Ps 33:20-21 - Praise for Salvation?

Psalm Overview

Exegetical issues for Psalm 33:

Psalm 33:7 - Heap, Wineskin, or Jar?

Participles in Ps 33:7

Ps 33:20-21 - Praise for Salvation?

Introduction

The MT of Ps 33:20-21 is as follows:

20 נַ֭פְשֵׁנוּ חִכְּתָ֣ה לַֽיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרֵ֖נוּ וּמָגִנֵּ֣נוּ הֽוּא׃

21 כִּי־ב֭וֹ יִשְׂמַ֣ח לִבֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֤י בְשֵׁ֖ם קָדְשׁ֣וֹ בָטָֽחְנוּ׃

Many modern translations render both of the כִּי particles in v. 21 as causal ("for"; see ESV, NET, CSB, NJB, ELB, NVSR, LUT, NGÜ). This rendering appears to make the people's rejoicing and trust in v. 21 the reason why "YHWH is our helper and our shield" in v. 20b. In other words, the people's rejoicing and trust causes YHWH's protection. For example:

• Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. (ESV)

Both ancient and modern translations use a variety of techniques to avoid such a statement:

• The LXX and Peshitta add the word "for/because" (LXX: ὅτι; Peshitta: ܡܛܠ) before "YHWH is our helper" (v. 20b). As a result, vv. 20-21 list three reasons why the people wait: (1) YHWH is our helper and shield"; (2) the people's rejoicing; and (3) the people's trust. Thus, the people's rejoicing does not cause God to be their helper and shield.
  • Our soul waits for the Lord, because he is our helper and protector, because in him our heart will be glad, and in his holy name we hoped. (NETS)
• A few modern translations interpret the first כִּי in v. 21 as an emphatic particle ("yes!"; see EÜ, NBS, S21). This rendering softens any direct causal link between the people's rejoicing and YHWH's status as helper and shield. For example:
  • Nous attendons le Seigneur : il est notre secours, notre bouclier ; oui, notre cœur se réjouit en lui, car nous avons mis notre confiance en son nom sacré. (NBS)
• A few modern translations render the כִּי particle in v. 21 as expressing result (RVR95, BTX4: "por tanto" = "therefore"). This rendering makes the people's rejoicing and trust the result of YHWH's status as their helper and shield. For example:
  • Nuestra alma espera a Jehová; nuestra ayuda y nuestro escudo es él. Por tanto, en él se alegrará nuestro corazón, porque en su santo nombre hemos confiado. (RVR95)
• The majority of modern translations do not render the first כִּי particle in v. 21 at all (NIV, CEV, NLT, REB, NRSV, JPS85, GNT, GNB, HFA, NVI, ZÜR, TOB, BDS, PDV, NFC, DDH). In this rendering, there is no causal relationship between the people's rejoicing and YHWH's protection. For example:
  • We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. (NIV)

These various translations can be grouped into three categories based on how they interpret the first כִּי in v. 21:

1. Causal
2. Emphatic
3. Resultative

Argument Maps

Causal כִּי (preferred)

Some translations understand the כִּי in a causal sense. An example of this rendering is the ESV: "Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name."

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[Causal]: The כִּי in v. 21a is causal: "YHWH is our helper and shield. For our hearts will rejoice in him."
 + <The most common rendering>:"The great majority of כִּי clauses following the main clause may be characterized as causal clauses" that express a necessary condition for the main clause, a motivation for the main clause, an explanation of the main clause, or a reason why the main clause is stated (Aejmelaeus 1986, 199-203 :A:; cf. Locatell 2017, 243; Muilenburg 1961, 142 :A:).
 - <No praise until YHWH acts>: In the Old Testament, praise typically follows as a result of YHWH's salvation, not as the cause of it.#dispreferred
   +[Ps 85:6–7]: "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation" (Ps 85:6–7, ESV).#dispreferred
   <_ <Grounding v. 20a>: The כִּי in v. 21 grounds the clause in v. 20a, not the clause in v. 20b: "we ourselves wait for YHWH... because our hearts rejoice in him" (cf. a similar logic in Ps 42:6-7, 12; 43:5).
    +[Ps 42:6-7, 12; Ps 43:5]: "Wait for God; for (כִּי) I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."
    + <A parenthetical statement>: Verse 20b is a parenthetical statement: "We long for YHWH—he is our help and our shield—for our hearts will rejoice in him." 
    + <v. 20b also causal>: Verse 20b is also causal: "We long for YHWH, for he is our help and our shield, for our hearts will rejoice in him" (cf. LXX and Peshitta).
     +[Ps 32:20-21 LXX]: "Our soul waits for the Lord, because (ὅτι) he is our helper and protector, because in him our heart will be glad, and in his holy name we hoped" (NETS). 
     +[Ps 33:20-21 Peshitta]: "We wait for the Lord, for (ܡܛܠ) he is our helper and our supporter. In him our heart rejoices; in his holy name we have hoped" (Taylor 2020, 119 :M:). 
     - <No particle>:There is no explicit causal particle at the beginning of v. 20b.#dispreferred
      <_<Elliptical causal relation>: "The relation of causality...can be indicated in a somewhat elliptical fashion by the simple juxtaposition of the two member clauses" (JM §170b :G:).
       +[Elliptical causal relation]: E.g., "\[He\]shall be cut off from his people; \[LXX: ὅτι 'for'\] he has broken my covenant” (ESV; cf. Pss 62:2; 99:5).

Emphatic כִּי

The NBS interprets the כִּי in v. 21a as an emphatic כִּי, resulting in the following translation: "Nous attendons le Seigneur : il est notre secours, notre bouclier ; oui, notre cœur se réjouit en lui, car nous avons mis notre confiance en son nom sacré."

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[Emphatic]: The כִּי in v. 21a is probably an emphatic particle ("Yes!").#dispreferred
 +<Makes sense in context>: The emphatic reading assumes that the clause governed by the particle contains a proposition that is well-accepted among the audience (JM §40.29.2 :G:). The statement "For our heart is glad in him" is well-accepted by the people of Israel who are singing a praise song to him (cf. vv. 1-3).#dispreferred 
 - <Causal in v. 21b>: The כִּי in the following clause 20b is causal (cf. NBS), and therefore the כִּי in v. 20a is also causal, not emphatic.
  <_ <May be adjacent>: The emphatic כִּי and the causal כִּי can occur in adjacent clauses (IBHS §39.3.4.e :G:).#dispreferred
   + [Jer 31:18-19]: "Bring me back so I can come back, because (כִּי) you are YHWH my God, Indeed (כִּי) after I turned away I repented" (Jer 31:18-19, IBHS §39.3.4.e :G:)#dispreferred
    <_ <Makes sense as causal>: All of the כִּי particles in this verse may be understood as causal (cf. ESV, NASB).
 -<Not conditional or an oath>: Normally the כִּי of affirmation is found in the apodosis of a conditional clause or in an oath formula (JM §164ab, 165be, 167s :G:; Muilenburg 1961, 148 :A:). Ps 33:20-21 is neither of these.
  + [כִּי in conditional]:  E.g., Isa 7:9 "If you are not firm in faith, (כִּי) you will not be firm at all" (ESV; cf. Gen 43:10).  
  + [כִּי in oath formula]: E.g., 1 Sam 14:44: Saul said, “May God do this to me and more also, for (כִּי) you shall surely die, Jonathan” (ESV; cf. 1 Sam 26:16; 1 Kgs 2:23).

Resultative כִּי

It is possible to understand the כִּי clause in v. 21a as showing purpose or result. And example of this understanding is found in RVR95: "Nuestra alma espera a Jehová; nuestra ayuda y nuestro escudo es él. Por tanto, en él se alegrará nuestro corazón, porque en su santo nombre hemos confiado."

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[Resultative]: The כִּי in v. 21a expresses result.#dispreferred
 - <Typically causal>: "The great majority of כִּי clauses following the main clause may be characterized as causal clauses" that express a necessary condition for the main clause, a motivation for the main clause, an explanation of the main clause, or a reason why the main clause is stated (Aejmelaeus 1986, 199-203 :A:; cf. Locatell 2017, 243; Muilenburg 1961, 142 :A:).
  <_ <Intended result as cause>: When the clause governed by כִּי "has a time reference posterior to (i.e., after) its main clause... the causal rationale for an action is also its intended result" (Locatell 2017, 248-9 :M:).#dispreferred 
 + <כִּי + yiqtol as result>: There is a clear preference for the purpose/result when a causal כִּי governs a clause in which the verb is posterior to that of the verb of the main clause, as it does in Ps 33:21a (יִשְׂמַח) (cf. Locatell 2017, 248-9 :M:).#dispreferred
   + [כִּי + yiqtol as result]: E.g., "For YHWH has seen my affliction so that (כִּי) now my husband will love me" (Gen 29:32; cf. Gen 38:16, Num 22:29).#dispreferred 
    +> <Intended result as cause>
 + <Salvation then praise>: In the Old Testament, praise typically follows as a result of YHWH's salvation.#dispreferred
  +[Ps 85:6–7]: "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation" (Ps 85:6–7, ESV).#dispreferred

Conclusion (B)

In Ps 33:20-21, the translations render the כִּי particle between "he is our help and our shield" (v. 20b) and "our hearts rejoice in him" (v. 21a) in a number of different ways, but the best solution is to render it as causal. The particle most commonly indicates cause, and it is clearly causal in the very next clause (v. 21b). It is likely that "he is our help and shield" is a parenthetical statement, and therefore not grounded in "our hearts rejoice in him." Instead, "our hearts rejoice in him" and "we have come to trust in his holy name" (v. 21b) are the reasons "we ourselves long for YHWH" (v. 20a).

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὑπομένει τῷ κυρίῳ, ὅτι βοηθὸς καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς ἡμῶν ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ εὐφρανθήσεται ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ ἠλπίσαμεν.
  • Our soul waits for the Lord, because he is our helper and protector, because in him our heart will be glad, and in his holy name we hoped. (NETS)
• Symmachus: ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ἀναμένει τὸν πιπί, βοηθὸς καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς ‹ἡμῶν› αὐτὸς. ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ εὐφρανθήσεται καρδ(ία) ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐν ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἡγιασμένου ἐπεποίθαμεν.
• Peshitta: ܢܦܫܢ ܣܟܝܬ ܠܡܪܝܐ܂ ܡܛܠ ܕܗܘܝܘ ܡܥܕܪܢܢ ܘܡܣܝܥܢ܂ ܘܒܗ ܗܘ ܢܚܕܐ ܠܒܢ܂ ܕܒܫܡܗ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܣܒܪܢ܂
  • We wait for the Lord, for he is our helper and our supporter. In him our heart rejoices; in his holy name we have hoped.
• Targum: נפשנא מסתכיא לפורקנא דייי סעודנא ותריסנא הוא׃ ארום במימריה יחדי ליבנא מטול דבשום קודשיה איתרחיצנא׃
  • Our soul waits for the deliverance of the LORD; he is our help and our shield. Surely in his Memra' our heart shall rejoice, because we have trusted in his holy name.
• Jerome: anima nostra expectavit Dominum auxilium nostrum et clipeus noster est in ipso enim laetabitur cor nostrum quia in nomine sancto eius speravimus

Modern

Cause in v. 21a and 21b

• Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. (ESV)
• We wait for the LORD; he is our deliverer and shield. For our hearts rejoice in him, for we trust in his holy name. (NET)
• We wait for the Lord; he is our help and shield. For our hearts rejoice in him because we trust in his holy name. (CSB)
• Unsere Seele wartet auf den HERRN; unsere Hilfe und unser Schild ist er. Denn in ihm wird unser Herz sich freuen, weil wir seinem heiligen Namen vertrauen. (ELB)
• Notre âme attend l'Éternel ; Il est notre secours et notre bouclier, Car notre cœur se réjouit en lui, Car nous avons confiance en son saint nom. (NVSR)

Cause in v. 21a, not in v. 21b.

• We are waiting for Yahweh; he is our help and our shield, for in him our heart rejoices, in his holy name we trust. (NJB)
• Unsre Seele harrt auf den HERRN; er ist uns Hilfe und Schild. Denn unser Herz freut sich seiner, und wir trauen auf seinen heiligen Namen. (LUT)
• Aus tiefster Seele hoffen wir auf den HERRN; er allein ist unsere Hilfe und der Schild, der uns schützt. Denn an ihm freuen wir uns von ganzem Herzen, und wir vertrauen auf seinen heiligen Namen. (NGÜ)

Affirmation in v. 21a

• Unsre Seele hofft auf den HERRN; er ist unsere Hilfe und unser Schild. Ja, an ihm freut sich unser Herz, wir haben vertraut auf seinen heiligen Namen. (EÜ)
• Nous attendons le Seigneur : il est notre secours, notre bouclier ; oui, notre cœur se réjouit en lui, car nous avons mis notre confiance en son nom sacré. (NBS)
• Nous espérons en l’Eternel: notre secours et notre bouclier, c’est lui. Oui, c’est en lui que notre cœur se réjouit, c’est en son saint nom que nous avons confiance. (S21)

Result in v. 21a, cause in v. 21b

• Nuestra alma espera a Jehová; nuestra ayuda y nuestro escudo es él. Por tanto, en él se alegrará nuestro corazón, porque en su santo nombre hemos confiado. (RVR95)
• Nuestra alma ha esperado por YHVH, Él es nuestra ayuda y nuestro escudo. Por tanto, en Él se alegrará nuestro corazón, Porque en su santo Nombre hemos confiado. (BTX4)

No Cause in v. 21a, but Cause in v. 21b

• We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. (NIV)
• We depend on you, LORD, to help and protect us. You make our hearts glad because we trust you, the only God. (CEV)
• We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. (NLT)
• We have waited eagerly for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts are glad, because we have trusted in his holy name. (REB)
• Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. (NRSV)
• We set our hope on the LORD, He is our help and shield; in Him our hearts rejoice, for in His holy name we trust. (JPS85)
• Wir hoffen auf den HERRN, er hilft uns und beschützt uns. Wir freuen uns über ihn, denn auf ihn, den heiligen Gott, ist Verlass. (GNB)
• Esperamos confiados en el Señor; él es nuestro socorro y nuestro escudo. En él se regocija nuestro corazón, porque confiamos en su santo nombre. (NVI)

No Cause in v. 21a or v. 21b

• We put our hope in the LORD; he is our protector and our help. We are glad because of him; we trust in his holy name. (GNT)
• Wir setzen unsere Hoffnung auf den HERRN, er steht uns bei, ja, er ist der Schild, der uns schützt. Er erfüllt unsere Herzen mit Freude; wir vertrauen ihm, dem heiligen Gott. (HFA)
• Unsere Seele wartet auf den HERRN, er ist unsere Hilfe und unser Schild. Über ihn freut sich unser Herz, auf seinen heiligen Namen vertrauen wir. (ZÜR)
• Nous, nous attendons le SEIGNEUR : Notre aide et notre bouclier, c’est lui ! La joie de notre cœur vient de lui, et notre confiance est en son nom très saint. (TOB)
• Oui, nous comptons sur l’Eternel, il est notre secours et notre bouclier. Notre cœur trouve en lui sa joie, et notre confiance, nous la plaçons dans le Dieu saint. (BDS)
• Et nous, nous attendons le Seigneur, il est notre secours et notre bouclier. La joie de notre cœur vient de lui, nous avons confiance dans le Dieu saint. (PDV)
• Nous comptons sur le Seigneur ; notre secours et notre bouclier, c'est lui ! À cause de lui, notre cœur est en joie, nous nous confions au Dieu qui est saint. (NFC)
• Nosotros confiamos en el Señor; ¡él nos ayuda y nos protege! Nuestro corazón se alegra en el Señor; confiamos plenamente en su santo nombre. (DDH)

Secondary Literature

Aejmelaeus, Anneli. 1986. “Function and Interpretation of כי in Biblical Hebrew.” Journal of Biblical Literature 105. Society of Biblical Literature:193–209.

Brotzman, Ellis and Eric Tully. 2016. Old Testament Textual Criticism. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Locatell, Christian. 2017. Grammatical Polysemy in the Hebrew Bible: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach to כי. University of Stellenbosch.

Meek, Theophile J. 1959. “Translation Problems in the Old Testament.” The Jewish Quarterly Review 50. University of Pennsylvania Press, Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania:45–54.

Muilenburg, James. 1961. “The Linguistic and Rhetorical Usages of the Particle Ky in the Old Testament.” Hebrew Union College Annual 32:135–60.

Stec, David M., ed. 2004. The Targum of Psalms. The Aramaic Bible v. 16. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press.

Taylor, Richard A. 2020. The Syriac Peshitta Bible with English Translation. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.

References

33:20, 21 Approved