Psalm 89/Notes/Verbal.vv. 3-5.85994
Modern European translations disagree on the tense of אָמַרְתִּי (qatal) in v. 3. Some translations have a simple past tense—"I said" (ESV, cf. ELB)—or a present perfect—"I have said" (KJV). Others have a future—"I will declare" (NIV, CSB, cf. CEV)—or a present—"I say" (NET, cf. LUT, EÜ, ZÜR). The future-tense interpretation is unlikely for a qatal verb. The past-tense interpretation ("I said" or "I have said") both respects the verbal form and makes sense in the context. As Goldingay writes, "When someone says 'I said' and does not tell us the addressee, this is commonly a way of saying 'I said to myself,' 'I thought' (e.g., Pss 30:7; 39:2), and that makes sense here. The line indicates the expectation the speaker verbalized inside, which lay behind the declaration in v. 1. The worshipper knows of Yhwh’s acts of commitment in the past and affirms that this commitment will last forever; the singing (v. 1) will thus match it."[1] His conviction (v. 3) is the basis for his commitment (v. 2). We might even paraphrase v. 3a, "For I am convinced/persuaded...":[2] "The words 'I have said,' imply that the truth which the inspired writer propounds was deeply fixed in his heart"). The present-tense translation "I say" (NET, LUT, EÜ, ZÜR) is also possible. The verb אמר in the qatal conjugation is sometimes performative, "introducing a message that is being uttered."[3]