Psalm 89/Notes/Grammar.v. 44.125264

• The word צוּר in v. 44, which usually means "rock" (i.e., a large rocky hill or cliff) is difficult to understand in the context—what is the meaning of this word and what is its syntactic function? There are four main options:
  • Interpret the phrase צוּר חַרְבּוֹ as a construct chain: "the flint of his sword >> the sharpness of his sword >> his sharp sword" (see v. 44 preferred diagram). According to this view, the word צוּר is not understood as "large rocky hill" or "cliff" but as a by-form of the word צֹר ("stone" or "flint"). This by-form occurs also in Josh 5:3 (חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים, "flint knives," NIV) and perhaps also in Job 22:24 (וּבְצוּר נְחָלִים, "[small] stones in the wadis," CSB). So Rashi, Radak, and Ibn Ezra, all of whom paraphrase the construction as חידוד חרבו ("the sharpness of his sword") and connect it to the form in Josh 5:3. See also Targum: "you have also turned back his sharp sword" (Stec 2004, 170, תתיב לאחורא סייפיה חריפא). All of the ancient versions likewise interpreted the phrase as a construct chain, though they ascribe various meanings to צוּר. E.g., LXX: "you turned away the help of his sword (τὴν βοήθειαν τῆς ῥομφαίας αὐτοῦ)" (LXX, trans. NETS); Symmachus: "the strength of his sword" (τὴν στερρότητα τῆς μαχαίρας αὐτοῦ); Quinta: "the strength of his sword" (τὴν στερρότητα τῆς ῥομφαίας αὐτοῦ); Peshitta: "you have turned back the help of his sword (ܥܘܕܪܢܐ ܕܣܦܣܝܪܗ)" (Taylor 2020, 370-1); Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): "you have turned away the strength of his sword" (avertisti robur gladii eius). This option seems the most plausible.
  • Revocalize צוּר as צֹר/צוֹר and interpret the phrase צוֹר חַרְבּוֹ as a construct chain: "flint of his sword >> the sharpness of his sword >> his sharp sword" (DCH, HALOT; Gesenius 2013, 1136; see v. 44 alternative 1 diagram,). The end-result of this interpretation is the same as the previous interpretation. Most modern translations either reflect this option or the previous option—it is usually impossible to tell which one a modern translation reflects. E.g., "the edge of his sword" (NRSV, cf. KJV, ESV, NIV), "the blade of his sword" (NJPS), "the power of his sword" (LUT), "his sharp sword" (ZÜR). It seems better to interpret צוּר as a by-form of צֹר than to revocalize the text to צֹר/צוֹר, since all of our ancient witnesses appear to have vocalized the text as צוּר. The LXX translation τὴν βοήθειαν reflects צוּר, see Ps 19[18]:15. The second column of Origen's Hexapla also presents this vocalization: σουρ.
  • Emend צוּר to מִצָּר ("from the adversary"): "You turn back his sword from the adversary" (NET; see v. 44 alternative 2 diagram). See NET note: "The present translation reflects the latter, assuming an original reading תָּשִׁיב מִצָּר חַרְבּוֹ, which was changed to תָּשִׁיב צָר חַרְבּוֹ by virtual haplography (confusion of bet/mem is well-attested) with צָר (“adversary”) then being misinterpreted as צוּר in the later tradition." This view makes sense, but there is no manuscript evidence to support it.
  • Interpret צוּר as a vocative: "You, O Rock, turn back his sword" (Irvine 2019; see v. 44 alternative 3 diagram). But this is an awkward way of reading the text, and it is not reflected in any of the ancient or modern translations we consulted. When the psalmist addresses God elsewhere as צוּר, there is a pronominal suffix (e.g., "my rock") (e.g., Ps 19:15; perhaps the closest parallel to the interpretation proposed here is Deut 32:4: הַצּוּר֙ תָּמִ֣ים פָּעֳל֔וֹ). Also, the psalmist usually calls God his "rock" when he is expressing trust and confidence in YHWH (see e.g., Ps 18:3, 32, 47; 19:15; etc.), which does not make sense in this instance.