The Syntactic Function of זֶה in Ps 78:54

Introduction

The MT of Ps 78:54 reads as follows:

וַ֭יְבִיאֵם אֶל־גְּב֣וּל קָדְשׁ֑וֹ הַר־זֶ֝֗ה קָנְתָ֥ה יְמִינֽוֹ׃

Translations differ on the function of זֶה in this verse, as illustrated by the KJV and ESV, respectively:

• And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased (KJV)
• And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won (ESV)

The KJV reads זֶה according to its typical function as a demonstrative pronoun, "this," whereas the ESV understands its function as a relativizer, "which." We explore these two possible interpretations of Ps 78:54 in the argument maps below.

Argument Maps

Demonstrative Pronoun

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[Demonstrative Pronoun]: The word זֶה in Ps 78:54 functions as a demonstrative pronoun, "this".#dispreferred
 + <Ancient versions>: The ancient versions read הַר־זֶ֝֗ה as "this mountain."#dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX: καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ὅριον ἁγιάσματος αὐτοῦ, ὄρος '''τοῦτο''', ὃ ἐκτήσατο ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ "And he brought them to a territory of his holy precinct, '''this''' mountain that his right hand acquired" (NETS); Iuxta Hebraeos: et adduxit eos ad terminum sanctificatum suum montem '''istum''' quem possedit dextera eius "And he brought them to the his holy border, '''this''' mountain which his right hand possessed"; Peshitta: ܐܝܬܝ ܐܢܘܢ ܠܬܚܘܡܐ ܕܩܘܕܫܗ ܠ'''ܗܢܐ''' ܛܘܪܐ ܕܩܢܬ ܝܡܝܢܗ "He brought them to the border of his sanctuary; to '''this''' mountain that his right hand had acquired" (Taylor 2020, 323); TgPs ואעלינון לתחום אתר בית מקדשיה טור '''דין''' די קנת ימיניה׃ "And he brought them to the border of the place of the house of his sanctuary, *this* mountain that his right hand had acquired" (modified from Stec 2004, 176).#dispreferred
  <_ <Conservative translation>: This is how the ancient versions typically render ז-pronouns (זֶה, זֹאת, etc.), even those quite unambiguously relative in function, lacking gender, number and definiteness agreement (such as זוּ; Atkinson forthcoming :G:).
   + [Conservative translation]: See, e.g., Exod 15:16; Isa 42:24; 43:21; Ps 10:2; 31:5; 62:12.
 + <Prototypical Function>: The demonstrative pronoun is the prototypical function of זֶה.#dispreferred
  - <Lack of article>: As an attributive demonstrative pronoun, as in the case of "this mountain," very rarely (if ever) are both the head noun and demonstrative lacking an article.
   - <Counterexamples>: There may be a few examples, including 1 Kgs 21:2; 2 Kgs 1:2; 8:8, 9; Ps 34:7; 74:2; 104:8.#dispreferred
    <_ <1 Kgs 21:2> The phrase כֶ֖סֶף מְחִ֥יר זֶֽה is best read as a construct chain: "the money of the price of this."
     + [1 Kgs 21:2]: וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַחְאָ֣ב אֶל־נָב֣וֹת׀ לֵאמֹר֩׀ תְּנָה־לִּ֨י אֶֽת־כַּרְמְךָ֜ וִֽיהִי־לִ֣י לְגַן־יָרָ֗ק כִּ֣י ה֤וּא קָרוֹב֙ אֵ֣צֶל בֵּיתִ֔י וְאֶתְּנָ֤ה לְךָ֙ תַּחְתָּ֔יו כֶּ֖רֶם ט֣וֹב מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אִ֚ם ט֣וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אֶתְּנָה־לְךָ֥ כֶ֖סֶף מְחִ֥יר זֶֽה׃ "And after this Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money” (ESV).
    <_ <Ps 34:7>: The order of demonstrative-noun is reversed here, either to intend a predicate demonstrative, apposition, or to fit the acrostic structure, which may also explain its lack of article.
     + [Ps 34:7]: זֶ֤ה עָנִ֣י קָ֭רָא וַיהוָ֣ה שָׁמֵ֑עַ "this poor man called out / this, a poor man, called out / this is a poor man who called out and YHWH answered."
    <_ <Ps 74:2>: Psalm 74 is almost certainly set in the exile (see v. 3), so the demonstrative as a deictic of "this mount Zion" is unlikely.
     + [Ps 74:2-3]: זְכֹ֤ר עֲדָתְךָ֨׀ קָ֘נִ֤יתָ קֶּ֗דֶם גָּ֭אַלְתָּ שֵׁ֣בֶט נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ הַר־צִ֝יּ֗וֹן זֶ֤ה׀ שָׁכַ֬נְתָּ בּֽוֹ׃ הָרִ֣ימָה פְ֭עָמֶיךָ לְמַשֻּׁא֣וֹת נֶ֑צַח כָּל־הֵרַ֖ע אוֹיֵ֣ב בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃ "Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!" (ESV).
    <_ <Ps 104:8>: Psalm 104:8 mentions both "mountains and valleys" in the line preceding זֶה, so, if read as a demonstrative, which "place" would be modified by "this" is entirely unclear.
     + [Ps 104:8]: יַעֲל֣וּ הָ֭רִים יֵרְד֣וּ בְקָע֑וֹת אֶל־מְ֝ק֗וֹם זֶ֤ה׀ יָסַ֬דְתָּ לָהֶֽם׃ "The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them" (ESV).

Relative Pronoun (Preferred)

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[Relative Pronoun]: The word זֶה in Ps 78:54 functions as a relative pronoun, "which" (GKC §138 :G:; Fassberg 2019, §365 :G:; Delitzsch 1871, 359 :C:; Hitzig 1863, 169 :C:; Ḥakham 1979, 57 :C: ;Goldingay 2006, 506 :C:).
 + <Symmachus>: This is how Symmachus' revision reads.
  + [Symmachus]: ... ὄρος '''ὅ''' ἐκτήσατο ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ "...the mountain '''which''' his right hand acquired."

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ὅριον ἁγιάσματος αὐτοῦ, ὄρος τοῦτο, ὃ ἐκτήσατο ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ.
  • "And he brought them to a territory of his holy precinct, this mountain that his right hand acquired."
• Symmachus: ... ὄρος ὅ ἐκτήσατο ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ.
  • "...the mountain which his right hand acquired."
• Iuxta Hebraeos: et adduxit eos ad terminum sanctificatum suum montem istum quem possedit dextera eius
  • "And he brought them to the his holy border, this mountain which his right hand possessed."
• Peshitta: ܐܝܬܝ ܐܢܘܢ ܠܬܚܘܡܐ ܕܩܘܕܫܗ ܠܗܢܐ ܛܘܪܐ ܕܩܢܬ ܝܡܝܢܗ
  • "He brought them to the border of his sanctuary; to this mountain that his right hand had acquired."
• Targum: ואעלינון לתחום אתר בית מקדשיה טור דין די קנת ימיניה׃
  • "And he brought them to the border of the place of the house of his sanctuary, the mountain that his right hand had acquired."

Modern

Demonstrative

• And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased (KJV; cf. NASB, NET, NLT)
• Er brachte sie in sein heiliges Land, zu diesem Berg, den seine Rechte erworben hat (ELB)
• Y los trajo a las fronteras de su tierra santa, a este monte que ganó con su mano derecha (RVC)
• Il les amène à son domaine sacré, à cette montagne acquise par sa droite (TOB; cf. Louis Segond 1910, NBS, NVSR)

Relativizer

• And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won (ESV; cf. CEB, CSB, NABRE, NIV, NJPS, REB)
• Er brachte sie in seinen heiligen Bezirk, zu dem Berg, den seine Rechte erworben hat (ZÜR; cf. EÜ, LUT)
• Dios trajo a su pueblo a su tierra santa, ¡a las montañas que él mismo conquistó! (DHH)
• Il les avait amenés sur son saint territoire, jusqu’à la montagne que sa main droite avait conquise (SG21; cf. BDS, NFC, PDV)

References

78:54