Psalm 78/Notes/Grammar.v. 72.315425

v. 72 – For the alternative emendation בְּתֹם for the MT's כְּתֹ֣ם, see the ancient versions: "in the innocence/integrity of his heart," as well as a large number of Hebrew Manuscripts (VTH, vol 4, 376; de-Rossi, Variae Lectiones, vol 4, 55). This is understandable since כ and ב are written very similarly. While both Leningradensis and Aleppo contain כְּתֹ֣ם, Sassoon has בְּתֹ֣ם, and the extant Babylonian manuscripts consistently provide בתם (see, e.g., BL Or 1477; 2373; JTS 611; Neubauer 2484). Weighing up the external evidence, divergence from the OSHB has been preferred, as "He tended them with blameless heart; with skillful hands he led them," (NJPS; see also CEB, CJB, CSB, DHH, ESV, EÜ, GNT, Luther 2017, NABRE, NET, NIV, REB, RVC, SG21, ZÜR), though the KJV's "he fed them according to the integrity of his heart" follows Codex Leningrad (cf. ELB, NASB). Semantically, both interpretations are plausible. The verb רעה "to shepherd" is accompanied by a כְּ–prepositional phrase of comparison, "as/like" in Isa 40:11 and Jer 3:15. In the latter case, the verb is also modified by "heart," so there may be a harmonization between the two passages in Leningradensis and Aleppo. For the verb רעה "to shepherd" being accompanied by a בְּ–prepositional phrase, "with," see Ezek 34:14, 16; Mic 3:5; 5:5; 7:14.