Psalm 45/Notes/Grammar.vv. 11-13.910470

vv. 12-13 – Our preferred diagram reflects the LXX against the MT, the former of which reads καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ θυγατέρες Τύρου ἐν δώροις, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου λιτανεύσουσιν οἱ πλούσιοι τοῦ λαοῦ "And daughters of Tyre will do obeisance to him with gifts; your face the rich of the people will entreat." (NETS)

To reflect this reading in Hebrew, two emendations are necessary from the MT. In the first place, the feminine singular וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִי "and bow down" is emended to the plural הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ. This change could have come about due to the graphic similarity between yod and waw (or possibily to harmonize the imperative with the previous imperatives of v. 11).^[1]

↑ VTH (vol. 4, 344) mentions Kennicott manuscripts 97, 133 and probably 74 as containing the reading והשתחוו. The Peshitta may be influenced by this interpretation, as it contains the verb ܣܓܕ "bow down" both in the final clause of v. 12 (as the MT) and at the beginning of v. 13 (as the LXX): ܡܛܠ ܕܗܘܝܘ ܡܪܟܝ ܣܓܘܕܝ ܠܗ ܘܒܪܬ ܨܘܪ ܬܣܓܘܕ ܠܗ "Reverence him, for he is your lord. The daughter of Tyre will reverence him" (Taylor 2020, 177). On the other hand, the three Greek revisers contain singular imperatives (Aquila and Theodotion προσκύνησον; Symmachus προσκύνει).

[1] VTH (vol. 4, 344) mentions Kennicott manuscripts 97, 133 and probably 74 as containing the reading והשתחוו. The Peshitta may be influenced by this interpretation, as it contains the verb ܣܓܕ "bow down" both in the final clause of v. 12 (as the MT) and at the beginning of v. 13 (as the LXX): ܡܛܠ ܕܗܘܝܘ ܡܪܟܝ ܣܓܘܕܝ ܠܗ ܘܒܪܬ ܨܘܪ ܬܣܓܘܕ ܠܗ "Reverence him, for he is your lord. The daughter of Tyre will reverence him" (Taylor 2020, 177). On the other hand, the three Greek revisers contain singular imperatives (Aquila and Theodotion προσκύνησον; Symmachus προσκύνει).

[1]