Psalm 89/Notes/Phrasal.v. 29.938624

From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Jump to: navigation, search
  • The lamed preposition in the first לוֹ is the so-called "dative lamed", common with the verb שׁמר and its synonyms (Jenni 2000, rubric 2721). It indicates the one for whom covenant loyalty is "kept," the beneficiary of the act of "keeping" (e.g., Deut 7:9—שֹׁמֵ֧ר הַבְּרִ֣ית וְהַחֶ֗סֶד לְאֹהֲבָ֛יו; I Kgs 3:6—וַתִּשְׁמָר־ל֗וֹ אֶת־הַחֶ֤סֶד). ESV: "I will keep for him."
  • The second לוֹ has a slightly different nuance, referring to the one who experiences the enduring state of YHWH's covenant (Jenni 2000, rubric 4365). ESV: "will stand firm for him" (cf. ZÜR: für ihn). Translations that render the lamed phrase as "my covenant with him" (NIV, NLT, CSB, NET, cf. HFA, NGÜ, EÜ) accurately convey the sense of the clause but not the precise sense of the lamed. It does not modify "covenant" but is adverbial, modifying the predicate and indicating the experiencer of the state described.