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

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Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Psalm 78:66 reads as follows:[1]

וַיַּךְ־צָרָ֥יו אָח֑וֹר חֶרְפַּ֥ת ע֝וֹלָ֗ם נָ֣תַן לָֽמוֹ׃

(confirm CBC) "And he struck back his adversaries. He gave them eternal shame."

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. The denotation could be

  1. the Israelites rejected at Shiloh
  2. the Philistines humiliated by the presence of the ark of YHWH (as recounted in 1 Samuel 5-6:12), or
  3. all the enemies of God's people up to and including the period of David's kingship.

These three possibilities are discussed in the following argument maps.

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:).#dispreferred
 + <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:).#dispreferred
  <_ <v. 65>: The mention of YHWH "awakening" in v. 65 falls between v. 64 and v. 66, and is often used for God initiating vengeance for his people (see, e.g., Isa 51:9-11; Zech 2:16-17; Ps 7:7; 44:23-24).
 + <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:).#dispreferred
  <_ <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:).#dispreferred


Argument Mapn0Israelites'''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 🄲).n1Wayyiqtol in Ps 78See, for example, the wayyiqtol in v. 5 (וַיָּקֶם); v. 36 (וַיְפַתּוּהוּ) and v. 68 (וַיִּבְחַר).n5Wayyiqtol in Ps 78There 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.n1->n5n2Preceding discourseThe 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 🄼).n2->n0n3v. 65The mention of YHWH "awakening" in v. 65 falls between v. 64 and v. 66, and is often used for God initiating vengeance for his people (see, e.g., Isa 51:9-11; Zech 2:16-17; Ps 7:7; 44:23-24).n3->n2n4Following discourseThe 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 🄼).n4->n0n5->n4n6Discourse structureThe final discourse unit of the psalm begins in either v. 65 or 67, both of which begin with a wayyiqtol verb.n6->n4n7Participant relationsIn 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 🄼).n7->n0


Philistines (preferred)

His adversaries in Ps 78:66 refers to the Philistines who were victorious at Aphek in 1 Samuel 4 and terrorized by the Ark of the Lord in 1 Samuel 5-6:12. 


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[Philistines]: '''His adversaries''' in Ps 78:66 refers to the Philistines (Rashi :C:; Ibn Ezra :C:; Rasag 1965, 189 :C:; Tate 1998, 283 :C:; Ray 2023, 165 :M:).
 + <The adverb אָחוֹר>: Reading the adverb אָחוֹר as the locative "in the hinder parts" (KJV; cf. Gall.; TgPs), as recounted in 1 Samuel 5-6:12, makes sense of the "eternal shame" in Ps 78:66b as their humiliation by the Ark of the Lord.
  <_ <The collocation with נכה>: The verb נכה with אָחוֹר only occurs here in the Bible, though נכה is most often accompanied by an adverbial of movement, such that אָחוֹר would be read as "backwards" here.#dispreferred
   + [The collocation with נכה]: See, e.g., "strike down" with directional movement (e.g., עַד in Josh 10:10, 41; 1 Sam 7:11; מִן plus allative he in 1 Sam 14:31; בְּ plus "wall" in the textually contested אַכֶּ֥ה בְדָוִ֖ד וּבַקִּ֑יר in 1 Sam 18:11 and 19:10; similarly וּבָאָ֙רֶץ֙ in 1 Sam 26:8; allative he with אַכֶּ֙כָּה֙ אַ֔רְצָה in 2 Sam 2:22; 18:11; 2 Kgs 13:18).#dispreferred
   - <Locative adverb>: The verb נכה is also accompanied by locative adverbs. 
    + [Locative adverb]: See, e.g., the אֵל locatives in 2 Sam 4:6, בֵּין in 1 Kgs 22:34, עַל in Jon 4:8; Mic 4:14; but most significantly, the bare nominals חֹמֶשׁ "stomach" and לְחִי "cheek" in 2 Sam 3:27 and Ps 3:8 (וַיַּכֵּ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ הַחֹ֔מֶשׁ and כִּֽי־הִכִּ֣יתָ אֶת־כָּל־אֹיְבַ֣י לֶ֑חִי, respectively).
 + <v. 65>: The mention of YHWH "awakening" in v. 65 is often used for God initiating vengeance against his people's enemies (see, e.g., Isa 51:9-11; Zech 2:16-17; Ps 7:7; 44:23-24).
 + <Wayyiqtol וַיַךְ>: The wayyiqtol וַיַךְ, as in the present verse, is also used to refer to YHWH's actions against the Philistines in 1 Samuel 5:6, 9.
 + <Use of צַר in Ps 78>: The other denotations of צַר in the psalm (vv. 42, 61) both unambiguously refer to foreign peoples. The latter case (only five verses before our present verse) refers to the Philistines among whom the Ark of the Lord was taken.
  <_ <Suffix>: The instances of צַר in vv. 42, 61 lack a pronominal suffix, which is present in צָרָיו "his adversaries" here.#dispreferred
 + <Symmachus>: Symmachus provides the suffix "their adversaries" (τοὺς ἐναντίους αὐτῶν) unambiguously referring to the Israelites. 
  <_ <Greek traditions>: The pronominal suffixes in the LXX and the Revisers are often artificial and interpretive throughout the psalm.#dispreferred
   + [Greek tradition]: See, e.g., the 3pl for 3sg in the LXX and Symmachus of v. 28 and the LXX of vv. 63-64.#dispreferred


Argument Mapn0Philistines'''His adversaries''' in Ps 78:66 refers to the Philistines (Rashi 🄲; Ibn Ezra 🄲; Rasag 1965, 189 🄲; Tate 1998, 283 🄲; Ray 2023, 165 🄼).n1The collocation with נכהSee, e.g., "strike down" with directional movement (e.g., עַד in Josh 10:10, 41; 1 Sam 7:11; מִן plus allative he in 1 Sam 14:31; בְּ plus "wall" in the textually contested אַכֶּ֥ה בְדָוִ֖ד וּבַקִּ֑יר in 1 Sam 18:11 and 19:10; similarly וּבָאָ֙רֶץ֙ in 1 Sam 26:8; allative he with אַכֶּ֙כָּה֙ אַ֔רְצָה in 2 Sam 2:22; 18:11; 2 Kgs 13:18).n5The collocation with נכהThe verb נכה with אָחוֹר only occurs here in the Bible, though נכה is most often accompanied by an adverbial of movement, such that אָחוֹר would be read as "backwards" here.n1->n5n2Locative adverbSee, e.g., the אֵל locatives in 2 Sam 4:6, בֵּין in 1 Kgs 22:34, עַל in Jon 4:8; Mic 4:14; but most significantly, the bare nominals חֹמֶשׁ "stomach" and לְחִי "cheek" in 2 Sam 3:27 and Ps 3:8 (וַיַּכֵּ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ הַחֹ֔מֶשׁ and כִּֽי־הִכִּ֣יתָ אֶת־כָּל־אֹיְבַ֣י לֶ֑חִי, respectively).n6Locative adverbThe verb נכה is also accompanied by locative adverbs. n2->n6n3Greek traditionSee, e.g., the 3pl for 3sg in the LXX and Symmachus of v. 28 and the LXX of vv. 63-64.n12Greek traditionsThe pronominal suffixes in the LXX and the Revisers are often artificial and interpretive throughout the psalm.n3->n12n4The adverb אָחוֹרReading the adverb אָחוֹר as the locative "in the hinder parts" (KJV; cf. Gall.; TgPs), as recounted in 1 Samuel 5-6:12, makes sense of the "eternal shame" in Ps 78:66b as their humiliation by the Ark of the Lord.n4->n0n5->n4n6->n5n7v. 65The mention of YHWH "awakening" in v. 65 is often used for God initiating vengeance against his people's enemies (see, e.g., Isa 51:9-11; Zech 2:16-17; Ps 7:7; 44:23-24).n7->n0n8Wayyiqtol וַיַךְThe wayyiqtol וַיַךְ, as in the present verse, is also used to refer to YHWH's actions against the Philistines in 1 Samuel 5:6, 9.n8->n0n9Use of צַר in Ps 78The other denotations of צַר in the psalm (vv. 42, 61) both unambiguously refer to foreign peoples. The latter case (only five verses before our present verse) refers to the Philistines among whom the Ark of the Lord was taken.n9->n0n10SuffixThe instances of צַר in vv. 42, 61 lack a pronominal suffix, which is present in צָרָיו "his adversaries" here.n10->n9n11SymmachusSymmachus provides the suffix "their adversaries" (τοὺς ἐναντίους αὐτῶν) unambiguously referring to the Israelites. n11->n0n12->n11


Israelites Enemies

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? A lot depends on whether v. 65 constitutes a new discourse unit, of v. 67ff. Both are quite plausible, but perhaps the chain of topic shifts from vv. 63-64 and the pattern broken thereafter is stronger than the focal fronting of חֶרְפַּ֥ת ע֝וֹלָ֗ם in v. 66b...[2]

[3]

Research

Translations

Ancient

Modern

Secondary Literature

Rasag = Kafaḥ, Y. 1965. The Psalms with Translation and Commentary of Saadia Gaon (in Hebrew: תהלים עם תרגום פוירוש הגאון). Jerusalem: The American Academy for Jewish Research (האקדימיה האמריקאנית למדעי היהדות).

References

78:66

  1. ↑ Text from OSHB.
  2. ↑ See, e.g., Hitzig's claim: "Die vv. 65, 66 schliessen mit Besiegung des Siegers die geschichtliche Reihe ab, und sind somit zu der bisherigen Strophe zu ziehn; wogegen vers 67. eine Folge Handlungen anderer Art einleitet" (The vv. 65, 66 conclude the historical series with the defeat of the victor, and are thus to be added to the previous verse; whereas verse 67 introduces a sequence of actions of a different kind) (1863, 171). Similarly, Delitzsch states, "With ver. 65 the song takes a new turn. After the punitive judgment has sifted and purified Israel, God receives His people to Himself afresh, but in such a manner that He transfers the precedence of Ephraim to the tribe of Judah..." (1871, 374-375).
  3. ↑ "the enemy and the wicked are expressions of the identity and character of the Opponent respectively. The Opponent incorporates both of these concepts which, at least in the AP-Collection, cannot be used as a simple means to distinguish foreign enemies from covenant breakers" (Ray 2023, 25). "it is possible that here, too, there is polysemy in meaning" (Jacobson 2017, 138).