Psalm 78/Diagrams/Placeholders/56-57

vv. 56-57 - Preferred

(Preferred, but not confirmed); edit diagram

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 56-57]
  Fragment
    particle: וַ But
  Fragment
    ClauseCluster
      Clause 
        Predicate <gloss="they rebelliously put God, the Most High, to the test">
          Predicate
          verb: יְנַסּוּ they put to the test
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וַ and
          Predicate 
            verb: יַּמְרוּ they rebelled against
            Object 
              Apposition
                Nominal
                  particle: אֶת d.o.m
                  noun: אֱלֹהִים God
                noun: עֶלְיוֹן Most High
      Conjunction
        conjunction: וְ and
      Clause 
        Predicate 
          verb: שָׁמָרוּ they observed
          adverb: לֹא not
          Object 
            ConstructChain <gloss="his testimonies">
              noun: עֵדוֹתָי testimonies
              suffix-pronoun: ו him
      Conjunction
        conjunction: וַ but
      Clause 
        Predicate 
          verb: יִּסֹּגוּ they went astray
      Conjunction
        conjunction: וַ and
      Clause 
        Predicate 
          verb: יִּבְגְּדוּ they acted unfaithfully
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: כַּ like
              Object
                ConstructChain <gloss="their ancestors">
                  noun: אֲבוֹת ancestors
                  suffix-pronoun: ָם them
  Fragment 
    ClauseCluster
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: נֶהְפְּכוּ they changed >> became
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: כְּ like
              Object
                noun: קֶשֶׁת bow
                adjective: רְמִיָּה slack 
  

Diagram Code

 DiscourseUnit [vv. 56-57]
  Fragment
    particle: וַ But
  Fragment
    ClauseCluster
      Clause 
        Predicate <gloss="they rebelliously put God, the Most High, to the test">
          Predicate
          verb: יְנַסּוּ they put to the test
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וַ and
          Predicate 
            verb: יַּמְרוּ they rebelled against
            Object 
              Apposition
                Nominal
                  particle: אֶת d.o.m
                  noun: אֱלֹהִים God
                noun: עֶלְיוֹן Most High
      Conjunction
        conjunction: וְ and
      Clause 
        Predicate 
          verb: שָׁמָרוּ they observed
          adverb: לֹא not
          Object 
            ConstructChain <gloss="his testimonies">
              noun: עֵדוֹתָי testimonies
              suffix-pronoun: ו him
      Conjunction
        conjunction: וַ but
      Clause 
        Predicate 
          verb: יִּסֹּגוּ they went astray
      Conjunction
        conjunction: וַ and
      Clause 
        Predicate 
          verb: יִּבְגְּדוּ they acted unfaithfully
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: כַּ like
              Object
                ConstructChain <gloss="their ancestors">
                  noun: אֲבוֹת ancestors
                  suffix-pronoun: ָם them
  Fragment 
    ClauseCluster
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: נֶהְפְּכוּ they changed >> became
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: כְּ like
              Object
                noun: קֶשֶׁת bow
                adjective: רְמִיָּה slack

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 {{Diagram/Display | Chapter=78|DiagramID=vv-56-57-None }}

Grammar Notes

Grammar Notes for this diagram

Note for v. 56

v. 56 – The compound predicate reading of וַיְנַסּ֣וּ וַ֭יַּמְרוּ אֶת־אֱלֹהִ֣ים עֶלְי֑וֹן is suggested by the lack of arguments accompanying וַיְנַסּ֣וּ, such that they most likely constitute a symmetrical serial verb construction. (That is, they share the same gender, number, tense-aspect-modality and polarity values, and also clausal complements ➞ אֶת־אֱלֹהִ֣ים עֶלְי֑וֹן). Though the ancient versions, as usual, follow the form, rather than making the function explicit, notice that one manuscript documented by Kennicott attempts to repeat the habitual/repetitive reading of וישׁובו וינסו from v. 41. For our preferred reading, compare the mono-eventive interpretation of the CSB ("But they rebelliously tested the Most High God") and the NJPS ("Yet they defiantly tested God Most High"). An adverbial clause is provided by the ISV ("But they tested the Most High God by rebelling against him") and DHH ("Pero ellos pusieron a prueba al Dios altísimo rebelándose contra él"), while the TOB reads the first verb as a predicative adjunct, [being] rebels ("Rebelles, ils mirent à l'épreuve le Dieu Très-Haut").

The (significantly less parsimonious) alternative would involve object gapping in an independent וַיְנַסּ֣וּ clause (as, e.g., ESV: "Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God"; cf. the KJV, NABRE, NASB). The NIV avoids the lack of object argument by providing a structure of alternation (Chavel 2022) throughout וַיְנַסּ֣וּ וַ֭יַּמְרוּ אֶת־אֱלֹהִ֣ים עֶלְי֑וֹן, with its "But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High". The SG21 does the same, but in reverse: "Mais ils ont provoqué le Dieu très-haut et se sont révoltés contre lui."

Lexical Notes

Lexical Notes for this diagram

Note for v. 57

v. 57 – For the niphal of הפך, SDBH offers "become, change, turn into," DCH (581) "turn, i.e. change (oneself), be turned, i.e. changed, be reversed," BDB (245) "turn aside." Much of the sense depends on the following רְמִיָּה, however, which does not license such appeal to "turning," but rather an inchoative change of state (see the following note).

Note for v. 57

v. 57 – For רְמִיָּה as a description of a "bow," see also Hos 7:16. There are perhaps three homophonous roots √רמה, though the sense "slack/useless" (cf. Akkadian ramû "slack, loose, limp"; CAD vol 14, 127-133) may very well be an extension from √רמה "deceive, deceitful." Aside from these two, there is an obvious wordplay with √רמה of נוֹשְׁקֵ֥י רוֹמֵי־קָ֑שֶׁת in v. 9 ("throw, hurl"). The point seems to be that the bow is slack and therefore useless in battle, as helpfully rendered by Jerome (Hebr.) incurvati sunt quasi arcus inutilis "they are made crooked like a useless bow."

Phrase-Level

Phrasal Notes for this diagram

Note for v. 56

v. 56 – For the serial verb construction וַיְנַסּ֣וּ וַ֭יַּמְרוּ, see the grammar notes.

Verbal Notes

No Verbal notes to display for this diagram. Other notes for vv. 56-57

Note for v. 56

Associate with vv-56-57-None

On the interpretation of a wayyiqtol introducing an adversative relationship to the preceding discourse, see Khan (forthcoming, Vayyiqṭol, 54-58); cf. vv. 36, 52, 67, 68.

Textual Notes

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