The Meaning of מְעוֹן in Ps 26:8

Back to Psalm 26

Introduction

The MT of Psalm 26:8 reads:

יְֽהוָ֗ה אָ֭הַבְתִּי מְע֣וֹן בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מְק֗וֹם מִשְׁכַּ֥ן כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃

To illustrate the difficulty in this verse, consider two translations. The NEB, reading נֹעַם instead of מָעוֹן says, ‘I love the beauty of thy house’ (cf. NJB). By contrast, the REB, a revision of NEB, adopts the Masoretic Text's reading מָעוֹן and says, ‘I love the house where you dwell (cf. most modern translations).

Argument Map(s)

מעון vs נעם

מעון ('dwelling place')

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[מָעוֹן]: The earlier reading is מָעוֹן ('dwelling place).
 + <Ancient support for מָעוֹן>: Several early witnesses read the text as מָעוֹן ('dwelling place').
  + [Ancient support for מָעוֹן]: E.g., 4Q98a (מָעוֹן), MT (מָעוֹן), Targum (מדור).
 + <Parallel construction between 26:8a, 8b>: מְע֣וֹן בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ is parallel with מִשְׁכַּ֥ן כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ; both phrases have a 'dwelling place' noun in construct with another noun state. "Since the same construction as in v. 8a recurs in v. 8b, the conclusion must be that there is no reason to deviate from MT (cf., e.g., Craigie, 223...)" (Kwakkel, 114).
  + [Parallel construction between 26:8a, 8b]:  יְֽהוָ֗ה אָ֭הַבְתִּי מְע֣וֹן בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מְק֗וֹם מִשְׁכַּ֥ן כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ (Psalm 26:8a, 8b)
 - <Tautology>: The expression "dwelling place of your house" would be tautologous. #dispreferred
  - <Meaningful addition>: The word מָעוֹן, adds the notions of transcendence and holiness (cf. NIDOTTE 2:1016), inaccessibility and security (cf. Snijders 1963), to the description of the dwelling place loved by the psalmist.
  - <Psalm 132:3>: "A similar figure of speech as in Ps. 26:8 can be found in Ps. 132:3" (בְּאֹ֣הֶל בֵּיתִ֑י) (Kwakkel, 114).
   + [Ps. 132:3]: אִם־אָ֭בֹא בְּאֹ֣הֶל בֵּיתִ֑י אִם־אֶ֝עֱלֶ֗ה עַל־עֶ֥רֶשׂ יְצוּעָֽי (Psalm 132:3)

נעם ('beauty')

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[נעם]: The earlier text has נעם ('beauty'). #dispreferred
 + <Ancient support for נעם>: Some early witnesses likely read the text as נעם.#dispreferred
  + [Ancient support for נעם]: εὐπρέπειαν οἴκου σου (LXX), ܬܫܡܫܬܗ ܕܒܝܬܟ (Syriac)#dispreferred
  + <LXX Parent text>: The parent text of the LXX read נעם (‘beauty’) rendering it as εὐπρέπειαν.#dispreferred
   - <εὐπρέπειαν for מָעוֹן>: 'εὐπρέπειαν οἴκου σου could be interpreted as a free translation of the rather poetical מְע֣וֹן בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ' (Kwakkel 2021:114 :M:).
    + <εὐπρέπειαν not usually for נעם>: 'Ps. 26:8 would be the only text in which LXX translates נֹעַם by εὐπρέπιαν (cf. T. Muraoka, Hebrew/Aramaic Index to the Septuagint, Grand Rapids, MI, 1998, 97d)' (Kwakkel 2021:114 :M:).
   + <ευπρεπ- for נעם>: The LXX often used words from the ευπρεπ- word group to translate words from the Hebrew root נעם.#dispreferred
    + [Word group ευπρεπ- for נעם]: E.g. 2 Sam 1:23; 23:1; 1 Kings 8:3; Job 18:15; 36:11 (Hatch & Redpath, I:576)#dispreferred
 + <Ps. 27:4>: Ps. 27:4 contains the words 'house' and 'beauty' together and so these notions could have been linked. Since 'house' is in Psalm 26:8 one might expect the pairing of 'beauty'. #dispreferred
  + [Ps. 27:4]: אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־יְהוָה֮ אוֹתָ֪הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יְ֭הוָה כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י לַחֲז֥וֹת בְּנֹֽעַם־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר בְּהֵיכָלֽוֹ׃ (Psalm 27:4)#dispreferred

Conclusion

The earlier reading of the text is probably מָעוֹן. This reading is supported by the MT and the earliest Hebrew manuscript 4Q98. The translation of the LXX (εὐπρέπειαν) likely reflects a variant Hebrew text (נעם), in which the order of consonants has been reversed, but this reading is probably secondary. The parallel b-line, in which synonyms about YHWH's dwelling place are placed in construct with one another, supports reading the construct chain מְעוֹן בֵּיתֶךָ in the a-line. Beginning the construct chains that form the prolific description of God's dwelling place, the MT word מָעוֹן, adds the notions of transcendence and holiness (cf. NIDOTTE 2:1016), inaccessibility and security (cf. Gert Snijders, "Psaume XXVI et l'Innocence", 120 in Studies on Psalms, 1963), to the description of the dwelling place loved by the psalmist.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• MT: מְע֣וֹן
• BHS: critical note: LXX εὐπρέπειαν, Syriac išmšth d ministerrium;
• BHK [1937] critical note: LXX εὐπρέπειαν = נֹֽעַם ?
• BHK [1925] critical note: adds "S[yriac] "servitium"
• 4QPs^r (4Q98a): reads מעון
• LXX: εὐπρέπειαν
• Z: το άί'άκτοροί'
• Syriac: ܡܪܝܐ ܪܚܡܬ ܬܫܡܫܬܗ ܕܒܝܬܟ܂ ܘܐܬܪܐ ܕܡܫܪܝܗ ܕܫܘܒܚܟ܂
• TAYLOR
• TgPss: ייי רחימית מדור בית מקדשך ואתר משכן/מזומן למשכן יקרך׃
• STEC: O LORD, I love the dwelling place of the house of your sanctuary
• Iuxta LXX: Domine dilexi decorem domus tuae et locum habitationis gloriae tuae
• Iuxta Hebr: Domine dilexi habitaculum domus tuae

Modern

• KJV: LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
• Darby: Jehovah, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy glory dwelleth.
• NASB: O LORD, I love the habitation of Thy house, And the place where Thy glory dwells.
• ESV: O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
• CEV: I love the temple where you live, and where your glory shines.
• NJB: Yahweh, I love the beauty^b of your house and the place where your glory dwells. NOTE b:'beauty' Gk; 'house' Hebr. (mere change of vowels)
• NLT: I love your sanctuary, LORD, the place where your glorious presence dwells.
• NIV: LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.
• Douay-Rheims: I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of thy house; and the place where thy glory dwelleth.
• NET: O Lord, I love the temple where you live, the place where your splendor is revealed.
• REB: LORD, I love the house where you dwell, the place where your glory resides.
• NEB: O LORD I love the beauty of thy house, the place where thy glory dwells.
• RSV: O Lord, I love the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy glory dwells.
• NRSV: O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides.
• TOJB2011: Hashem, I have loved the ma'on of Thy Bais, and the Mishkan where Thine kavod dwelleth
• JPS (1985): O LORD, I love Your temple abode, the dwelling-place of Your glory.
• JPS (1917): LORD, I love the habitation of Thy house, And the place where Thy glory dwelleth.
• Brenton LXX: O Lord, I have loved the beauty of thy house, and the place of the tabernacle of thy glory.
• NETS: O Lord, I loved your house’s majesty and the spot of your glory’s covert.

French

• NFC: Seigneur, j'aime la maison où tu habites, le lieu où demeure ta présence glorieuse!
• NBS: Seigneur, j'aime le séjour de ta maison, le lieu où ta gloire demeure.
• FRDBY: Éternel! j'ai aimé l'habitation de ta maison, et le lieu de la demeure de ta gloire.
• OST: Éternel! j'aime le séjour de ta maison, le lieu où ta gloire habite.
• S21: Eternel, j’aime la maison où tu résides, le lieu où ta gloire habite.

Spanish

• RVR95: Jehová, yo he amado la habitación de tu Casa, el lugar de la morada de tu gloria.
• NBLA: Oh Señor, yo amo la habitación de Tu casa,Y el lugar donde habita Tu gloria.

German

• Luther: HERR, ich habe lieb die Stätte deines Hauses und den Ort, da deine Ehre wohnt.

Secondary Literature

• ALTER: LORD, I love the abode of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells (Robert Alter, The book of Psalms: a translation with commentary 2007, 198).

• AUFFRET: YHWH, j'ai aimé le gîte de ta maison, le lieu-élevé de la demeure de ta gloire (Auffret VT 56.3 [2006]: 304; "La voix de l'action de grâce:. Étude structurelle du Psaume 26," Nouvelle Revue Théologique 111.2 [1989], 218).

• BOTHA: Yahweh, I love your dwelling place, yes, the place where your glory dwells.(Phil Botha, “Poetry and Perlocution in Psalm 26,” OTE 24.1 [2011]: 32).

• CRAIGIE: O Lord, I have loved the habitation(b) of your house and the place where your glory dwells. NOTE: 8.b. "G translates εὐπρέπιαν (“the beauty [of your house]” …), implying an original text with נעם (“delightfulness, pleasantness”); this is possible, on the supposition that the consonants of מעון (“habitation”) have been accidentally transposed. But the parallelism of the verse supports MT against G" (Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1–50, 2nd ed., vol. 19, Word Biblical Commentary, 2004, 223).

• DIEWERT: O Yahweh, I love Your house which you inhabit, the dwelling place of your glory (David A. Diewert, Psalm 26: Its Content, Structure, and Setting," M.A. Thesis, 1982, 7).

• IBN EZRA: I LOVE THE HABITATION OF THY HOUSE. This verse is parallel to I have not sat with men of falsehood (v. 4). Thy house refers to the place of the righteous who serve God’s19 name in truth. [I love the habitation of` Your house,] because the righteous are always there (Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra’s Commentary On The Book of Psalms Translated and Annotated by H. Norman Strickman, 2009, 196).

• JM: Construct state as a pure linking form. In some cases the form of the construct state is found, although the noun cannot be regarded as nomen regens. The only common type is the following: a noun having in apposition a genitive group (and thus with the cst. state) is itself in the cst. state: Is 14.17... (cf. § f); Jr 14.17.. Sm 28.7.,..; Dt 21.11 Gn 14.10 pits, pits of bitumen (§ 135 e; abs. n); Nu 3.47. See also § 147 d, n (Jouon & Muraoka § 129 r).

• KWAKKEL: 0 YHWH, I love the habitation, your house, the place where your glory dwells NOTE: "LXX has εὐπρέπιαν; according to BHK3, this might refer to נֹֽעַם instead of מְע֣וֹן (cf. also Craigie, 223). However, if so, Ps. 26:8 would be the only text in which LXX translates נֹעַם by εὐπρέπιαν (cf. T. Muraoka, Hebrew/Aramaic Index to the Septuagint, Grand Rapids, MI, 1998, 97d). Besides, εὐπρέπιαν οἴκου σου could be interpreted as a free translation of the rather poetical מְע֣וֹן בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ; cf. also S, which has tsmsth dbytk (Sym., Jr. and Targ. agree with MT). Since the same construction as in v. 8a recurs in v. 8b, the conclusion must be that there is no reason to deviate from MT (cf., e.g., Craigie, 223; a similar figure of speech as in Ps. 26:8 can be found in Ps. 132:3; cf. also JM, § 129r)" (Gert Kwakkel, According to My Righteousness, 2021, 112, 114).

• MALBIM: ה', אין אני בא למקדש ה' מצד ההרגל, רק מצד שאהבתי מעון ביתך מצד אהבה וחשק פנימי ע"י ששם מקום משכן כבודך, לכן אבקש אל תאסף עם חטאים נפשי "LORD, I do not come to the sanctuary of the LORD out of habit, only out of love for the abode of your house, out of love and inner desire by the fact that there is a place for the abode of your honor, therefore I will ask that my soul not be gathered with sinful people".

• METZUDAT DAVID: אהבתי מעון ביתך. לבוא בה ולהללך "I love the dwelling place of your house. To come and go and to praise you".

• MOSCA: YHWH, I love the abode of your house, and the site of the tabernacle of your Glory. (Mosca CBQ 47.2 [1985], 227).

• PEROWNE: Jehovah, I love the habitation of Thine house, And the place where Thy glory dwelleth. (NOTE: I LOVE, &c., the anithesis to ver. 5, "I hate the congregation of evil-doers") (Perowne, 264).

• ROSS: O LORD, I love the refuge of your house, and the dwelling-place of your glory (NOTE 6: "Greek has “majesty” (εὐπρέπιαν), perhaps confusing ma'on, “place of safety, refuge,”with na'im, “pleasant, delightful” or no'am in Psalm 27:4) (Ross, 608).

• RADAK: יהוה אהבתי מעון ביתך קהל מרעים שנאתי, אבל מעון ביתך אהבתי; והוא הבית שהיה בו הארון, ושם הלוים והכהנים נביאים וחסידים וקדושים משרתי האל כמו אסף ואחיו. LORD, I have loved the dwelling place of your house. And it is the house where the ark was, and where the Levites and the priests, prophets and and holy servants of God like Assaf and his brothers".

• SNIJDERS: Jahvé, j'ai aimé l'abri de ta maison et le lieu où ta gloire habite.

Lexicons

• BDB: refuge; hence habitation

• DCH: dwelling place; abode; dwelling; place; home (in a nominative clause where the object is ahav or amended to avodat ("the service of your house" Geniza Psalms, 226); the dwelling place of your house + and the site of the dwelling of your glory (Geniza Psalms, 226) Ps.26.8 68.6 ("2:24 ןביתך (י) אהבתימעו . From Ps. 26:8. The י of מעוין has a dot above it to indicate erasure, thus giving a reading of מעון , as found in the MT. The מ and ע are partly obscured by a crease in the manuscript" David Stec, The Genizah Psalms, 2013, 95).

• HALOT: hidden lair (jackals); dwelling (esp. of god)

• SDBH: dwelling place; den; lair

Dictionaries

• MURAOKA: εὐπρέπεια, ας. f. splendid look: δόξης 'κυριου' Je 23.9; παρἀ τοῦ θεού δόξης Ba 5.1; || δόξα Ps 25.8; ᾡραιότητος 49.2; of woman, Ez 16.14 (|| (ᾡραιότης), + ἰσχύς Pr 31.26, of temple 3M 1.9; pl. and w. ref. to comfort­able life-style, Jb 36.11¶ (|| ἀγαθά). Cf. εὐπρεπής, δόξα: Spicq 2.136 (Takamitsu Muraoka, A Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, 2009, 303).

• LOUW-NIDA: 79.13 εὐπρέπεια, ας f; εὐσχημοσύνη, ης f: a state of beauty or fine appearance, with the implication of being attractive and well-suited—‘beauty, attractiveness, loveliness.’εὐπρέπεια: τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο ‘its bloom falls off and its attractiveness is destroyed’ Jas 1:11. εὐσχημοσύνη: τὰ ἀσχήμονα ἡμῶν εὐσχημοσύνην περισσοτέραν ‘our unattractive parts (acquire) more than ordinary attractiveness’ 1 Cor 12:23 (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, 1996, 695).

• NIDOTTE: "The basic meaning of the nom. ma'on seems to be the "den" of wild animals... Stressing the remoteness and inaccessibilty..., the nom. is on occasion taken as "refuge," in which humans take shelter from their enemies... As such the term is paralleled with "rock,"... and "fortress"... In several instances God is the refuge that protects those who fear him from enemies and distress" (NIDOTTE 2:1015-1016 – Gerald H. Wilson).

• TDOT: The noun ma'on is a so-called maqtal construction (mem-preformative)... Wolfram von Soden also assigns... "dwelling" (not "cohabitation!"), to this root (Ex. 20:10)... Five OT passages use ma ôn with the meaning "lair or habitation/dwelling place for (wild) animals"... In the remaining passages ma'ôn refers to the temple as the earthly, or to heaven as the celestial dwelling of God... The noun... exhibits a similar semantic scope: lair of wild animals...; God's dwelling place...; place of refuge (Dt. 33:27). Since ma'on... can refer to the temple as well as to heaven as Yahweh's habitation or dwelling place, its semantic field is correspondingly expansive. Consequently, the LXX interprets and differentiates more strongly. Thus... euprépeia (Ps. 26:8[LXX 25:8])... In the Qumran texts ma'on occurs 11 times reference to a den of lions... to heaven (as God's dwelling place... 1QH 12:2, or is this referring to the temple?), to heaven as the place of light (and of darkness: so with mōnâ: 1QH 12:5+7)... Lair of Animals. Whenever ma'on refers to the dwelling place or abode of wild animals, it never does so simply for the sake of neutral portrayal; rather, the context always involves judgment, i.e., a place (Jerusalem, the cities of Judah, Hazor, Nineveh, or Babylon) is warned that wild animals will seek and find their dwelling place there...

• TWOT:

References

26:8