Introduction

Psalm 89 begins with a superscription:^[1]

מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל לְאֵיתָ֥ן הָֽאֶזְרָחִֽי׃

The identity of "Ethan the Ezrahite" (אֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי), the apparent author of this psalm, is unclear. As Calvin writes, "Who this Ethan was, to whom this psalm is ascribed, is somewhat uncertain."^[2] The Septuagint translates the name as "Ethan the Israelite," and the Targum identifies him as Abraham: "spoken by Abraham who came from the east."^[3] All of the modern translations consulted simply say "Ethan the Ezrahite." The phrase translated "the Ezrahite" (הָאֶזְרָחִי) is open to multiple meanings, which will be evaluated in the argument maps below, for example:

Ethan, of the family of Zerah
Ethan, the pre-Israelite native of Canaan
Ethan, the Easterner

These different understandings of the phrase הָאֶזְרָחִי relate to different identifications of Ethan. The following identifications are possible:

Ethan was one of the Levitical singers whom David appointed over the temple's music, and he was associated with the family of Zerah.
Ethan was a pre-Israelite native of Canaan.
Ethan was a wise person from the East.

Argument Maps

Levitical singer of the family of Zerah (preferred)

The first possible identification for "Ethan" in Ps 89 is that he was one of the Levitical singers whom David appointed over temple music. According to this view, the phrase הָאֶזְרָחִי means "of the family of Zerah" (though not in a biological sense).^[4]


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[Levitical Singer]: Ethan is one of the Levites whom David put in charge of temple music (Hengstenberg 1848 :C:).
 + <Chronicles>: The Book of Chronicles mentions a prominent Levitical singer during the time of David named "Ethan," who is also associated with "Heman." 
  + [1 Chr 6:16-32]: "These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order. These are the men who served and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer (הֵימָן הַמְשֹׁורֵר)... and his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand... On the left hand were their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi (אֵיתָן בֶּן־קִישִׁי)...son of Levi" (1 Chr 6:16-32 \[Eng: 6:31-47\], ESV).
  + [1 Chr 15:16-19]: "David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah (אֵיתָן בֶּן־קֽוּשָׁיָהוּ)... The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals (1 Chr 15:16-19, ESV).
 + <Levites and Psalm superscriptions>: Other psalm superscriptions are attributed to Levites.
  + [Levites and Psalm superscriptions]: E.g., "Korahites" (Pss 42-49, 84-85, 87-88), "Asaph" (Pss 50, 73-83), "Moses" (Ps 90).
 - <אֶזְרָחִי>: This interpretation does not explain the title הָאֶזְרָחִי. #dispreferred
  - <"Of the family of Zerah">: The title הָאֶזְרָחִי means "of the family of Zerah (זרח)."
   - <Initial alef>: אֶזְרָחִי has an aleph at the beginning, whereas זרח has no aleph. #dispreferred
    <_ <Clan name development>: Clan names in the biblical world often underwent interesting linguistic developments (see Bejon 2024, §3.5.4). In this case, maybe the initial alef was "added to resolve an initial consonantal cluster" (cf. JM §17a :G:; GKC §19m :G:; see e.g., וּבְאֶזְרוֹעַ in Jer 32:21).
   + <1 Chr 2:6>: In 1 Chr 2:6, the Chronicler identifies "Ethan the Ezrahite" (אֶזְרָחִי) mentioned in 1 Kgs 5 as meaning "Ethan, of the family of Zerah."
    + [1 Kgs 5:10-11]: "Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite (אֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי)" (I Kgs 4:30-31, NIV, Hebr.: 5:10-11).
    + [1 Chr 2:6]: "the sons of Zerah (בְנֵי זֶרַח): Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda—five in all" (1 Chr 2:6, NIV)
   - <Zerah from Judah>: Zerah was the son of Judah (1 Chr 2:4); cf. Gen 38:30), whereas Ethan the Ezrahite was a Levite. #dispreferred
    <_ <Not biological descent>: "It is certain that \[Ethan and Heman\] were not the *descendants* of Zerah, the son of Judah. The whole music connected with the worship of God in David's time, and in later periods, was in the hands of Levites; and this every child knew, so that nobody could think of tracing the descent of the famous chief musicians of David to the tribe of Judah... Hence, Heman and Ethan could have been reckoned as belonging to the family of Zerah, only in the sense that they dwelt in this family, as 'strangers and sojourners'" (Hengstenberg 1848, 89-90 :C:).
     + <Genealogies not striclty biological>: Biblical genealogies can reorganize themselves based on changes in geography and politics. They are not strictly biological (cf. Bejon 2024, §3.5.5).
      + <Sheba and Dedan>: For example, Gen 10:7 lists Sheba and Dedan as descendants of Kush, while Gen 25:2 lists them as descendants of Keturah. Thus, "Cush and Keturah’s genealogies... appear to be ‘snapshots’ of South Arabia’s political associations taken at different points in time. Evidently, Sheba and Dedan  were associated with the Cushite kingdom of Raamah at some point in their history  (Gen. 10), but they later (if Gen. 25’s snapshot post-dates Gen. 10’s) established  closer links with the Arabian Peninsula and by extension with Keturah’s  descendants" (Bejon 2024, §3.5.5).
     + <Analogies>: "There are not wanting examples of Levites being spoken of as belonging to the family of which, in their capacity as citizens, they formed part" (Hengstenberg 1848, 90 :C:).
      + [Judg 17:7]: "Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah (מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת יְהוּדָה), who was a Levite (לֵוִי), and he sojourned there" (Judg 17:7, ESV).
      + [1 Sam 1:1]: In 1 Sam 1:1, Elkanah, of the tribe of Levi, is called an "Ephraimite" (אֶפְרָתִי), because he lived in Ephraim.
   + <Heman (Ps 88)>: This interpretation of אֶזְרָחִי can explain why Heman too is called "the Ezrahite" (הָאֶזְרָחִי) in the superscription of Psalm 88, for he too was a son of Zerah (1 Chr 2:6).
    + [Ps 88:1]: שִׁ֥יר מִזְמ֗וֹר לִבְנֵ֫י קֹ֥רַח לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־מָחֲלַ֣ת לְעַנּ֑וֹת מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל לְהֵימָ֥ן הָאֶזְרָחִֽי׃
    + [1 Chr 2:6]
 - <Diachronic issue>: Psalm 89 is about the apparent failure of the Davidic dynasty. But Ethan was a contemporary of David, and he never lived to see the failure of the dynasty (cf. Baethgen 1904, vii :C:).#dispreferred
  <_ <Prophecy>: Ethan wrote Psalm 89 prophetically, looking into the future at what YHWH would do with the Davidic dynasty (Ibn Ezra :C:).
  <_ <Partial authorship>: Ethan did not write the whole psalm, only vv. 2-38. The rest (vv. 39-53) was added by a later author (cf. Ho'iel Moshe :C:).
   + <Explanatory power>: This explanation coheres with the evidence of the superscriptions (Pss 88-89) and with the content of the psalm itself.
    + <Strong shift>: In Ps 89, there is a strong shift in content, attitude, poetic structure, and temporal perspective between v. 38 and v. 39.
     + <Poetic structure>: Verses 2-38 form a complete poetic unit, bound by an inclusio and structured in an ABAB pattern.
      + [Inclusio]: vv. 2-5; vv. 34-38. Repeated words: "loyalty," "reliability," "covenant," "David," "dynasty," "kingdom," "forever," "I have sworn," "established," cf. "sky/sun-moon."
      + [ABAB structure]: A. Praise to YHWH (vv. 2-3) B. Promises to David (vv. 4-5), ending with "selah." A. Praise to YHWH (vv. 6-19) B. Promises to David (vv. 20-38), ending with "selah."
     + <Change in attitude>: In vv. 2-38, the psalmist reflects an attitude of joy, awe, and thankfulness: "I will sing forever about YHWH's acts of loyalty." Beginning in v. 39, however, he begins to accuse YHWH of acting unfaithfully: "But you have refused..." (cf. Ho'il Moshe :C:).
     + <Change in temporal perspective>: Verses 39ff are written from the perspective of someone who has witnessed the (apparent) fall of David's kingdom and the failure of his dynasty, whereas vv. 2-38 do not necessarily reflect this perspective.
    + <Korahite authorship>: In addition to "Ethan the Ezrahite," the Korahites had a role in the shape of Ps 89. 
     + <Superscription of Pss 88-89>: The previous psalm (Ps 88) has two superscriptions, because the first one ("a song, a psalm, by the Korahites") stands over the whole unit of Pss 88-89 (Hengstenberg 1848, 84-87 :C:). 
      + [Ps 88:1]: שִׁ֥יר מִזְמ֗וֹר לִבְנֵ֫י קֹ֥רַח לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־מָחֲלַ֣ת לְעַנּ֑וֹת מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל לְהֵימָ֥ן הָאֶזְרָחִֽי׃
  <_ <Not author>: "Ethan" is not the actual author of Ps 89.
   + <Imaginary author>: "As the authors of the whole Psalm had already been said to be the Sons of Korah (cf. Ps 42), it is obvious that Heman the Ezrahite, who is named \[in Ps 88\] and Ethan the Ezrahite, who is named in Ps 89, should not be considered as the proper authors of the parts marked by their name, but as men into whose mouths the contents of these parts were put. The ל is here, as in other passages, the ל auctoris; but it denotes the imaginary, and not the real author" (Hengstenberg 1848, 88 :C:).
    + <Superscription of Pss 88-89>

Pre-Israelite native

It is also possible that the phrase הָאֶזְרָחִי means "(pre-Israelite) native."^[5]


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[Pre-Israelite Native]: Ethan in Ps 89 is a "pre-Israelite native" of the land of Canaan; the title אֶזְרָחִי means "native-born." (Albright 1953, 127 :M:).#dispreferred
 + <אֶזְרָחִי>: The title אֶזְרָחִי is probably a combination of the word אֶזְרָח ("native-born") with the gentilic ending ִי (Bejon 2024).#dispreferred
  + <Meaning of אֶזְרָח>: The word אֶזְרָח elsewhere refers to someone who is "native born" (cf. HALOT :L:).#dispreferred
   + [אֶזְרָח]: "You must have the same regulations for both the foreigner and the native-born" (Num 9:14, NIV).#dispreferred
  + <Septuagint>: The Septuagint translator appears to have interpreted אֶזְרָחִי in the superscription of Ps 89 to mean "native-born," though he understood it to refer to a native Israelite rather than a pre-Israelite native.#dispreferred
   + [Septuagint]: τῷ Ισραηλίτῃ#dispreferred
 + <Onomastics>: "The names 'Ethan' and 'Heman' may be closely paralleled by scores of abbreviated names found at Ugarit and elsewhere in the late second millennium B.C. The type of name they represent, with an ending in "-ān" which appears elsewhere in Semitic as diminutive, was characteristically Canaanite in the Late Bronze Age, but seems never to appear in any later Hebrew lists of contemporary names" (Albright 1953, 127 :M:; on the suffix in Semitic languages, cf. Bejon 2024, §3.9.3 :M:).#dispreferred
   + [ān names]: E.g., "The sons of Bilhan (בִלְהָן): Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan (זֵיתָן), Tarshish and Ahishahar... The sons of Shemida were: Ahian (אַחְיָן), Shechem, Likhi and Aniam" (1 Chr 7:10, 19, NIV).#dispreferred
   <_ <"Reliable">: Perhaps the -ān ending on אֵיתָן is not the same -ān suffix that was often added to a lexeme to create a name (for this function of the suffix, see Bejon 2024, §3.9.3 :M:), but rather part of the lexeme itself: the adjective אֵיתָן meaning "constant" or "reliable" (see e.g., DCH :L:).
 - <1 Chr 2:6>: In 1 Chr 2:6, the Chronicler identifies "Ethan the Ezrahite" (אֶזְרָחִי) mentioned in 1 Kgs 5 as meaning "Ethan, of the family of Zerah," not as "Ethan the pre-Israelite native."
    + [1 Kgs 5:10-11]: "Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite (אֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי)" (I Kgs 4:30-31, NIV, Hebrew: 5:10-11).
    + [1 Chr 2:6]: "the sons of Zerah (בְנֵי זֶרַח): Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda—five in all" (1 Chr 2:6, NIV)
     <_ <Misunderstanding>: The genealogy in 1 Chr 2 is based on the misunderstanding of an underlying tradition whereby the wise men of 1 Kgs 4:10-11 (Eng. 5:30-31), Ethan, Heman, Kalkol, and Darda, "the sons of מָחוֹל," i.e., "members of the orchestral guild," were all called "Ezrahites," i.e., "(pre-Israelite) natives" (Albright 1953, 127 :M:).#dispreferred

Wise person from the East

Finally, it is also possible that the title הָאֶזְרָחִי means "the Easterner" or "the one from the East."


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[From the East]: Ethan in Ps 89 is a wise person from the East; the title הָאֶזְרָחִי means "from the East."#dispreferred
 + <מִזְרָח>: The root זרח in the title אֶזְרָחִי is associated with the "East." The word מִזְרָח, for example, means "place of sunrise, east" (BDB :L:).#dispreferred
  [מִזְרָח]: E.g., "those he gathered from the lands, from east (מִמִּזְרָח) and west, from north and south" (Ps 107:3, NIV).#dispreferred
 + <1 Kgs 5>: In 1 Kgs 5 (Eng. 4), "Ethan the Ezrahite" is associated with people of the East.#dispreferred
  + [1 Kgs 5:10-11]: "Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East (בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם), and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite (אֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי)—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol" (I Kgs 4:30-31, NIV, Hebr.: 5:10-11).#dispreferred
 + <Jewish tradition>: There is a strong Jewish tradition claiming that "Ethan the Ezrahite is Abraham" (Baba Batra 15a; cf. Leviticus Rabbah 9; Numbers Rabbah 19; Qohelet Rabbah 7; Targum Psalms). This identification with Abraham is based in part on understanding הָאֶזְרָחִי as "from the east" together with the fact that Abraham came from the east (Baba Batra 15a, Targum Psalms).#dispreferred
  + [Targum Psalms Ps 89:1]: "...spoken by Abraham who came from the east (מדינחא)."#dispreferred

Conclusion (C)

"Ethan the Ezrahite" in Ps 89 is probably the same "Ethan the Ezrahite" mentioned in 1 Kgs 5:10-11, the same "Ethan" son of Zerah in 1 Chr 2:6, and the same "Ethan" included among the Levitical singers in 1 Chr 6:16-32 and 1 Chr 15:16-19. This "Ethan" was a Levite, a contemporary of King David, whom David put in charge of early temple music, together with Asaph and Heman (1 Chr 6:16-32; 15:16-19). He was an "Ezrahite" in the sense that he was associated with the Judahite family of Zerah (cf. 1 Chr 2:6), not as a biological descendant, but as a sojourner (cf. Judg 17:7; 1 Sam 1:1). In addition to being a leader of worship, he was also renowned for his wisdom (cf. 1 Kgs 5:10-11). One objection to Ethan's authorship of Ps 89 is the fact that Ethan probably would not have lived long enough to see the Davidic dynasty in crisis. Yet Ethan probably did not write all of Ps 89. It is plausible that he only wrote vv. 2-38 and that vv. 39-53 were added by a later writer. This reconstruction of the situation is supported by the fact that Psalm 88 has two superscriptions, the first of which probably applies to the whole of Pss 88-89 and ascribes authorship to the "Korahites." Thus, the Korahites might have added to Ethan's original poem.

Research

Translations

Ancient

Septuagint: Συνέσεως Αιθαν τῷ Ισραηλίτῃ^[6]
- Of understanding. Pertaining to Aithan the Israelite.^[7]
Jerome: eruditionis Aethan Ezraitae
- Of instruction, of Aethan the Ezrahite.
Targum: שכלא טבא דאיתאמר על ידא דאברהם דאתא מן מדינחא׃^[8]
- Good insight, which was spoken by Abraham who came from the east.^[9]

Modern

All of the modern translations consulted simply say, "Ethan the Ezrahite."

Secondary Literature

Albright, William F. 1953. Archaeology and the Religion of Israel. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press.

Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.

Bejon, James. 2024. “The Use of Semantic & Prosopographical Data in the Analysis of the Biblical Onomasticon: Methodological Principles & Miscellaneous Case Studies.” Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository.

Calvin, John. Commentary on Psalms. Translated by James Anderson. Vol 3. Grand Rapids: CCEL.

Hengstenberg, E. W. 1848. Commentary on the Psalms. Translated by J. T. Leith and P. F. Salton. Vol. 3. Edinburgh: T & T Clark.

Ho'il Moshe.

Ibn Ezra.

Klein, Neriah. 2016. “Between Genealogy and Historiography.” Vetus Testamentum 66 (2): 217–44.

References

89:1

↑ Hebrew text from OSHB.
↑ Calvin, trans. Anderson.
↑ Stec 2004, 167.
↑ It is also possible to identify the "Ethan" of Ps 89 as being from the tribe of Judah in a biological sense, though to arrive at this view we would have to distinguish the "Ethan the Ezrahite" mentioned in Ps 89's superscription from the "Ethan the Ezrahite" mentioned in 1 Kgs 5 and identified in 1 Chr 2 as a "son of Zerah." (See e.g., Klein 2016 who distinguishes the two Ethans.) Because many of the arguments for this position are the same as the arguments for the Levitical Singer position, we have not added an argument map for this view.
↑ See Albright 1953, 126-127.
↑ Rahlfs 1931.
↑ NETS.
↑ CAL.
↑ Stec 2004, 167.

[1] Hebrew text from OSHB.

[2] Calvin, trans. Anderson.

[3] Stec 2004, 167.

[4] It is also possible to identify the "Ethan" of Ps 89 as being from the tribe of Judah in a biological sense, though to arrive at this view we would have to distinguish the "Ethan the Ezrahite" mentioned in Ps 89's superscription from the "Ethan the Ezrahite" mentioned in 1 Kgs 5 and identified in 1 Chr 2 as a "son of Zerah." (See e.g., Klein 2016 who distinguishes the two Ethans.) Because many of the arguments for this position are the same as the arguments for the Levitical Singer position, we have not added an argument map for this view.

[5] See Albright 1953, 126-127.

[6] Rahlfs 1931.

[7] NETS.

[8] CAL.

[9] Stec 2004, 167.

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The Identity of Ethan the Ezrahite in Ps 89:1

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