBH); “to glide” (HALOT); “be smooth, pleasant” (DCH); “slippery” (BDB); “glatt sein, gleiten, erquikkend (sic), köstlich sein” (“be smooth, slide, refreshing, be delicious”; Gesenius 2013: 689). The uniformity of the ancient versions as “be sweet” has been crucial for our preferred reading, pleasing. See, e.g., ὡς γλυκέα (LXX; 'How sweet...!', BDAG) = Jerome; חלי (TgPss; sweet Sokoloff 2017, 207) = Syr. ܚܠܝ (Sokoloff 2009, 455). Furthermore, it roughly corresponds to the Arabic ملص (maliṣa), “slipped, fell slipping... by reason of its smoothness” (Lane Vol. II, 2736), as pointed out in BDB. Furthermore: lamaṣa in Tigre and Ge'ez as the verb “be smooth,” and lǝmuṭ in Amharic as an adjective “smooth” (see Gesenius 2013, 689).
- ↑ Note that an additional comparee is found in the LXX's καὶ κηρίον, probably derived from the Hebrew נֹפֶת (as the parallel in Ps. 19:11 - הַֽנֶּחֱמָדִ֗ים מִ֭זָּהָב וּמִפַּ֣ז רָ֑ב וּמְתוּקִ֥ים מִ֝דְּבַ֗שׁ וְנֹ֣פֶת צוּפִֽים), by harmonization, if not textual. Such an addition is apparently ignored, however, in Jerome's Gallican Psalter, “super mel” (= Iuxta Hebraeos). Furthermore, in the place of the MT's מִן, Symmachus reads ὡς μέλι (ܐܝܟ ܕܒܫܐ), either from harmonization or reading the preposition כְּ.
- ↑ Keel 1997, 190; cf. the list in Reynolds 2010, 34ff and Ringleben 2019, 176 for discussion.
- ↑ Procházková 2012, 21ff.; 2021, 78.
- ↑ Revell 2004 has it marked as a pausal form, among the ancient versions the plural is only found in the Targum, but also 11Q5.
- ↑ Notice also the expansion of the root in Targum Onkelos of the same passage: וַאֲקַיֵים יָת קְיָמָא דְקַיֵימִית לאברהם אֲבוּך, as well as Targum Jonathan's rendering of the MT's וְלֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֤ה עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ קֶ֔צֶף עַל־הַשְּׁבוּעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְנוּ לָהֶֽם׃ as וְלָא יְהֵי עְלַנָא רֻגזָא עַל קְיָמָא דְקַיֵימנָא לְהֹון.
- ↑ As the confirmation/ratification of a commitment, see also the use in אין עדים מצויין לקַיְּימוֹ “no witnesses are likely to be found to attest it” in Giṭṭin 2b; and the compound verb phrase שמע וק׳ “if he heard her vow and confirmed it” in N'darim in the Talmud (see further Jastrow vol. II: 1330).
- ↑ Kim 2022, 217
- ↑ Miller 2010, 360-363.
- ↑ For the MT's I am afflicted (נַעֲנֵיתִי), we have נעויתי in 11Q5, presumably נַעֲוֵיתִי (be bowed down, suffer injustice; DCH, cf. Ben Sira 13:13). Such a consonantal text is otherwise unattested among Hebrew mss, yet the semantic result is similar to ענה.
- ↑ 11Q5, besides lacking the particle please (נָא), reads "from your rules" ממשפטיכה for the MT's your rules וּֽמִשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ, presumably as a partitive מִן. Interestingly, the Peshitta has both the waw and the mem (ܘܡܢ ܕܝܢ̈ܝܟ ܐܠܦܝܢܝ), though the Syriac translators often add conjunctive ܘ where none is present in the MT, so the extra ܡܢ is quite strong evidence for 11Q5's reading. On the other hand, both could result from a conflation with וּ֝מִפִּקּוּדֶ֗יךָ in v. 110b or וּֽמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ in v. 120b, so the MT has been preferred.
- ↑ Note that Targum Psalms' נפשי מסתכנא על גב ידי תדירא (“My soul is exposed to danger, as though it were on the back of my hand continually”; Stec 2004, 215) is quite illuminating regarding the intended sense of the idiom.
- ↑ Note that in all of these comment-initial predicationals, the same information structure would be communicated by topic-comment order, so the focal contribution is best suited for a scalar reading (see Atkinson §141 forthcoming; cf. vv. 105 [though A-line, so perhaps only functioning for the acrostic structure], 118, etc. An alternative interpretation of the grammar involves Jerome's verbless hereditas mea testimonia tua "my inheritance is your testimonies," reading the MT's verb נָחַ֣לְתִּי "I have inherited" as נַחֲלָתִי "my inheritance," as the ESV's "Your testimonies are my heritage forever" (cf. CEB, DHH, ELB, EÜ, JPS 1985, Luther 2017, NABRE, NIV, REB, RVA 2015 and all the major French versions). It is likely, however, that most of these modern translations are loose renderings of the verb נָחַ֣לְתִּי, rather than following Jerome's verbless clause.
- ↑ For example, Jerome has retributionem" and Symmachus' εἰς μισθαποδοσίαν αἰώνιον (from ܠܦܘܪܥܢܘܬܐ ܐܓܪܐ ܕܠܥܠܡ) “for an eternal reward." Thus also the NABRE's “they are my reward forever” (cf. the ELB, REB, and TOB). The LXX and P's renderings for the MT's עֵֽקֶב (διʼ ἀντάμειψιν and ܒܫܪܪܐ, respectively) show a lexical misunderstanding of this rare function of עֵֽקֶב, rather than a textual difference, so have not merited an alternative.
- ↑ It seems consistent with Jerome's tumultuosus “turbulent, restless, full of confusion” (Harper's, 1913); possibly Aquila's διάφορος “disagreeing”; the paraphrase דחשבין מחשבן סריקן in Targum Psalms (“those who think vain thoughts,” Stec 2004, 216), and the Arabic noun تَسْعِف “mixing" (Lane, Vol. I, 1364). Other ancient versions have παράνομος “lawless” (LXX); παραβάτης “transgressor” (Symmachus) and ܥܘܠܐ “wicked.” The lexicons provide “double-minded” (SDBH); “divided” (HALOT, DCH); “half-hearted” (BDB); “Zwiespältige, Schwankende” (“ambivalent, fluctuating”; Gesenius 2013, 895). By far the most clear support for “double-minded people” comes from the other nominal use of the root in 1 Kgs 18:21.
- ↑ Zenger 2011, 278.
- ↑ Furthermore, Eusebius (2022, 146-147) equates the mention of the סֵעֲפִ֥ים and those who have הֵ֝פֵ֗רוּ תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ in v. 126 (εἰπὼν παρανόμους ἐμίσησα προϊὼν καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ μίσους παρίστησι λέγων· διεσκέδασαν τὸν νόμον σου); "in saying "I hate the lawless" he also proceeds and the reason for his hate is found in his saying: They have broken your law”).
- ↑ This is accompanied by the reminder that "In the psalms of individual lament Yahweh is usually addressed by name and with epithets that carry the possessive suffix of the first singular" (Zernecke 2014, 30-31). This is further supported by parallels such as Ps 6:9: ס֣וּרוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְ֝הוָ֗ה ק֣וֹל בִּכְיִֽי.
- ↑ An alternative reading of the grammer involves both Targum Psalms and the Peshitta's במימרך (“with your word”; Stec 2004, 216) and ܒܡܠܬܟ (“in your word”; Taylor 2020, 519) for the MT's כְאִמְרָתְךָ֣. There is also considerable Hebrew manuscript evidence for the בְּ preposition (see Kennicott, VTH: vol. 1, 419 and De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: vol. 4, 79).
- ↑ There is an alternative emendation representing a few modern translations' (and a few Targum Psalms witnesses – Stec 2004: 216) “delight in” (see, e.g., Luther 2017: “so will ich stets Freude haben an deinen Geboten”; RVA: “siempre me deleitaré en tus leyes”). Furthermore, 11Q5's has the alternative verb אשא (presumably from נשׂא, meaning "I will lift up") for the MT's I will pay regard (אֶשְׁעָ֖ה), which also loses the need for the preposition בְּ in the verb phrase's valency. This could be caused by similar-sounding verbs or a smoothing of the clause's semantics in light of the MT's somewhat rare root שׁעה. Nevertheless, the fact that the Peshitta also shows some uncertainty regarding the verb's meaning (ܐܬܝܠܦ; “I will be taught”) and Kennicott 35 has אשׁמעה perhaps points to a contextual guess in both cases. On אֶשְׁעָה as “pay regard to,” see the discussion in TDOT: "When šāʿâ refers to human regard of God or God’s covenant, it conveys the notion of honor and respect. These reactions are considered positive, but they can have various results: Yahweh may accept them or reject them as unnecessary. Here the hithpael (“look apprehensively” or “be awe-struck”) has the same meaning as yrʾ, “fear.” Humans are expected to “fear” God (Gen. 22:12), even though Yahweh’s first words in a theophany often are “Do not fear” (Gen. 15:1). In a similar vein, the people are expected to pay attention or respect to Yahweh. For example, Isaiah attacks “those who go down to Egypt for help ..., but do not look to the Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 31:1). After God’s judgment, however, the people will once more regard their Maker and will have no regard for the altars that are the work of their own hands (Isa. 17:7–8). Ps. 119:17 prays for God’s deliverance: “then I will have regard for your statutes continually.” In 2 S. 22:42 the prayers of David’s enemies are in vain: when they look for deliverance, Yahweh will not answer them. In Isa. 41:23 the prophet mocks the false gods, calling on them to do good or harm, that the people may be afraid of them (šʿh hithpael). In fact, of course, they can do nothing. Yahweh, by contrast, comforts his people in a theophany: “Do not fear (yrʾ), for I am with you; do not be afraid (šʿh), for I am your God” (v. 10)" (Lundbom, “שָׁעָה,”).
- ↑ So SDBH
- ↑ See also “treat as worthless” (HALOT, DCH); “verwerfen” (“reject, dismiss,” Gesenius 2013, 888); רוצה לומר דרכת ורמסת כל שוגים ('it means to say, "you stood on and trampled all those going astray"'; Radak, Sefer HaShorashim). The ancient versions have ἐξουδενόω (LXX, Ε', Θ' – “set at nought,” LSJ; “treat with contempt, scorn,” BDAG); ἀποσκολοπίζω (Α' – “remove [stumbling blocks],” LSJ); ἀπελέγχω (Σ' - “convict, expose, refute,” LSJ); spernere (Gall. – “sever, separate, remove,” Harper's, 1740); abjicere (Hebr. –“cast away” (Harper's, 7); ܣܠܝ (Peshitta); כבש (TgPss – “subdue,” Sokoloff 2017, 266). We also have the Akkadian cognate šalû, “to reject, throw away” (CAD, Vol. 17; 272-273.3) and it is possibly related to the Arabic سَلْوَة, n. “a state of forgetfulness, unmindfulness, or neglectfulness” (Lane, Vol. I, 1417). Furthermore, the Peshitta contains a 1cs ܐܣܠܝܬ for the MT's 2ms סָ֭לִיתָ.
- ↑ Consider also the following modern translations: their delusions come to nothing (NIV); their deceitfulness is built on a lie (ESV); their deceitfulness is useless (NASB); they are false and deceitful (NJPS); su astucia es un engaño (RVA); leur tromperie est sans effet (SG21); Lüge sind ihre Machenschaften (ZÜR).
- ↑ Alternatively, deceit as a noun could describe the effects on themselves of rejecting Torah. This seems to be the least likely use of שֶׁקֶר in the psalm, however.
- ↑ The ancient versions include the following for שֶׁקֶר: ἄδικον (LXX = E' Θ’); ܥܘܠܐ (Peshitta); ψευδεῖς (A’); ματαία (Σ); iniusta (Gall.); mendax (Hebr.); שקרא (TgPs), and the following for תַּרְ מִית: τὸ ἐνθύμημα αὐτῶν (LXX = E', Θ’); ܪܢܝܗܘܢ (Peshitta); συνεπιθέσεις αὐτῶν (A'; “assault,” LSJ); πᾶσα ἡ δολιότης αὐτῶν (Σ); cogitatio eorum (Gall., Hebr.); נכלהון (TgPs).
- ↑ Such is read in Jerome's conputasti (“you considered”). The 1cs of the same (preferred root) is found in 11Q5's חשבתי (cf. Kennicott ms 30; De-Rossi 34; for further, see De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: Vol. 4, 79, cf. also the Babylonian ḥišavtā in JTS Ms. 508), as also the LXX's ἐλογισάμην, Aquila's διελογίσω, Symmachus' ελογίσω (all ≈ “I consider”). Theodotion/Quinta's διέκοψας may well be derived from the MT's 2ms הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ. Of the three possibilities, Barthélemy and committee were split (2005, 801), with the median position being our preferred reading with the verbal root of 11Q5 but the 2ms of the MT.
- ↑ As Barthélemy states, "si 'tous les impies du pays' sont déjà 'éjectés', on ne voit pas pourquoi la conséquence de cela (לָכֵן), c'est que “j'aime tes témoignages” (2005, 801).
- ↑ Cf. Ḥakham 1979, 416: כָּל הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁבָּאָרֶץ "all the wicked who are on the earth”).
- ↑ Reynolds 2010, 40.
- ↑ The LXX reads the MT’s 3ms has goosebumps סָמַר with the imperative καθήλωσον. Since, however, this is a hapax of καθηλόω in the LXX, and in light of the Revisers' different renderings (see, e.g., Aquila’s 3sg aorists ἡλώθη/ἔφριξεν and Symmachus' 3sg present ὀρθοτριχεῖ), rather than a different Vorlage, these variations seem to be educated guesses in ignorance of the meaning of סמר (a hapax in the qal stem here, and only once in the piel in Job 4:15). The lexicons offer “shudder” (SDBH); “tremble” (HALOT, DCH); “bristle up” (BDB); “shudder, have goose bumps” (NIDOTTE); “schauern, schaudern” (“shudder, shiver”; Gesenius 2013, 893). The ancient versions offer καθηλόω (LXX, Θ') “nail” = (Gall.) configere, “join, unite” (Harper's, 417) – cf. the cognates below, as well as Jer. 51.27 and Eccl. 12.11; ἐλώσθη (Α') as interchangeable with ἐφοβεῖτο (LSJ); φρῑκιάω (A') - “shudder, shiver” (LSJ); ὀρθοτρῐχέω (Σ') - “have one's hair up-standing” (LSJ); horripilare (Hebr.) “bristle with hairs” (Harper's, 865); צלהב (TgPss; “redden, burnish,” Sokoloff 2017, 528); Peshitta. pe. ܩܦܕ (“bristle, shrink, contract,” Sokoloff 2009, 1389). Cognate languages include Deir ῾Alla n. smr as “dread” (Hoftijzer & Jongeling 1995, Vol II, 794); Arabic سمّرهُ, vb. to nail (Lane, Vol. I, 1425); Akkadian. n. samrūtu (CAD, Vol. 15, 120) and Phoenician vb. smr (Hoftijzer & Jongeling 1995, Vol II, 793).
- ↑ Furthermore, the fairly common self-identification as עַבְדְּךָ has not been used since v. 84, and is now repeated three times in the present stanza. A number of Hebrew manuscripts read עשית (see VTH vol. 2, 419 & De-Rossi Variae Lectionis vol. 4, 79) for the MT's 1cs. Note also that for the MT's מִשְׁפָּ֣ט, Symmachus reads τὰ κρίματά σου, “your judgments.” An alternative participial vocative is found in the Peshitta's ܥܳܒܶܕ “Doer of justice and righteousness” (Taylor 2020, 519).
- ↑ §39.11.6.e.
- ↑ BHRG §39.21.2. See also עשׂה חֶסֶד עִם in Gen 21:23 (between Abraham and Abimelech), in 24:14 between God and Abraham; Josh 2:12, 14 (between the spies and Rahab with her family); Judg 1:24 (between the spies and the man coming out of Bethel); 1 Sam 15:6 (between the Kenites and the Israelites); 2 Sam 2:5 (between the men of Jabesh Gilead and Saul/Jonathan); and, of course, 119:65: ט֭וֹב עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִֽם־עַבְדְּךָ֑ יְ֝הוָ֗ה כִּדְבָרֶֽ, among others.
- ↑ Notarius & Atkinson §144 forthcoming.
- ↑ See Gen 17:14; Lev 26:15, 44; Deut 31:16, 20; Judg 2:1; 1 Kgs 15:19; Isa 24:5; 33:8; Jer 11:10; 14:21; 31:32; Ezek 16:59; 17:15, 16, 18, 19; 2 Chr 16.3).
- ↑ 2010, 130.
- ↑ A few manuscripts are missing the MT's second כל (Kennicott ms 142, De-Rossi ms 829; see VTH vol. 2, 419 and Variae Lectiones vol. 4, 79), yet it is unclear how they understand the construct ending of פִּקּוּדֵי. The preferred emendation is read in the BDS, CEB, CSB, DHH, ELB, ESV, EÜ, GNT, JPS 1985, Luther 2017, NABRE, NET, NIV, REB, RVA, SG21, ZÜR; cf. GKC §130f.n4). The פִּקּ֣וּדֵי כֹ֣ל of the MT could perhaps be understand as the “commandments of (concerning) everything,” despite this being quite an awkward very rarely attested use of כל (see Ezek 44:30, for example). It is the preferred reading of Barthélemy et al. (2005), though with a {C}. Targum Psalms' repeated (emphatic) כולהון in כל פיקודיא כולהון is plausible, but does not account for the construct state of the MT's פִּקּ֣וּדֵי. In 11Q5 we have פקודי כל but are missing the initial כל of the construct chain. A number of modern translations attempt to preserve both the suffix and the second כל (BTX4ª, KJV, NASB, NBS, NFC (?), NVSR, PDV (?) TOB).
- ↑ In place of the MT’s “wonderful things,” 11Q5’s reads פלגי נפת (“streams of honey”), which is otherwise unattested among Hebrew mss or the ancient versions, and may be a harmonization to Ps. 19:11 or a scribal error caused by the similar beginning of v. 136.
- ↑ In Zenger's words, "the concept describes the students of wisdom who, on the one hand, are still inexperienced in life and lack knowledge of it, but, on the other hand, are ready and eager to learn the true art of life in the "school" of Wisdom" (2011, 280) and Ḥakham, "אפשר שכלל המשורר את עצמו בין הפתיים ובקש שיזכה להבין את הדברים שהוא משנן ואפשר שבקש כאן שיזכה ללמד את התורה לפתיים שאינם יודעים ואינם מבינים אותה" ("It may be that the psalmist included himself among the simple ones and he asked that he will be able to understand the words that he is memorizing and it may be that he asks here that he will be able to teach Torah to the simple ones who do not know and do not understand it"; 1979, 421).
- ↑ See similarly, Goldingay (2008, 429): "someone such as the psalmist, someone of simple faith in a good sense.”
- ↑ The Peshitta provides a triple-imperative at the beginning of the verse, as ܦܬܚ ܡܠܬܟ ܘܐܢܗܪ ܘܣܟܠ ܠܫܒܪ̈ܐ (“Open your word and shine forth light; give understanding to the little children”; Taylor 2020, 521), probably caused by a misunderstanding of the MT's initial nominal פֵּ֖תַח for the imperative פְתַח, and subsequently followed through for the following two verbs, though morphologically much less similar. (If Symmachus is to be followed (reading ἡ πύλη from פֶתַח), the construct form would have read פְתַח, which is identical to the form of the imperative, “open.”). Furthermore, 11Q5 also has האר (presumably the imperative הָאֵר) for the MT's יָאִ֗יר and may very well also be reading the initial פתח as an imperative, as does JTS Mss 456, 508, so there is evidence for a distinct Vorlage. On the other hand, there may be a harmonization/scribal error caused by הָאֵ֣ר in v. 135.
- ↑ The LXX's εἵλκυσα πνεῦμα and Syr. ܘܣܩܬ ܪܘܚܐ ("I drew breath"; NETS & Taylor 2020, 521) for the MT's וָאֶשְׁאָ֑פָה may simply be a dynamic rendering of שׁאף according to its sense, as gasping, panting.
- ↑ In other instances, אָוֶן is unambiguously flagged as a masculine noun (see Job 5:6; 11:14), while the causative “allow X to gain power over Y” (≈ HALOT) seems more likely than DCH's “dominate” or BDB's “get mastery of” for the hiphil שׁלט. For the permissive hiphil שׁלט in this verse, see Tigay (2017, 410).
- ↑ BHRG 39.6.1.b.iii. A distinct prepositional phrase is found in both the LXX and a number of Hebrew mss reading "according to your word" (כְּאִמְרָתֶךָ) for the MT's by your word (בְּאִמְרָתֶךָ; see VTH vol. 2, 419 and Variae Lectiones vol 4, 80). Furthermore, an interpretation of the verb תַּשְׁלֶט as 3fs and thus כָל־אָֽוֶן as the subject is found in the LXX, Syr., BDS, BTX4ª and RVA).
- ↑ Schipper notes, “closeness to God implies light and life for the human person, while distance from God means darkness and subsequently death" (2014, 61), as further illustrated by the Prayer of Hui: "Come in mercy, my lord Neb-cheperu-Re. Daily I see the darkness that you have created, Make me light quickly so that I can see you; then I will tell the fishes in the river about your power" (ibid., 68).
- ↑ See Lam 3:48 for the almost identical פַּלְגֵי־מַ֙יִם֙ תֵּרַ֣ד עֵינִ֔י (but also the grammar for syntactic differences between the two).
- ↑ In a number of translations it is rendered as a passive construction (CEB, NIV), with generic "people" (CSB, ESV, GNT) or the French impersonal "on" (SG21, TOB) and is therefore plausibly analyzed as an impersonal construction (Notarius & Atkinson §144 forthcoming).
- ↑ Cf. Zenger (2011, 280): "His deepest pain is not his own distress but the way the society in which he lives neglects the Torah.”
- ↑ The subject-fronting of פַּלְגֵי־מַ֭יִם also indicates the thetic construal of the utterance, further supported by the indefinite subje ct, verb of motion and general out-of-the-blue nature of the entire state of affairs. Such information packaging would not be possible with “my eyes” as the grammatical subject, as the grammatical alternatives. The understanding of “my eyes” could involve פַּלְגֵי־מַ֭יִם as a predicative constituent of manner. GKC (§117z) gives evidence that qal ירד can take such an adverbial of manner, by analogy of מלא with the instrument constituent. Such a configuration is found in Lam 1:16 (עֵינִי֙ יֹ֣רְדָה מַּ֔יִם); Lam 3:48 (פַּלְגֵי־מַ֙יִם֙ תֵּרַ֣ד עֵינִ֔י); Jer 9:17 (וְתֵרַ֤דְנָה עֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ דִּמְעָ֔ה) and Jer 13:17 (וְתֵרַ֤ד עֵינִי֙ דִּמְעָ֔ה), where there is no ambiguity regarding gender/number agreement. However, the REB (“My eyes stream with tears”) seems to be the only modern translation to explicitly adopt such an interpretation here. Alternatively, “my eyes” as the subject and “streams of water” as the object follows the LXX's διεξόδους ὑδάτων κατέβησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου (and Symmachus's διαιρέσεις ὑδάτων κατέδυναν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου). For this syntax, the emendation to a hiphil seems likely (cf. the BDS, CSB, ESV, JPS 1985, NABRE, NASB, NBS, NVSR, SG21).
- ↑ This stanza’s opening is very similarly to the צַדִּ֥יק ה֛וּא יְהוָ֖ה in the צ–stanza of Lam 1:18. The intended perlocutionary effect of this assertion may very well be direct towards the judgment of the psalmist's adversaries (cf. Rev 16:5-7) For the significance of צֶדֶק throughout (predictably) the צ–stanza, see TDOT: "When Ps. 119 repeatedly describes God’s commandments and ordinances as ṣeḏeq, it is probably referring first of all to Yahweh’s established order. The term ṣeḏeq describes what Yahweh appoints (Ps. 119:138), hears (Ps. 17:1), and speaks (Isa. 45:19); what one knows (Isa. 51:7), seeks (Zeph. 2:3), learns (Prov. 1:3; Isa. 26:9, 10), understands (Prov. 2:9), and says (Ps. 52:5[3]; 58:2[1]); Prov. 12:17)" (Ringgren & Johnson, “צָדַק,”).
- ↑ See Joüon-Muroka §148b.
- ↑ Besides the MT's "your judgments" (מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ), the alternatives involve predicates in grammatical agreement with this plural, i.e., the adjective יְשָׁרִים, as in 11Q5, which is congruent with the plural subject, or the abstract noun יֹשֶׁר, which works with the MT's consonants but would require revocalization. Nonetheless, all the major modern translations read a plural complement to מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, except the BDS's “et tes décrets sont conformes à la droiture.” There are systematic ambiguities between pausal forms and plurals throughout this psalm. Revell points out five cases in the opposite direction (vv. 43, 149 and 175) on conjunctive munaḥs and merkas, while this verse-final מִשְׁפָּטֶֽ(י)ךָ would fit pausal expectations (cf. vv. 7, 9, 11, 16, 17, 18, 25, 28, 34, 38a, 38b, 41, 42, 49a, 53, 55, 58, 62, 65, 76, 82, 84, 85, 90, 97, 101, 103, 105, 106, 107, 123a, 123b, 124, 126, 132, 135, 136b, 148, 160, 162a, 164, 165, 172, 176a). GKC (§145o, r) understands the m.sg. here to be default since it is clause-initial, though plural in sense (cf. the common situation of a 3ms verb). However, Hos. 14:10 reads וְיֵֽדָעֵ֑ם כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִ֞ים דַּרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה. Nevertheless, for the plural משׁפט with plural ישׁר see Neh. 9:13 – וַתִּתֵּ֨ן לָהֶ֜ם מִשְׁפָּטִ֤ים יְשָׁרִים֙ וְתוֹר֣וֹת אֱמֶ֔ת חֻקִּ֥ים וּמִצְוֺ֖ת טוֹבִֽים׃, and, in a similar context, though with פקודים and דרכים, Ps. 19:9 – פִּקּ֘וּדֵ֤י יְהוָ֣ה יְ֭שָׁרִים. Notice also the yod-less וּֽמִשְׁפָּטֶ֥ךָ in v. 175 followed by the plural יַעֲזְרֻֽנִי. Furthermore, both the LXX and Jerome (Gall. and Hebr.) here read מִשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ as singular (ἡ κρίσις σου; iudicium tuum). Finally, for singular uses of מִשְׁפָּט as justice (not 'judgments', rules,' etc.) in the vicinity, cf. vv. 121, 132 and 149.
- ↑ There are a number of possible alternative understandings of the grammar of this verse. The LXX and Gallical Psalter contain three separate objects (δικαιοσύνην τὰ μαρτύριά σου καὶ ἀλήθειαν σφόδρα and iustitiam testimonia tua et veritatem tuam nimis). The Hebr. renders the Hebrew text as iustitiam testimonii tui et veritatem nimis, supporting our preferred reading of the MT as the construct phrase צֶ֣דֶק עֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ = iustitiam testimonii tui. Interpreting מְאֹד as an adverb, greatly, is its more natural function, though it is difficult to understand what “command greatly” could mean. Thus it is preferred as a modifier of the noun “faithfulness” (see DCH). See, however, the continuity achieved in the poetic structure by the repetition of מְאֹד both here and in v. 140. Another alternative is found in the Peshitta and (probably) Targum Psalms, with only עֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ as the object of צִ֭וִּיתָ and both צֶ֣דֶק and אֱמוּנָ֥ה as nominal adverbs. The fact that these are a word pair supports the plausibility of this alternative, and the ܒ prepositions in the Peshitta (ܒܙܕܝܩܘܬܐ ܘܒܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ) make their interpretation clear. See the ESV for a similar rendering (“You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness”; cf. the ELB, EÜ, Luther 2017, NABRE, NASB, NBS, NFC, NVSR, RVA, SG21, ZÜR).
- ↑ Notice, for example, the Arabic صَمَتَ as “be/become silent” (Lane Vol. II, 1725) and Symmachus' ἀπεσιώπησέ με (“silenced me”), presumably as a result of being annihilated.
- ↑ See also the LXX's ἐκτήκω (“melt, waste away”; LSJ) = Gall. tabescere; Syr. ܫܢܩܢܝ (pa. “vex, torment, torture”; Sokoloff 2009, 1580-81) and TgPs מגר (“destroy”; CAL); Hebr. consumere; and the clearer case of אכל in כִּֽי־קִנְאַ֣ת בֵּיתְךָ֣ אֲכָלָ֑תְנִי (Ps 69:10).
- ↑ Neither Aquila nor Symmachus, which are both attested for this clause, contain τοῦ οἴκου σου, nor has Jerome translated it in his Gallican Psalter.
- ↑ Taylor 2020, 523. See, however, the semantic distinction held by TLOT, which claims: "A ṣedeq state can be not only the prerequisite (from the divine perspective) but also the result (from the human perspective) of ṣedāqâ.” The Peshitta’s ܙܕܝܩܘܬܟ ܩܝܡܐ ܠܥܠܡ “Your righteousness remains forever” (Taylor 2020: 523), similar to the CEB's, “Your righteousness lasts forever” would support the position of forever לְעוֹלָ֑ם is adverbial, i.e., “it is justice forever.” Nevertheless, as indicated in the diagram, the preferred position of לְעוֹלָ֑ם is as adjectival, modifying the predicate, i.e., “it is an eternal justice” (cf. Jerome's iustitia tua iustitia sempiterna), which seems to be the focal content of the proposition, that is, "What type of justice is it?"
- ↑ For the MT's מָצ֥וֹק, Aquila has συνοχή (“conflict,” LSJ), and Theodotion the more litteral στενοχωρία (“narrowness”). See also the bidirectional expression in וּמְצָרֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל מְצָא֑וּנִי צָרָ֖ה וְיָג֣וֹן אֶמְצָֽא (Ps 116:3).
- ↑ With the exception of the ELB and EÜ (Gerechtigkeit ≠ sind gerecht as the Luther 2017, ZÜR), the RVA's "Justicia eterna son tus testimonios," and the TOB's "Tes exigences sont la justice éternelle" (cf. the NBS, NFC, and NVSR). The ancient versions also read the following verbless clause: "Your commandments are always justice.” Nevertheless, the preferred diagram avoids the grammatical mismatch between "justice" (צֶ֖דֶק) and "your testimonies" (עֵדְוֺתֶ֥יךָ), and provides the same construct chain unambiguously present towards the beginning of the stanza: צִ֭וִּיתָ צֶ֣דֶק עֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ (v. 138). The adoption of an adjectival for this noun, for lack of an adjectival form (GKC §141c), does not apply here in light of צָדִיק, as used in חֻקִּים צַדִּיקִים (Deut. 4.8), despite Jerome's “iusta testimonia tua” and the Peshitta’s ܙܕܝܩܐ ܗܝ ܣܗܕܘܬܟ (adj. just, righteous). For the application of GKC’s insight, see the notes under vv. 75 and 86.
- ↑ The stanza’s opening is also very similarly to the use of קָרָ֤אתִי לַֽמְאַהֲבַי֙ הֵ֣מָּה רִמּ֔וּנִי in the ק–stanza of Lam 1:19 and קָרָ֤אתִי שִׁמְךָ֙ יְהוָ֔ה in Lam 3:55. The suggestion that the second and third clauses could be the content of the calling out is represented in the NET's I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord! I will observe your statutes.” However, only the first of these two content clauses has been represented in the grammatical alternative, as it is less plausible that the final clause would continue the speech.
- ↑ For a dynamic understanding of the first clause, cf. Symmachus' ὤρθριζον ἐγειρόμενος ὡς ἔτι σκότος καὶ ηὐχόην “I wake early, getting up when it is still dark, and pray.” The LXX's ἀωρία “darkness” (but also possibly “midnight”) probably supports this, as does Jerome’s in tenebris “in darkness.” Though transitive, compare the case of קדם in Ps 88:14 (וַאֲנִ֤י׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃), similarly involving the morning (בֹּקֶר) and the verb שׁוע in the adjacent clause.
- ↑ As reflected in Jerome, Targum Psalms and the Peshitta. Kennicott also lists numerous manuscripts lacking the yod (see VTH vol. 2, 420). The alternative plural indicated by the ketiv’s לדבריך is represented in the LXX's (and Symmachus's) τοὺς λόγους σου “your words” (cf. the ELB, EÜ, NABRE, TOB).
- ↑ Cf. Goldingay's remark: "In the parallelism of the two lines, "my eyes" gives precision to the subject of the verb" (2008, 435).
- ↑ So HALOT. Alternatively, it could be understood as the verb's (קִדְּמוּ) object (so BDB, DCH). The decision depends on the construal of the verb's semantics and therefore valency (cf. the LXX's πρὸς ὄρθρον, Symmachus's ἐν φυλακῇ, the ESV's My eyes are awake before the watches of the night and NIV's My eyes stay open through the watches of the night vs. the NASB's My eyes anticipate the night watches and JPS's My eyes greet each watch of the night, etc.). This becomes more of a lexical semantics issue, though, since vv. 147 and 148 are the only clear instances of this sense in the Bible, and in light of the parallel found in v. 147 (קִדַּ֣מְתִּי בַ֭נֶּשֶׁף), the nominal adverb reading has been preferred.
- ↑ On the other hand, it is taken as plural in the LXX and Jerome (τὰ λόγιά σου and in sermonibus tuis, respectively).
- ↑ There are possible alternative understandings of the grammar in the adverbial prepositional phrase found in the ܒ of the Peshitta’s ܒܕܝܢ̈ܝܟ (“by your judgments”; Taylor 2020, 525, cf. the NABRE, REB), also read in a number of Medieval Hebrew manuscripts (see VTH vol 2, 420 and De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: Vol. 4, 80). On the other hand, the Peshitta’s plural form ܪ̈ܚܡܝܟ “your mercies” for the MT’s חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ is unattested in Hebrew manuscript evidence. The same is not true for ܕܝܢ̈ܝܟ “your judgments” for מִשְׁפָּטֶ֥ךָ (see De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: Vol. 4, 80), though it is still the only plural reading among the ancient versions.
- ↑ BDB; DCH; SDBH.
- ↑ Note that imperfective aspect of the participle and its substantive use in this case would indicate an ongoing pattern in the behavior of the psalmist’s adversaries. An alternative construal of the grammar is found in the LXX's οἱ καταδιώκοντές με ἀνομίᾳ (“Those who persecute me with lawlessness”; NETS, cf. Symmachus's ἔσπευσαν οἱ διώκοντές με) and the Peshitta’s ܩܪܒܘ ܪ̈ܕܘܦܝ ܕܥܘܠܐ (“Those who wickedly persecute me”; Taylor 2020, 525). In other words, זִמָּ֑ה is being interpreted as a nominal adverb and the yod at the end of the plural construct form has been re-analyzed as a 1cs suffix (“pursuing me”), so requires revocalization. See also De-Rossi (Variae Lectiones: Vol. 4, 80-81) for numerous Hebrew mss indicating a 1cs suffix on the participle. Such a reading is followed by the ESV (“They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose”; cf. BTX4ª, DHH, Luther 2017, REB, RVA.
- ↑ "The employment of a substantive as predicate of a noun-clause is especially frequent... when no corresponding adjective exists" (GKC §141c). Note that the apparent discomfort of the construction for the translator of the Peshitta caused him to supply a preposition ܒܩܘܫܬܐ “in truth.” The translator has also repeated v. 148 (ܩܕܡ ܥܝܢ̈ܝ ܠܡܛܪܬܐ ܕܐܪܢܐ ܒܡܠܬܟ) after the MT's bicolon of v. 151, which is evidently scribal dittography, as noted by Taylor (2020, 525 n. 4).
- ↑ The use of קֶדֶם for what amounts to “for a long time” produces a chronological hyperbole not out of place in the psalm, in light of the central importance of temporal adverbs and eternity past/future as characteristic of YHWH and his justice. See, similarly, the use of מֵעוֹלָם in v. 52a (זָ֘כַ֤רְתִּי מִשְׁפָּטֶ֖יךָ מֵעוֹלָ֥ם׀ יְהוָ֗ה), in which the ongoing (and ancient) remembering of these משׁפטים is a possible reading of the other ancient versions and unambiguously following by the CSB and REB; see also the similar use of בִּ֣ימֵי קֶֽדֶם in Ps 44:2 and חִ֝יד֗וֹת מִנִּי־קֶֽדֶם in Ps 78:2. The grammatical alternatives include an alternative prepositional phrase of מֶעוֹלָם “from eternity” in place of the MT's לְעוֹלָ֣ם ("forever"; as attested in the Peshitta’s ܡܢ ܥܠܡ). The other emendations reflect 11Q5's יסדתני, with a 1cs suffix (“you established me”), in place of the MT's 3ms (יְסַדְתָּֽם “you established them,” with עֵדֹתֶיךָ “your testimonites” as the preferred antecedent) and מדעתכה “your knowledge” for the MT's מֵעֵדֹתֶ֑יךָ (which is much less likely in the context of the psalm, as דַעַת only occurs in v. 66, and that without a 2ms suffix, whereas we have עֵדֹתֶיךָ in vv. 14, 22, 24, 31, 36, 46, 59, 79, 95, 99, 111, 119, 125, 129, 138, 144, 146, 157, 167, 168). It is very possibly the result of metathesis between the ע and ד. The alternative object reflects Symmachus's τὰ ἀπ ̓ἀρχῆς ἔγνων ἀπὸ τῶν μαρτυριῶν σου “those things from the beginning I have known from your testimonies” for the MT's adverbial קֶ֣דֶם. The alternative reading of כִּי as a causal subordinator is also explicit in the Peshitta (ܡܛܠ ܕ), while Targum Psalms' ארום, the LXX's ὅτι and Jerome's quod are potentially ambiguous, but the latter two point more in the direction of the preferred complementizer reading. This is also our preference because an object-less יָ֭דַעְתִּי clause seems very incomplete. (Of course, this problem is avoided if Symmachus's reading – noted above – is followed.). For support for the alternative causal subordinator reading, see the EÜ. For support for the preferred complementizer reading, see the BDS, BXT4ª, CEB, CSB, ELB, ESV, JPS 1985, KJV, Luther 2017, NABRE, NASB, NBS, NET, NFC, NIV, NVSR, REB, SG21, TOB, ZÜR.
- ↑ The opening is also very similar to the use of רְאֵ֨ה יְהוָ֤ה כִּֽי־צַר־לִי֙ מֵעַ֣י חֳמַרְמָ֔רוּ in the ר–stanza of Lam 1:20. See also רְאֵ֤ה יְהוָה֙ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטָה לְמִ֖י עוֹלַ֣לְתָּ כֹּ֑ה (Lam 2:20).
- ↑ For the construction רִיבָ֣ה רִ֭יבִי in the context of the shaming of Babylon, see Jer 51:36 – לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנְנִי־רָב֙ אֶת־רִיבֵ֔ךְ וְנִקַּמְתִּ֖י אֶת־נִקְמָתֵ֑ךְ וְהַחֲרַבְתִּי֙ אֶת־יַמָּ֔הּ וְהֹבַשְׁתִּ֖י אֶת־מְקוֹרָֽהּ. Cf. also the combination of both ריב רִיב and גאל in Jer. 50:(33-)34 – כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת עֲשׁוּקִ֛ים בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל וּבְנֵי־יְהוּדָ֖ה יַחְדָּ֑ו וְכָל־שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙ הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ בָ֔ם מֵאֲנ֖וּ שַׁלְּחָֽם׃ גֹּאֲלָ֣ם׀ חָזָ֗ק יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ שְׁמ֔וֹ רִ֥יב יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֑ם לְמַ֙עַן֙ הִרְגִּ֣יעַ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהִרְגִּ֖יז לְיֹשְׁבֵ֥י בָבֶֽל׃. Further, the context of YHWH fighting on David's behalf against Nabal, instead of him taking matters into his own hands (1 Sam 25:39): וַיֹּ֡אמֶר בָּר֣וּךְ יְהוָ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָב֩ אֶת־רִ֨יב חֶרְפָּתִ֜י מִיַּ֣ד נָבָ֗ל וְאֶת־עַבְדּוֹ֙ חָשַׂ֣ךְ מֵֽרָעָ֔ה וְאֵת֙ רָעַ֣ת נָבָ֔ל הֵשִׁ֥יב יְהוָ֖ה בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ. These examples indicate that the contending to defend the psalmist is typical of redemption, i.e., the returning from exile, whether corporate or individual, whether physical or spiritual.
- ↑ For normative lamed see BHRG §39.11.6.c (cf. Exod 17:13; Jer 30:11).
- ↑ Which read μακρὰν and longe, respectively.
- ↑ §148b.
- ↑ §102c. On the other hand, 11Q5 does not contain יְשׁוּעָה, so the sense is probably You are far from evildoers (in contrast to קָר֣וֹב אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה in v. 151.
- ↑ An alternative prepositional phrase is found in the Peshitta's ܒܕܝܢܝ̈ܟ (“by your judgments,” Taylor 2020, 527) for the MT's כְּֽמִשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ (according to your judgments), as read also במשפטיך in Kennicott mss 133 and 148. Further, though the LXX and a number of Hebrew manuscripts (see VTH vol. 2, 420) have singular, משפטך / τὸ κρίμα σου (though see S' and La τα κριματα in Rahlfs' apparatus).
- ↑ See, e.g., Kennicott mss 73, 97 and 133.
- ↑ However, the relative clause is detached from its head by the verb, וָֽאֶתְקוֹטָ֑טָה, which is probably what has put most modern translations off this interpretation. Only the BDS, DHH, NBS, NVSR, REB and SG21 seem to maintain the preferred relative sense of אֲשֶׁר, as the REB’s “I was cut to the quick when I saw traitors who had not regard for your word.” 'The only other instance of a hithpol. of קוט is found in Ps 139:21 (הֲלֽוֹא־מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֥ה׀ אֶשְׂנָ֑א וּ֝בִתְקוֹמְמֶ֗יךָ אֶתְקוֹטָֽט) and is accompanied by a בְּ, so does not shed light on the most likely function of אֲשֶׁר here. See, however, a similar adverbial אֲשֶׁר (though with opposite emotion) in שִׂ֤ישׂוּ וְגִ֙ילוּ֙ עֲדֵי־עַ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲנִ֣י בוֹרֵ֑א (Isa 65:18). The LXX's renders the MT’s who (אֲשֶׁר) as a causal conjunction in ὅτι τὰ λόγιά σου οὐκ ἐφυλάξαντο “for they have not kept your words,” while the Peshitta provides a complementizer ܘܝܕܥܬ ܕܡܐܡܪܟ ܠܐ ܢܛܪܘ “I know that they have not kept your word.” Both are possible – if rare – functions of אֲשֶׁר. It is probable, however, that these ancient versions (especially the Peshitta), unsure how to handle the rare hithpol. וָֽאֶתְקוֹטָ֑טָה (ἐξετηκόμην “waste away” LSJ) and ܘܝܕܥܬ ܕ “and I know that,”) rendered the verse according to its perceived sense. Note that the ZÜR (cf. Luther 2017) contains the complementizer, as the Peshitta: “Ich habe Abtrünnige gesehen, und mich widerte an, dass sie dein Wort nicht halten.” On the hithpolel קוט, the lexicons offer “loathe, be disgusted with” (SDBH); “feel disgust” (HALOT, DCH, BDB); “sich ekeln, grausen” (“feel disgusted, horrified,” Gesenius 2013, 1156); while the ancient versions have ἐκτήκω (LXX; cf. צמת in v. 139 above) = tabescere (Gall.); maerere (Hebr.; “grieve, mourn”); “vexare” (A', so Field, from Syro-Hex. ܘܡܬܥܣܩ ܗܘܝܬ; “be agitated, disturbed,” Sokoloff 2009, 1120) and דון (TgPs – either G-stem “judge” or Gt., “contest, argue with,” Sokoloff 2017, 134). Ugaritic also contains the cognate qwṭ as “loathe, feel repugnance” (Del Olmo Lete & Sanmartín 2015, 709), while Biblical Hebrew shared the sense of this root with the by-form קוץ.
- ↑ Both the LXX (τῶν λόγων σου) and Jerome (verborum tuorum) read the MT's דְּבָרְךָ֥ as plural “your words” (cf. Kennicott ms 141 and 11Q5's דבריך/דבריכה). Similarly, Targum Psalms reads כל דיני צדקתך “all your righteous ordinances” (Stec 2004, 218) and the Peshitta’s ܟܠܗܘܢ ܕܝܢ̈ܐ ܕܙܕܝܩܘܬܟ “all your righteous judgments” (Taylor 2020, 527) for the singular מִשְׁפַּ֥ט in the MT (seemingly, however, intended as distributive – “every one,” ESV; “jedes Urteil,” ELB; “todo decreto,” BTX4ª – but see a number of Hebrew manuscripts reading משפטי in VTH vol. 2, 420 and De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: Vol. 4, 81). Finally, 11Q5 reads כול משפט צדק, lacking the suffix of the MT's צִדְקֶֽךָ.
- ↑ See, e.g., the threefold repetition of הלל in vv. 164, 171, 175.
- ↑ The ketiv contains an extra yod, indicating plurality (followed by the LXX's τῶν λόγων σου “your words” – but see του λογου in Rahlfs' L-pau – and Jerome's verba tua “your words”), while the preferred qere is read in Targum Psalms' פתגמך and the Peshitta’s ܡܠܬܟ. The singular ומדברך is also found in a substantial number of Hebrew manuscripts (see VTH vol. 2, 420; but see 11Q5's ומדבריכה).
- ↑ See further the description of the שׂרים in Isa. 1.23: שָׂרַ֣יִךְ סוֹרְרִ֗ים וְחַבְרֵי֙ גַּנָּבִ֔ים כֻּלּוֹ֙ אֹהֵ֣ב שֹׁ֔חַד וְרֹדֵ֖ף שַׁלְמֹנִ֑ים יָתוֹם֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁפֹּ֔טוּ וְרִ֥יב אַלְמָנָ֖ה לֹֽא־יָב֥וֹא אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
- ↑ 11Q5's contains the preposition מִן of comparison ממוצא “more than one who finds.” Note also that the plural of אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ is read by the LXX's τὰ λόγιά σου “your words,” though this time it is singular in Jerome's Iuxta Hebraeos (unlike the ketiv of the previous verse). There are also a small number of Hebrew manuscripts with the plene yod (Kennicott 74, 97, 131, 133, 148). Revell (2004), however, has judged this form to be pausal, as it lacks the plene yod in the MT and fits the accent pattern of the atnakh.
- ↑ See the same simile in Isa 9:2: שָׂמְח֤וּ לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ כְּשִׂמְחַ֣ת בַּקָּצִ֔יר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָגִ֖ילוּ בְּחַלְּקָ֥ם שָׁלָֽל׃; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. ESV). Minimally, survival involved ones נֶפֶשׁ as שָׁלָל (see Jer 21:9; 38:2; 39:18; 45:5) – so this must be above and beyond mere survival! Indeed, if compared to the hidden treasure or fine pearl (Matt 13:44-45), it's worthy selling everything for! The mention of רֹאשׁ in the sense of "total value" in v. 160 may also hint at monetary value.
- ↑ We find δέ in the LXX, autem in Jerome, ܘ in the Peshitta and waw a large number of Hebrew mss (see VTH vol. 2, 420). Nevertheless, since both שֶׁ֣קֶר and תּוֹרָתְךָ֥ are fronted as contrastive topics, the contrastive semantics may have brought about the addition of the waw as interpretive.
- ↑ Jerome shifts from iniquitatem (Gall.) to mendacium (Hebr.) and both Aquila and Symmachus read ψεῦδος.
- ↑ Croft 2022, 109-111.
- ↑ See the LXX's genitive: ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας.
- ↑ Muraoka 2016, 180-181, contra NETS
- ↑ Note that 11Q5 reads the yiqtol אהללכ “I (will) praise you” for the MT’s הִלַּלְתִּ֑יךָ “I have been praising you.”
- ↑ Croft 2022, 305-307.
- ↑ For a full discussion, see Atkinson §141 forthcoming.
- ↑ BHRG §39.20.6.
- ↑ For the malefactor reading, see the Syr, ܘܠܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܟܪܝܗܘܬܐ (“there is no sickness in them,” Taylor 2020, 529) and TgPs: ולית להון תקלא לעלמא דאתי (“they have no stumbling block for the world to come,” Stec 2004, 218), CSB, CEB, ESV, GNT, NABRE, NASB, NET, NIV, NJPS, REB.
- ↑ Such a sequence was apparently problematic for the LXX, which continued in the third person (ἠγάπησεν) in the second clause. While it is possible that its Hebrew Vorlage had a 3fs weyiqtol, וַאָהֲבַתָּם, it seems to be, rather, a semantic decision, as Jerome’s translation of the LXX reverts back to the first-person dilexi ea without any issue (see also Sa and La in Rahlfs' apparatus). In modern translations, the 3fs is followed by the BTX4ª's “Mi alma guarda tus testimonios, y los ama intensamente” and Luther 2017's “Meine Seele hält deine Zeugnisse und liebt sie sehr.”
- ↑ Hardy 2022, 96.
- ↑ The emended alternative prepositional phrase בדברך for the MT's כִּדְבָרְךָ֥ ("according to your word") is found in a number of Hebrew manuscripts (see De-Rossi, Variae Lectiones: Vol. 4, 81) and the Peshitta’s ܒܡܠܬܟ (cf. the NET's “Give me insight by your word”). There is also a lexical issue in the Peshitta’s choice of ܐܚܢܝ (“restore my life,” Taylor 2020: 529), derived from חַיֵּנִי (as also read in Kennicott 40).
- ↑ Note that we read the yiqtol תְלַמְּדֵנִי as continuous aspect.
- ↑ The alternative prepositional phrase represents 11Q5's תהלה לכה as similarly read by the plural suffix in the Peshitta's ܬܫܒ̈ܚܬܟ “your praises” for the MT's תְּהִלָּה “praise” (see the singular “your praise” in the NABRE and REB and “ta louange” in the NFC and SG21). Note that vv. 171 and 172 are reversed in the Peshitta.
- ↑ GKC §141c. See the notes under vv. 75, 86.
- ↑ See the LXX’s φθέγγομαι “recount, tell” (LSJ), “speak, utter, proclaim” (BDAG) as the Gallican Psalter’s pronuntiare; the Iuxta Hebraeos’ loquetur “utter, speak”; Targum Psalms’ תוב “return” ≈ “answer”; and the Peshitta’s ܢܒܝ “produce, gush forth” (CAL).
- ↑ See also Num 21:17; Jer 51:14, among others; for the significance in this psalm, see further Ringleben (2019, 179; 198).
- ↑ The jussive reading is close to unanimous, if not unanimous, among modern translations (see also Deissler 1955, 261; Ḥakham 1979, 433; Zenger 2011, 254), and seems to make best sense of the verse, though there is no support for this reading in the LXX or Jerome, as there is for the previous instanzas throughout the stanza (vv. 169, 170, 172, 173).
- ↑ See, e.g., Allen’s comment: "In v176a the context of the psalm and indeed v176b indicate that not moral backsliding but exposure to danger and being lost and lonely among foes are meant by the imagery" (2002, 192; cf. similar comments by Goldingay 2008, 443).
- ↑ Bridge comments that mentions of going astray as a lost sheep “connotes ownership and control by YHWH (especially heritage; but sheep also alludes to a recognised ANE image of the monarch as shepherd" (Bridge 2009, 371-372).
- An alternative interpretation takes the that (כִּי) clause as a causal subordinator ("because") (as Targum Psalms, Syr, and possibly the LXX/Jerome). It is difficult to find a satisfactory antecedent for this (זֹאת) in the previous verse, however, so the complementizer reading has been preferred.[106]
- The beginning of the ז-stanza marks the beginning of the next macro speech act: explanation.
v. 17
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 17a גְּמֹ֖ל עַֽל־עַבְדְּךָ֥ אֶֽחְיֶ֗ה Deal fairly with your servant, so that I will live 17b וְאֶשְׁמְרָ֥ה דְבָרֶֽךָ׃ and I will keep your words. Expanded Paraphrase
Deal fairly with your servant, who trusts you, according to your loyalty, so that I will live and if I am alive I will surely keep your words.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 18
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 18a גַּל־עֵינַ֥י וְאַבִּ֑יטָה Open my eyes, so that I will see 18b נִ֝פְלָא֗וֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃ wonderful things from your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
Open my eyes, so that I will see wonderful things from your instruction, the same way you have made us remember your wonders on past occasions.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 19
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 19a גֵּ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י בָאָ֑רֶץ I am a sojourner in the land. 19b אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֥ר מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ Do not hide your commands from me. Expanded Paraphrase
I am a sojourner in the land, traveling the path of your word. So do not hide your commands from me as a sign of your displeasure.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 20
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 20a גָּרְסָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֣י לְתַאֲבָ֑ה My soul is consumed with longing 20b אֶֽל־מִשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ בְכָל־עֵֽת׃ for your judgments all the time. Expanded Paraphrase
My soul is consumed with longing for your judgments– it's all I can think about – all the time.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 21
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 21a גָּ֭עַרְתָּ זֵדִ֣ים אֲרוּרִ֑ים You have rebuked the arrogant people, cursed ones, 21b הַ֝שֹּׁגִים מִמִּצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ those who abandon your commands. Expanded Paraphrase
You have rebuked the arrogant people, cursed ones, those who abandon your commands rather than longing for them.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 22
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 22a גֹּל* מֵֽ֭עָלַי חֶרְפָּ֣ה וָב֑וּז* Take insult and contempt away from me, 22b כִּ֖י עֵדֹתֶ֣יךָ נָצָֽרְתִּי׃ because I have kept your testimonies. Expanded Paraphrase
They deserve your rebuke, but I do not. So take insult and contempt away from me, because I have kept your testimonies.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 23
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 23a גַּ֤ם יָֽשְׁב֣וּ שָׂ֭רִים בִּ֣י נִדְבָּ֑רוּ Also, leaders have been sitting and speaking together against me. 23b עַ֝בְדְּךָ֗ יָשִׂ֥יחַ בְּחֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ Your servant meditates on your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
Also, leaders have been sitting in their position of counsel and speaking together against me. Nevertheless, your lowly servant meditates on your decrees.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 24
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 24a גַּֽם־עֵ֭דֹתֶיךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֗י Indeed, your testimonies are my delight, 24b אַנְשֵׁ֥י עֲצָתִֽי׃ my advisers. Expanded Paraphrase
Indeed, your testimonies are my delight; they act as my advisers, not the leaders, even though that is their job!.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 25
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 25a דָּֽבְקָ֣ה לֶעָפָ֣ר נַפְשִׁ֑י My life sticks to the dust. 25b חַ֝יֵּ֗נִי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ Keep me alive according to your promise! Expanded Paraphrase
My life sticks to the dust and I would be dead without your help. Keep me alive according to your promise to your servants!
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 26
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 26a דְּרָכַ֣י סִ֭פַּרְתִּי וַֽתַּעֲנֵ֗נִי I declared my ways and you answered me. 26b לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ Teach me your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
Previously, I declared my ways, calling for help so that you would pay attention to my circumstances, and you took notice and answered me so that I came through them. Teach me your decrees, because I need to understand that you will do it again.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 27
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 27a דֶּֽרֶךְ־פִּקּוּדֶ֥יךָ הֲבִינֵ֑נִי Give me understanding of the way of your precepts, 27b וְ֝אָשִׂ֗יחָה בְּנִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ so that I will meditate on your wonderful deeds. Expanded Paraphrase
Give me understanding of the way of your precepts, so that I will meditate on your wonderful deeds, in full trust.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 28
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 28a דָּלְפָ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִתּוּגָ֑ה I weep from grief. 28b קַ֝יְּמֵ֗נִי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ Lift me up according to your promise. Expanded Paraphrase
But, for now, I still weep from grief. So please take notice like last time and lift me up according to your promise.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 29
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 29a דֶּֽרֶךְ־שֶׁ֭קֶר הָסֵ֣ר מִמֶּ֑נִּי Remove any disloyal ways from me 29b וְֽתוֹרָתְךָ֥ חָנֵּֽנִי׃ and be gracious to me with your instruction. Expanded Paraphrase
Also remove any disloyal ways from me so something like that previous episode does not happen again and be gracious to me with your instruction which you teach me.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 30
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 30a דֶּֽרֶךְ־אֱמוּנָ֥ה בָחָ֑רְתִּי I have chosen a faithful way. 30b מִשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ שִׁוִּֽיתִי׃ I have set your rules before me. Expanded Paraphrase
Look, I have chosen a faithful way. I have set your rules before me.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 31
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 31a דָּבַ֥קְתִּי בְעֵֽדְוֺתֶ֑יךָ I cling to your testimonies. 31b יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַל־תְּבִישֵֽׁנִי׃ YHWH, do not let me be shamed. Expanded Paraphrase
I cling to your testimonies. What more can I do? YHWH, do not let me be shamed like those who abandon your word.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 32
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 32a דֶּֽרֶךְ־מִצְוֺתֶ֥יךָ אָר֑וּץ I run along the path of your commands, 32b כִּ֖י תַרְחִ֣יב לִבִּֽי׃ because you broaden my understanding. Expanded Paraphrase
I run along the path of your commands, because you broaden my understanding; otherwise, I would be off the path.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 33
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 33a הוֹרֵ֣נִי יְ֭הוָה דֶּ֥רֶךְ חֻקֶּ֗יךָ Teach me, YHWH, the way of your decrees, 33b וְאֶצְּרֶ֥נָּה עֵֽקֶב׃ so that I will keep it to the end. Expanded Paraphrase
Teach me, YHWH, the way of your decrees, so that I will keep it to the end.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 34
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 34a הֲ֭בִינֵנִי וְאֶצְּרָ֥ה תֽוֹרָתֶ֗ךָ Give me understanding so that I will keep your instruction 34b וְאֶשְׁמְרֶ֥נָּה בְכָל־לֵֽב׃ and I will observe it with a whole heart. Expanded Paraphrase
Give me understanding so that I will keep your instruction and I will observe it with a whole heart.
Grammatical Diagram
v. 35
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 35a הַ֭דְרִיכֵנִי בִּנְתִ֣יב מִצְוֺתֶ֑יךָ Guide me in the path of your commands, 35b כִּי־ב֥וֹ חָפָֽצְתִּי׃ for I delight in it. Expanded Paraphrase
Guide me in the path of your commands, for I delight in it.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 36
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 36a הַט־לִ֭בִּי אֶל־עֵדְוֺתֶ֗יךָ Turn my heart to your testimonies 36b וְאַ֣ל אֶל־בָּֽצַע׃ and not to unjust gain. Expanded Paraphrase
Turn my heart to your testimonies and not to unjust gain, which I would be tempted to pursue if I abandoned your way.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 37
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 37a הַעֲבֵ֣ר עֵ֭ינַי מֵרְא֣וֹת שָׁ֑וְא Turn my eyes away from seeing futile things. 37b כִּדְבָרְךָ* חַיֵּֽנִי׃* Keep me alive according to your word. Expanded Paraphrase
Turn my eyes away from seeing futile things, which do not satisfy anyway, unlike the joy of your word. Keep me alive according to your word of both blessing towards those who keep your word and curse against those who ignore it.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 38
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 38a הָקֵ֣ם לְ֭עַבְדְּךָ אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ Fulfill for your servant your promise, 38b אֲ֝שֶׁ֗ר לְיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃ which is designed for the fear of you. Expanded Paraphrase
Fulfill for your servant your promise of rejecting the wicked, which is designed for the fear of you.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 39
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 39a הַעֲבֵ֣ר חֶ֭רְפָּתִי אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָגֹ֑רְתִּי Turn away insults directed towards me, which I fear, 39b כִּ֖י מִשְׁפָּטֶ֣יךָ טוֹבִֽים׃ because your judgments are good. Expanded Paraphrase
And when you do, also turn away their insults directed towards me, which, if I am honest, I fear, because your judgments are actually good and we can trust that you will put them into effect so that there will be justice in the world.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 40
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 40a הִ֭נֵּה תָּאַ֣בְתִּי לְפִקֻּדֶ֑י ךָ Look, I long for your precepts. 40b בְּצִדְקָתְךָ֥ חַיֵּֽנִי׃ Keep me alive by your justice. Expanded Paraphrase
Look, I long for your precepts. So keep me alive by your justice, which carries out these good judgments.
Grammatical Diagram
v. 41
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 41a וִֽיבֹאֻ֣נִי חֲסָדֶ֣ךָ יְהוָ֑ה Now, let your loyal acts come to me, YHWH; 41b תְּ֝שֽׁוּעָתְךָ֗ כְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ׃ [let] your salvation [come to me] according to your word, Expanded Paraphrase
Now, let your loyal acts come to me in order to deal with me fairly, YHWH; [let] your salvation [come to me] according to your word of blessing and curse,
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 42
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 42a וְאֶֽעֱנֶ֣ה חֹרְפִ֣י דָבָ֑ר so that I will answer a word to those insulting me, 42b כִּֽי־בָ֝טַחְתִּי בִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ because I trust in your words. Expanded Paraphrase
so that I will answer a word to those insulting me and will not shrink away in shame, because I trust in your words.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 43
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 43a וְֽאַל־תַּצֵּ֬ל מִפִּ֣י דְבַר־אֱמֶ֣ת עַד־מְאֹ֑ד And do not take true words out of my mouth at all, 43b כִּ֖י לְמִשְׁפָּ טֶ֣ךָ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃ – because I hope in your judgments – Expanded Paraphrase
And do not take true words out of my mouth at all even if I am tempted to resort to lies – because I hope in your judgments and know you will punish falsehood –
Grammatical Diagram
v. 44
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 44a וְאֶשְׁמְרָ֖ה תוֹרָתְךָ֥ תָמִ֗יד so that I will keep your instruction always, 44b לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ forever and ever, Expanded Paraphrase
so that I will keep your instruction always, forever and ever, always,
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 45
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 45a וְאֶתְהַלְּכָ֥ה בָרְחָבָ֑ה so that I will live at ease 45b כִּ֖י פִקֻּדֶ֣יךָ דָרָֽשְׁתִּי׃ – because I care about your precepts – Expanded Paraphrase
so that I will live at ease with a clean conscience and free from oppression – because I care about your precepts –
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 46
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 46a וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה בְ֭עֵדֹתֶיךָ נֶ֥גֶד מְלָכִ֗ים so that I will speak about your testimonies before kings 46b וְלֹ֣א אֵבֽוֹשׁ׃ and I will not be ashamed, Expanded Paraphrase
so that I will speak about your testimonies before kings, who come to learn your ways and walk in your paths and I will not be ashamed,
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 47
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 47a וְאֶשְׁתַּֽעֲשַׁ֥ע בְּמִצְוֺתֶ֗יךָ so that I will delight in your commands, 47b אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָהָֽבְתִּי׃ which I love, Expanded Paraphrase
so that I will delight in your commands, which I love,
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
v. 48
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v. Hebrew Close-but-Clear 48a וְאֶשָּֽׂא־כַפַּ֗י אֶֽל־מִ֭צְוֺתֶיךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהָ֗בְתִּי so that I will commit to your commands, which I love, 48b וְאָשִׂ֥יחָה בְחֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ and I will meditate on your decrees. Expanded Paraphrase
so that I will commit to your commands, which I love, and vow to obey them, and I will meditate on your decrees.
Grammatical Diagram
Notes
