The Line Division of Ps. 44:2–3

Back to Psalm 44.

Exegetical issues for Psalm 44:

The Line Division of Ps. 44:2–3

The Speaker of Ps. 44:5, 7, and 16

The Text and Meaning of Ps. 44:5

Introduction

The accentuation of the Masoretic Text (MT) divides Ps 44:2–3 into the following poetic lines:

Text (Hebrew)	Vs.	Text (CBC)
אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ בְּאָזְנֵ֬ינוּ שָׁמַ֗עְנוּ	2a	God, we have heard [it] with our ears—
אֲבוֹתֵ֥ינוּ סִפְּרוּ־לָ֑נוּ	2b	Our ancestors have recounted to us
פֹּ֥עַל פָּעַ֥לְתָּ בִֽ֝ימֵיהֶ֗ם	2c	the deeds which you did in their times—
בִּ֣ימֵי קֶֽדֶם׃	2d	in times long ago.
אַתָּ֤ה ׀ יָדְךָ֡ גּוֹיִ֣ם ה֭וֹרַשְׁתָּ וַתִּטָּעֵ֑ם	3a	You, by your strength, dispossessed nations, and then you planted them.
תָּרַ֥ע לְ֝אֻמִּ֗ים וַֽתְּשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃	3b	You would afflict the people groups, and then you set them free.

On the other hand, Fokkelman, among others, suggests including אַתָּה יָדְךָ with the end of v. 2b, rather than the beginning of v. 3a. The resulting line division would be as follows:

Text (Hebrew)	Vs.	Text (CBC/Fokkelman*)
אֱלֹהִים בְּאָזְנֵינוּ שָׁמַעְנוּ	2a	God, we have heard [it] with our ears—
אֲבוֹתֵינוּ סִפְּרוּ־לָנוּ	2b	Our ancestors have recounted to us
פֹּעַל פָּעַלְתָּ בִימֵיהֶם	2c	the deeds which you did in their times—
בִּימֵי קֶדֶם אַתָּה יָדְךָ	2d	you, by your strength, in times long ago.
גּוֹיִם הוֹרַשְׁתָּ וַתִּטָּעֵם	3a	You dispossessed nations, and then you planted them.
תָּרַע לְאֻמִּים וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵם	3b	You would afflict the people groups, and then you set them free.

^* Adapted from CBC to reflect the proposed line divisions.

This understanding of the poetic line division is illustrated by the NEB, in which "all the work of thy hand in days of old" is rendered as part of the preceding clause:

"^{1 (2)} O God, we have heard for ourselves, our fathers have told us all the deeds which thou didst in their days, ^{2 (3)} all the work of thy hand in days of old. Thou didst plant them in the land and drive the nations out, thou didst make them strike root, breaking up the peoples."

Argument Maps

Include אַתָּה יָדְךָ with v. 2d

Fokkelman argues that אַתָּה יָדְךָ should be placed at the end of 44:2d, rather than the beginning of 44:3a. Thus, the poetic lines would be divided at יָדְךָ. This is echoed by BHS, which proposes emending the text to read בְיָדְךָ at the end of v. 2.

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[Inclue אַתָּה יָדְךָ with v. 2d]: The poetic line of v. 2d ends with אַתָּה יָדְךָ. #dispreferred
 + <Balanced syllable count>: Placing אַתָּה יָדְךָ at the end of v. 2 creates greater syllable balance in both vv. 2cd and 3ab (Fokkelman 2003, 64 :M:). #dispreferred
  + [Syllable counts of v. 2cd]: Without אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 7 + 3; with אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 7 + 8. #dispreferred
  + [Syllable counts of v. 3ab]: With אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 14 + 10; without אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 9 + 10. #dispreferred
  <_ <Prosodic word count>: Based on prosodic word count, vv. 2cd and 3ab would be relatively balanced, regardless of the chosen reading.
   + [Prosodic word counts of v. 2cd]: Without אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 3 + 2; with אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 3 + 4.
   + [Prosodic word counts of v. 3ab]: With אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 5 + 3; without אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 3 + 3.
 - <Unusual word order in v. 2b>: For post-verbal constituents, unmarked word order is:_Subject + object + indirect object + prepositional object + other complement/adjunct + complement/adjunct (place) + adjunct (time)_ (BHRG §46.1.3.2.1 :G:). Including אַתָּה יָדְךָ with v. 2d would result in the following word order in v. 2cd:_Object + verb + adjunct (time) + adjunct (time)' + subject + other complement/adjunct._ Thus, there would be two post-verbal constituents moved to the end of the clause (viz., the subject אַתָּה and adjunct יָדְךָ). As marked word order indicates focus of an utterance (BHRG §47.2.2 :G:), it would be difficult to explain this double focus.
  + [Word order in v. 2b]:_"poʿal (Object) paʿalta (Verb) bimehem (Adjunct) bime qedem (Adjunct) ʾatta (Subject) yadeka (Adjunct)."_

Include אַתָּה יָדְךָ with v. 3a (preferred)

The arguments for including אַתָּה יָדְךָ in v. 3a—and dividing the poetic line at בִּימֵי קֶדֶם in v. 2d—are as follows.

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[Inclue אַתָּה יָדְךָ with v. 3a]: The poetic line of v. 3a begins with אַתָּה יָדְךָ.
 - <Imbalanced syllable count>: Beginning v. 3a with אַתָּה יָדְךָ results in an imbalanced syllable count in vv. 2cd and 3ab. Placing אַתָּה יָדְךָ at the end of v. 2d creates greater syllable balance in both vv. 2d and 3a (Fokkelman 2003, 64 :M:). #dispreferred
  + [Syllable counts of v. 2cd]: Without אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 7 + 3; with אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 7 + 8. #dispreferred
  + [Syllable counts of v. 3ab]: With אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 14 + 10; without אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 9 + 10. #dispreferred
  <_ <Prosodic word count>: Based on prosodic word count, vv. 2cd and 3ab would be relatively balanced, regardless of the chosen reading.
   + [Prosodic word counts of v. 2cd]: Without אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 3 + 2; with אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 3 + 4.
   + [Prosodic word counts of v. 3ab]: With אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 5 + 3; without אַתָּה יָדְךָ included: 3 + 3.
 + <Typical word order in v. 2b>: For post-verbal constituents, unmarked word order is:_Subject + object + indirect object + prepositional object + other complement/adjunct + complement/adjunct (place) + adjunct (time)_ (BHRG §46.1.3.2.1 :G:). Including אַתָּה יָדְךָ with v. 3a would result in the following word order in v. 2b:_Object + verb + adjunct (time) + adjunct (time)'._ Thus, the post-verbal word order would be unmarked.
  + [Word order in v. 2b]:_"poʿal (Object) paʿalta (Verb) bimehem (Adjunct) bime qedem (Adjunct)."_
 + <MT support>: The Leningrad, Aleppo, and Sassoon Codices include אַתָּה יָדְךָ with v. 3a, rather than v. 2d. The MT accentuation places the _soph pasuq_ on בִּימֵי קֶדֶם in v. 2d, thus ending the verse and beginning v. 3a with אַתָּה יָדְךָ.
 + <LXX support>: The LXX renders 44:3 with a 3rd-person subject (ἡ χείρ σου), in disagreement with the 2nd-person εἰργάσω of v. 2, but in agreement with the 3rd-person ἐξωλέθρευσεν of v. 3. Thus the LXX appears to understand אַתָּה יָדְךָ as belonging to v. 3a.
  + [Ps 44:3 (43:3 LXX)]: ἡ χείρ σου ἔθνη ἐξωλέθρευσεν καὶ κατεφύτευσας αὐτούς ἐκάκωσας λαοὺς καὶ ἐξέβαλες αὐτούς; "Your hand destroyed nations, and them you planted; you distressed peoples, and cast them out" (NETS).
  <_ <Textual difficulty>: The LXX rendering of vv. 2–3 appears to omit the MT's אַתָּה. It is possible that the LXX bears witness to a different underlying text (or_Vorlage_) altogether. #dispreferred
   <_ <Dynamic translation>: It is possible that the LXX translator understood אַתָּה to be a left-dislocated item ("As for you..."). If so, then this would entail that יָדְךָ, as a metonymy for God, would function as the subject of the 2ms verb הוֹרַשְׁתָּ in v. 3a, with agreement occuring between the verb and the 2ms suffix of יָדְךָ (JM §151c :G:). Under such circumstances, the translator may have omitted אַתָּה to smooth out the rendering.

Conclusion (B)

Placing אַתָּה יָדְךָ at the beginning of v. 3a—as opposed to the end of v. 2d—is the preferred division of the poetic lines. This line division is indicated by the Masoretic tradition of accentuation, and seems to be supported by the syntax of the LXX (but see argument maps). Furthermore, placing אַתָּה יָדְךָ at the end of v. 2d would result in unusual syntax in v. 2cd, with multiple deviations from default word order.

While the alternative line division has the benefit of creating a greater sense of syllabic balance, it does so at the expense of syntactic clarity. Furthermore, preserving the clause-initial אַתָּה in v. 3a creates a parallel with the clause-initial אַתָּה in v. 5a (see Poetic Structure). This highlights the parallel experiences between the ancestral generation (vv. 3–4) and the psalmist's generation (vv. 5–9; see Poetic Features).

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ² ὁ θεός ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ἡμῶν ἠκούσαμεν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἀνήγγειλαν ἡμῖν ἔργον ὃ εἰργάσω ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέραις ἀρχαίαις ³ ἡ χείρ σου ἔθνη ἐξωλέθρευσεν καὶ κατεφύτευσας αὐτούς ἐκάκωσας λαοὺς καὶ ἐξέβαλες αὐτούς
  • ² O God, we heard with our ears; our fathers reported to us a deed which you wrought in their days, in days of old: ³ your hand destroyed nations, and them you planted; you distressed peoples, and cast them out.
• Targum: ייי באודננא שמענא אבהתנא אשתעיו לנא עובדא דעבדתא בימיהון ביומיא די מלקדמין׃ אנת בידא דגבורתך עמיא כנענאי תרכתא ונצבתנון לבית ישראל בארעהון תברת עמיא ושלחתנון
  • ² O Lord, we have heard with our ears, our fathers told us; you performed a deed in their days, in the days of old. ³ You, with your mighty hand, did drive out the Canaanite nations, and you planted the house of Israel in their land; you shattered the nations, and sent them away.
• Peshitta: ܐܠܗܐ ܫܡܥܢܢܒܐ̈ܕܢܝܢ܂ ܐܦ ܐ̈ܒܗܝܢ ܐܫܬܥܝܘ ܠܢ܂ ܡܕܡ ܕܥܒܕܬ ܒܝ̈ܘܡܝܗܘܢ܂ ܒܝܘܡ̈ܬܐ ܩܕܡ̈ܝܐ܂ܐܝܕܟ ܐܘܒܕܬ ܠܥܡ̈ܡܐ ܘܢܨܒܬ ܐܢܘܢ܂ ܘܐܒܐܫܬ ܠܡ̈ܠܟܘܬܐ ܘܫܪܪܬ ܐܢܘܢ܂
  • ^{1 (2)} O God, we have heard with our ears; our ancestors have also told us what you did in their days, in the former days. ^{2 (3)} Your hand destroyed the peoples, but you planted them. You afflicted kingdoms, but you strengthened them.
• Jerome (iuxta Hebraeos): ² Deus auribus nostris audivimus patres nostri narraverunt nobis opus quod operatus es in diebus eorum in diebus antiquis ³ tu manu tua gentes delisti et plantasti eos adflixisti populos et emisisti eos
  • ² God, we heard in our ears, our forefathers told us the work which you worked in their days, in days of antiquity. ³ You, by your hand, wiped out the nations, and you planted them. You afflicted the people, and let them go.

Modern

Most modern translations render these verses according to the MT line division, with אַתָּה יָדְךָ placed in v. 3a. The following examples render אַתָּה יָדְךָ as a continuation of v. 2d.

• ^{1 (2)} O God, we have heard for ourselves, our fathers have told us all the deeds which thou didst in their days, ^{2 (3)} all the work of thy hand in days of old. Thou didst plant them in the land and drive the nations out, thou didst make them strike root, breaking up the peoples (NEB).
• ^{1 (2)} We have heard for ourselves, God, our forefathers have told us what deeds you did in their time, ^{2 (3)} all your hand accomplished in days of old. To plant them in the land, you drove out the nations; to settle them, you laid waste the inhabitants (REB).
• ² Gott, mit eigenen Ohren haben wir es gehört, unsere Vorfahren haben es uns erzählt: Eine Tat hast du getan in ihren Tagen, in den Tagen der Vorzeit, ³ du mit deiner Hand. Nationen hast du vertrieben, sie aber eingepflanzt, Völker hast du zerschlagen, sie aber ausgebreitet (ZÜR).

Secondary Literature

de Hoop, Raymond, and Paul Sanders. 2022. “The System of Masoretic Accentuation: Some Introductory Issues”. The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 22.

Fokkelman, J.P. 2003. Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible: At the Interface of Prosody and Structural Analysis. Vol. 3. Assen: Van Gorcum.

References

44:2, 3 Approved