Psalm 78/Diagrams/Placeholders/48

From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Jump to: navigation, search


v. 48 - Preferred

(Preferred, but not confirmed); edit diagram 

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 48]
  Fragment
    particle: וַ and 
  Fragment
    ClauseCluster
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: יַּסְגֵּר he shut >> gave over
          Object
            ConstructChain <gloss="their livestock">
              noun: בְּעִיר livestock
              suffix-pronoun: ָם them
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: לַ to
              Object
                Nominal
                  article: ה <status="elided">
                  noun: בָּרָד hail
          Adverbial <status="alternative">
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: לַ to
              Object
                Nominal
                  article: ה <status="elided">
                  noun: דֶּבֶר pestilence <status="emendation">
      Conjunction
        conjunction: וּ and
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: הִסְגִּיר he gave over <status="elided">
          Object
            ConstructChain <gloss="their herds">
              noun: מִקְנֵי herds
              suffix-pronoun: הֶם them
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: לָ to
              Object
                Nominal
                  article: ה <status="elided">
                  noun: רְשָׁפִים lightning


Diagram Code 

 DiscourseUnit [v. 48]
  Fragment
    particle: וַ and 
  Fragment
    ClauseCluster
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: יַּסְגֵּר he shut >> gave over
          Object
            ConstructChain <gloss="their livestock">
              noun: בְּעִיר livestock
              suffix-pronoun: ָם them
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: לַ to
              Object
                Nominal
                  article: ה <status="elided">
                  noun: בָּרָד hail
          Adverbial <status="alternative">
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: לַ to
              Object
                Nominal
                  article: ה <status="elided">
                  noun: דֶּבֶר pestilence <status="emendation">
      Conjunction
        conjunction: וּ and
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: הִסְגִּיר he gave over <status="elided">
          Object
            ConstructChain <gloss="their herds">
              noun: מִקְנֵי herds
              suffix-pronoun: הֶם them
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: לָ to
              Object
                Nominal
                  article: ה <status="elided">
                  noun: רְשָׁפִים lightning

Copy to display elsewhere 

 {{Diagram/Display | Chapter=78|DiagramID=v-48-None }}

Grammar Notes

Grammar Notes for this diagram

Note for V. 48

For the alternative emendation דֶּבֶר "pestilence" in place of the MT's בָּרָד, see Symmachus' τοῦ ἐκδόντος λοιμῷ τὰ κτὴνη αὐτῶν "giving their cattle to pestilence," along with a couple of Hebrew manuscripts (see VTH, vol 4, 305; de-Rossi, Variae Lectiones, vol 4, 54.). This is, however, probably a harmonization with וְ֝חַיָּתָ֗ם לַדֶּ֥בֶר הִסְגִּֽיר in v. 50.

Lexical Notes

Lexical Notes for this diagram

Note for V. 48

v. 48 – The word רֶשֶׁף appears seven times in the Bible and has received numerous interpretations. The two major positions seem to be those of a generic plague, and flames of light, i.e., lightning.

• The "plague" reading is probably due to the parallel appearance of קֶטֶב in Deut 32:24 and דֶּבֶר in Hab 3:5. In the latter case there is evidence for the tradition of the "plague god" Rašap (see HALOT) in the Vulgate's diabolus. Deut 32:24, on the other hand, reads "birds" in the LXX, Vulgate and Targum Onkelos.

• "Birds" are also attested in our present verse​ in Aquila and Symmachus, while Shemot Rabbah (12) makes the explicit connection to the בְנֵי־רֶ֝֗שֶׁף in Job 5:7, which it interprets as birds, stating, "What is 'and their livestock lareshafim? These are birds, as it is stated: 'As the sparks [uvnei reshef] fly upward' (Job 5:7).

• "Flame/flashes" seem to be the most likely reading:

– The other instances of the word are in construct with קֶשֶׁת and אֵשׁ (see Ps 76:4, רִשְׁפֵי־קָ֑שֶׁת and Song 8:6, רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ רִשְׁפֵּ֕י אֵ֖שׁ).

– Radak's Sefer HaShorashim offers a semantic map neatly organized around the idea of "coals" (ענין הכל גחלים), though Job 5:7 probably refers to "sparks" (הניצוצות), Deut 34:24 as a plague which results in heat, i.e., fever (חולי החמימות שהוא ברשף) as the connection to "fire." Unfortunately, he mentions every other instance except our verse.

– Once again, we must draw upon context and the parallel line, which speaks of hail. Something coming from the sky which resembles fire most likely refers to lightning.

Phrase-Level

Phrasal Notes for this diagram

Note for V. 48

v. 48 – The לְ prepositional complement of hiphil סגר is one of direction/recipient, in this case with verbs of "surrendering, handing over" (Jenni 2000, 88); cf. also vv. 50, 62.

Other notes for v. 48

Note for Vv. 47-48

Associate with v-48-None

vv. 47-48 – The articles on בַּבָּרָ֣ד, בַּֽחֲנָמַֽל, לַבָּרָ֣ד and לָרְשָׁפִֽים are those of kind-reference (Bekins, forthcoming §2.1); cf the French versions, e.g., TOB: "Il ravage leurs vignes par la grêle, leurs sycomores par le gel; Il abandonne leur bétail aux grêlons, leurs troupeaux à la foudre."

Verbal Notes

No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.

Textual Notes

No Textual notes to display for this diagram.

Add Exegetical Note