The Identity of the "Adversaries" in Ps 78:66

Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Psalm 78:66 reads as follows:

וַיַּךְ־צָרָ֥יו אָח֑וֹר חֶרְפַּ֥ת ע֝וֹלָ֗ם נָ֣תַן לָֽמוֹ׃

"(forthcoming CBC)... And he struck his adversaries backwards; eternal shame he gave them"

The identity of his adversaries in the first line and them in the second refer to the same group, though the identity of this group is not immediately clear. It is possible that the denotation is the Israelites rejected at Shiloh, Philistines humiliated by the presence of the ark of YHWH (as recounted in 1 Samual 5-6:12), or the enemies of God's people in general up to and including the rule of David.

Argument Maps

Israelites at Shiloh

His adversaries in Ps 78:66 refers to the Israelites at Shiloh.

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[Israelites]: '''His adversaries''' in Ps 78:66 refers to the Israelites at Shiloh and the "eternal shame" in Ps 78:66b refers to the loss of the ark of the covenant, as recounted in v. 61 (Radak :C:).
 + <Preceding discourse>: The preceding discourse (vv. 59-64) concerns the defeat of the Israelites at Shiloh and v. 66 begins with a wayyiqtol, the prototypical verb form of discourse continuity (Isaksson 2024, 37-38 :M:).
 + <Following discourse>: The following verse (v. 67) concerns the rejection of the Israelites, introduced by a wayyiqtol, the prototypical verb form of discourse continuity (Isaksson 2024, 37-38 :M:).
  <_ <Wayyiqtol in Ps 78>: There are other less-than-prototypical functions of the wayyiqtol in Psalm 78, so discourse discontinuity or contrast would not be unexpected in its function here.
   + <Wayyiqtol in Ps 78>: See, for example, the wayyiqtol in v. 5 (וַיָּקֶם); v. 36 (וַיְפַתּוּהוּ) and v. 68 (וַיִּבְחַר).
  <_ <Discourse structure>: The final discourse unit of the psalm begins in either v. 65 or 67, both of which begin with a wayyiqtol verb.
 + <Participant relations>: In the Psalms of Asaph, particularly Pss 78-80, the primary opposition and enmity is found between God and the ancestors of the psalmist's community (Ray 2023, 141 :M:).

Conclusion

Sensitivity to previous discourse (largely concerning the rejection of Shiloh—vv. 59-64) and conclusion of the psalm (in a minor way v. 67, but more clearly vv. 68-72). What does the verse contribute to the discourse retrospectively and prospectively?

References

78:66