Psalm 44/Notes/Grammar.V. 25.906312

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  • The interrogative לָמָּה: Interrogative particles may at times be found governing multiple clauses (cf. Pss 2:1–2; 4:3; 13:3), which appears to be the case here in v. 25. On the one hand, the lack of לָמָּה in v. 25b could be viewed as an ellipsis that helps to balance the meter of the poetic lines (cf. Tsumura 2017, 193). Perhaps a better explanation is that לָמָּה is functioning as a double-duty word that vertically modifies both clauses at the same time (Ibid).