Name of Exegetical Issue (Mari)

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Introduction[ ]

The traditional Hebrew text of Ps. 98:9a reads as follows:[1]

לִֽפְֽנֵי־יְהוָ֗ה כִּ֥י בָא֮ לִשְׁפֹּ֪ט הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ

Morphologically, the verb בָא can be taken as either a qatal verb or a participle. As a qatal verb, בָא “could be descriptive of characteristic action (‘he comes’) or refer to an advent that has already taken place (‘for he is come/has come/came’)” (Tate 1998: footnote 13b, 511-2). On the other hand, as a participle, בָא would express an unmarked imminent future (“he is coming”). These contrasting interpretations can lead to different translations.

  • The majority of modern translations render this verb as a simple present:
ESV: “Before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth”
(Cf. NET; NIV; GNT; BTX IV; NVI; NTLH; TOB; NBS; NVSR; BDS; PDV; NFC; ARA; NTLH; Luther 2017; HFA; ZÜR).
  • Most ancient translations reflect the equivalent of the English present perfect. Interestingly, a significant number of commentaries suggest translating the verb with a present perfect, unlike most modern English translations:
LXX: ὅτι ἥκει κρῖναι τὴν γῆν
"Because he has come to judge the earth" [2]
  • Some opt for the participle:
NLT: “Before the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth”
(Cf. CEV; NRSV; JPS, 1985).
  • At least one translates the verb as past:
RVR95: “Delante de Jehová, porque vino a juzgar la tierra”

It seems that most modern translations avoid choosing between a qatal and a participle by translating בָא in the simple present. On this page, we will seek to identify the implications of verb choice for how we understand Psalm 98 as a whole.

Argument Map(s)[ ]

Reading בא as qatal[ ]

Most ancient witnesses support this reading. The argument for this view is as follows: 


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[Qatal]: בא in Ps. 98:9 is a qatal verb
 + <Ancient Support>: Most ancient witnesses support this reading (cf. MT, LXX, Peshitta, Targum).
 + <Context>: "In the context of this psalm with its qatal verbs, it is clearer that bāʾ is qatal rather than a participle” (Goldingay 2008: 123 :C:).
  + [Qatal Verbs in Ps. 98:1-3]:  Qatal: v. 1a (עָשָׂה), v. 1b (הוֹשִֽׁעָה), v. 2a (הוֹדִעַ), v. 2b (גִּלָּה), v. 3a (זָכַר), v. 3b (רָאוּ)
 + <Reading בא as present perfect>: “The context requires the pf., referring to the advent celebrated, and not the ptc., referring to an impending advent, as EVs” (Briggs 1960: 308 :C:).
  + <Writer's Variation of Envisagement>: “In psalms of an eschatological character, the belief expressed in the future consummation of the present world-order is so firmly held that it is envisaged, after the prophetic style, as having already come to pass; hence the use of the verbs in the perfect tense in vv. 1-3.” (Oesterley 1959: 426 :C:) 
  - <Reading בא as participle>: “The participles express imminent action. If the perfect is read, the verbs could be descriptive of characteristic action (“he comes”) or refer to an advent that has already taken place (Briggs, II, 313), “for he is come/has come/came”). Gunkel (421) and Kraus (II, 833, 838) read the verbs as expressing an eschatological concept, which I take to be correct” (Tate 1998: footnote 13b, 511-2 :C:). #tag
 + <God’s Enthronement>: We must think of the festal drama which reflects both history and final vision, conveying to the worshipers there and then an experience of the ultimate reality. As in Pss. 93 and 96-99, the theme is almost exclusively the enthronement of God as the supreme, universal king, presupposing his conquest of rivals and processional ascent” (Eaton 1967: 129-130 :C:).


Argument Mapn0Qatalבא in Ps. 98:9 is a qatal verbn1Qatal Verbs in Ps. 98:1-3Qatal: v. 1a (עָשָׂה), v. 1b (הוֹשִֽׁעָה), v. 2a (הוֹדִעַ), v. 2b (גִּלָּה), v. 3a (זָכַר), v. 3b (רָאוּ)n3Context"In the context of this psalm with its qatal verbs, it is clearer that bāʾ is qatal rather than a participle” (Goldingay 2008: 123 🄲).n1->n3n2Ancient SupportMost ancient witnesses support this reading (cf. MT, LXX, Peshitta, Targum).n2->n0n3->n0n4Reading בא as present perfect“The context requires the pf., referring to the advent celebrated, and not the ptc., referring to an impending advent, as EVs” (Briggs 1960: 308 🄲).n4->n0n5Writer's Variation of Envisagement“In psalms of an eschatological character, the belief expressed in the future consummation of the present world-order is so firmly held that it is envisaged, after the prophetic style, as having already come to pass; hence the use of the verbs in the perfect tense in vv. 1-3.” (Oesterley 1959: 426 🄲) n5->n4n6Reading בא as participle“The participles express imminent action. If the perfect is read, the verbs could be descriptive of characteristic action (“he comes”) or refer to an advent that has already taken place (Briggs, II, 313), “for he is come/has come/came”). Gunkel (421) and Kraus (II, 833, 838) read the verbs as expressing an eschatological concept, which I take to be correct” (Tate 1998: footnote 13b, 511-2 🄲). n6->n4n7God’s EnthronementWe must think of the festal drama which reflects both history and final vision, conveying to the worshipers there and then an experience of the ultimate reality. As in Pss. 93 and 96-99, the theme is almost exclusively the enthronement of God as the supreme, universal king, presupposing his conquest of rivals and processional ascent” (Eaton 1967: 129-130 🄲).n7->n0


Reading בא as participle[ ]

Many scholars have read בא as a participle expressing unmarked imminent future (he is coming). A number of English translations followed this position (cf. NLT; CEV; NRSV). The argument for this view is as follows: 


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[Participle]: Reading בא as participle #dispreferred
 + <Vividly Expression>: “The participle is used to express more vividly the coming of Jehovah, as if actually taking place before the eyes of the Psalmist. It is a coming to judgement, but a judgment which is to issue in salvation” (Perowne 1966: 198 :C:). #dispreferred
   + <Imminent Future>: “The expectation of the coming of the Lord (with the participle, ‘for he is coming’ כִּי בָא) was introduced in Psalm 96:13" (Ross 2016: 170 :C:). Citing Perowne, Ross explains that the vividness anticipates that God's coming is imminent—he is coming!” (Ross 2016: 171 :C:). #dispreferred 
    - <Yhwh's rule>: Psalm 96 "more likely refers to the reality of Yhwh’s rule in the present, based on having already asserted kingly authority. Yhwh has come” (Goldingay 2008: 107 :C:).
 + <Understanding בא Eschatologically>: The summonses to praise YHWH culminate with the participle בא expressing an impending eschatological theophany (Kraus 1993: 265 :C:). #dispreferred


Argument Mapn0ParticipleReading בא as participle n1Vividly Expression“The participle is used to express more vividly the coming of Jehovah, as if actually taking place before the eyes of the Psalmist. It is a coming to judgement, but a judgment which is to issue in salvation” (Perowne 1966: 198 🄲). n1->n0n2Imminent Future“The expectation of the coming of the Lord (with the participle, ‘for he is coming’ כִּי בָא) was introduced in Psalm 96:13" (Ross 2016: 170 🄲). Citing Perowne, Ross explains that the vividness anticipates that God's coming is imminent—he is coming!” (Ross 2016: 171 🄲). n2->n1n3Yhwh's rulePsalm 96 "more likely refers to the reality of Yhwh’s rule in the present, based on having already asserted kingly authority. Yhwh has come” (Goldingay 2008: 107 🄲).n3->n2n4Understanding בא EschatologicallyThe summonses to praise YHWH culminate with the participle בא expressing an impending eschatological theophany (Kraus 1993: 265 🄲). n4->n0


Key to Symbols:

  • A = article
  • C = commentary
  • D = dictionary
  • G = grammatical resource
  • L = lexical resource
  • M = monograph

Conclusion[ ]

Research[ ]

Translations[ ]

Ancient[ ]

  • LXX: ὅτι ἥκει κρῖναι τὴν γῆν
"Because he has come to judge the earth" [3]
  • Peshitta: ܩܕܡ ܡܪܝܐ܂ ܕܐܬܐ ܠܡܕܢܗܿ ܠܐܪܥܐ
"Before the Lord, who comes to judge the earth” [4]
"Before Lord Jehovah, because he comes to judge the earth” [5]
  • Targum: קדם ייי ארום אתא למידן ארעא
"In the presence of the Lord, for he has come to judge the earth" [6]
"Before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth" [7]
  • Jerome: Ante Dominum quia venit iudicare terram

Modern[ ]

English

  • ESV: Before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
  • NET: Before the LORD! For he comes to judge the earth!
  • NIV: Let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
  • GNT: Because he comes to rule the earth.
  • NLT: Before the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth.
  • CEV: Let them worship the LORD! He is coming to judge everyone on the earth.
  • NRSV: At the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth.
  • JPS, 1985: At the presence of the LORD, for He is coming to rule the earth.

Spanish

  • RVR95: Delante de Jehová, porque vino a juzgar la tierra.
  • NVI: Canten delante del Señor, que ya viene a juzgar la tierra.
  • DHH: Delante del Señor, que viene a gobernar la tierra.
  • BTX IV: Porque Él viene a juzgar la tierra.

French

  • TOB: Devant le Seigneur, car il vient pour gouverner la terre.
  • NBS: Devant le Seigneur, car il vient pour juger la terre!
  • NVSR: Devant l'Éternel! Car il vient pour juger la terre.
  • BDS: Aux yeux de l’Eternel, car il vient gouverner la terre!
  • PDV: Oui, il vient pour juger la terre.
  • NFC: Devant le Seigneur, car il vient!

Portuguese

  • NVIP: Cantem diante do Senhor, porque ele vem, vem julgar a terra.
  • ARA: Na presença do Senhor, porque ele vem julgar a terra.
  • NTLH: Porque ele vem governar a terra!

German

  • Luther 2017: Vor dem HERRN; denn er kommt, das Erdreich zu richten.
  • HFA: Denn er kommt, um die Welt zu richten.
  • ZÜR: Vor dem HERRN, denn er kommt, um die Erde zu richten.

Secondary Literature[ ]

  • Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Grace Briggs. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Book of Psalms. Vol. II. New York, NY: C. Scribner’s sons, 1960.
  • Eaton, John Herbert. Psalms: Introduction and Commentary. London: S. C. M. Press, 1967.
  • Goldingay, John. Psalms 90-150. Vol. 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008.
  • Kraus, Hans-Joachim. Psalms 60-150: A Continental Commentary. Translated by Hilton C. Oswald. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1993.
  • Oesterley, W. O. E. The Psalms: Translated with Text-Critical and Exegetical Notes. London: S.P.C.K, 1959.
  • Perowne, J. J. Stewart. The Book of Psalms: A New Translation with Introductions and Notes Explanatory and Critical. Vol. II. Psalms 73-150. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1966.
  • Ross, Allen P. A Commentary on the Psalms. Vol. 3 (90-150). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2016.
  • Tate, M. E. Psalms 51:100. WBC 20. Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1990.

References[ ]

DL Comments[ ]

  • Very well done, clean, and clear. I think you could perhaps have found more negative arguments against your preferred ArgMap option, but you did a good job representing the views. I am still a little unclear about how you read the Psalm in regards to the flow of time.
  • Be careful saying Codex Alexandrinus has כי בא twice, because the text itself is in Greek. Maybe a bit more careful here.
  • In your first ArgMap, how can you say that MT supports reading as a qatal? On what basis?
  • "God's Enthronement" box in the Qatal ArgMap is not clear to me.
  • It sounds like you take the perfects as describing future events as if they had been done in the past. But this depends on a particular view of the verbal system and the genre of the Psalm. What can you say about the genre and content of the Psalm? It's not entirely clear to me how you would read the flow of time in the Psalm or what background you are envisioning (cultic entrance or eschatological).


98.training".training" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 98.:9 (Training page)

  1. ↑ Hebrew text taken from OSHB.
    Ps 98:9 is almost identical to Ps 96:13; the major distinction is that Ps 96 has כי בא twice, and it has בֶּאֱמוּנָתֹֽו (faithfulness) instead of בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים (equity). Codex Alexandrinus has כי בא twice (Kraus 1993: 263).
  2. ↑ NETS
  3. ↑ NETS
  4. ↑ Translation by Richard Taylor, The Syriac Peshitta Bible with English Translation, 2020:403.
  5. ↑ Translation by Glenn David Bauscher, The Peshitta Holy Bible Translated.
  6. ↑ Translation by Edward M. Cook, "The Psalms Targum: An English Translation".
  7. ↑ Translation by David Stec, The Targum of Psalms, 2004:182.
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