Psalm 8/Notes/Grammar.V. 2.964014

The grammar and meaning of v. 2b are one of the top three exegetical issues in this psalm. See The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Psalm 8:2b for a detailed discussion of the issue.^[1] In short, although the form תְּנָה ("bestowed") looks like an imperative,^[2] it is probably an infinitive construct from the root נתן (lit.: "the bestowing of your glory is on the heavens").^[3] While this view is not without problems, it seems to be the least problematic of the proposed options.^[4] The psalmist may have chosen the anomalous form for the sake of alliteration (compare תְּנָה and מָה) and/or to express the ongoing nature of YHWH's bestowal of glory on the heavens.^[5]

↑ See also the discussion in HALOT (1761, תנה) for a helpful overview of the interpretive options.
↑ In terms of morphology, the form תְּנָה looks like an imperative (cf. GKC §66h) and this view is "usually accepted" (HALOT 1761, תנה). "However, the position of this imperative after אשׁר makes it a syntactically abnormal form" (Barthélemy; cf. Baethgen 1904). For this reason, some commentators (e.g., Briggs) consider the relative particle a secondary addition to the text. One way around this syntactic issue is to posit an elided quotative frame: "to whom (I say), 'Place your glory on the heavens!'" However, as others have noted, an imperative does not make sense in the context of the psalm, because YHWH's glory is already on the heavens (cf. v. 4) (so Hupfeld, Baethgen).
↑ So e.g., IBHS, §11.2.13b; RADAK, Calvin, Delitzsch, Ewald, Hengstenberg, Barthélemy, et. al.
↑ The infinitive construct form of נתן is usually תֵּת (cf. GKC §66h; JM §72i; BHRG §18.11.3) though the form נְתֹן occurs in Num. 20:21 and Gen. 38:9. The anomalous form in Ps. 8 (תְּנָה) finds an analogy in the form מֵרְדָה in Gen. 46:3 (רְדָה instead of רֶדֶת). According to Waltke and O'Connor, “the form תְּנָה is not an anomalous imperative of נתן but an infinitive construct, as if formed from the root יתן (the verb 'to give' has this form in Phoenician); compare ירד, infinitive construct רֵדָה” (IBHS, §11.2.13b [note 105]).
↑ According to this interpretation of the grammar, v.2c may be understood as a verbless clause (Subject: תנה הודך; Complement [location]: על השׁמים). “It may be interpreted: 'O Thou whose laying of Thy glory is upon the heavens...' Perhaps the author wrote תּנה הודך instead of נתתּ הודך, because he wishes to describe the setting out of the heavens with divine splendour as being constantly repeated and not as done once for all” (Delitzsch 1883, 192).

[1] See also the discussion in HALOT (1761, תנה) for a helpful overview of the interpretive options.

[2] In terms of morphology, the form תְּנָה looks like an imperative (cf. GKC §66h) and this view is "usually accepted" (HALOT 1761, תנה). "However, the position of this imperative after אשׁר makes it a syntactically abnormal form" (Barthélemy; cf. Baethgen 1904). For this reason, some commentators (e.g., Briggs) consider the relative particle a secondary addition to the text. One way around this syntactic issue is to posit an elided quotative frame: "to whom (I say), 'Place your glory on the heavens!'" However, as others have noted, an imperative does not make sense in the context of the psalm, because YHWH's glory is already on the heavens (cf. v. 4) (so Hupfeld, Baethgen).

[3] So e.g., IBHS, §11.2.13b; RADAK, Calvin, Delitzsch, Ewald, Hengstenberg, Barthélemy, et. al.

[4] The infinitive construct form of נתן is usually תֵּת (cf. GKC §66h; JM §72i; BHRG §18.11.3) though the form נְתֹן occurs in Num. 20:21 and Gen. 38:9. The anomalous form in Ps. 8 (תְּנָה) finds an analogy in the form מֵרְדָה in Gen. 46:3 (רְדָה instead of רֶדֶת). According to Waltke and O'Connor, “the form תְּנָה is not an anomalous imperative of נתן but an infinitive construct, as if formed from the root יתן (the verb 'to give' has this form in Phoenician); compare ירד, infinitive construct רֵדָה” (IBHS, §11.2.13b [note 105]).

[5] According to this interpretation of the grammar, v.2c may be understood as a verbless clause (Subject: תנה הודך; Complement [location]: על השׁמים). “It may be interpreted: 'O Thou whose laying of Thy glory is upon the heavens...' Perhaps the author wrote תּנה הודך instead of נתתּ הודך, because he wishes to describe the setting out of the heavens with divine splendour as being constantly repeated and not as done once for all” (Delitzsch 1883, 192).

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