Psalm 20/Notes/Grammar.v. 4.174490

• *מִנְחָתְךָ* (offering of yours). Instead of following the MT reading מִנְחֹתֶ֑ךָ ("your offerings"), we have adopted a revocalization of the text which matches both the LXX and Jerome. Three main reasons support our position. First, the consonantal text of the MT for both "your offering" and "your burnt offering" uses singular orthography (i.e. the expected orthography of the plural would contain a yod - מִנְחֹתֶיךָ and וְעֹולֹתֶיךָ). In turn, the LXX translates both nouns as singular. Second, when מִנְחָה and עֹלַה appear in parallel, they tend to be singular (cf. Num 28:31, 29:6; Jer 14:12). Third, the nouns should match in number because the grain offering and burnt offering would have been offered together. In this case, כָּל in כָּל־מִנְחָתְךָ is similar to the occurrences in Lev 6:16 (וְכָל־מִנְחַת כֹּהֵן - every offering of a priest), Num 18:9 (כָל־מִנְחָתָם - every offering of theirs), and 1 Sam 2:29 (כָּל־מִנְחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעַמִּי - every offering of my people Israel). Likewise, we opt to translate כָּל־מִנְחָתְךָ as "every offering of yours." This translation reflects the consonantal text of the MT (which uses singular orthography - מנחתך "your offering" and ועולתך "your burnt offering"). Hence, v. 4 translates as "May he remember every offering of yours and accept your burnt offering."
• The verb דָּשֵׁן occurs as a piel yiqtol 3ms with an unusual ending: יְדַשְּׁנֶה ("May he accept"). Although we prefer the MT reading יְדַשְּׁנֶה, scholars have suggested three other alternatives. We will consider each of them before presenting the reasons for our preferred view.

1) Based on the BHS critical apparatus, one alternative is to read the MT verb יְדַשְּׁנֶה as יְדַשְּׁנֶהָ (verb דָּשֵׁן plus a 3fs pronominal suffix, which could be written either as נֶהָ- or נָהּ-). This option would result in a translation as "May he accept it."

2) A second option mentioned in the BHS critical apparatus is to emend יְדַשְּׁנֶה to יִדְרְשֶׁנָּה ("May he require it") and assume that the letter resh (ר) has dropped out. In this emendation, the 3fs pronominal suffix is accompanied by an energic nun resulting in the form נָּה. The energic nun would serve a phonetic purpose but would not have an effect on the meaning.

3) A third proposal (not included in BHS) is to read the word as יִרְצֶנָה meaning "May he be pleased with it." We prefer the MT verb יְדַשְּׁנֶה and read it as a rare third-person cohortative/volitive form identical in meaning to a typical jussive ("May he accept"). Morphologically, Dallaire has identified some rare occurrences of the prefix and paragogic ה ָ occurring in second and third-person cohortative verbs. יְדַשְּׁנֶה is one of those occurrences. Additionally, the verb יְדַשְּׁנֶה ("May he accept") fits the context of the psalm better than יִדְרְשֶׁנָּה ("May he require it"). The petition was not for God to require the offerings but to accept them, which would result in divine protection and favor on the day of trouble. Last, while the various alternative readings are mentioned in the scholarly literature, they are not reflected in modern translations.