Psalm 4/Notes/Grammar.v. 4.961320
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
- Most translations interpret the prepositional phrase לוֹ as adverbial, modifying the clause: "set apart for himself" (NIV, KJV, ESV, NRSV, NLT, NJPS; cf. Peshitta, Targum). Some of the ancient translations, however, understood the לוֹ as adjectival, modifying the word חָסִיד, e.g., LXX: "his devout one" (τὸν ὅσιον αὐτοῦ); Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): "his holy one" (sanctum suum). The Masoretic accents, which group חָסִ֣יד ל֑וֹ as a unit, might also reflect this interpretation. The word order, in which לוֹ occurs at the end of the clause after חָסִיד rather than earlier in the clause, further supports this interpretation (cf. BHRG §46.1.3.1). Perhaps the psalm uses חָסִיד לוֹ instead of חֲסִידוֹ to avoid the definiteness required by חֲסִידוֹ, and/or perhaps לוֹ indicates the recipient of the acts of חֶסֶד (cf. Ps 18:51—עֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לִמְשִׁיחֹו): "anyone who is loyal to him" (חָסִיד לוֹ) vs "his loyal one" (חֲסִידוֹ).