Psalm 44/Notes/Lexical.V. 18.970264
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
- The meaning of שִׁקַּרְנוּ: When used intransitively (1 Sam 15:29; Isa 63:8), the piel of שׁקר could be construed as either a state (static/atelic; "he will not be false"; cf. DCH) or achievement (non-durative/telic; "he will not lie"; DCH). When, as here, the verb takes an object introduced by a preposition בְּ (see also Ps 89:34; Lev 10:11), the sense appears to be that of either an activity (durative/atelic; "we did not deal falsely with your covenant"; BDB) or achievement (non-durative/telic; "we did not break faith with your covenant"; HALOT). Since the psalmist is here describing an action that would have required judgment, an implied end point (i.e., telicity) is in view. Thus, rendering שִׁקַּרְנוּ as "break faith" is preferred.