The Meaning of Psalm 15:3c

Back to Psalm 15

Introduction

Psalm 15:3c is a semantically difficult clause. The Hebrew text is as follows:

קְרֹֽבוֹ	עַל	לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א	וְחֶרְפָּ֗ה
near.his	upon	NEG.he lifted up	and-reproach/taunt

Modern translations (and commentaries) reflect the following three meanings:

• Some reflect an understanding of the passage whereby “to lift up a reproach” (נָשָׂא חֶרְפָּה) means to directly insult one's neighbour
  • E.g., ‘Doesn't insult a neighbor’ (CEB; cf. NET, DELUT, LUTHEUTE, SCH2000, PDV2017; DH94I; PDT)
• By far the majority of modern translations take “to lift up a reproach” to mean to defame one's nieghbour.
  • E.g., ‘nor takes up a reproach against his friend’ (ESV) >> ‘or discredit his neighbor’ (CSB) (cf. all other translations) >> und Nachbarn und Verwandte nicht in Verruf bringt ‘his neighbors and relatives he does not bring into disrepute’ (HFA).
• The JPS edition, however, translates the Hebrew construction with its ‘usual meaning’ (Waltke 2010, 302 [Waltke does not subscribe to this view]), to bear reproach.
  • ‘or borne reproach for [his acts toward] his neighbor] (JPS).

These three options will be weighed and considered below.

Argument Map(s)

Insult

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[Insult]: The phrase וְחֶרְפָּ֗ה לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א עַל־קְרֹֽבוֹ means to ‘insult’ or ‘scorn’ one's neighbour (so, e.g., RaDaK; Ibn Ezra; Olhausen 1853 :C:; Hupfeld 1888 :C: Ross 2011 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <The verb נשׂא>: ּThe verbal action of נשׂא can include the idea ‘picking up (viz., lifting up) of the tongue’ (נטילת הלשון, RADAK :C:; Mikraot Gedolot :C: also mentions this suggestion). #dispreferred
  + Exodus 20:7; 23:1; Num 23:7, 18; 24:3, 15, 20; Job 27:1; Isa 14:4. #dispreferred
  - <Collocation>: ‘The combination of נָשָׂא with עַל and the usage elsewhere of the phrase נְשָׂא חרפה, “to bear reproach” (lxix. 8), forbid our taking נְשָׂא, when combined with חֶרְפָּה, in the signification : eferre (viz., ‘to carry out’ >> ‘to speak’) (Delitzasch 1883 :C:).
 + <Semantics of חֶרְפָה>: ‘A reproach (חֶרְפָּה) is a cutting taunt, scorn, sharp criticism or personal attack’ (Ross 2011 :C:). #dispreferred
  - <Too narrow>: Above all, herpâ designates the disgrace that one party can "put" on another (1 S. 11:2; Ps. 78:66; Jer. 23:40) (TDOT :D:).
   + <Contextual Demands>: 'Not taking up abuse (ḥerpâ) against a neighbor parallels speaking truthfulness from the heart and implies much more than casual insults. It suggests making accusations against other members of the community and thus seeking to defraud them or even threaten their life' (Goldingay 2006, 221 :C:).
   + וְאָנֹכִ֣י תוֹלַ֣עַת וְלֹא־אִ֑ישׁ חֶרְפַּ֥ת אָ֝דָ֗ם וּבְז֥וּי עָֽם׃ ‘I am a worm, not a man—the scorn(ed) of mankind and despised (one) of the people (Psa 22:7).
 - <Neighbours>: ‘The emphasis on the neighbour is striking, as it also occurs in the context of false speech in Ps. 12:3; 28:2' (Hossfeld and Zenger :C:; see below for original German).

Defame (preferred)

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[Defame]: The phrase וְחֶרְפָּ֗ה לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א עַל־קְרֹֽבוֹ means to defame one's neighbour (So, e.g., Craigie :C:)
 + <Poetics>: 'in a Decalogue of prescribed virtues and proscribed vices that pertain to others, the clause more likely means to inflict scorn, not to suffer it. This inference is further supported by the parallelism between verses 2 and 3...suggesting that 3b is parallel to dober emet that entails affecting others, not self' (Waltke 2010, 302 :M:).
 - <על>: Etwas auf einen anderen laden kann נשא על nicht heissen ‘נשא על cannot mean to load something on to another' (Ehrlich 1905, 27 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <על as 'raising upon'>: The verb נשא is complemented by על throughout scripture to denote 'raising X upon Y' both concretely and metaphorically.
   + Concrete: Genesis 31:17; Metaphorically: Ezek. 26:17; 27:2; 28:12; Jer 9:9.  (see further Hengstenberg :C:; Alexander :C:; Delitzsch :C:).
 - <Typical Construction>: Elsewhere in scripture where נשׂא collocates with חרפה. The latter is the object, the subject is the one bearing the חרפה 'reproach', the beneficiary (the one on whose account the subject bears the חרפה), when one is present, is marked with על. #dispreferred
  <_ <Surface Structure>: This construction and Psalm 15:3c only look similar on the surface.
   + <Elliptical נשא>: The phrase נשא קול 'to lift a voice' became so common that קול was no longer needed and נשא by itself could signify 'to speak' (TDOT :D:; Duhm 1899, 42 :C:; some see על לשני or על ספתיו as the elided element, cf. Baethgan 1904, 39 :C:, Oshausen 1853, 82 :C:).
   + Num. 14:1; Isa 3:7; 42:2, 11.
  + Jer. 15:15; Jer 31:19; Ezek. 36:15; Micah 6:16; Psa 69:8 #dispreferred

Bear Reproach

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[Bear Reproach]: The phrase וְחֶרְפָּ֗ה לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א עַל־קְרֹֽבוֹ means to bear reproach on behalf of one's neighbour (e.g., Rashi). #dispreferred
 - <Semantics of חרפה>: The noun חרפה has a specific meaning of 'slander' and a more general meaning of 'shame' or 'disgrace'. Some of the passages bearing this construction may refer to the latter whereas the context in Psalm 15 demands the former.
  + <Context>
  + 'Slander' (Neh. 5:9; Job 16:10; Isa. 5l:7; Dnl. 1l:18; Mic. 6:16); 'shame' or 'disgrace' (1 S. 11:2; Ps. 78:66; Jer. 23:40).
 + <Typical Construction>: Elsewhere in scripture where נשׂא collocates with חרפה. The latter is the object, the subject is the one bearing the חרפה 'reproach', the beneficiary (the one on whose account the subject bears the חרפה), when one is present, is marked with על. #dispreferred
  + Jer. 15:15; Jer 31:19; Ezek. 36:15; Micah 6:16; Psa 69:8 #dispreferred
  - <Sample size>: The construction with על occurs only two other times, Psa 69:8 and Jer 15:15. It is difficult to establish conventional meaning based on two examples.
  <_ <Surface Structure>: This construction and Psalm 15:3c only look similar on the surface.
    + <Elliptical נשא>: The phrase נשא קול 'to lift a voice' became so common that קול was no longer needed and נשא by itself could signify 'to speak' (TDOT :D:; Duhm 1899, 42 :C:; some see על לשני or על ספתיו as the elided element, cf. Baethgan 1904, 39 :C:, Oshausen 1853, 82 :C:).
     + Num. 14:1; Isa 3:7; 42:2, 11.
 - <Context>: The poetics here suggest that the context ('frame' in cognitive terms) is proper speech in relation to one's neighbour, not bearing their shame.
  + <Poetics>: 'in a Decalogue of prescribed virtues and proscribed vices that pertain to others, the clause more likely means to inflict scorn, not to suffer it. This inference is further supported by the parallelism between verses 2 and 3...suggesting that 3b is parallel to dober emet that entails affecting others, not self' (Waltke 2010, 302 :M:).
 - <Idiom>: The expression נשא קול 'to life a voice' became so common that other nouns denoting some sort of vocal activity came to replace קול 'voice' (TDOT :D:; Duhm 1899, 42 :C:; Alonso-Schokel 1992 :C:).
  + משׁל (Nu. 23:18; 24:3, 15, 20f., 23); משּׂא (2 K. 9:25); קינה (Jer. 7:29; Ezek. 26:17; 27:2; 28:12); תפילה (II Kings 19:4; Jer. 7:16; 11:14).

Conclusion

The difficulty of this verse stems mainly from the wide-ranging meaning of the verb נשׂא. It is true that לָשֵׂאת חֶרְפָּה על (lit., 'to lift a reproach upon X') means 'to bear reproach on behalf of X' in Jeremiah 15:15 and Psalm 69:8. In these instances, נשׂא has its usual sense of to 'lift' or to 'bear'. The verb was so productive, however, that Biblical Hebrew speakers employed it in many idioms, including לָשֵׂאת קול 'to raise a voice' (viz., 'to speak' or 'pronounce'). This idiom then developed in two directions. Either (1) the word קול could be replaced with another noun denoting an activity involving speech (viz., 'to raise a [SPEECH NOUN]'), or (2) the word קול was no longer necessary so that נשׂא acquired the meaning 'to utter' or 'pronounce' on its own. In either case, this creates a situation where the constructions 'to bear reproach on behalf of X' and either 'to utter a reproach against X' (development 2) or 'to lift up a reproach onto X' (viz., to slander; development 1) look identical.

The constraining factor must be the context. As a few commentators have pointed out, the semantic influence of vv. 2b and 3a,b and the focus on one's 'neighbour' (לְרֵעֵהוּ v. 3b; קְרֹבוֹ v. 3c) suggest that the concern at hand is inflicting some sort of harmful speech on one's neighbour. The harmful speech in question is denoted by חֶרְפָּה which, as Goldingay (2006, 221) notes, must in this context consist of more than 'casual insults'. This is mainly due to the fact that the poetics hints at the decalogue, one of the central concerns of which is bearing false witness against one's neighbour (Ex. 20:16; cf. Deut. 19:16–20). The noun can indeed refer to 'slander' (so TDOT), and so regardless of one whether to chooses to analyse the grammar according to development 1 above (lit., 'he has not lifted up slander upon his relative) or development 2 (lit., ‘He has not slandered his relative'), the meaning is the same: defamation.

For these reasons, we have chosen to translate the clause as [HOW DO WE WANT TO TRANSLATE THIS?].

Research

Translations

Ancient

LXX

καὶ ὀνειδισμὸν οὐκ ἔλαβεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔγγιστα αὐτοῦ

‘and did not take up reproach against his next of kin.’ (NETS)

Jerome

et obprobrium non sustinuit super vicino suo

‘and he did not maintain reproach over his friend'

Peshitta

ܘܫܘܚܕܐ ܥܠ ܩܪܝܒܗ ܠܐ ܡܩܒܠ݁

'And he does not receive a bribe against his friend'

Targum

וְכִסוֹפָא לָא סוֹבֵר עַל קְרִיבֵיהּ

'And he does not bear shame against his neighbor'

Saadya Gaon

ולא שנע עלי אכ׳יה בעאר

'He does not defame his brother with shame'

Modern

English

• ASV: Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor;
• CEB: doesn’t insult a neighbor
• CJB: or seek to discredit neighbors;
• CSB: or discredit his neighbor,
• ESV: nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
• HCSB: or discredit his neighbor,
• KJV: Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
• LEB: nor bring up a disgrace against his neighbor.
• NASB1995: Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
• NET: or insult his neighbor.
• NIV: and casts no slur on others;
• NKJV: Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
• NLT: or speak evil of their friends.
• JPS: or borne reproach for [his acts toward] his neighbor;

German

• DELUT: und seinen Nächsten nicht schmäht
• ELBBK: und keine Schmähung bringt auf seinen Nächsten;
• LUTHEUTE: und seinen Nächsten nicht verschmäht;
• HFA: und Nachbarn und Verwandte nicht in Verruf bringt.
• NGU2011: und sie nicht in Verruf bringt.
• SCH2000: und seinen Nachbarn nicht schmäht;

French

• BCC1923: et ne jette point l'opprobre sur son prochain.
• BDS: et il ne s’associe pas ╵à ce qui déprécierait ses proches.
• LSG: Et il ne jette point l’opprobre sur son prochain.
• PDV2017: il n’insulte pas son voisin.

Spanish

• DH94I: ni ofende a su vecino;
• LBLA: ni toma reproche contra su amigo;
• NTV: ni hablan mal de sus amigos.
• NVI: ni le acarrea desgracias a su vecino;
• PDT: ni insulte a sus vecinos;
• RVR95: ni admite reproche alguno contra su vecino;

Commentaries

Rashi

וחרפה לא נשא - רפורטא בלעז על קרובו – אם עבר קרובו עבירה שיש בה עונש, ענשו כמשפט, ולא נשא עליו חרפתו שיהא פתחון פה למחרף לומר: כך עבר פלוני קרובך וחפיתה עליו.

Ibn Ezra

לא נשא – על דרך לא תשא שמע שוא (שמות כ״ג:א׳). ויש אומרים: לא עשה דבר שיחרפו בו קרוביו.

Radak

שלא חרף וגדף אדם, אף על פי שהוא גדפהו או הרע לו. ואמר: נשא בנטילת הלשון, כמו לא תשא את שם י״י אלהיך לשוא (שמות כ׳:ו׳), לא תשא שמע שוא (שמות כ״ג:א׳). ובאמרו: קרבו הוא הדין לאחר, אלא שדבר על ההוה כמו שפרשנו.

Malbim

חרפה לא נשא על קרובו – בשביל קרובו כמו כי עליך נשאתי חרפה

Hupfeld (1888, 226)

נשׂא] [ist] נשא קול vorbringen, aussprechen = proferre, effere, vgl. Ex. 20,7; 23,1. Num. 23,7, 18; 24,3,15, 20f. Hiob 27, 1. Jes. 14, 4 u. dgl. Sonst hat נשא in dieser Verbindung mit חרפה die Bed.: die Schmach tragen vgl. Jer. 15, 15. Hez. 36, 15. Mich. 6, 16. Zeph 3, 18. Ps. 69, 8 etc., daher will Del., da נשא sowohl ferre wie tollere ist, erklären: dem Nächsten Schmach aufladen (Hitz.) — רֵעֵהוּ u. קְרֹבוֹ] sind, wie das gleichbedeutende אָחִיו, welches Ex. 32, 37 noch dabei steht, hier u. im gew. Sprachgebr....nur Korrelate des Subjekts, d.i. jeder, womit man's grade zu thun hat, also jeder Nebenmensch (Kimchi, Calv.); allerdings im A.T. immer v. Volksgenossen, Mitgliederen der Gemeinde Gottes ("Brüdern" im geneal. u. theokr. Sinn), u. inbez. auf die heil. Bundespflichten, die diese unter einander verbinden (was Hengstenb. allein zulassen will), u. ohne grade die Fremden u. Feinde mit Bewußtsein einzuschließen: aber dem Prinzip u. Geist des Ps. u. aller derartigen Sprüche nach sind auch diese nicht ausgeschlossen.

Delitzsch (1883, 268)

In Ex. xxxii. 27 also, קְרוֹב is a parallel word to רֵעַ; both are here meant to refer not merely to fellow-countrymen; for that which is sin in itself and under all circumstances, is sin also according to Old Testament morality in relation to every man. The combination of נָשָׂא with עַל and the usage elsewhere of the phrase נְשָׂא חרפה, “to bear reproach” (lxix. 8), forbid our taking נְשָׂא, when combined with חֶרְפָּה, in the signification : eferre= effari (Hupf. and others). Seeing that δἰ) is tollere as well as ferre, it means to bring or lay reproach upon any one; reproach is a burden, which may be more easily laid on than cast off ; audacter calumniare, semper aliquid heret.

Ross (2011, 392)

A reproach (חֶרְפָּה) is a cutting taunt, scorn, sharp criticism or personal attack (s.v. Ps. 22:6). It refers to what is said. It is very easy to scorn another person, especially when things go badly for them; but the LORD prohibits this. The righteous will not incite this kind of ridicule nor indulge in it. The righteous will promote those who are nearby and praise them because they are good neighbors. James reminded the early church to control their tongues so that blessing and cursing do not come from the same speech (Jas. 3:9–11).

Craigie (1983, 152)

The precise sense of not taking up “reproach against his neighbor’ is uncertain; the implication may be that such a person has not contributed to slander, spread rumors or perpetuated gossip about his neighbor

Hossfeld and Zenger (1993, 107)

Der zweite Teil führt vergangene Einzeltaten auf, die der Gerechte sich nicht hat zuschulden kommen lassen. Der erste Satz beschreibt selten bildreich die Verleumdung »jemandem auf seiner Zunge hinterherlaufen« (nur noch in Sir 5:14). Der Sache nach bietet wiederum Ps 12:3-5 das passende Gegenbild. Der zweite Satz drückt sich wieder singulär und ohne direkte Parallelen aus. Das unspezifische »Böses tun« versteht sich am besten als Gegenformulierung zu dem allgemeinen »keiner, der Gutes tut« aus Ps 14:1-3. Auch der dritte Satz findet keine direkten Parallelen. Die beiden Begriffe für den Nachbarn »der Nächste« und »der Nahestehende (d. h. Verwandter oder Freund)« sind hier synonym zu nehmen. Auffällig ist die Betonung des Nächsten, wie sie im Zusammenhang falschen Redens auch in Ps 12:3 28:3 begegnet. Der zweite Teil der Antwort knüpft an den ersten Teil an und verstärkt dessen Interesse am wahrhaftigen Reden. Negative Erfahrungen des Beters bilden den Hintergrund.

Da'at Mikra

לא בישׁ את חברו. קרוב הו חבר, ולאו דוקא קרוב משפחה. ומשׁמעות הדברים: לא הביא את קרובו לידי נשׂיאת חרפה, ובא כאן ׳נשׂא׳ בקל במשׁמעות של גרימה. פרוש אחר: לא דבר על קרובו דברי חרפה. ובא כאן ׳נשא׳ במשמעות: דבר בקול, נשא קול

Hengstenberg (1863, 225)

נשא cannot be taken here in the sense of uttering, which most interpreters give it, as the subjoined על sufficiently shows, but must have the signification, tollere; therefore, properly  : Who does not lift up a reproach on his neighbour. Considered more narrowly, we find that the word may well enough signify to originate, but never to utter. In Ex. xxiii. 1, to which reference is here made, the proper reading is, " Thou shalt not raise a false report;" the raising standing in contrast to "letting lie," — a contrast which exists also here. That משא, which is commonly derived from נשא, in the sense of speaking forth, uttering, signifies, not " an utterance," but a "burden," has been proved in my Christology, P. ii. p. 102. With hv, the verb often occurs in the sense of " lifting on any one;" for example, 2 Kings ix. 25, "The Lord lifted or laid on him this burden," Gen. xxxi. 17. Reproach is considered as a burden, which the person who spreads the slander, instead of allowing to lie, heaves on his neighbour.

Alexander (1864, 72)

The verb נשא is by some explained as meaning to take up upon the lips (Ps. xvi. 4), and then to utter or 'pronounce. Others give it the same sense as in Gen. xxxi. 17, where נשא על means to lift up upon, i. e. to burden. The idea then is, that he has not helped to load his neighbour with reproach.

Briggs (1906, 116)

חרפה] n.f. emph. (1) reproach (a) against man, taunt, scorn, of enemy 69:20, 21; 71:13; 89:51; 119:22, נשא חרפה Jer. 31:19; Ezek 36:15; Mich 6:16; all against, so Ps. 15:3 (no reason to suppose a special sense of slander here), נשא ח׳ c. על bear reproach for 69:8; Jer 15:15; Zeph 3:18; העביר ח׳ in 119:39; (b) against God 69:10; 74:22; 79:12; (2) object of reproach 22:7; 39:9; היה ח׳ ל׳ become an object of reproach to 31:12; 79:4; 89:42: 109:25, cf. 44:14; 69:11 78:66. —נשא] in the sense of take up, utter; elsw. זמרת in 81:3; לשוא in 139:29, cf. 24:4, names 16:4, covenant 50:16.

Monographs

Waltke 2010

• Literally, “to reproach he does not lift up [the name] of his close friend” (so most versions). If so, ḥerpâ is an adverbial accusative of place with a verb of motion (IBHS, pp. 8–10, P. 10.2.2c). TNK, however, glosses v. 3b by “or borne reproach for his acts toward his neighbor” (see commentary) (n. 53).
• Also, the worshiper must not defame an innocent community member. He does not vilify glosses ḥerpâ la'-nāśā (literally, “he does not lift up reproach”). ḥerpâ (reproach) refers to the indelible disgrace that society heaps on an individual who seeks to break up its foundation and its social coherence; they punish. him by maligning him in order to denigrate his significance, worth, and potential influence. “Lift up” (nasa) is probably elliptical for “you shall not lift up the name of,” i.e., lift up his hand and speak (that which causes society to heap insults against someone); cf. Exod. 20:7: “you shall not lift up the name of [i.e., lift up your hand and speak the name of] the Lord your God falsely or frivolously.” In the phrase against his close neighbor ('al-qerobo), the preposition 'al...has its hostile sense and qārōb denotes a neighbor who is “close” both literally in space and metaphorically in sympathy and spirit (cf. Lev. 21:3; Ruth 2:20; cf. Ps. 148.14; Prov 27:10). Reproaches and insults are rightly heaped upon sinners (cf. Jer. 29:18; 42:18; 44:8...), but no upon an innocent neighbor who dwells trustingly in the neighborhood and who has not done wrong (Prov. 3:29–30). herpa lo-nasa 'al-qerobo can also mean “or borne reproach for his acts toward his neighbor”..., investing nasa with its usual meaning and 'al with the sense of “on account of”. However, though the ambiguity may be intentional...in a Decalogue of prescribed virtues and proscribed vices that pertain to others, the clause more likely means to inflict scorn, not to suffer it. This inference is further supported by the parallelism between verses 2 and 3...suggesting that 3b is parallel to dober emet that entails affecting others, not self (301–302).

Grammars

Joüon-Muraoka

133b אֶל־ properly means towards. It expresses motion towards, with exclusion, or with inclusion (= ב) of the destination, and the direction towards. With hostile direction the meaning merges with against (= עַל). Sometimes it means in addition to, besides (= על); metaphorically because of, concerning, about (= על); very occasionally according to (= על). Sometimes the idea of motion completely disappears, and the meaning simply is near, at (= על) (as for Lat. ad). It is clear that ‏אל‎ quite often corresponds to ‏על‎. The parallel drawn between these two prepositions was probably facilitated by graphic confusion. It is mainly ‏אל‎ which is found written for ‏על‎2; this confusion doubtless comes from copyists who spoke Aramaic (where ‏על‎ has all the meanings of the preposition ‏אל‎, which is extremely rare in Middle and Late Aramaic)3, and who perhaps pronounced ‏ע as a very weak sound. On the other hand, ‏אל‎ is quite often used in cases where [p. 457] ‏ל is possible4; generally speaking ‏אל‎ expresses direction better than ‏ל‎, or is more specific and less ambiguous. Furthermore, the use of ‏אל decreased dramatically in LBH5.

Dictionaries

TDOT

נשא

The expression nāśāʿ qōl corresponds largely to qārāʿ “to call,” and to ṣāʾaq “to cry out” (27).

With the same meaning the verb can function as a kind of auxiliary verb, approximately in the sense of "to lift up in order to carry or hold" (Gen. 21: l8; Jgs. 9:48; 2 S. 2:32; 4:4; Am.6: l0). From this perspective the meaning "to carry" emerges (Gen. 37:25;44:l;45:23; I S. l0:3; Jer. l0:5), then also "to carry away" (l S. l7:34; cf. Nu. l6: I 5). (28)

"Bearing a burden" resembles semantically the notion of bearing in the sense of suffering. This is the meaning of nasa', e.g., in Job 34:31;Ps.55:13(12);Prov. l8:14;30:21. This is especially clear when the verb is associated with objects such as ḥerpa,"scorn, abuse" (Ps.69:8[7]; Jer. 15:15;31:19;Ezk. 36:15; Mic. 6:16), l(limmd, "disgrace" (Ezk. 16.52,54;32:24f.,30;34:29; 36:6f,; 44:13), and others. (30).

nasa' yad. The expression nasa' yad, "to raise the hand(s)," refers to an act of hostility (2 S. 18:28; 20:21) and the use of power (Ps. l0: l2; 106:26). It also refers to the gesture accompanying a solemn oath or a petition to Yahweh, which is why the expression can mean "to take an oath" (Ex. 6:8; Nu. 14:30; Dt. 32:40; Neh. 9:15;Ezk.2O:5,6,15,23,28,42;36:7;44:12;47:14). Interestingly, Yahweh is the subject in every instance. If this is said of a person, the expression heqim yad is used (cf. Gen. 14:22) (37).

nasa qol. The expression nasa qol, "to lift one's voice," is also quite widespread, and its *"uring is obvious (cf. Ps. 93:3; Isa. 52:8). In its immediate context other verbs occur delimiting more specific semantic areas:...→קרא, “to speak out loud” (Jgs. 9:7). In the course of this expression's usage the subst. qôl can even be omitted entirely (cf. Isa 3:7; 42:2, 11) or be replaced by other nouns: →משׁל mašal (Nu. 23:18; 24:3, 15, 20f., 23), →משּׂא massaʿ (2 K. 9:25), →קינה qina (Jer. 7:29; Ezek. 26:17; 27:2; 28:12), and others (cf. Ps. 15:3; Jer. 9:9, 17[10, 18]). It is possible that the oath formula nasa šem in the Decalog (lōʿ tiśśāʿ ʿeṯ-šēm-YHWH laššavʿ, “you shall not take the name of Yahweh in vain," Ex. 20:7 ; Dt. 5:11 ; cf. Ex. 23:l; Ps. 16:4) also belongs in this or a similar context. The term tepilla, "prayer," can also be the object of nasa(cf. 2 K. l9:4; Jer 7:16; ll:14) (38).

חרפה

The meaning of the noun herpa varies with the sense of the context. It means ”slander" or "the act of slandering“(Neh. 5:9; Job 16:10; Isa. 5l:7; Dnl. 1l:18; Mic. 6:1616) in the sense of "speech against someone" (cf. 2 Ch. 32:17), the reproach that one "takes up" (nsa, Ps. 15:3) or "hears" (Jer. 51:51; Lam. 3:61; Zeph. 2:8). It can also mean (one's own) reproachful behavior (Hos. 12:15[14], of Israel's conduct toward God, par. dāmîm, "bloodguilt") together with its consequences (Jer. 3l:19...). Above all, herpi designates the disgrace that one party can "put" on another (1 S. 11:2; Ps. 78:66; Jer. 23:40).

Notes

Verses where חרפה refers to directly slandering someone: Neh 5:9; Job 16:10; 2 Chron 32:17 Versees where חערפה refers to indirectly slandering someone (gossip): Isa 51:7?; Daniel 11:18; Micah 6:16?

In Micah 6:16, 'to become X' is parallel with 'to bear a reproach' where 'reproach' could replace 'X' in the previous construction.

Although the phrase לנשׂות קול is idiomatic, it has not become completely grammaticalsed since, e.g., קול is preceded by the object marker את in Judges 2:4.

- <Semantics>: In such a context, we'd expect the phrase to refer to scornful speech. But in some of these instances, the reference is to the result of scornful speech—disgrace—not the scornful speech itself.
   + <Synonyms>: The passages contain other words denoting shame either in parallel or in adjacent clauses.
    + בֹּ֚שְׁתִּי 'I was ashamed' (Jer. 31:19); לְמַעַן֩ תִּתִּ֨י אֹתְךָ֜ לְשַׁמָּ֗ה וְיֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ לִשְׁרֵקָ֔ה 'that I may turn you into a desolation, and its inhabitants, a hissing' (Micah 6:16); כִּסְּתָ֖ה כְלִמָּ֣ה פָנָֽי׃ ‘dishonor has covered my face' (Psa. 69:8).

Some contend that קול is elided here. This does not happen very often (Num 14:1; Isa 3:7; 42:2,11) and when it does, it is never modified. The clause is usually further determined by another clause.

2 Kings 9:25, על used adversatively וַֽיהוָה֙ נָשָׂ֣א עָלָ֔יו אֶת־הַמַּשָּׂ֖א הַזֶּֽה׃ 'And the Lord lifted up this pronouncement'.

Jer 7:29; על used to denote the entity upon which the speaker should stand.

Ezekiel 26:17; על used to denote the entity upon whom or about whom the lamentation (קינה) applies. וְנָשְׂא֨וּ עָלַ֤יִךְ קִינָה֙ וְאָ֣מְרוּ לָ֔ךְ (cf. Ezek 27:2; 28:12 where they is also followed by 'and say to them/him').

Jer. 9:9 seems to suggest that the subject can undergo something else besides חרפה, where על marks the entity on behalf of which the subject engages in discourse. עַל־הֶ֨הָרִ֜ים אֶשָּׂ֧א בְכִ֣י וָנֶ֗הִי וְעַל־נְא֤וֹת מִדְבָּר֙ קִינָ֔ה כִּ֤י נִצְּתוּ֙ מִבְּלִי־אִ֣ישׁ עֹבֵ֔ר וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ ק֣וֹל מִקְנֶ֑ה מֵע֤וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה נָדְד֖וּ הָלָֽכוּ׃

References

15:3 Approved