The Participants of Psalm 78:28, 63-64

Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Ps 78:28, 63-64 reads as follows:

v. 28—וַ֭יַּפֵּל בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֵ֑הוּ סָ֝בִ֗יב לְמִשְׁכְּנֹתָֽיו׃

v. 63—בַּחוּרָ֥יו אָֽכְלָה־אֵ֑שׁ וּ֝בְתוּלֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א הוּלָּֽלוּ׃

v. 64—כֹּ֭הֲנָיו בַּחֶ֣רֶב נָפָ֑לוּ וְ֝אַלְמְנֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִבְכֶּֽינָה׃ 

In these verses, translations differ regarding the grammatical number of the suffixes (singular vs plural). In the Masoretic Text (above), the pronominal suffixes are grammatically singular, but not all translations render the suffixes in this way.

• "He let them fall in the midst of his camp, all around his dwellings ... His young men were devoured by fire, and his young women were not sung to. His priests fell by the sword, and his widows could not weep." (ZÜR)
• "he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings ... Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation." (ESV)
• God brought the birds down in the center of their camp, all around their dwellings ... Fire devoured his young men, and his young women had no wedding songs. God’s priests were killed by the sword, and his widows couldn’t even cry. (CEB)
• making them come down inside His camp, around His dwelling-place ... Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens remained unwed. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep. (NJPS)

The ZÜR follows the MT's 3sg suffixes with "his" throughout, while the ESV opts to provide a 3pl reading, "their." The CEB contains plural pronouns in v. 28 and singular in vv. 63-64, while the NJPS contains singular pronouns in v. 28 and plural in vv. 63-64. Since there is no textual evidence whatsoever attesting to the plural suffix, it is almost certainly the case that the plural translation is an interpretation of the MT's singular suffixes as referring to the people of Israel as a collective.

In the argument maps below, we compare the plausibility of either Israel or God as the referent of the pronoun, and thus the validity of rendering a singular suffix as "their" (3pl) or "his" (3sg).

Argument Maps

Israel

Some scholars argue that the referent of the singular suffix is the collective people of Israel and can thus be rendered plural in translation.

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[Israel]: The referent of the singular suffixes in v. 28 and vv. 63–64 is the collective people of Israel (Delitzsch 1871 :C:; Ḥakham 1979 :C:; Goldingay 2006, 510 :C:; Ramond 2014, 28 :M:).#dispreferred
 + <v. 28>: Israel is the most obvious antecedent of the suffixes in v. 28 (Delitzsch 1871, 368 :C:; Ḥakham 1979, 59 :C:).#dispreferred
  - <v. 21>: "Israel" has not been mentioned explicitly as a discourse participant since v. 21.
   <_ <v. 27>: Israel is an active participant in v. 27, referred to with the suffix עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם.#dispreferred
    <_ <Plural>: The suffix on עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם in v. 27 is plural, whereas the suffixes in v. 28 are singular.
 + <vv. 63-64>: "His people" (עַמּ֑וֹ) in v. 62 is the most obvious antecedent of the suffixes in vv. 63–64 (Delitzsch 1871, 374 :C:; Ḥakham 1979, 69 :C:), since it is the most recent oblique (i.e., not belonging to the clausal core: subject and object) discourse participant and YHWH is instigating action against them.#dispreferred
  - <v. 62b>: The feminine singular "his inheritance" (נַחֲלָתוֹ) intervenes between "his people" and the series of suffixes.
  <_ <v. 62>: YHWH as third-person subject appears twice in v. 62.
 - <Plural suffixes>: Throughout the psalm, collective Israel is indexed with plural forms, not singular forms (Ḥakham 1979, 59 :C:).
  + [Plural suffixes]: See, e.g., לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ "they had not believed" in v. 22; עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם "upon them" in v. 27; וַיַּסַּ֣ע כַּצֹּ֣אן עַמּ֑וֹ וַֽיְנַהֲגֵ֥ם כַּ֝עֵ֗דֶר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר "but he led out his people like a flock and guided them in the wilderness like a herd" in v. 52; וַ֭יִּרְעֵם "he shepherded them" and יַנְחֵֽם "he led them" in v. 72.
 + <Ancient versions>: Several of the ancient versions used plural suffixes in these verses, showing that they understood the suffixes as referring to Israel collectively.#dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX: "their camp, all around their coverts ... Their young men and their girls. Their priests and their widows" (NETS; all "αὐτῶν"); Symmachus: "into their (αὐτῶν) camp, around (their) tents"; Quinta: "and their (αὐτῶν) maidens"; Peshitta: "their encampments (ܒܡܫܪ̈ܝܬܗܘܢ) ... their tents (ܡܫ̈ܟܢܝܗܘܢ) ... their young men (ܠܓܕܘ̈ܕܝܗܘܢ); their young women (ܘܒܬ̈ܘܠܬܗܘܢ) ... Their priests (ܟܗ̈ܢܝܗܘܢ) ... their widows (ܐܪ̈ܡܠܬܗܘܢ) ..." (Taylor 2020, 317, 325); Saadia: "their army (עסכרהם) ... their tents (מסאכנהם)."#dispreferred

YHWH (preferred)

Some scholars argue that the referent of the singular suffix is YHWH and should thus be rendered singular in translation.

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[YHWH]: The referent of the singular suffixes in v. 28 and vv. 63–64 is YHWH (Rashi :C:; Ibn Ezra :C:; Hitzig 1836, 123, 125-6 :C:; Johnson 1979, 54 n. 2 :M:; Kraus 1989, 119, 121 :C:; Alter 2019, 190-193 :C:).
 + <v. 28>: Regarding v. 28, YHWH is the antecedent of the most recent 3sg suffix.
  + [Most recent 3sg suffix (v. 26)]: בְּעֻזּ֣וֹ "with his might."
 + <Tabernacle>: The word מִשְׁכָּן in v. 28 refers to the tabernacle (Johnson 1979, 54 n. 2 :M:), such that YHWH as the possessor makes more sense.
  - <Grammatical number>: The form of לְמִשְׁכְּנֹתָֽיו is plural, "tents," so cannot refer to the tabernacle.#dispreferred
   - <Plural of intensification>: לְמִשְׁכְּנֹתָֽיו is a plural of intensification (GKC §142b, e), which is found in parallel with הֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו "his footstool" (singular) in Ps 132:7.
    + [Ps 132:7]: נָב֥וֹאָה לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו נִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו "Let us go to his dwelling place, let us worship at his footstool" (NIV).
 + <vv. 63-64>: Regarding vv. 63–64, YHWH is the antecedent of the most recent 3sg suffixes.
  + [Most recent 3sg suffixes (vv. 61-62)]: v. 61: עֻזּ֑וֹ וְֽתִפְאַרְתּ֥וֹ "his strength and his glory"; v. 62: עַמּ֑וֹ "his people" and נַחֲלָתוֹ "his inheritance." 
   - <Greek of v. 61>: The LXX and a fragment of Aquila contain plural suffixes in v. 61.#dispreferred
    + [Greek of v. 61]: LXX: "and gave their (αὐτῶν) strength over to captivity and their (αὐτῶν) comeliness into an enemy’s hands," NETS); Aquila: "their (αὐτῶν) strength."#dispreferred
 + <Singular suffixes>: Throughout the psalm (with the exception David in vv. 70-71), every other 3ms suffix unambiguously has YHWH as its antecedent.
  - <v. 8>: The people are referred to in the singular in v. 8.#dispreferred
   + [v. 8]: דּ֭וֹר לֹא־הֵכִ֣ין לִבּ֑וֹ וְלֹא־נֶאֶמְנָ֖ה אֶת־אֵ֣ל רוּחֽוֹ "a generation who was not committed in their heart and whose mind was not faithful to God".#dispreferred
   <_ <דּוֹר>: The reference in v. 8 follows the truly collective דּוֹר, which exhibits both singular and plural targets in Biblical Hebrew (cf. the plural לְמַ֤עַן יֵדְע֨וּ׀ דּ֣וֹר אַ֭חֲרוֹן in v. 6).
  + [Plural suffixes]: See, e.g., "his people" (vv. 20, 52, 62); and "his adversaries" (v. 66), among others (see participant analysis).
 - <Nature of the verbs>: The possessive "YHWH's young men/young women/priests/widows" makes less sense in the context of his punitive actions against the people recounted in vv. 63-64.#dispreferred
  - <Rhetoric of the psalm>: Although seemingly unnatural, YHWH's claiming this people as his own while nonetheless punishing them is intentional (cf. "his people" in v. 62 and the appearance of "Israel" and "Jacob" being shepherded at the very end of the psalm—v. 71—after their negative caricature throughout the psalm).

Conclusion (A-)

The plural suffixes found in the LXX and Peshitta, among other ancient translations, should not be understood as a distinct textual tradition in contrast to the MT's singular forms, but rather as an intentional translation technique to make explicit their understanding of collective Israel as the referent of the suffixes. Such is probably also the case in those modern translations opting for the plural form. Nevertheless, while Israel/the people is a possible antecedent, everywhere else in the psalm they are referred to with plural indexation.

The evidence of the 3sg suffixes throughout the psalm strongly point to YHWH as the referent also in vv. 28, 63-64, so should be translated with singular suffixes:

"and he made them fall inside his camp, all around his tents...

Fire consumed his young men and his young women were not sung to. His priests fell by the sword and his widows could not mourn."

Though perhaps not the most intuitive referent of the suffixes (especially throughout vv. 63-64, which has seemingly encouraged the plural translation), the result is the remarkable rhetorical effect of still claiming the camp and tents as his own, while in the process of disciplining the people, and claiming the young men and women, priests and widows as his own, while in the process of allowing Shiloh to be destroyed. It follows the pattern of his people throughout the psalm (vv. 20, 52, 62 and probably 71) and stands to reason that he would arise and do something about their defeat (v. 65-66), such that Israel, though rejected as covenant administrators (v. 67) are still referred to as YHWH's people and inheritance at the end of the psalm (v. 71).

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: καὶ ἐπέπεσον εἰς μέσον τῆς παρεμβολῆς αὐτῶν κύκλῳ τῶν σκηνωμάτων αὐτῶν ... τοὺς νεανίσκους αὐτῶν κατέφαγεν πῦρ, καὶ αἱ παρθένοι αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐπενθήθησαν· οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῶν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἔπεσαν, καὶ αἱ χῆραι αὐτῶν οὐ κλαυσθήσονται.
  • "and they fell in the midst of their camp, all around their coverts ... Their young men fire devoured, and their girls were not bewailed. Their priests fell by sword, and their widows will not be lamented."
• Symmachus: καὶ ἐπέβαλον ἔνδον εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν αὐτῶν κύκλῳ τῶν σκηνῶν [αὐτῶν] ... τοὺς νεανιίσκους αὐτοῦ ἀνάλωσεν πῦρ ... οὐκ ἐπῃνέθησαν ἱερεῖς αὐτ[οῦ] μαχαίρᾳ ἔπ[εσον] καὶ αἱ χηρευθεῖσαι αὐτοῦ / αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔκλαυσαν.
  • "and he threw them into their camp, around [their] tents ... fire consumed his young men ... were not praised ... [his] priests fell by the sword and his / their widows did not weep."
• Aquila: ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτ[οῦ] ἔφα[γεν] πῦρ καὶ παρθένοι αὐτοῦ οὐχ ὑμνήθησαν ἱερεῖς αὐτ[οῦ] ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἔπ[σεον]...
  • "Fire consumed [his] chosen ones and his maidens were not sung to; [his] priests fell by the sword"
• Quinta: ... καὶ αἰ παρθ[ένοι] αὐτῶν οὐκ επῃνέθησαν
  • "... and their maidens were not praised."
• Theodotion: τοὺς νεανιίσκους αὐτοῦ ... οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ ...
  • "his young men ... his priests..."
• Iuxta Hebraeos: et ceciderunt in medio castrorum eius in circuitu tabernaculorum eius ... iuvenes eius devoravit ignis et virgines eius nemo luxit sacerdotes eius gladio ceciderunt et viduae eius non sunt fletae"
  • "And they fell in the midst of his camp, round about his pavilions ... Fire devoured his young men: and his maidens he did not mourn. His priests fell by the sword: and his widows did not weep."
• Peshitta: ܘܢܦܠܘ ܒܡܫܪ̈ܝܬܗܘܢ ܚܕܪ̈ܝ ܡܫ̈ܟܢܝܗܘܢ ... ܠܓܕܘ̈ܕܝܗܘܢ ܐܟܠܬ ܢܘܪܐ ܘܒܬ̈ܘܠܬܗܘܢ ܐܬܛܪܦ ܘܟܗ̈ܢܝܗܘܢ ܢܦܠܘ ܒܚܪܒܐ ܘܐܪ̈ܡܠܬܗܘܢ ܠܐ ܐܬܒ̈ܟܝ
  • "They fell in their encampments, all around their tents ... Fire consumed their young men; their young women were treated badly. Their priests fell by the sword; their widows were not lamented. "
• Targum: ואפיל במצע משיריתיה חזור חזור למשכנוי ... עולימוהי אכלת אשתא ובתולתיה לא אשתבחן׃ משבחן‭ ‬כהנוי בקטלא דחרבא יפלון וארמלתוי לא ספיקן דתבכוון׃
  • "And he made them fall in the midst of his camp, all around his tents ... Fire devoured his young men, and his maidens were not praised. His priests fell by the sword, and his widows did not weep."
• Saadia: אוקע ד׳לך דאכ׳ל עסכרהם, והואלי מסאכנהם ... ואכל נאר אלסיף מן שבאנה, מאת מן אבכארה ולם ימדחוא ומן אימתה מן וקע באלסיף, ומן אראמלה מן לא יבכון בפקודהם
  • "their army ... their tents ... his young men ... his virgins ... his priests ... his widows"

Modern

3sg

• He made them fall in the camp, all around the tents ... Fire consumed his chosen young men, and his young women had no wedding songs. His priests fell by the sword, and the widows could not lament. (CSB)
• mitten in sein Lager liess er sie fallen, rings um seine Wohnungen ... Seine jungen Männer frass das Feuer, und seine jungen Frauen wurden nicht besungen. Seine Priester fielen durch das Schwert, und seine Witwen konnten nicht weinen. (ZÜR; cf. ELB)

Combination of 3sg and 3pl

• God brought the birds down in the center of their camp, all around their dwellings ... Fire devoured his young men, and his young women had no wedding songs. God’s priests were killed by the sword, and his widows couldn’t even cry. (CEB; cf. NASB)
• making them come down inside His camp, around His dwelling-place ... Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens remained unwed. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep. (NJPS)
• il les a fait tomber au milieu de leur camp, tout autour de leurs tentes ... le feu a dévoré ses jeunes gens, et ses vierges n’ont plus été célébrées; ses prêtres sont tombés par l’épée, et ses veuves n’ont pas pleuré leurs morts. (SG21; cf. NBS)
• mitten in sein Lager ließ er sie fallen, rings um seine Wohnung her ... Ihre junge Mannschaft fraß das Feuer, und ihre Jungfrauen mussten ungefreit bleiben. Ihre Priester fielen durchs Schwert, und die Witwen konnten die Toten nicht beweinen. (LUT)

3pl

• "he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings ... Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation." (ESV; cf. CJB, KJV, NABRE, REB)

Secondary Literature

Alter, Robert. 2019. The Hebrew Bible Volume 3: The Writings: A Translation with Commentary. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1871. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 2. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms 42-89. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

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

Ḥakham, Amos. 1979. ספר תהלים: ספרים ג–ה (in Hebrew; The Book of Psalms: Books 3-5). Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.

Hitzig, Ferdinand. 1863. Die Psalmen: übersetzt und ausgelegt. Leipzig und Heidelberg: C. F. Winterische Verlagshandlung.

Hossfeld, F. 2005. "Psalm 78." Pages 282-301 in F. Hossfeld and E. Zenger, A Commentary on Psalms 51-100. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Press.

Ibn Ezra, Abraham. Ibn Ezra on Psalms.

Kraus, Hans. J. 1989. Psalms 60-150: A Commentary, trans. Hilton C. Oswald. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Press.

Johnson, Aubrey. R. 1979. The Cultic Prophet and Israel's Psalmody. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.

Kafaḥ, Y. 1965. תהלים עם תרגום ופירוש הגאון רבינו סעדיה (in Hebrew; The Psalms with translation and commentary by the Gaon Rabbi Saadia). Jerusalem: American Academy for Jewish Research.

Ramond, S. 2014. Les Leçons et les Énigmes du Passé: Une Exégèse intra-biblique des Psaumes Historiques. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Rashi. Rashi on 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.

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78:28, 63, 64",63,64" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 28.