Introduction

The MT of Ps 93:5 reads as follows:^[1]

עֵֽדֹתֶ֨יךָ׀ נֶאֶמְנ֬וּ מְאֹ֗ד

לְבֵיתְךָ֥ נַאֲוָה־קֹ֑דֶשׁ

יְ֝הוָ֗ה לְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃

Translations agree that the verse consists of two clauses: עֵֽדֹתֶ֨יךָ׀ נֶאֶמְנ֬וּ מְאֹ֗ד (v. 5a) and לְבֵיתְךָ֥ נַאֲוָה־קֹ֑דֶשׁ יְ֝הוָ֗ה לְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃ (v. 5bc). Translations disagree, however, on the meaning of the second clause (v. 5bc) and, specifically, on the morphology and meaning of נַאֲוָה.^[2] Consider, for example, the following translations:

Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. (ESV)
Your statutes, Lord, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days. (NIV)

The ESV understands נַאֲוָה as either an adjective or a verb that means 'appropriate' or 'to be appropriate.' The NIV, on the other hand, understands נַאֲוָה as a verb that means 'to glorify/adorn.'

Argument Maps

Adjective from נאה

The form נַאֲוָה could be an adjective from the root נאה, a variant form of the well-attested adjective נָאוֶה/נָאוָה, fitting.



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[Adjective from נאה]: The word נַאֲוָה is an adjective from the root נאה, a variant form of the well-attested adjective נָאוֶה/נָאוָה, "fitting". #dispreferred 
 + <Semantics>: The adjective נָאוֶה/נָאוָה, which means "beautiful" and ''fitting'' (HALOT :L:, DCH :L:, BDB :L:), is fitting for the current context. #dispreferred
 + <Ancient Versions>: Both the Peshitta and Targum Psalms provide an adjective here. #dispreferred
   + [Ancient Versions]: Peshitta: ܝܐܝܐ, ("apt, suited"; Sokoloff 2009: 559 :L:); TgPss: יאין
("apt, suited"; Sokoloff 2017: 246 :L:). #dispreferred
 - <Morphology>: None of the other attested uses of this adjective have a hateph patakh under the aleph (אֲ). Instead, in most of the examples, the aleph is quiescent.
   + [Morphology]: Jer. 6.2: הַנָּוָה; Ps. 33.1; 147.1; Prov. 17.7; Song 1.5; 6.4: נָאוָה; Prov. 19.10; 26.1; Song 2.14; 4.3: נָאוֶה.
 - <Agreement>: Agreement with קֹדֶשׁ (masculine) would require the masculine form נָאוֶה instead of the feminine form נַאֲוָה.

Niphal verb from אוה

The form נַאֲוָה could also be a niphal verb from the root אוה. The more widely-attested piel and hithpael conjugations of the verb אוה have the senses of desire and crave for (BDB, HALOT, DCH). A reconstructed niphal, therefore, could take on a passive sense of be desirable and could produce a translation similar to that of the HCSB: LORD, Your testimonies are completely reliable; holiness is the beauty of Your house for all the days to come.


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[Niphal verb from אוה]: The word נַאֲוָה is a niphal verb from the root אוה, meaning "be desirable" (GKC §75x :G:; HALOT, 20 :L:). #dispreferred
 + <Semantics>: The meaning "be desirable" fits the context of the clause: לְבֵיתְךָ֥ נַאֲוָה־קֹ֑דֶשׁ. #dispreferred
 + <Usage>: Niphal verbs from the root אוה are used elsewhere (HALOT 20 :L:). #dispreferred
  + [Usage]: Isa. 52:7 (נָּאווּ); Song 1:10 (נָאווּ); Ben Sira 15:9 (נאתה); Ps. 93:5 (נַאֲוָה). #dispreferred
   - <Morphology>: The alleged biblical examples in HALOT (Isa. 52:7; Song 1:10; Ps. 93:5) do not have the expected morphology of a I-Aleph verb, for which we would expect נֶאֱ– (BHRG §18.2.2.3), or minimally, "e" vowels (cf. נֶאֶמְנוּ earlier in our verse).
    -> [Niphal verb from אוה]
    <_ <I-Guttural verbs>: At least one I-guttural verb is known to appear with an "a" vowel in the niphal qatal conjugation. #dispreferred
     + [חבא]: The form נַחְבֵּ֙אתָ֙ is found in Gen. 31:27 and 1 Sam. 19:2; וְנַחְבֵּתֶ֨ם is found in Josh. 2:16. #dispreferred
     <_ <Initial ח>: These three examples are from one root, חבא, with an initial ח, not א.

Palel verb from נאה (preferred)

The form נַאֲוָה could also be a palel stem verb from the root נאה. The ESV, for example, says, Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. Note that this view results in a sense that is basically the same as the adjectival view (see the first argument map above).


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[Palel verb from נאה]: The word נַאֲוָה is from a rare stem (palel) from the root נאה, meaning "be beautiful/fitting" (Delitzsch 1887:77 :C:; BDB 610 :L:; DCH 578 :L:).
 + <Semantics>: The sense of 'be fitting' fits the context and works especially well with the lamed prepositional phrase ('be fitting for').
  + <'Fitting for'>: The adjective נָאוֶה/נָאוָה which comes from this root can be used with a lamed preposition to mean 'fitting for' someone.
   + ['Fitting for']: לַ֝יְשָׁרִ֗ים נָאוָ֥ה תְהִלָּֽה (Ps. 33:1; cf. Prov. 17:7; 19:10; 26:1).
 + <Ancient versions>: The ancient versions understood the word to mean '(be) fitting.' 
  + [Ancient versions]: Peshitta: ܝܐܝܐ, ("apt, suited"; Sokoloff 2009:559 :L:); TgPss: יאין
("apt, suited"; Sokoloff 2017:246 :L:); LXX: πρέπει (impers. be fitting, suitable, appropriate; Diggle (ed.) 2021:1174 :L:); Jerome: decet (impers. be fitting, suitable, proper; Harper's, 519 :L:).
 + <Verbal root נאה>: The verbal root נאה occurs elsewhere in the qal stem (cf. HALOT :L:).
  + [Verb נאה]: Isa. 52:7 (נָאווּ); Song 1:10 (נָאווּ); Ben Sira 15:9 (נאתה).
  <_ <Rare stem>: A palel stem verb would be the only one of its kind for this root. #dispreferred
   <_ <Other palel verbs>: Although the palel stem is rare and would be exceptional for this root נאה, there are clear examples of the palel stem for other roots (where it communicates states/properties).
    + [Unambiguous palel verbs]: רַעֲנָן (be green, Job 15.32); שַׁאֲנָן (be at rest, Jer. 30.10; 46.27).

Qal verb from נוה

Finally, if נַאֲוָה is from the root נוה, something along the lines of the NIV would be accurate: Your statutes, Lord, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days.


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[Qat verb from נוה]: The word נַאֲוָה is a qal verb from the root נוה, meaning "be beautiful" (Shenkel 1965:413 :A:; Dahood 1968:343 :C:). #dispreferred
 - <Semantics>: The sense of "be beautiful" does not derive from the root נוה.
  - <Hiphil 'beautify'>: The hiphil stem of the root נוה means to 'beautify' (BDB 627 :L:). #dispreferred
   + [Ex. 15:2]: Ex. 15:2 — זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ #dispreferred
 + <4QPs-b>: The Qumran manuscript 4QPs-b has the form נוה (DJD XVI,29). #dispreferred
  <_ <Radical aleph in Qumran>: The dropping of a radical aleph in word-medial position is very common in Qumran manuscripts (Qimron 2018:81 :M:).
  + [4QPs-b]: לביתך נוה קדש #dispreferred
 - <Lamed>: This would be a unique case of the verb נוה with lamed in the VP.
 + <Parallel passage>: The only other case of the verbal root נוה is found in the hiphil stem in Exod. 15:2, a thematically parallel passage to Ps. 93. #dispreferred
  + [Exod. 15:2]: Exod. 15:2: זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ אֱלֹהֵ֥י אָבִ֖י וַאֲרֹמְמֶֽנְהוּ (This is my God; I will praise him, the God of my father, and I will lift him high). #dispreferred
 - <Aleph>: The form נַאֲוָה has an aleph, whereas the root נוה has no aleph. 
  <_ <Non-radical aleph>: On occasion, non-radical aleph is vocalised with a reduced vowel. #dispreferred
   + [Non-radical aleph]: Ps. 58:8, יִמָּאֲס֣וּ for ימָסו; Zech. 14:10, רָאֲמָה֩ for רָמָה. #dispreferred

Conclusion

The word נַאֲוָה in Ps. 93:5 is probably a palel verb from the root נאה ('be fitting'). Other verbs from this root probably occur in Isa. 52:7 (נָאווּ), Song 1:10 (נָאווּ), and Ben Sira 15:9 (נאתה). The palel verb stem can be seen in the words רַעֲנָן (be green, Job 15.32) and שַׁאֲנָן (be at rest, Jer. 30.10; 46.27), which, like נַאֲוָה, communicate states/properties. This interpretation of נַאֲוָה works especially well with the lamed preposition in Ps. 93:5 ('be fitting for', cf. Ps. 33:1). This interpretation also agrees with the ancient versions.

This interpretation of נַאֲוָה helps to resolve other issues in this verse. If נַאֲוָה is understood as be fitting, then, the lamed on לְבֵיתְךָ֥ probably provides specification of fitting for X. קֹדֶשׁ is most plainly understood as the abstract noun, holiness (contra Shenkel 1965 and Dahood 1968). The temporal referent of לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים is also most simply forever, though the implicature of a promised long life for those who observe such holiness in YHWH's house is also a possibility.

Research

Translations

Ancient

LXX: τῷ οἴκῳ σου πρέπει ἁγίασμα, κύριε, εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν.
- "sanctity befits your house, O Lord, unto length of days."^[3]
Peshitta: ܘܠܒܝܬܟ ܝܐܝܐ ܩܕܝܫܘܬܐ܂ ܡܪܝܐ ܢܘܓܪܐ ܕܝܘܡ̈ܬܐ܂^[4]
- "Holiness is fitting for your house, O Lord, for the duration of days."^[5]
Iuxta Hebraeos: domum tuam decet sanctitas Domine in longitudine dierum
- "Sanctity is fitting for your house, Lord, for long days."
Targum: לבית מקדשך יאין וקדישין ייי לאוריכות יומין׃^[6]
- "[Your testimonies are very true; they befit the house of your sanctuary and are holy, O Lord, for length of days."^[7]

Modern

נַאֲוָה as an adjective or verb meaning "be appropriate"

Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. (ESV ≈ JPS 1985, ISV, NABRE)
Your testimonies are fully confirmed; Holiness is pleasing to Your house, LORD, forevermore. (NASB)
Deine Gesetze sind fest und verlässlich; / deinem Haus gebührt Heiligkeit, HERR, für alle Zeiten. (EÜ ≈ ELB, ZÜR)
Tes préceptes sont tout à fait sûrs; la sainteté convient à ta maison, Seigneur, pour la longueur des jours! (NBS ≈ TOB, NVSR, BDS, PDV, NFC, SG21)
Tus testimonios son firmes en gran manera. Oh YHVH, la santidad es propia de tu Casa, por los siglos y para siempre. (BTX4ª)

נַאֲוָה as a verb meaning "glorify"

Your statutes, Lord, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days. (NIV ≈ CSB, NET)
LORD, Your testimonies are completely reliable; holiness is the beauty of Your house for all the days to come. (HCSB ≈ NEB)
Deine Zeugnisse sind wahrhaftig und gewiss; Heiligkeit ist die Zierde deines Hauses, HERR, für alle Zeit. (Luther 2017)
Tus testimonios son muy firmes. La santidad adorna tu casa, oh SEÑOR, a través de los años (RVA2015 ≈ DHH)

Secondary Literature

Texts, Editions & Translations

Beentjes, Pancratius C. 1997. The Book of Ben Sira in Hebrew. Leiden: Brill.

Pietersma, Albert (tr.) 2009. NETS translation of the Psalms.

Stec, David M. 2004. The Targum of Psalms: Translated, with a Critical Introduction, Apparatus, and Notes. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.

Taylor, Richard A. in Bali, Joseph & George Kiraz [eds.]. 2020. The Psalms According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press

4QPs-b^[8]

[ע]ד̊ת̊[יך נ]א̊[מנו מאד]‬‎

‮[ל]ב̊יתך נוה קד̊[ש]‬‎

‮[י]הוה לארך̊[ ימים׃ ]

Ben Sira 15:9^[9]

לא נאתה תהלה בפי רשע כי לא מאל נחלקה לו‬‎

Lexica

BDB = Brown, Francis, Driver, Samuel R. & Briggs, Charles A. 1977. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

DCH = David J. A. Clines, David J. A. (ed). 1993-2011. The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.

Diggle, James (ed.). 2021. The Cambridge Greek Lexicon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gesenius = Gesenius, W. Donner, H. Rüterswörden, U. Renz, J. Meyer, R. (eds.). 2013. Hebräisches und aramäisches Handwörterbuch über das Alte Testament. 18. Auflage Gesamtausgabe. Berlin: Springer.

HALOT = Ludwig Koehler, Ludwig & Baumgartner, Walter et al. 1994-2000. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Leiden: Brill.

Harper's = E. A. Andrews, C. T. Lewis, C. Short. 1879. Harper's Latin Dictionary: A New Latin Dictionary Founded on the Translation of Freund's Latin-German Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

NIDOTTE = VanGemeren, Willem (ed.). 1997. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Sokoloff, Michael. 2009. A Syriac Lexicon: A Translation from the Latin, Correction, Expansion, and Update of C. Brockelmann's Lexicon Syriacum. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns & Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.

Sokoloff, Michael. 2017. A Dictionary of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic of the Byzantine Period. Ramat Gan: Bar-Ilan University Press.

TDOT = Botterweck, G. Johannes & Ringgren, Helmer (eds.). 1978. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, Volume III. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

TWOT = Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer Jr., Gleason L & Waltke, Bruce K. (eds.). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

Grammars

BHRG = Van der Merwe, C. H. J., Naudé, J. A., Kroeze, J. H. 2017. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark.

GKC = Gesenius, Wilhelm & Kautsch, Emil. 1909. A. E. Cowley (trans.) Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Commentaries

Dahood, Mitchell J. 1968. Psalms II, 51-100: Introduction, Translation, and Notes. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1877. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 3. Edinburg: T&T Clark.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar. 2005. A Commentary on Psalms 51-100. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Monographs

Qimron, E. 2018. A Grammar of the Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Jerusalem: Yad Yizhak Ben-Zvi.

Articles

Shenkel, J. D. 1965. "An Interpretation of Psalm 93,5." Pages 401-416 in Biblica (46.4).

References

93:5

↑ OSHB.
↑ Other interpretive questions in this clause include the function of the lamed on לְבֵיתְךָ֥; the meaning of קֹ֑דֶשׁ as either the abstract noun, holiness, or as a collective, holy ones; and whether the temporal referent of לְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמִֽים is simply forever, or as a promised long life. These questions are closely related to the question of the morphology and meaning of נַאֲוָה.
↑ NETS.
↑ CAL
↑ Taylor 2020:387.
↑ CAL
↑ Stec 2004:177.
↑ Parry, Donald W., and Andrew C. Skinner eds., Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library Biblical Texts. In Consultation with Emanuel Tov and Eugene Ulrich. Leiden: Brill, 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2451-9383_dss..dsbo-eng14q84
↑ As read in both Manuscript A and B (Beentjes 1997: 44, 51).

[1] OSHB.

[2] Other interpretive questions in this clause include the function of the lamed on לְבֵיתְךָ֥; the meaning of קֹ֑דֶשׁ as either the abstract noun, holiness, or as a collective, holy ones; and whether the temporal referent of לְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמִֽים is simply forever, or as a promised long life. These questions are closely related to the question of the morphology and meaning of נַאֲוָה.

[3] NETS.

[4] CAL

[5] Taylor 2020:387.

[6] CAL

[7] Stec 2004:177.

[8] Parry, Donald W., and Andrew C. Skinner eds., Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library Biblical Texts. In Consultation with Emanuel Tov and Eugene Ulrich. Leiden: Brill, 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2451-9383_dss..dsbo-eng14q84

[9] As read in both Manuscript A and B (Beentjes 1997: 44, 51).

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The Meaning of Ps 93:5b

Introduction

Argument Maps

Adjective from נאה

Niphal verb from אוה

Palel verb from נאה (preferred)

Qal verb from נוה

Conclusion

Research

Translations

Ancient

Modern

נַאֲוָה as an adjective or verb meaning "be appropriate"

נַאֲוָה as a verb meaning "glorify"

Secondary Literature

Texts, Editions & Translations

4QPs-b^[8]

Ben Sira 15:9^[9]

Lexica

Grammars

Commentaries

Monographs

Articles

References

Contentsto top

The Meaning of Ps 93:5b

Introduction

Argument Maps

Adjective from נאה

Niphal verb from אוה

Palel verb from נאה (preferred)

Qal verb from נוה

Conclusion

Research

Translations

Ancient

Modern

נַאֲוָה as an adjective or verb meaning "be appropriate"

נַאֲוָה as a verb meaning "glorify"

Secondary Literature

Texts, Editions & Translations

4QPs-b[8]

Ben Sira 15:9[9]

Lexica

Grammars

Commentaries

Monographs

Articles

References

Contentsto top

4QPs-b^[8]

Ben Sira 15:9^[9]