Psalm 88/Notes/Phrasal.V. 1.903373

• v. 1: עַל-מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת

"The meaning of mahalath-leannoth is uncertain, but it is often assumed to be a tune or chanting pattern to be used with the psalm" (Tate 1990, 394).

Mowinckel (1962, 2:210) suggests that mahalath is equal to “song” or “playing instrument” (probably a “reed-pipe”) and suggests the reference is to the flute or “flute playing,” which he argues would indicate a psalm of lament (reed pipes/flutes were played at lamentation ceremonies (cf. Jer 48:36). However, he argues that in 88:1 the עַל-מָחֲלַת means “in connection with (properly ‘over’) illness” and relates to purification from illness. Most modern translations as well as LXX keep mahalath; Jerome reads "chorus" (namely, 'to the musical director over the chorus'); Targum has "according to the prayer"; BDB understands it as a name of a tune. We will take Mowinckel's reading as the preferred one, as it fits with the content of our psalm. Eerdmans' (1947, 138) interesting theory supports this reading. He notes that in Assyrian incantation texts for healing, the name of the patient had to be mentioned when they were recited, and he supposes that such is the case in the use of Pss 53 and 88. The עַל-מָחֲלַת... לְעַנּוֹת would mean “on account of the sickness of ...” , with the name of the sufferer added in each case.

As for לְעַנּוֹת, Mowinckel takes it as “for penance” (properly “to humiliate / abase ; a piel inf. const. from עני) and argues that it indicates that the psalm was used as a psalm of penitence and lamentation, probably in rituals associated with purification from illness (Tate 1990, 395). This purpose, however, does not seem to be matched by the psalm itself, where the psalmist does not show penitence or profess a sin. LXX reads לענות in qal (“to answer”), which does not make much sense in the context, while Jerome reads in the same way morphologically, but chooses a different polysemous meaning of the root (“to sing“). It seems, however, that the kind of singing related to the root עני has to do with mass festivities and praises (Ex 15:21, 1Sam 21:12), which does not suit the general tone of the psalm. We prefer to read this infinitive form as for self-affliction, a possible ellipsis of the idiom עִנָּה נֶפֶשׁ "to humble oneself" (cf. Ps 35:13).

• v. 1: Heman the Ezrahite

The adjective Ezrahite (LXX has 'Israelite') may be understood as either a gentilic reference to Heman's being a progeny of Zerah (1Chr 2:6) or as "native" (i.e. “from a pre-Israelite family”), derived from the noun אֶזְרָח. There seems to be a confusion between two figures called Heman, one from Judah (see above) and one who was among the Korahite Levite singers in the temple, c.f. 1Chr 6:18, 22. "There seems to be no real answer to all this confusion. We are probably dealing with more than one Heman in the traditions... The inscription is probably a double one, perhaps derived from two different sources, possibly indicating that a Heman psalm has been taken into a Korahite collection, regardless of the lineage of Heman" (Tate 1990, 395).

• v. 1: הָאֶזְרָחִי

An attributive adjective must agree with the noun its modifying in terms of definiteness. In our case the noun is a proper name, naturally definite (הֵימָן). Additionally, the article identifies this Heman as a particular historical figure known to the hearers, probably a Levite singer.