Psalm 78/Notes/Lexical.v. 66.240586

v. 66 – This is the only place the verb נכה and אָחוֹר appear as a collocation in the Bible. There may be a slight echo of the tumors apparently afflicted upon the Philistines (see 1 Sam 5). This is the position of TgPs: ומחא מעיקוי בטחוריא באחוריהון ("And he smote his foes with hemorrhoids in their rear," Stec 2004, 155; see also Rashi and Ibn Ezra, KJV), which illuminates the meaning of חֶרְפַּ֥ת ע֝וֹלָ֗ם in the next line.^[1] While this would require a locative interpretation (i.e., "on the back[side]"), the movement adverbial reading ("backwards") is most heavily attested among the ancient versions.^[2] It also enables the participant ambiguity between the Philistines and the Israelites as "his adversaries" (see the discussion in participant analysis).

↑ Radak, however, understands the perpetual shame as the loss of the Ark, so the "adversaries" are evidently the Israelites.
↑ See, however, the misunderstanding of Greek εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω "backwards" in Gall. as in posteriora—though Jerome's Hebr. reads retrorsum.

[1] Radak, however, understands the perpetual shame as the loss of the Ark, so the "adversaries" are evidently the Israelites.

[2] See, however, the misunderstanding of Greek εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω "backwards" in Gall. as in posteriora—though Jerome's Hebr. reads retrorsum.

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