Psalm 88/Notes/Grammar.V. 7.764418
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
- v. 7 בִּמְצֹלוֹת LXX and Peshitta have the alternative metathetic reading בְּצַלְמָוֶת. Although this reading is viable and fits perfectly within the context, we prefer to keep the MT reading, because of the recurring motif in the psalm of "water" as one of the major elements mentioned in the metaphorical description of the psalmist's miserable condition (cf. vv. 8, 18), neatly complementing the two other elements mentioned in our verse, namely the "pit" and the "darkness." (cf. Poetic Feature "The primordial elements").