The Function of הִנֵּ֤ה ׀ in Psalm 134:1
Back to Psalm 134
Introduction
The Masoretic text of Psalm 134:1a reads[1]
הִנֵּ֤ה ׀ בָּרֲכ֣וּ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה כָּל־עַבְדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה
The Hebrew particle הִנֵּה ‘is here used uniquely’[2] with an imperative verb. Typically this particle is used to draw the attention of the hearer to something in the spatial, temporal, cognitive or even discursive proximity of the speaker[3], viz., a ‘presentative’. Thus הִנֵּה is normally followed by a noun phrase (where it points out an object), or a clause with a finite verb (where it points out a situation). This is why הִנֵּ֤ה with the following imperative is ‘unique’.
Consequently, translations reflect a variety of functions for the הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1.[4]
- The majority of translations interpret it as a call to attention or a summons.
- E.g., ‘Come, bless the LORD’ (ESV)
- Some translations reflect an interpretation where הִנֵּה explicitly expresses speaker emotion, viz., an exclamation
- E.g., ‘Oh, praise the Lord’ (NLT)
- A few translations interpret the particle as a discourse marker.
- E.g., ‘Now bless the Lord’ (JPS1985)
- Some choose to translate the particle with its normal meaning, viz., a presentative.
- E.g., ‘Voici: bénissez l'Éternel’ (NVS78P)
- One translation understands the particle as assertive.
- E.g., ‘Oui, bénissez le Seigneur’ (NFC)
Argument Maps
Call to attention
The majority of translations interpret the הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1 as functioning to call the attention of those who would have been the hearers of the Psalm, viz., as a summons (ESV, NET, CEV, GNT, NEB, REB, NRSV, HJB, HFA, NGÜ).
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[Call to Attention]: The הִנֵּ֤ה in Psalm 134:1 functions as an “emphatic call to attention” (Briggs 1904, 477 :C:)/summons. #dispreferred
-<No other attestation>: The particle הִנֵּה nowhere else functions to initially *call* the attention of the reader (rather, it functions to *direct* attention).
-<Other means>: Biblical Hebrew uses other constructions to refer to attention and to get someone's attention.
+ [Getting someone's attention in Biblical Hebrew]: הַאֲזִינָה֮ אֶֽל־דִּמְעָתִ֗י ‘pay attention to my tears’ (Psa. 39:13); אַל־נָ֣א יָשִׂ֣ים אֲדֹנִ֣י ׀ אֶת־לִבּ֡וֹ ‘Let not my Lord pay attention (lit., set his heart towards’) (1 Sam. 25:25); הִקְשִׁ֗יב בְּק֣וֹל תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃ ‘he has attended to the voice of my prayer’ (Psa. 66:19 ESV)
Exclamation
A few translations reflect an interpretation where הִנֵּה explicitly expresses speaker emotion, viz., an exclamation (NLT, ELB, GNB, TOB, PDV2017, S21, DHH94I).
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[Exclamation]: The הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1 functions to explicitly express a speaker emotion. #dispreferred
+<Usage>: The particle הִנֵּה is used elsewhere in order to express the emotion of a participant to some newsworthy event. #dispreferred
+ [Usage]: ‘David and his men came to the city and (to their surprise they saw) (וְהִנֵּ֥ה) it was burned down’ (1 Sam. 30.3; see also 1 Kgs 3.21; 10.7; 2 Kgs 7.10) (Di Giulio 2013 :A:) #dispreferred
-<Not surprising>: Exclamatory particles are used when the utterance within their scope is ‘expected to arouse a sense of surprise in the hearer or reader’ (Di Giulio 2013 :A:), yet there is no reason to believe that the following imperative would have been surprising or contrary to expectation in any way to the speaker or the hearer.
+ <Those who serve YHWH>: It is unlikely that עַבְדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה ‘those who serve the Lord’ would be surprised by the Psalmist commanding them to bless the Lord.
Discourse Marker
A few translations interpret the הִנֵּה as drawing attention to the linguistic utterance that follows it for a particular reason related to a previous utterance, viz., as a discourse marker (JPS1985, Luther2017, EÜ, ZB).
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[Discourse Marker]: The הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1 points to the following linguistic utterance in order to relate it to another utterance in the discourse. #dispreferred
-<Nothing before v. 1>: Psalm 134:1 opens the psalm and therefore cannot relate the following utterance to anything that came before.
-<Relates to Psalm 133>: The הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1 serves to ‘underscore the relationship between Psalms 134 and 133’ (Hossfeld and Zenger 2011, 484 :C:). #dispreferred
+<Same beginning>: Psalm 133:1 also begins with הִנֵּה, suggesting that the ‘insertion served to stress the continuity of this psalm, as the final one in the present collection, with what precedes’ (Allen 2002, 281 :C:). #dispreferred
<_<Secondary order>: The sequence Psalm 133 > 134 was not a fixed order throughout the Psalter's transmission.
+[11QPs-a]: In 11QPs-a Psalms 133 and 134 are separated by ten psalms (see Lange 2020 :A:).
-<Relates to v. 3>: The הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1 relates vv. 1 and 2 to v. 3. #dispreferred
+<Known function of הִנֵּה>: In some cases הִנֵּה ‘points to and confirms information which provides or prepares the grounds of something else that is being said’ (BHRG §40.22.4.2 :G:). #dispreferred
<_<Not information>: What follows הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1 is not information, but an admonition (see Hupfeld 1862, 323 :C:)
Presentative
Some interpret the particle as functioning to draw the reader/hearers attention to something, viz., as a presentative (NVS78P, RVR95, BTX).
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[Presentative]: The particle הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1 serves to draw the reader's attention to something related to the following utterance. #dispreferred
+<Duty>: The הִנֵּה is drawing the attention of ‘servants of the Lord’ (עַבְדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה) to their duty (Keil and Delitzsch 1996, 791 :C:). #dispreferred
+<Priests>: The עַבְדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה ‘servants of the Lord’ being addressed are priests. #dispreferred
-<Not priest's duty>: Priests and Levites are nowhere commanded to bless the Lord as part of their official duties.
<_<Spiritual correction>: ‘The Psalmist would show that merely to keep nightly watch over the Temple, kindle the lamps, and superintend the sacrifices, was of no importance, unless they served God spiritually’ (Calvin :C:). #dispreferred
Assertive (preferred)
One translation reflects an interpretation of הִנֵּה where it is assertive or injunctive in force (NFC).
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[Assertive]: The particle הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1 serves to assert speaker commitment / highlight the following utterance in some way (so Berlin et. al. 2023, 73 :C:).
+<הִנֵּה followed by imperative>: In other place(s) where הִנֵּה (or הֵן) is followed by an imperative, the particle ‘baldly (re-)asserts speaker commitment’ (Garr 2004, 340 :A:).
+ [הִנֵּה followed by imperative]: ‘Look! (הֵ֥ן הַבֶּט־נָ֖א) All of us are your people’ (Isa. 64:8); ‘Warn the nations that he is coming; announce to Jerusalem (הִנֵּה֙ הַשְׁמִ֣יעוּ), “Besiegers come from a distant land...(Jer. 4:16)”’.
+<Context>: The speaker may strengthen his command to ‘bless’ the Lord because he is confident that if they do the Lord will ‘bless’ (v.3) in return (see Gerstenberger 2001, 374–376 :C:).
Conclusion
The particle הִנֵּה most likely functions ‘as a reinforcement of the imperative’ (Gerstenberger 2001, 375) that serves to express speaker commitment to the speech act. Rather than a vague ‘emphasis’, however, this interpretation affects (or rather makes explicit) the relationship of the closing verse to the rest of the Psalm. The speaker may boldly command the hearer to bless God because they are confident that God will bless his people in return (v. 3). For these reasons, we have chosen to interpret הִנֵּה in Psalm 134:1 to function as an assertive and have expressed this assertiveness with the colloquial English expression “Come on! Bless YHWH.”
Research
Translations
Ancient
- Peshitta
- ܒܪܟܘ ܠܡܪܝܐ ܟܠܟܘܢ ܥܒ̈ܕܘܗܝ ܕܡܪܝܐ[9]
- Bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord!
Modern
Emphatic call to attention
- ESV: Come, bless the LORD,
- NET: Attention! Praise the LORD,
- CEV: Come and offer praises.
- GNT: Come, praise the LORD,
- NEB: Come, bless the Lord.
- REB: Come, bless the Lord.
- NRSV: Come, bless the Lord
- NJB: Come, bless YHWH
- HFA: Kommt und lobt den HERRN
- NGÜ: Kommt und preist den HERRN,
Exclamation
- NLT: Oh, praise the LORD
- ELB: Auf, preist den HERRN,
- GNB: Auf, dankt dem HERRN,
- TOB: Allons ! bénissez le Seigneur
- PDV2017: Allons ! Dites merci au Seigneur
- S21: Oh! Bénissez l’Eternel,
- DHH94I: ¡Vamos, siervos del Señor!
Discourse Marker
- JPS 1985: Now bless the Lord
- Luther2017: Wohlan, lobet den HERRN,
- EÜ: Wohlan, preist den HERRN,
- ZB: Wohlan, preist den HERRN,
Presentative
- NVS78P: Voici : bénissez l'Éternel
- RVR95: Mirad, bendecid a Jehová,
- BTX: Mirad, bendecid a YHVH
Asseverative
- NFC: Oui, bénissez le Seigneur,
Omit
- NIV: Praise the Lord
- NBS: Bénissez le Seigneur
- BDS: Bénissez l’Eternel,
- NVI: Bendigan al Señor
Secondary Literature
- Allen, Leslie. 1983. Psalms 101-150. Vol. 3. Word Biblical Commentary 21. Waco: Word Books.
- Berlin, Adele, Benjamin D. Sommer, and Avigdor Shinan. 2023. The JPS Bible Commentary: Psalms 120–150: תהלים קכ–קנ. University of Nebraska Press.
- Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Briggs. 1907. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 2. ICC. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.
- Calvin, John. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Translated by James Anderson. Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
- Di Giulio, Marco. 2013. “Exclamation: Biblical Hebrew.” In Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics. Leiden: Brill.
- Garr, W. Randall. 2004. “הן.” Revue Biblique 111 (3): 321–44.
- Gerstenberger, Erhard. 2001. Psalms, Part 2, and Lamentations. FOTL 15. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
- Gzella, Holger. “Presentatives.” In Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics. Brill, 2013. (electronic version)
- Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 2011. Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101-150. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.
- Hupfeld, Hermann. 1871. Die Psalmen. Vol. 4. Gotha: F.A. Perthes.
- Keil, Carl F. and Delitzsch, Franz. 1996. Commentary on the Old Testament. Volume 5. Peabody, MA.
- Lange, Armin. 2020. “10.2.1 Ancient Manuscript Evidence.” In Textual History of the Bible. Leiden: Brill.
- Miller-Naudé, Cynthia L., and C. H. J. van der Merwe. 2011. “הִנֵּה and Mirativity in Biblical Hebrew.” Hebrew Studies 52: 53–81.
References
134:1
- ↑ Text from OSHB
- ↑ Allen (2002, 281)
- ↑ Miller-Naudé and van der Merwe (2011, 54); Gzella (2013)
- ↑ A few translations simply omit the particle from their translations (e.g., NIV ‘Praise the Lord’) , but this seems to be more of a translation choice than the acceptance of a variant. This option will therefore not be treated here.
- ↑ Rahlfs (1931, 315)
- ↑ NETS
- ↑ Gryson and Weber 5th
- ↑ Jerome seems like he is simply copying the Hebrew. ‘Ecce’ is typically used to point out objets, never verbs. It is therefore left untranslated here
- ↑ Walters (1980, 157)
- ↑ CAL
- ↑ Stec (2004, 228)