The Meaning of קֹדֶשׁ in Ps 134:2

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Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Psalm 134:2 reads:[1]

שְׂאֽוּ־יְדֵכֶ֥ם קֹ֑דֶשׁ
וּ֝בָרֲכוּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

This exegetical issue page will focus on the word קֹ֑דֶשׁ. As one dictionary notes, this word can refer to refer to various parts of the temple, e.g., the temple and its precincts (2 Ch 29:7, Dn 8:13), the temple by itself (e.g, 2 Ch 29:5) the outer room (1 K 8:10 = 2 Ch 5:11), etc.[2]

Translations, however, generally reflect one of two options.

  • A few translations use the phrase ‘holy place’, which suggests that the reference is to a part of the temple accessible only by priests, e.g., the Holy of holies (see Bratcher and Reyburn 1991, 1100).
    • E.g., ‘Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD!’ (ESV)
  • Most translations, however, use the word ‘sanctuary’. Depending on the preposition translations supply here (‘in’ vs. ‘towards’), this translation sometimes suggests that the whole temple is in view.
    • E.g., ‘ Lift your hands toward the sanctuary and praise the LORD!’ (NET)

Argument Maps

‘(Most) holy place’ (preferred)


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[‘Holy Place’]: The word קֹ֑דֶשׁ in Psalm 134:2 refers to the inside of the temple where only priests could go.
 +<Priests lifting hands towards the temple>: In Psalm 134:2 the priests are being addressed. And because the priests are already inside of the temple complex, the word קֹ֑דֶשׁ probably refers to the most holy place within the Temple.
      +<v. 3>: In v. 3 the priests are blessing the people, making it likely that the people are addressing the priests in vv. 1–2.
        +<Priests blessing people>: ‘Pilgrimage to the sanctuary concluded with a blessing and dismissal by the priest’ (Hossfeld and Zenger 2011, 486 :C:)
          + [Priests blessing people]: 1 Sam. 2:20 cf. Num. 6:24–26
        +<Shift of addressee>: From v. 2 to v. 3 there is a shift of addressee.
         +[2mp to 2ms]: The addressees in v. 2 are referred to with a 2mp suffix (יְדֵכֶ֥ם) whereas the addressee in v. 3 is referred to with a 2ms suffix (יְבָרֶכְךָ֣). 
          <_<Plural congregation not singular>: A congregation consists of a plurality of people and we would therefore expect a plural suffix. #dispreferred
            -<Collective>: ‘The singular pronominal suffix used for the address more probably refers here to the community than to an individual’ (Allen 2002, 283 :C:)
             +[Aaronic blessing]: In Num. 6:24, Aaron is instructed to bless the whole people of Israel using the exact phrase found in this psalm: "יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָ֖ה"--including the singular pronoun.
      +<Priests lifting up hands>: Priests lifted up their hands in order to bestow a blessing. 
       + [Priests lifting up hands]: ‘And Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people and blessed them’ (Lev. 9.22)
      +<The use of ברך>: Priests are more likely to be the subject of ברך rather than the congregation.
        +<The use of ברך vs. הלל>: The use of  ‘הלל is a more comprehensive description of the praise offered by the Temple singers and even by the nations’ (Hossfeld and Zenger 2011, 486 :C:)
          + [ברך vs. הלל]: Cf. Ps. 104:34; 105:145; 106:1, 48; 107:32; 111:1; 112:1; 113:1; 115:18; 116:19; 117:2; 135:51, etc.
 + <God's dwelling>: God's dwelling is in the most holy place.
  + [God's dwelling]: ‘Hear the voice of my plea when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands towards the most holy place (בְּנָשְׂאִ֥י יָ֝דַ֗י אֶל־דְּבִ֥יר קָדְשֶֽׁךָ)’ (Psa. 28:2).
 + <The temple distinguished>: The temple itself is distinguished earlier in the Psalm as בֵית־יְ֝הוָ֗ה ‘the house of the Lord’ (see Hossfeld and Zenger 2011, 488 :C:)


Argument Mapn0‘Holy Place’The word קֹ֑דֶשׁ in Psalm 134:2 refers to the inside of the temple where only priests could go.n1Priests blessing people1 Sam. 2:20 cf. Num. 6:24–26n9Priests blessing people‘Pilgrimage to the sanctuary concluded with a blessing and dismissal by the priest’ (Hossfeld and Zenger 2011, 486 🄲)n1->n9n22mp to 2msThe addressees in v. 2 are referred to with a 2mp suffix (יְדֵכֶ֥ם) whereas the addressee in v. 3 is referred to with a 2ms suffix (יְבָרֶכְךָ֣). n10Shift of addresseeFrom v. 2 to v. 3 there is a shift of addressee.n2->n10n3Aaronic blessingIn Num. 6:24, Aaron is instructed to bless the whole people of Israel using the exact phrase found in this psalm: "יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָ֖ה"--including the singular pronoun.n12Collective‘The singular pronominal suffix used for the address more probably refers here to the community than to an individual’ (Allen 2002, 283 🄲)n3->n12n4Priests lifting up hands‘And Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people and blessed them’ (Lev. 9.22)n13Priests lifting up handsPriests lifted up their hands in order to bestow a blessing. n4->n13n5ברך vs. הללCf. Ps. 104:34; 105:145; 106:1, 48; 107:32; 111:1; 112:1; 113:1; 115:18; 116:19; 117:2; 135:51, etc.n15The use of ברך vs. הללThe use of  ‘הלל is a more comprehensive description of the praise offered by the Temple singers and even by the nations’ (Hossfeld and Zenger 2011, 486 🄲)n5->n15n6God's dwelling‘Hear the voice of my plea when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands towards the most holy place (בְּנָשְׂאִ֥י יָ֝דַ֗י אֶל־דְּבִ֥יר קָדְשֶֽׁךָ)’ (Psa. 28:2).n16God's dwellingGod's dwelling is in the most holy place.n6->n16n7Priests lifting hands towards the templeIn Psalm 134:2 the priests are being addressed. And because the priests are already inside of the temple complex, the word קֹ֑דֶשׁ probably refers to the most holy place within the Temple.n7->n0n8v. 3In v. 3 the priests are blessing the people, making it likely that the people are addressing the priests in vv. 1–2.n8->n7n9->n8n10->n8n11Plural congregation not singularA congregation consists of a plurality of people and we would therefore expect a plural suffix. n11->n2n12->n11n13->n7n14The use of ברךPriests are more likely to be the subject of ברך rather than the congregation.n14->n7n15->n14n16->n0n17The temple distinguishedThe temple itself is distinguished earlier in the Psalm as בֵית־יְ֝הוָ֗ה ‘the house of the Lord’ (see Hossfeld and Zenger 2011, 488 🄲)n17->n0


The Temple itself


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[The Temple Itself]: The word קֹ֑דֶשׁ in Psalm 134:2 refers not to any specific part of the temple but the whole temple itself. #dispreferred
  +<קֹדֶשׁ as Temple>: The word קֹדֶשׁ is often used to qualify the temple building itself (Allen 2002, 283 :C:). #dispreferred
    + [קֹדֶשׁ as Temple]: Psa. 5:8; 138:2 #dispreferred
  +<People being addressed>: In vv. 1 and 2 the people are being addressed and are therefore outside the temple itself. The command to lift up their hands ‘towards’ the temple would therefore suggest that the actual temple building is in view. #dispreferred
    -<People not addressed in vv. 1–2>: In vv. 1–2 the priests, not the people, are addressed.


Argument Mapn0The Temple ItselfThe word קֹ֑דֶשׁ in Psalm 134:2 refers not to any specific part of the temple but the whole temple itself. n1קֹדֶשׁ as TemplePsa. 5:8; 138:2 n2קֹדֶשׁ as TempleThe word קֹדֶשׁ is often used to qualify the temple building itself (Allen 2002, 283 🄲). n1->n2n2->n0n3People being addressedIn vv. 1 and 2 the people are being addressed and are therefore outside the temple itself. The command to lift up their hands ‘towards’ the temple would therefore suggest that the actual temple building is in view. n3->n0n4People not addressed in vv. 1–2In vv. 1–2 the priests, not the people, are addressed.n4->n3


Conclusion

In a few places, the Hebrew noun קֹדֶשׁ is used to refer to the temple building itself (e.g., Psa. 5:8). Thus, other factors must be considered when trying to decide the precise reference of the word. In the case of Psalm 134, the major factor is the speaker and addressee of vv. 1–2. If the people are being addressed in these verses, then it is more likely that they would be told to lift their hands towards the temple, in which case קֹדֶשׁ here refers to the temple itself. If the priests are being addressed by the people then it is most likely that the priests are being told to lift up their hands to the Lord (note the following clause וּבָרֲכוּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃ ‘and/in order to bless the Lord’), whose dwelling place is inside the Holy of Holies. The priests are most likely addressed in vv. 1–2.[3] For these reasons we have understood קֹדֶשׁ to refer to the inside of the temple where God dwells, perhaps even to the Holy of Holies; we have translated v.2a as ‘Lift up your hands toward the holy place!’

Research

Translations

Ancient

LXX
ἐν ταῖς νυξὶν ἐπάρατε τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν εἰς τὰ ἅγια[4]
In the nights lift up your hands to the holy precincts,[5]
Jerome (iuxta hebraica)
in noctibus levate manus vestras ad sanctum et benedicite Domino[6]
Peshitta
ܐܪܝܡܘ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܟܘܢ ܠܩܘܕܫܐ ܘܒܪܟܘ ܠܡܪܝܐ.[7]
Raise your hands to the temple[8] and bless the Lord!
Targum
הא טולו ידיכון קודשׁא כהניא על דוכן קודשׁא ובריכו ית יהוה[9]
Lift up your hands, O you priests, upon the platform of the sanctuary, and bless the Lord[10]

Modern

The (Most) Holy Place

ESV: Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD!
CEV: lift your hands in prayer toward his holy place and praise the LORD.
NRSV: Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the Lord.
BDS: Levez vos mains ╵vers le lieu saint pour bénir l’Eternel !
PDV20017: Levez vos mains vers le lieu saint et remerciez le Seigneur !
NFC: Élevez vos mains vers le lieu saint, bénissez le Seigneur

The Temple itself

NET: Lift your hands toward the sanctuary and praise the LORD!
NIV: Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.
GNT: Raise your hands in prayer in the Temple, and praise the LORD!
NLT: Lift your hands toward the sanctuary, and praise the LORD.
JPS1985: Lift your hands toward the sanctuary and bless the LORD
LUTHER2017: Hebet eure Hände auf im Heiligtum und lobet den HERRN!
HFA: Streckt eure Hände zum Heiligtum aus und preist den HERRN im Gebet!
NGÜ: Hebt eure Hände im Gebet empor, streckt sie aus zu seinem Heiligtum und preist den HERRN!
EB: Erhebt eure Hände ⟨im[11]⟩ Heiligtum und preist den HERRN!
EÜ: Erhebt eure Hände zum Heiligtum und preist den HERRN
GNB: Streckt eure Hände aus zum Heiligtum und dankt dem HERRN!
ZB: Erhebt eure Hände zum Heiligtum und preist den HERRN.
NBS: Elevez vos mains vers le sanctuaire et bénissez le Seigneur!
NVS78P: Élevez vos mains vers le sanctuaire Et bénissez l'Éternel !
S21': Levez vos mains vers le sanctuaire et bénissez l’Eternel!
RVR95: Alzad vuestras manos al santuario y bendecid a Jehová.
NVI: Eleven sus manos hacia el santuario y bendigan al Señor.
DHH94i: ¡Eleven sus manos al santuario y bendigan al Señor!
BTX: Alzad vestras manos al santuario, Y bendecid a YHVH.

Secondary Literature

Allen, Leslie. 1983. Psalms 101-150. Vol. 3. Word Biblical Commentary 21. Waco: Word Books.
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.

References

134:2

  1. ↑ Text from OSHB.
  2. ↑ See BDB.
  3. ↑ See this exegetical issue
  4. ↑ Rahlfs (1931, 315)
  5. ↑ NETS
  6. ↑ Gryson and Weber 5th
  7. ↑ Walters (1980, 157)
  8. ↑ Some manuscripts read ‘his temple’ (ܠܩܘܕܫܗ); see Walter (1980, 157)
  9. ↑ CAL
  10. ↑ Stec (2004, 228)
  11. ↑ Note: o. um
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