The Grammar and Meaning of Psalm 9:7

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Introduction

Psalm 9:7 reads as follows in the Hebrew (with English interlinear underneath):

הֵֽמָּה	זִכְרָ֣ם	אָבַ֖ד	נָתַ֑שְׁתָּ	וְעָרִ֥ים	לָ֫נֶ֥צַח	חֳרָב֗וֹת	תַּ֥מּוּ	הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב
MASC.PLthey	memory-MASC.PLtheir	it-PASTperish	you-PASTuproot	and-FEM.PLcities	to-everlasting	FEM.PLruins	they-PASTcome to an end	the-enemy

There are three issues that contribute to the difficulty of this verse.

• What is the subject of תַּ֥מּוּ?
  • Is it the word חֳרָב֗וֹת?
    • E.g., ‘ O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end' (KJV, cf. NIV, DELUT/LXX, ELBBK, Aquila, Symmachus, Jerome).
  • Or is it הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב?
    • E.g., ‘The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins...' (ESV, cf. ASV, CEB, HCSB, LEB, NASB1995, NET, NLT, HFA, NGU2011, SCH2000, BCC1923, BDS, LSG, PDV2017, DHH94I, LBLA, RVR95, Peshitta).

• If the subject of תַּ֥מּוּ turns out to be הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב, this leaves another problem open. What is the grammatical function of the word חֳרָב֗וֹת?
  • Is it another predicate to הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב?
    • E.g., ‘The enemy are come to an end, they are desolate for ever' (ASV, cf. NGU2011, BCC1923, LSG, PDV2017, DHH94I, RVR95).
  • Is it modifying the verb תַּ֥מּוּ adverbially?
    • E.g., ‘The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins '(NASB1995, cf. CEB, ESV, HCSB?, LEB, NASB1995, NET, NLT, HFA?, SCH2000, BDS, LBLA, Peshitta).

• Finally what is the pronoun הֵֽמָּה doing?
  • Is it a matter of emphasis (the specific kind will be explained below in the argument maps)?
    • E.g., 'their very memory has perished' (LEB, cf. ASV, CEB, ESV, HCSB, LEB, NASB 1995, NIV, ELBBK, HFA?, NGU2011?, SCH2000?, BCC1923, BDS, LSG, PDV2017, DHH94I?, Peshitta?).
  • Is it modifying the verb אָבַ֖ד somehow?
    • E.g., 'Their memorial is perished with them' (KJV, cf. DELUT, LBLA, RVR95, LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Jerome, Targum).

Argument Map(s)

The Subject of תַּ֥מּוּ

הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב

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[הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב]: The subject of the verb תַּ֥מּוּ is הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב 'the enemy'.
 - <Mismatch in Number>: The noun הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב is singular whereas the verb תַּ֥מּוּ is plural. #dispreferred
  <_ <Grammatical>: A singular subject may be construed with a plural verb, especially when the singular is a collective (see Hupfeld 1888, 134 :C:; GKC §145b :G:; Ross 2011, 307 :C:)
   + הַדּ֗וֹר אַתֶּם֙ רְא֣וּ דְבַר־יְהוָ֔ה 'Generation(s.)! See(p.) the word of the lord' (Jer 2:31).
  - <The verb תמו>: The plural form תַּמּוּ often takes a collective singular (Hupfeld 1888, 134 :C:)
   +  Josh 3:17; 4:1; 5:8; Jer. 44:12, 27; Isa 16:4.

חֳרָב֗וֹת

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[חֳרָב֗וֹת]: The subject of the verb תַּ֥מּוּ is חֳרָב֗וֹת 'ruins'. #dispreferred
 + <Action Noun>: חֳרָב֗וֹת is not 'ruins' but an action noun 'devastation' which would make better sense, viz., 'devastation has come to an end' (so Aquila). #dispreferred
  - <Attestation>: חֳרָב֗וֹת is only ever used to describe places that are in ruins, not actions (Hupfeld 1888, 135 :C:; Delitzsch 1883, 209).
   <_ <Vocative>: חֳרָב֗וֹת can still retain the meaning 'ruins' if האויב is taken as vocative. #dispreferred
    + 'Oh Enemy, because the ruins that you brought to destruction are destroyed forever, and (because)the memory of the cities you uprooted have perished, you thought you could escape, (v. 8) but the lord is enthroned forever' (Ibn Ezra). #dispreferred
     - <Elision>: A generous amount of elision would be needed to make this interpretation work. 
    + 'your name was erased (v. 6). Just as the name of the cities that you destroyed was erased, that were destroyed forever, and their memory perished , thus your memory will perish now' (Radak). #dispreferred
     - <Elision>.
     <_ <Discourse>: Verse 7 is compared with verse 8, not with verse 6 (see the function of המה below).
 + <Agreement>: חֳרָב֗וֹת agrees in number with תַּ֥מּוּ. #dispreferred
  <_ <Grammatical>: A singular subject may be construed with a plural verb, especially when the singular is a collective (see Hupfeld 1888, 134 :C:; GKC §145b :G:)
 - <Resumptive Suffix>: If 'ruins (of the enemy) have come to an end' were intended, we'd expect a resumptive suffix on the extraposed verb (Hupfeld 1888, 135 :C:)
  + <Resuming an Extraposed Noun with the Genitive>:  Na 1.3 יהוה בְּסוּפָה וּבִשְׂעָרָה דַּרְכּוֹ Y., in the storm and the tempest is his way; Gn 34.8 ‏שְׁכֶם בְּנִי חָֽשְׁקָה נַפְשׁוֹ בְּבִתְּכֶם the soul of my son Shechem is attached to your daughter. Likewise with a pronoun: Is 59.21 ‏ואני זאת בְּרִיתִי אוֹתָם and I, here is my covenant with them (‏אוֹתָם = אִתָּם, § 103 j); Gn 40.16; Josh 23.9; Is 45.12; Jr 30.6; Ez 33.17; Jb 21.4; 1Ch 28.2. (JM §156b :G:)

The Grammar of חֳרָב֗וֹת

Predicate

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[Predicate]: The word חֳרָב֗וֹת is the predicate of a verbless clause of which הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב is the subject. #dispreferred
 + <Verse 6>: Verse 6—which is close in meaning to v. 7— arranges its clauses in groups of 2 words (Baethgen 1904, 24 :C:). #dispreferred
  - <Masoretic Accents>: The accents set off הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב with a disjunctive. Grouping it with what follows would require emendation to a conjunctive (so Baethgen 1904, 24 :C:).

Adverb

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[Adverb]: The word חֳרָב֗וֹת is modifying the verb תמו.
 + <Masoretic Accents>: The Masoretic accents prosodically bind חֳרָב֗וֹת with the verb.
 + <Usage>: To become חרבות or חָרֵב and נֶחֱרַב—these are expressions that are used elsewhere both of nations and of individuals (Jer. xxv. 9; Isa. lx. 12; 2 Kings iii.23) (Kiel and Delitzsch 1883, 209).

The Function of הֵֽמָּה

Emphatic Restatement

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[Emphasis]: The word הֵֽמָּה functions as an emphatic pronoun 'themselves' or 'very'.
 - <No Contrast>: The pronoun does not contrast with anything within v. 7 (So Baethgen 1904, 24 :C:; Hupfeld 1888 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <Discourse>
 - <Agreement>: הֵֽמָּה cannot refer to וְעָרִ֥ים because עָרִ֥ים is feminine whereas הֵֽמָּה is masculine (Hupfeld 1888 :C:; Baethgen 1904 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <More than One Option via the Accents>: 'It (=the accentuation) does not take נָתַשְׁתָּ...as a relative cluase, and therefore does not require that זכרם המה be referred back to ערים (Kiel and Delitzsch 1883, 209 :C:).
 + <Grammar>: A personal pronoun 'serves to give strong emphasis to a suffix of the same person which precedes' in other places (GKC §135e :G:).
  + 2 Sam. 19:1; Prov 23:15; 1 King. 21:19; 2 Sam 17:5; Jer. 27:7; Micah 7:3; 1 Sam. 20:42; Neh. 5:2; Num. 14:32; Psa 38:11.
 + <Discourse>: The pronoun re-states the topic for the purpose of contrasting the the enemies' fleeting existence with YHWH's eternal rule. This re-statement is complemented by fronting YHWH in v. 8 as contrastive topic (cf. Cragie 1983, 115 :C: 'Alternatively, המה could be retained in v. 7, and v. 8 translated: “But the Lord shall reign...”]).

Adverb

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[Adverbial]: The word הֵֽמָּה modifies the verb אָבַ֖ד in some way. #dispreferred
 + <Ancient Support>: Some of the ancient witnesses construe the word this way: Aquila, Symmachus, Jerome, Targum. #dispreferred
  <_ <Too Diverse>: The various semantics assigned to this adverbial meaning by the versions reflect their effort to facilitate it syntactically (Barthelemy 2005, 28 :M:).
 - <Not Necessary>: 'But the antithesis follows in v. 8: yea, their very memorial has perished, whereas Jahve on the contrary for ever endures and is enthroned as judge. This antithesis also confirms our opinion, that זכרם does not refer to the cities, but to the collective term האויב. With this interpretation of v. 7, we do not require to read זִכְרָם (Targ.) (Kiel and Delitzsch 1883, 210).

Conclusion

Verse 7 recalls the transitory nature of the enemies and then verse 8 contrasts YHWH's righteous rule with said transitory nature. When read together, many of verse 7's complexities become clear. There is no reason for discounting האויב as the subject of תמו. This verb is regularly construed with a collective and Hebrew grammar allows for a collective subject to be predicated by a plural verb. By the same token חרבות should not be preferred solely on grounds of subject-verb agreement. Other than that, if חרבות was the subject we'd expect a presumptive suffix. Also, most treatments of חרבות as subject do not do justice to its nominal morphology; the word refers to the result of destroying 'ruins', not the abstract process 'devastation'.

Given האויב as the subject of תמו, the Masoretic accents suggest that the function of חרבות is adverbial. This is corroborated by other places in scripture where becoming 'ruins' is used to describe the result of some action of which nations and individuals are the patient.

Many ancient versions do indeed reflect an adverbial analysis of המה, but the diverse nature of their translations reflects the fact that they are simply contending with a difficult text just like we are and should not be normative in this case. Given the contrast intended in v. 7 with v. 8, it is much more likely המה restates the topic in order to contrast it via the fronting of יהוה in the next verse.

For these reasons we have chosen to translate verse 7 as, ' The enemy came to an end in ruins forever, and you uprooted cities. The very memory of them perished '.

Research

Translations

Ancient

LXX

τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἐξέλιπον αἱ ῥομφαῖαι εἰς τέλος, καὶ πόλεις καθεῖλες, ἀπώλετο τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν μετ̓ ἤχους

The swords of the enemy failed completely, and cities you destroyed; the memory of them perished resoundingly.

Aquila

τοῦ ἐχθροῦ consummata sunt ἔρημα εἰς νῖκος καὶ πόλεις ἐξέτιλας σὺν αὐτοῖς

The lonely places of the enemy came to an end in victory, and you plucked out cities with them.

retroverted from Syro-Hexapla:

ܕܒܥܠܕܒܒܐ ܫܠܡܥܢ ܚܪܒܐ ܒܙܟܘܬܐ ܘܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܬܠܫܬ

The wars/destructions of the enemy comes to an end, and you tore out cities.

Symmachus

Consumpta sunt ἐρείπια...καὶ πόλεις ἐξερρίζωνται σὺν αὐτοὶς

The ruins are finished...and cities have been rooted out with them

retroverted from Syro-Hexapla

ܓܡܪ ܚܪܒܬܐ ܘܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܐܬܥܩܪܝܢ

Ruins have come to an end, and the cities have been utterly destroyed.

Jerome

conpletae sunt solitudines in finem et civitates subvertisti periit memoria eorum cum ipsis

The wildernesses have come to an end forever and you have overthrown cities. The memory of them vanished with them (viz., the actual people, not just the cities)

Peshitta

ܒ̈ܥܠܕܒܒܝ݂ ܓܡ݂ܪܘ ܒܣܝܦܐ݂ ܠܥܠܡ. ܩܘܪ̈ܝܐ݂ ܥܩ݂ܪܬ݂ ܘܐܘܒ݂ܕܬ ܕܘܟܪܢܗܝܢ.

My enemies perished forever by the sword. You uprooted their cities and destroyed the memory of them.

Targum

וְכַד נְפַל בְּעֵל דְבָבָא אִשְׁתֵּצָיוּ חֶלְוָתֵיהּ וּכְרַכֵּיהוֹן אִצְתַּדְיוּ לְעַלְמָא וְקִרְוֵיהוֹן צְדִיתָא הוֹבַדְתָּא דָכְרָנְהוֹן מִנְהוֹן

And when the enemy fell his army was destroyed, and their fortifications were laid waste forever and their cities you destroyed. You caused the memory of them to perish from them.

Modern

English

• ASV: The enemy are come to an end, they are desolate for ever; And the cities which thou hast overthrown, The very remembrance of them is perished.
• CEB: Every enemy is wiped out, like something ruined forever. You’ve torn down their cities— even the memory of them is dead.
• ESV: The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.
• HCSB: The enemy has come to eternal ruin; You have uprooted the cities, and the very memory of them has perished.
• KJV: O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: And thou hast destroyed cities; Their memorial is perished with them.
• LEB: The enemies are destroyed in ruins forever, and you have uprooted their cities; their very memory has perished.
• NASB1995: The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins, And You have uprooted the cities; The very memory of them has perished.
• NET: The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins; you destroyed their cities; all memory of the enemies has perished..
• NIV: Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.
• NLT: The enemy is finished, in endless ruins; the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.

German

• DELUT: Die Schwerter des Feindes haben ein Ende; die Städte hast du umgekehrt; ihr Gedächtnis ist umgekommen samt ihnen
• ELBBK: O Feind – zu Ende sind die Trümmer für immer. Auch hast du Städte zerstört; ihr, ja, ihr Gedächtnis ist verschwunden.
• HFA: Der Feind ist für immer erledigt, seine Städte sind nur noch Ruinen. Keiner denkt mehr an sie.
• NGU2011: Der Feind ist völlig vernichtet, seine Macht für immer zerschlagen. Du hast seine Städte dem Erdboden gleichgemacht; nichts erinnert mehr an sie.
• SCH2000: Der Feind — er ist völlig und für immer zertrümmert, und die Städte hast du zerstört; ihr Andenken ist dahin.

French

• BCC1923: L'ennemi est anéanti ! Des ruines pour toujours ! Des villes que tu as renversées ! Leur souvenir a disparu !
• BDS: Plus d’ennemis ! Ils sont ruinés à tout jamais car tu as renversé leurs villes, le souvenir en est perdu.
• LSG: Plus d’ennemis! Des ruines éternelles! Des villes que tu as renversées! Leur souvenir est anéant.
• PDV2017: Les ennemis n’existent plus, ils ont complètement disparu ! Tu as détruit leurs villes, on ne sait même plus leurs noms.

Spanish

• DHH94I: El enemigo ha muerto, y con él han muerto sus ciudades; tú las destruiste, y no quedó de ellas ni el recuerdo.
• LBLA: El enemigo ha llegado a su fin en desolación eterna, y tú has destruido sus ciudades; su recuerdo ha perecido con ellas.
• PDT: Mis enemigos ya no existen. Sus ciudades están en ruinas, ya nadie se acuerda de ellos.
• RVR95: Los enemigos han perecido; han quedado desolados para siempre; y las ciudades que derribaste, su memoria pereció con ellas.
• TLA: Para siempre cayó la desgracia sobre nuestros enemigos; dejaste sin gente sus ciudades, y ya nadie se acuerda de ellos.

References

9:7 Approved