The Meaning of מְצֹא in Ps 32:6

Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Ps 32:6 reads as follows:

עַל־זֹ֡את יִתְפַּלֵּ֬ל כָּל־חָסִ֨יד׀ אֵלֶיךָ֮ לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א

רַ֗ק לְ֭שֵׁטֶף מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים אֵ֝לָ֗יו לֹ֣א יַגִּֽיעוּ׃

Translations differ on the meaning of מְ֫צֹ֥א in this verse, which modifies לְעֵ֪ת "at the time." The differences are illustrated by the NIV, JPS, and REB:

• Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. (NIV)
• Therefore let every faithful man pray to You upon discovering [his sin], that the rushing mighty waters not overtake him. (JPS)
• For this reason every one of your faithful followers should pray to you while there is a window of opportunity. Certainly when the surging water rises, it will not reach them. (NET)

The NIV understands "God," the recipient of the prayer, to be the implied object of מְ֫צֹ֥א "finding." The JPS understands "sin," mentioned in the previous verse, to be the implied object. The NET's "window of opportunity" indicates it is the "time" (עֵת) itself that is being found. These three possible interpretations are discussed in the following argument maps.

Argument Maps

(Appropriate) time being found

A number of modern and ancient translations reflect the interpretation of the "time" itself being "found" in the phrase לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א.

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["Time"]: What is "found" in the phrase לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א is the "time" (עֵת) itself.#dispreferred
 + <Ancient versions>: Some of the ancient versions clearly reflect this interpretation.#dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX: "at an appropriate time;" Quinta: "in a time being found;" Peshitta: "in an acceptable time."#dispreferred
 - <Qal infinitive>: If the head noun, "time," were being modified by the infinitive, the infinitive would be in a passive binyan, such as niphal הִמָּצֵא (cf. Quinta: "in a time being found (εὑρισκομένῳ)."
 - <Expected object>: Outside of Ecclesiastes 3, there is no instance of עֵת followed by a transitive infinitive without an explicit object, so, as in Ecclesiastes 3, one must be provided here.
  + [Expected object]: See, for example, 1 Sam 18:19: וַיְהִ֗י בְּעֵ֥ת תֵּ֛ת אֶת־מֵרַ֥ב בַּת־שָׁא֖וּל לְדָוִ֑ד "And it happened in the time to give Merab, daughter of Saul, to David"; 2 Kgs 5:26 הַעֵ֞ת לָקַ֤חַת אֶת־הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ "Was it a time to take money?"; Hos 10:12: וְעֵת֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה "It is time to seek the Lord"; Zeph 3:20: וּבָעֵ֖ת קַבְּצִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֑ם "And in the time that I gather you."

God being found

A number of scholars, as reflected in modern translations, interpret "God" as the elided object of the transitive infinitive מְ֫צֹ֥א "find."

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["God"]: The person "found" in the phrase לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א is God (Rashi :C:; Delitzsch 1871, 397 :C:; Kraus 1993, 370 :C:; Potgieter 2014, 3 :A:; Botha 2019, 16 :A:).#dispreferred
 + <Prayer>: The phrase לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א is found in the context of praying אֵלֶיךָ֮ "to you," i.e., to God.#dispreferred
 + <Similar passages>: One finds a similar idea of "finding God" elsewhere in the Bible.#dispreferred
  + [Similar passages]: See, e.g., "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near" (Isa 55:6, NIV).#dispreferred
   <_ <Fixing the time>: It does not seem likely that the supplicant can know or fix the time when God may be found (Kraus 1993, 370 :C:). In other passages, the finding is a given, depending on the integrity of the seeker, and God is even found by those who do not seek.
    <_ <End of opportunity>: The phrase לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א could imply that God would give up his corrective "hand" of action (v. 4) and abandon the unfaithful one after a certain time.#dispreferred
    + [Seeking and finding]: "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut 4:29); "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jer 29:13); "I was found by those who did not seek me" (Isa 65:1).
 - <The Psalm's co-text>: The psalmist expresses his experience (vv. 1-5) before turning to encourage every faithful person to follow his example of confession. God was present during the time of David's stubbornness (vv. 3-4) and did not need to be "found."
  <_ <End of opportunity>: The phrase לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א could imply that God would give up his corrective "hand" of action (v. 4) and abandon the unfaithful one after a certain time.#dispreferred

Sin being discovered (preferred)

A number of scholars, as reflected in modern translations, interpret "sin" as the elided object of the transitive infinitive מְ֫צֹ֥א "find."

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["Sin"]: What is "found" in the phrase לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א is the "sin" discussed in the previous verse (Barthélemy et al. 2005, 189-190 :M:; Böhler 2021, 572 :C:).
 + <The Psalm's co-text>: This interpretation makes sense within the psalm's co-text. The psalmist expresses his experience (vv. 1-5) before turning to encourage every faithful person to follow his example of confession (v. 5) and reject his example of stubbornness (vv. 3-4). Instead of enduring the suffering caused by stubbornness (vv. 3-4), the faithful one should be quick to confess once (s)he discovers his/her sin.
 + <Similar passage>: The infinitive of מצא is found in the phrase לִמְצֹ֖א עֲוֺנ֣וֹ (Ps 36:3). The term עֲוֺ֖ן חַטָּאתִ֣י is that which concludes Ps 32:5.
  + <Context of Ps 36>: The passage is a declaration of wickedness (נְאֻֽם־פֶּ֣שַׁע), a term found also in Ps 32:1 (נְֽשׂוּי־פֶּ֗שַׁע) and 32:5 (אוֹדֶ֤ה עֲלֵ֣י פְ֭שָׁעַי לַיהוָ֑ה).

Conclusion (B)

Although finding support in the LXX, among some other ancient versions, the "appropriate time" understanding of לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א is unlikely, since מְ֫צֹ֥א is in the qal binyan and is thus transitive, with an object expected. The two most plausible elided objects are God being found, or the supplicant's sin being discovered. There are strong arguments for both, which would each individually merit an (A) rating, though the ambiguity between the two has led to the lower grade of (B).

God being found is an entirely plausible reading, as supported by Isa 55:6 and signifying the finite window of opportunity to repent after which God would give up his corrective "hand" of action (v. 4) and abandon the unfaithful one. Nevertheless, largely due to the message of the psalm's first half, including God's continual availability (and even initiative in correction and rebuke), and the parallel construction (לִמְצֹ֖א עֲוֺנ֣וֹ) found only a few psalms later (Ps 36:3), we favor the sin being found out interpretation of לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א and understand the first half of the verse to read Because of this, let every faithful person pray to you when they discover [their sin].

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ὑπὲρ ταύτης προσεύξεται πᾶς ὅσιος πρὸς σὲ ἐν καιρῷ εὐθέτῳ·
  • "Over this, every devout shall pray to you at an appropriate time."
• Aquila: ἐπὶ ταύτῃ προσεύξεται πᾶς ὅσιος πρὸς σὲ εἰς καιρὸν εὑρέσεως αὐτοῦ.
  • "Upon this every holy one will pray to you in the time of his/its finding."
• Quinta: ...ἐν καιρῷ εὑρισκομένῳ
  • "...in a time being found"
• Iuxta Hebraeos: pro hoc orat omnis sanctus ad te tempus inveniens
  • "Because of this let every holy one pray to you in a finding time."
• Peshitta: ܡܛܠ ܗܢܐ ܢܨܠܐ ܠܟ ܟܘܠ ܡܢ ܕܓܒܐ ܠܟ ܒܙܒܢܐ ܡܩܒܠܐ
  • "For this reason everyone who is acceptable to you will pray to you in an acceptable time."
• Targum: מטול דא יצלי כל חסידא קדמך לעידן רעותיה
  • "Therefore, let every devout one pray before you at the time of favor."

Modern

Time being found (appropriate)

• Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to you immediately (CSB)
• For this reason every one of your faithful followers should pray to you while there is a window of opportunity (NET)
• C’est ainsi que tout fidèle peut te prier au moment convenable (SG21; cf. NBS)

God being found

• Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found (NIV; cf. CJB, ESV, KJV, NASB)
• Por eso, todos tus fieles orarán a ti mientras puedas ser hallado (RVC)
• Ainsi tout fidèle te prie le jour où il te rencontre (TOB)
• Deshalb soll jeder Getreue zu dir beten, zur Zeit, da du zu finden bist (ELB; cf. EÜ)

Sin being discovered

• we should always pray whenever we find out that we have sinned (CEV)
• Therefore let every faithful man pray to You upon discovering [his sin] (JPS)
• C’est pourquoi tes amis fidèles doivent tous te prier quand ils découvrent leur faute (PDV; cf. NFC)

Secondary Literature

Barthélemy, Dominique. 2005. Critique Textuelle de l'Ancient Testament: Tome 4. Psaumes. Fribourg: Academic Press Fribourg.

Böhler, Dieter. 2021. Psalmen 1-50. Freiburg, Basel, Wien: Herder Verlag.

Briggs, Charles A. & Briggs, Emilie G. 1906-1907. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. New York, NY: C. Scribner’s Sons.

Botha, Phil J. 2019. "Psalm 32: A Social-scientific Investigation," in OTE 32.1: 12-31.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1871. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Goldingay John. 2006. Psalms 1–41. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Gruber, Meir. 1996. "(Chapter 32)"(Hebrew; פרק לב). Pages 149-152 in Psalms: Volume 1. Olam HaTaNaKh (Hebrew; תהלים א׳ עולם התנ׳׳ך). Tel Aviv: דודזון–עתי.

Ḥakham, Amos. 1979. The Book of Psalms: Books 1-2 (Hebrew; ספר תהלים: ספרים א–ב). Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.

Ibn Ezra. Ibn Ezra on Psalms.

Jacobson, Rolf A. & Tanner, Beth. 2014. “Book One of the Psalter: Psalms 1–41,” in The Book of Psalms (NICOT). Grand Rapids, MI; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Potgieter, J. Henk. 2014. "The Structure and Homogeneity of Psalm 32," in Theological Studies 70.1: 6 pages.

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

Rashi. Rashi on Psalms.

Saadia = Qafaḥ, Yosef. 1965. The Psalms with Translation and Commentary of Saadia Gaon (in Hebrew: תהלים עם תרגום פוירוש הגאון). Jerusalem: The American Academy for Jewish Research (האקדימיה האמריקאנית למדעי היהדות).

van der Lugt, Pieter. 2024. The Beatitude אַשְׁרֵי and the Confession of Sins in Psalms 32-41, in VT 74: 115-136.

References

32:6