Psalm 46/Notes/Lexical.v. 1.780346

The MT’s עלמות is uncertain.^[1] This term literally means “maidens, young women” and could be a reference to the tune or musical setting, explaining how the psalm was supposed to be performed. Thus, it could indicate that the psalm was to be sung by soprano voices of young women.^[2]

↑ Some MSS have עַלְמ֥וּת (cf. Ps 9:1, for which, again, see further Psalm 9 Verse-by-Verse); LXX: ὑπὲρ τῶν κρυφίων; Aq: ἐπὶ νεανιοτήτων; Symm: ὑπὲρ τῶν αἰωνίων. J. Goldingay translates the superscription as follows, “The leader’s. The Korahites’. On secrets/for girls/on eternities. Song.” P. Craigie and J.-H. Kraus leave עלמות untranslated. I.e., "For the musical director. For the sons of Korah. According to ʿAlamoth. A song" (J. Goldingay); "To the choirmaster. Of the Korahites. According to alamot. A song" (J.-H. Kraus). Cf. LXX, "Regarding completion. Over the sons of Kore. Over hidden things. A Psalm" (NETS). For the most recent and detailed discussion of this, see further Kolyada 2009: 155–157.
↑ Delitzsch 2011: 109; Cragie 2004: 342; BDB; HALOT; CDH. Delitzsch, for example, observed that "But עלמות does not signify voces puberes, but puellae puberes (from עלם, Arab. glm, cogn. חלם, Arab. ḥlm, to have attained to puberty); and although certainly no eunuchs sang in the temple, yet there is direct testimony that Levite youths were among the singers in the second temple and Ps 68 mentions the עלמות who struck the timbrels at a temple festival. Moreover, we must take into consideration the facts that the compass of the tenor extends even into the soprano, that the singers were of different ages down to twenty years of age, and that Oriental, and more particularly even Jewish, song is fond of falsetto singing. We therefore adopt Perret-Gentil's rendering, chant avec voix de femmes, and still more readily Armand de Mestral's, en soprano; whereas Melissus' rendering, "upon musical instruments called Alamoth (the Germans would say, upon the virginal)," has nothing to commend it. (Note: The Mishna, Erachin 13b, expressly informs us, that whilst the Levites sang to the accompanying play of the nablas and citherns, their youths, standing at their feet below the pulpit, sang with them in order to give to the singing the harmony of high and deep voices (בלתּ, condimentum). These Levite youths are called צערי orסועדי הלויים, parvuli (although the Gemara explains it otherwise) or adjutores Levitarum)" (Delitzsch 2011: 109).

[1] Some MSS have עַלְמ֥וּת (cf. Ps 9:1, for which, again, see further Psalm 9 Verse-by-Verse); LXX: ὑπὲρ τῶν κρυφίων; Aq: ἐπὶ νεανιοτήτων; Symm: ὑπὲρ τῶν αἰωνίων. J. Goldingay translates the superscription as follows, “The leader’s. The Korahites’. On secrets/for girls/on eternities. Song.” P. Craigie and J.-H. Kraus leave עלמות untranslated. I.e., "For the musical director. For the sons of Korah. According to ʿAlamoth. A song" (J. Goldingay); "To the choirmaster. Of the Korahites. According to alamot. A song" (J.-H. Kraus). Cf. LXX, "Regarding completion. Over the sons of Kore. Over hidden things. A Psalm" (NETS). For the most recent and detailed discussion of this, see further Kolyada 2009: 155–157.

[2] Delitzsch 2011: 109; Cragie 2004: 342; BDB; HALOT; CDH. Delitzsch, for example, observed that "But עלמות does not signify voces puberes, but puellae puberes (from עלם, Arab. glm, cogn. חלם, Arab. ḥlm, to have attained to puberty); and although certainly no eunuchs sang in the temple, yet there is direct testimony that Levite youths were among the singers in the second temple and Ps 68 mentions the עלמות who struck the timbrels at a temple festival. Moreover, we must take into consideration the facts that the compass of the tenor extends even into the soprano, that the singers were of different ages down to twenty years of age, and that Oriental, and more particularly even Jewish, song is fond of falsetto singing. We therefore adopt Perret-Gentil's rendering, chant avec voix de femmes, and still more readily Armand de Mestral's, en soprano; whereas Melissus' rendering, "upon musical instruments called Alamoth (the Germans would say, upon the virginal)," has nothing to commend it. (Note: The Mishna, Erachin 13b, expressly informs us, that whilst the Levites sang to the accompanying play of the nablas and citherns, their youths, standing at their feet below the pulpit, sang with them in order to give to the singing the harmony of high and deep voices (בלתּ, condimentum). These Levite youths are called צערי orסועדי הלויים, parvuli (although the Gemara explains it otherwise) or adjutores Levitarum)" (Delitzsch 2011: 109).

[1]

[2]