Psalm 44/Notes/Lexical.V. 2.587683

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  • The meaning of אֲבוֹתֵינוּ: While the noun אָב most typically refers to a literal father, it is often used to refer to more remote ancestors, especially with respect to founders of tribal units (TWOT, 6). Here in 44:2, context and the plural form make clear that ancestors are in view. Given the imagery of dispossessed nations of vv. 3–4, this is most likely a reference to Israel in the era of the conquest (cf. VanGemeren 2008, 390).
  • The number of פֹּעַל: The noun פֹּעַל is almost always grammatically singular, though the term is usually used in a collective sense of repeated or habitual acts (DCH).