The Meaning of אֶֽעֱרָךְ in Psa. 5:4

Introduction

The Hebrew Text of Psalm 5:4b reads:

בֹּ֥קֶר אֶֽעֱרָךְ־לְ֝ךָ֗ וַאֲצַפֶּֽה

The issue treated here is the precise meaning of the word אֶֽעֱרָךְ. The basic meaning of the word is to ‘set out’, ‘lay out’ or ‘arrange’ something; on this basic meaning all lexica agree. The point of disagreement is on what exactly is being ‘set out’ or ‘arranged’. There are four main options attested in translations and commentaries:

• To ‘lay out’ a prayer (i.e., bring fourth a request)
  • E.g., ‘ in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly’ (NIV)
• To ‘set out’ a sacrifice
  • E.g., ‘I set out my morning sacrifice and watch for thee, O Lord’ (NEB)
• To ‘set out’ a (legal) case
  • E.g., ‘in the morning I will present my case to you and then wait expectantly for an answer’ (NET)
• to ‘arrange’ (i.e., prepare) oneself
  • E.g., ‘de mañana me presentaré delante de ti y esperaré’ (RVR95)

Argument Maps

Prayer

The majority of translations understand אֶֽעֱרָךְ to mean specifically to set out a prayer or request (NIV, CEV, GNT, NLT, JPS, HFA, NGÜ, NVI).

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[Prayer]: אֶֽעֱרָךְ means ‘to set out a prayer’ (BDB :L:; DCH :L:) #dispreferred 
  +<Context of communication>: The wider context has mainly to do with communication, in which laying a ‘prayer’ before God would be appropriate (see Hupfeld 1855:74 :C:).  #dispreferred
    + [Context of communication]: אֲמָרַ֖י ‘my words’ (v. 2); הֲגִֽיגִי ‘my mutterings’ (v. 2); ק֬וֹל שַׁוְעִ֗י ‘the sound of my calling out’ (V. 3); אֵלֶ֗יךָ אֶתְפַּלָּֽל ‘to you I pray’; קוֹלִי ‘my voice’ (v. 4) #dispreferred
  +<Usage>: "This supplementation (of ‘my requests’) can be supported from the use of his Hb. verb ערך elsewhere" (Broyles 1999:61 :C:) #dispreferred
    + [To arrange ‘words’]: The verb refers to arranging ‘words’ in Job 32:14; 33:5; 37:19 (Briggs 1906:41 :C:) #dispreferred
      <_<Words but not prayer>: Although the qal of ערך may be used to refer to the arrangement of words ‘The verb is not used elsewhere for prayer’ (Ross 2011:247 :C:).
  +<Pairing of prayer and watching>: A verb for 'watching' (וַאֲצַפֶּה) follows the verb אֶֽעֱרָךְ, and ‘watching’ is paired with prayer in Psalm 130:2, 6 (cf. Jacobson 2014:95 :C:)  #dispreferred
    + [Ps. 132:2, 6]: אֲדֹנָי֮ שִׁמְעָ֪ה בְק֫וֹלִ֥י...נַפְשִׁ֥י לַֽאדֹנָ֑י מִשֹּׁמְרִ֥ים לַ֝בֹּ֗קֶר שֹׁמְרִ֥ים לַבֹּֽקֶר׃ #dispreferred
     <_ <Different word>: The word for ‘watching’ in Psalm 130:6 is from the root שׁמר not צפה.

Sacrifice

A number of translations understand אֶֽעֱרָךְ to refer to preparing a sacrifice (ESV, NEB, REB, EFB, EÜ, ZÜR).

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[Sacrifice]: The verb אֶֽעֱרָךְ means ‘to set out a sacrifice’ (HALOT :L:). #dispreferred
  + <Usage>: The qal of ערך ‘...is often a priestly term for laying the altar fire and arranging the pieces of the burnt offering’ (Kidner 1973:58 :C:). #dispreferred
   + [Usage]: Lev. 1:6ff; Num. 28:4; 1 Kgs. 18:33 #dispreferred
  + <Morning>: The mention of the morning as the time in which the verbal action occurs may allude to the daily sacrifice (Kidner 1973:58 :C:). #dispreferred
    + [Morning sacrifices]: Lev. 6:5; cf. Num. 28:4 #dispreferred
  + <Watching>: The following verb for 'watching' (וַאֲצַפֶּֽה) suggests a context of a sacrifice (cf. Kraus 1988:154 :C:). #dispreferred
    + <Revelations while sacrificing>: Revelations sometimes accompanied sacrifices (cf. Gunkel and Begrich 1998:125 :M:). #dispreferred
      + [Revelations while sacrificing]: Gen. 4; Num. 23:3; Luke 1:11. #dispreferred

Legal Case (Preferred)

A few translations take אֶֽעֱרָךְ as referring specifically to laying out a legal case (NET, NRSV, NJB, GNB, DHH941).

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[Legal Case]: The verb אֶֽעֱרָךְ means ‘to present a legal case’ (NIDOTTE :D:)
  +<Usage>: The root is clearly used as a forensic term elsewhere (cf. Dahood 1965:30 :C:)
    + [Usage]: Psa. 50:21; Job 13:18; 23:4; 32:14; 33:5; 37:19; Isa. 44:7
  +<Morning>: The fact that the psalmist performs this action in the ‘morning’ (בֹּקֶר) suggests that he is making a legal case.
    +<Morning for legal cases>: ‘Ancient Israel court decisions were made early in the morning’ (Kraus 1988:155 :C:)
      +[Morning for legal cases]: 2 Sam. 15:2; Jer. 21:12; Zeph. 3:5; Psa. 101:8
  +<Watching>: The following verb צפה is appropriate to refer to one's awaiting a response to a complaint.
    +[Same sequence in Hab. 2:1]: After Habakkuk issues a complaint to YHWH, he says, "I will look (אצפה) to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint (תוכחת)."
  +<Forensic usage without direct object>: In Psa. 50:21, the same verb is used intransitively (as here) to refer to laying out a legal case.
    + [Ps. 50:21]: "But now I rebuke you and lay the charge (וְאֶֽעֶרְכָה) before you" (Ps. 50:21, ESV).
  +<Other legal elements>: Other elements in the Psalm assume a legal context
    + [Other legal elements]: הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨ם ׀ ‘make them bear their guilt’ (v. 11); לְנֶגֶד עֵינֶיךָ ‘(to stand) before you’ (v. 6).

Reflexive

A few modern translations and the majority of ancient versions read the verb אֶֽעֱרָךְ as reflexive, viz., ‘I will prepare myself’ (NBS, BDS, PDV2017, NFC, RVR95, LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, cf. Jerome, Peshitta).

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[Reflexive]: The verb אֶֽעֱרָךְ is reflexive; i.e., it has an internal object which is the speaker. #dispreferred
  +<Ancient versions>: This view has the support of the majority of the ancient versions. #dispreferred
    + [Ancient versions]: E.g., LXX:  τὸ πρωὶ παραστήσομαί σοι καὶ ἐπόψομαι‘In the morning I will present myself to you and will look on’; Jerome: mane praeparabor ad te et contemplabor ‘In the morning I will be prepared for you and I will watch’; cf. Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion. #dispreferred
  +<Lack of object>: The lack of object suggests that ‘perhaps the semantic field implies a reflexive’ “I prepare myself toward thee” (Terrien 2003:105 :C:). #dispreferred
    -<Not necessarily reflexive>: The lack of object could suggest that one is elided, not that the object must be reflexive.

Conclusion

The verb אֶֽעֱרָךְ in Psalm 5:4 has given rise to four basic interpretations. Suggesting that the word refers to ‘prayer’ is to extend the meaning of arranging ‘one's words.’ However, the root ערך never specifically refers to prayer, and one may arrange one's words for many reasons. The reflexive solution assumes that a lack of a direct object entails a reflexive pronoun. But this could simply be a case of elision, either of a word in the context or within a common phrase/collocation, for which preceding mention is necessary. Good arguments can be made for both arranging a ‘sacrifice’ and arranging a ‘legal case’. The 'legal case' interpretation, however, fits better in the context, both the immediate context of the verse which mentions 'morning' and 'watching' and the larger context of the psalm which assumes a legal context. This interpretation also finds a clear parallel in Ps. 50:21. For these reasons we interpret the verb here to mean ‘to present a legal case’ and translate v. 4b as ‘In the morning I arrange my case for you and wait.’

Research

Translations

Ancient

LXX

τὸ πρωὶ παραστήσομαί σοι καὶ ἐπόψομαι

In the morning I will present myself to you and will look on

Aquila & Symmachus

τὸ πρωΐ τάξω σοι και σκοπεύσω

In the morning, I will arrange for you and look out

Theodotion

τὸ πρωΐ έτοιμασθήσομαι...

In the morning, I will be prepared/prepare myself

Jerome (Iuxta Hebraica)

mane praeparabor ad te et contemplabor

In the morning I will be prepared for you and I will watch

Peshitta

ܘܒܨܦܪܐ ܐܬܛܝܒ ܘܐܬܚܢܐ ܠܟ

In the morning I prepare myself and appear before you

Targum

בצפרא שמע קלי צפרא אסדר קדמך ואסתכי

in the morning I order (my prayers) before you, and watch

Modern

Prayer/Requests

• NIV: in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
• CEV: as I bring my requests to you and wait for your reply.
• GNT: at sunrise I offer my prayer and wait for your answer.
• NLT: Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
• JPS: at daybreak I plead before You, and wait.
• HFA:  HERR, schon früh am Morgen hörst du mein Rufen. In aller Frühe bringe ich meine Bitten vor dich und warte sehnsüchtig auf deine Antwort
• NGÜ: HERR, in aller Frühe bringe ich mein Gebet wie ein Opfer vor dich und warte sehnsüchtig auf deine Antwort.
• NVI: por la mañana te presento mis ruegos y quedo a la espera de tu respuesta.

Sacrifice

• ESV: in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
• NEB: I set out my morning sacrifice and watch for thee, O Lord.
• REB: I shall prepare a morning sacrifice and keep watch
• EFB: HERR, in der Frühe wirst du meine Stimme hören. In der Frühe rüste ich dir ⟨ein Opfer⟩ zu und spähe aus.
• EÜ2016: HERR, am Morgen hörst du mein Rufen, am Morgen rüst ich das Opfer zu, nach dir halte ich Ausschau..
• ZÜB: HERR, am Morgen hörst du meine Stimme, am Morgen richte ich dir Opfer zu und warte.d

(Legal) Case

• NET: in the morning I will present my case to you and then wait expectantly for an answer.
• NRSV: in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
• NJB: At daybreak I say my case before you and fix my eyes on you.
• GNB: Früh am Morgen hörst du mein Rufen, in der Frühe trage ich dir meine Sache vor und warte auf deine Entscheidung.
• DHH94I: mut temprano te expongo mi caso,y quedo esperando tu respuesta

Reflexive

• NBS: le matin je me présente à toi et je guette
• BDS: je me présente à toi, et puis j'attends
• PDV2017: le matin, je me prépare pour toi et j’attends.
• NFC: Dès le matin, je me prépare à être reçu chez toi, et j'attends.
• RVR95: de mañana me presentaré delante de ti y esperaré.

Secondary Literature

Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. ICC. Edinburgh: T & T Clark.

Broyles, Craig C. 1999. Psalms. NIBC 11. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.

Dahood, Mitchell. 1966. Psalms. Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday

DeClaisse-Walford, Nancy L., Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth LaNeel Tanner. 2014. The Book of Psalms. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Gunkel, Hermann. 1998. An Introduction to the Psalms: The Genres of the Religious Lyric of Israel. Translated by James D. Nogalski. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

Hupfeld, Hermann. 1855. Die Psalmen. Vol. 1. Gotha: Friedrich Andreas Perthes.

Kidner, Derek. 1973. Psalms 1-72: An Introduction and Commentary on Books I and II of the Psalms. London: Inter-Varsity Press.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1993. Psalms 1–59: A Continental Commentary. Minneapolis: Fortress.

Ross, Allen. 2012. A Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 1: 1-41. Vol. 1. Kregel Exegetical Library. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic & Professional.

Terrien, Samuel L. 2003. The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary. ECC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

References

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