Psalm 95/Notes/Grammar.5.575970

v. 5 – For the asyndetic relative reading of וְ֝יַבֶּ֗שֶׁת יָדָ֥יו יָצָֽרוּ, which understands וְ֝יַבֶּ֗שֶׁת in parallel with הַ֭יָּם and וְה֣וּא עָשָׂ֑הוּ as a parenthetical, see the CEB, EÜ, GNT, NFC, NJPS, TOB, ZÜR. Such a reading would be supported by the likelihood of יָם and יַבֶּשֶׁת as a stock word-pair (see Watson 1986, 128-144). Furthermore, Jerome’s Iuxta Hebraeos supports the parenthetical reading as it provides the conjunction "for" (enim fecit illud), indicating a semantically non-at-issue remark with a speech act of justification, rather than the assertion of the host sentence. The structure resembles Tsumura’s a-x // b-x’, in like manner to Ps 18:42 (see Tsumura, Vertical Grammar, 53), though there the x’ (וְלֹ֣א עָנָֽם) is waw-conjoined, whereas here the parallel relationship is not as explicit, ידיו יצרו lacking syndesis.^[1]

↑ Ps 18:42 reads יְשַׁוְּע֥וּ וְאֵין־מוֹשִׁ֑יעַ עַל־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וְלֹ֣א עָנָֽם׃, which could be interpreted as They cry out—but there is no one rescuing—to YHWH, but he does not answer them. See further Atkinson ("Parentheticals in Biblical Hebrew Prophetic and Poetic Literature," Vetus Testamentum forthcoming).

[1] Ps 18:42 reads יְשַׁוְּע֥וּ וְאֵין־מוֹשִׁ֑יעַ עַל־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וְלֹ֣א עָנָֽם׃, which could be interpreted as They cry out—but there is no one rescuing—to YHWH, but he does not answer them. See further Atkinson ("Parentheticals in Biblical Hebrew Prophetic and Poetic Literature," Vetus Testamentum forthcoming).

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