Exegetical issues for Psalm 110:

Introduction

The traditional Hebrew text of Ps. 110:5-7 reads as follows:^[1]

אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑ מָחַ֖ץ בְּיוֹם־אַפּ֣וֹ מְלָכִֽים׃

יָדִ֣ין בַּ֭גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת מָ֥חַץ רֹ֝֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה׃

מִ֭נַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ׃

The subject(s) of the verbs in Ps. 110:5-7 are unclear. The subject of each verb may either be YHWH (the "Lord" of v. 5) or the king (the "lord" of v. 1). Some translations make clear that YHWH is the subject in v. 5a and they leave ambiguous the subject(s) in v. 5b-7 ("he").^[2] Other translations make clear that YHWH is the subject of all of v. 5, and they leave ambiguous the subject(s) in vv. 6-7 ("he").^[3] Other translations make clear that the king is the subject of the verbs in v. 7 (and thus imply that YHWH is the subject in vv. 5-6).^[4] Still other translations understand the king to be the subject throughout vv. 5-7.^[5]

Argument Maps

The Subject in vv. 5-6

Who is the subject in v. 5ab and in v. 6ab? Some argue that YHWH is the subject in all four lines, and others argue that the king is the subject in all four lines. Some combination of these views is also possible. Some have suggested that YHWH is the subject in the first line (v. 5a) and the king is the subject in the next three lines (vv. 5b, 6ab), and still others have argued that the king is the subject only in the final two lines (v. 6ab).

YHWH as subject in vv. 5-6 (preferred)

Some have argued that YHWH is the subject in vv. 5-6. The argument for this view is as follows.


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[YHWH]: YHWH is the subject of the verbs in vv. 5b-6.
 + <Subject clearly named in v. 5a>: אֲדֹנָי ("the Lord" = YHWH) is named as the subject in v. 5a, and "there is no indication in the sequence of clauses in vv. 5-7 that we should assume a change of subject" (Zenger 2011, 143 :C:; cf. Goldingay 2008 :C:).
  + <Ancient tradition>: From ancient times (at least since the 2nd century BC), the text was consistently read in such a way that אֲדֹנָי ("the Lord" = YHWH) was understood as the subject of v. 5(a).
   + <Ancient versions>: All of the ancient versions understood אֲדֹנָי ("the Lord" = YHWH) as the subject of v. 5(a).
    + [Ancient versions]: LXX: κύριος ἐκ δεξιῶν σου συνέθλασεν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλεῖς; Peshitta: ܡܪܝܐ ܥܠ ܝܡܝܢܟ܂; Jerome: Dominus ad dexteram tuam percussit in die furoris sui reges; Targum: שכינתא דייי על ימינך
   + <MT accents>: The Masoretic accents suggest that אֲדֹנָ֥י is the subject of the clause (rather than a vocative).
    + [MT accents]: In the MT, אֲדֹנָ֥י is prosodically bound by a conjunctive accent (merkha) to the following phrase עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑.
 + <Coherence with v. 1>: In v. 1, YHWH says that *he* will make the king's enemies a footstool for his feet." Verses 5b-6 describe YHWH making the king's enemies a footstool for his feet (Delitzsch 1877, 187 :C:).
 + <Neo-Assyrian parallels>: In Neo-Assyrian royal prophecies, the god/goddess of the king pledged to defeat the king's enemies in battle.
  + [Neo-Assyrian parallels]: SAA 9 1.2 lines i 30′: "King of Assyria, fear not! The enemy of the king of Assyria I will lead to the slaughter... ii 1' I have defeated your enemy in a single combat!" (Nissinen 2019, 113). SAA 9 1.1 line i 18: "I am Ištar of Arbela, I will flay your enemies and deliver them up to you. I am Ištar of Arbela, I go before you and behind you" (Nissinen 2019, 112). SAA 9 2.3 line ii 1': "Your enemies, whatever they are, I will defeat. You shall stay in your palace" (Nissinen 2019, 123).

The King as subject in vv. 5-6

Some argue that the king is the subject in vv. 5-6. There are several variations of this view. Some argue that the king is the subject in all of vv. 5-6, others that he is the subject in vv. 5b-6, and others that he is the subject only in v. 6. The following argument map represents all three of these views.


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[King]: The king is the subject of at least some of the verbs in vv. 5-6. #dispreferred
 - <Subject clearly named in v. 5a>: אֲדֹנָי ("the Lord" = YHWH) is named as the subject in v. 5a, and "there is no indication in the sequence of clauses in vv. 5-7 that we should assume a change of subject" (Zenger 2011, 143 :C:).
  - <אֲדֹנָי as vocative>: אֲדֹנָי ("the Lord" = YHWH) may be a vocative (instead of the subject), so that the subject of vv. 5-6 can be none other than the king – "Lord (=YHWH), at your right hand he (=the king) smashed kings..." (cf. NET, NJB; Caquot 1956, 45 :A:). #dispreferred
  <_ <Semantic pertinence>: "Although the nearest antecedent of 'he' is 'Lord (i.e., *I AM*) (v. 5), semantic pertinence demands an earthly antecedent, namely, David's Lord" (Waltke 2010, 509 :C:). #dispreferred
 - <King as 2nd person>: With the exception of v. 1aα (אדני), every clear reference to the king is in the 2nd person (vv. 1-5).
  + [King as 2nd person]: v. 1: 'sit', 'your enemies', 'your feet'; v. 2: 'your strong staff', 'rule', 'your enemies'; v. 3: 'your people', 'your young men', 'to you'; v. 4: 'you'; v. 5: 'your right side.'
  <_ <Person shifts in prophetic oracles>: In ancient prophetic oracles, shifts from 2nd person in one line to 3rd person in the next line are not uncommon. Thus, the king, though 2nd person in v. 5a, may be the 3rd person subject in v. 5b-7 (Gilbert & Pisano 1980 :A:).#dispreferred
   + [Person shifts in prophetic oracles]: E.g., Gen. 49:8-9; Num. 24:5-7. #dispreferred
   + [Person shifts in Assyrian royal prophecies]: "Examples of change between second-person and third-person addressee are illustrated in SAA 9 1.2; 1.6; 2.2; 2.4; and 2.5" (Hilber 2005, 78 :M:). #dispreferred
 + <"Right hand">: "Your right hand" (v. 5a) probably refers to YHWH's right hand, because v. 1 has already mentioned the king sitting at YHWH's right hand. #dispreferred
  <_ <Figurative language>: "Right hand" is non-literal language. Therefore, it is possible for the king to sit at YHWH's right hand and, simultaneously, for YHWH to be at the king's right hand.
   + [Ps. 16:8]: In Psalm 16:8, YHWH is said to be both לְנֶגְדִּי ‘before me’ and מִימִינִי 'at my right hand.’
  <_ <Shifting participant reference>: Psalms sometimes use the same word with reference to both YHWH and the psalmist. 
   + [Shifting participant reference]: E.g., Ps. 16 mentions both "my right hand" (v. 8) and "your (=YHWH's) right hand" (v. 11).
 + <King subject of v. 7a>: The subject of v. 7a is clearly the king (see argument map below), and there is no indication of a change in subject between v. 5a and v. 7. #dispreferred

The Subject in v. 7

The ambiguity of subject continues in v. 7. Some have argued that YHWH is the subject and others have argued that the king is the subject.

YHWH as subject in v. 7 (preferred)

The argument for the view that YHWH is the subject in v. 7 is as follows.


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[YHWH]: YHWH is the subject in v. 7.
 + <Subject clearly named in v. 5a>: אֲדֹנָי ("the Lord" = YHWH) is named as the subject in v. 5a, and "there is no indication in the sequence of clauses in vv. 5-7 that we should assume a change of subject" (Zenger 2011, 143 :C:; cf. Goldingay 2008 :C:).
 - <Theological difficulty>: "It is difficult to think of God as drinking from the torrent: that would be a unique case in the Bible" (Barbiero 2014, 3 :A:; cf. Nordheim 2008, 42 :M:; Baethgen 1904, 339 :C:; Briggs 1907, 378 :C:; Allen 2002 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <Integrated metaphor>: "This argument is not persuasive, since vv. 5-7 are an integrated metaphor!... This is an *altogether* metaphorical depiction of YHWH as a warrior, a victor, such a one as we recognize in ancient Near Easter as well as Old Testament literature" (Zenger 20011, 143, 151 :C:; cf. Booij 1991 :A:).
  - <YHWH as warrior (anthropomorphism)>: Scripture sometimes describes YHWH in terms of a human warrior.
   + [YHWH as warrior (anthropomorphism)]: E.g., Ex. 15:3 – יְהוָה אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה; Ps. 78:65 – וַיִּקַ֖ץ כְּיָשֵׁ֥ן׀ אֲדֹנָ֑י כְּ֝גִבּ֗וֹר מִתְרוֹנֵ֥ן מִיָּֽיִן

The King as subject in v. 7

Most commentators claim that the king is the subject in v. 7. The argument for this view is as follows.


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[King]: The king is the subject in v. 7.#dispreferred
 + <Human agent more likely>: "The action of drinking from 'a stream upon the way' is more readily comprehensible of a human king than of YHWH himself" (Mitchell 2003:263 :M:). #dispreferred
 + <Structural correspondence with v. 3>: Verse 7 corresponds to verse 3; both verses mention a refreshing water source ("dew" in v. 3, "wadi" in v. 7). Just as the one receiving the "dew" in v. 3 is the Messiah, so the one drinking from the "wadi" in v. 7 is probably also the Messiah (Barbiero 2014, 3 :A:). #dispreferred
 - <Drinking after fighting>: The king can only be the subject in v. 7 if he is also the subject in the previous clauses. Otherwise, it would not make sense for the king to refresh himself with a drink of water after the battle (Reinke 1857, 256 :M:). 
 - <King as 2nd person>: With the exception of v. 1aα (אדני), every clear reference to the king is in the 2nd person (vv. 1-5), while the verbs in v. 7 are in the 3rd person.
  + [King as 2nd person]: v. 1: 'sit', 'your enemies', 'your feet'; v. 2: 'your strong staff', 'rule', 'your enemies'; v. 3: 'your people', 'your young men', 'to you'; v. 4: 'you'; v. 5: 'your right side.'
  <_ <Person shifts in prophetic oracles>: In ancient prophetic oracles, shifts from 2nd person to 3rd person are not uncommon (Gilbert & Pisano 1980 :A:).#dispreferred
   + [Person shifts in prophetic oracles]: E.g., Gen. 49:8-9; Num. 24:5-7. #dispreferred
   + [Person shifts in Assyrian royal prophecies]: "Examples of change between second-person and third-person addressee are illustrated in SAA 9 1.2; 1.6; 2.2; 2.4; and 2.5" (Hilber 2005, 78 :M:). #dispreferred

Deliberate Ambiguity

Some have argued that the ambiguity of subjects in Ps. 110:5-7 is a deliberate feature of the text. The arguments for this view are as follows.


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[Ambiguous]: The subject of the verbs in vv. 5b-6 is deliberately left ambiguous.
 + <Subtle subject shift>: YHWH is introduced as the subject in v. 5a and so is the most likely subject on a first reading of vv. 5b-6. By v. 7, however, it becomes clear that the king is the subject. The reader is thus left wondering when the subject shift happened and "to entertain the possibility that maybe both readings are intended and to consider how both might be true" (Raabe 1991, 226 :A:)
 + <Overall framework>: "It is a basic constituent of the overall framework of the psalm that God and the king are mutually exchangeable" (Van der Lugt 2013, 231 :M:).
  + ["Lord", "right hand"]: "At the beginning of the first canto, the *king* is designated אדני... and invited to sit at God's right hand (v. 1b); but at the beginning of Canto II, it is *God* who is designated אדני and now He is at the right hand of the king (v. 5a)" (Van der Lugt 2013, 231 :M:).

Conclusion (B)

The subject throughout vv. 5-7 is probably YHWH. The argument for this view is simple: אֲדֹנָי ("the Lord" = YHWH) is named as the subject in v. 5a, and "there is no indication in the sequence of clauses in vv. 5-7 that we should assume a change of subject."^[6] Furthermore, "vv. 5-7 are an integrated metaphor;"^[7] these verses offer a unified description of a warrior subduing his enemies, and it is unlikely that multiple subjects are involved.

The main reason why scholars argue that the king (the "lord" of v. 1) and not YHWH is the subject at some point in the text is the image in v. 7: "it is difficult to think of God as drinking from the torrent: that would be a unique case in the Bible."^[8] While this particular image (i.e., YHWH drinking from a wadi) may be unique to this psalm, the image of YHWH as a human warrior is not. The Song of the Sea describes YHWH as a "man of war" (אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה) (Ex. 15:3), and other psalms describe him as a warrior (e.g., Pss. 7:11-14; 78:65). If YHWH may be said to wake from sleep like a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine (Ps. 78:65), then he might also be said to drink from a wadi like a warrior.

Even if YHWH is the most likely subject throughout vv. 5-7, the lack of complete clarity on the issue (evident from the variety of interpretations) may be a deliberate feature of the text. As Van der Lugt notes, "it is a basic constituent of the overall framework of the psalm that God and the king are mutually exchangeable;" both are called אדני, and both position themselves at the right hand of the other.^[9] Thus, as David Mitchell writes, "there seems to be a conflation of YHWH and the king... presumably to stress their oneness of will and purpose."^[10] A similar ambiguity of subject and conflation of YHWH and the king may take place in Ps. 2:12.

Research

Translations

Ancient

LXX: κύριος ἐκ δεξιῶν σου συνέθλασεν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλεῖς, κρινεῖ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, πληρώσει πτώματα, συνθλάσει κεφαλὰς ἐπὶ γῆς πολλῶν. ἐκ χειμάρρου ἐν ὁδῷ πίεται, διὰ τοῦτο ὑψώσει κεφαλήν
Peshitta:ܡܪܝܐ ܥܠ ܝܡܝܢܟ܂ ܬܒܪ ܒܝܘܡܐ ܕܪܘܓܙܗ ܡ̈ܠܟܐ܂ ܢܕܘܢ ܠܥܡ̈ܡܐ ܘܢܡܠܐ ܫ̈ܠܕܐ܂ ܘܢܦܣܘܩ ܪܝܫܐ ܕܣ̈ܓܝܐܐ ܒܐܪܥܐ܂ ܘܡܢ ܢܚܠܐ ܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܢܫܬܐ܂ ܡܛܠ ܗܢܐ ܢܬܬܪܝܡ ܪܝܫܗ܂
Targum: שכינתא דייי על ימינך מחא ביום רוגזיה מלכיא׃ אתמנא לדיין על עממיא מלי ארעא גושמי רשיען קטילין מחא רישי מלכיא על ארעא סגיעין לחדא׃ מפום נבייא באורחא אולפן יקבל מטול היכנא יזקוף רישא׃

Modern

YHWH as subject in v. 5, ambiguous subject in vv. 6-7 (KJV, LUT, ELB, CEV)
YHWH as subject in v. 5a, ambiguous subject in vv. 5b-7 (NIV, NLT, RSV, ESV, JPS85, REB, EÜ, ZÜR)
YHWH as subject in vv. 5-6, king as subject in v. 7 (GNT, GNB, NGÜ, HFA)
King as subject in vv. 5-7 (NET, NJB)

Secondary Literature

Allen, Leslie. 2002. Psalms 101-150. Vol. 3. Revised edition. Word Biblical Commentary 21. Waco: Word Books.

Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.

Barbiero, Gianni. 2014. "The non-violent messiah of Psalm 110". Biblische Zeitschrift 58, 1: 1-20.

Booij, Thijs. 1991. "Psalm Cx: Rule in the Midst of Your Foes!" Vetus Testamentum. Vol. 41, no.: 396-407.

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

Caquot, André. 1956. "Remarques sur le Psaume CX." Semitica. Vol. 6: 33-52.

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

Gilbert, Maurice, and Stephen Pisano. 1980. "Psalm 110 (109), 5-7." Biblica 61, no. 3: 343–56.

Goldingay, John. 2008. Psalms 90-150. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Hilber, John W. 2005. Cultic Prophecy in the Psalms. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 2011. Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101-150. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.

Lugt, Pieter Van der. 2013. Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry III: Psalms 90–150 and Psalm 1. Vol. 3. Oudtestamentische Studiën 63. Leiden: Brill.

Mitchell, David C. 2003. The Message of the Psalter: An Eschatological Programme in the Book of Psalms. 2nd ed. Glasgow Scotland: Campbell Publishers.

Nissinen, Martti, C. L. Seow, Robert K. Ritner, and H. Craig Melchert. 2019. Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature.

Nordheim, Miriam von. 2008. Geboren von der Morgenröte? Psalm 110 in Tradition, Redaktion und Rezeption. Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener.

Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra's Commentary on the First Book of Psalms: Chapter 1-41. 2009. Translated and annoted by H. Norman Strickman. Boston: Academic Studies Press.

Reinke, Laurenz. 1857. Die messianischen Psalmen; Einleitung, Grundtext und Uebersetzung nebst einem philologisch-kritischen und historischen Commentar. Gießen: Ferber.

Waltke, Bruce K., J. M. Houston, and Erika Moore. 2010. The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.

References

110:5 Approved

↑ Text copied from Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible.
↑ E.g., NIV, NLT, RSV, ESV, JPS85, REB, EÜ, ZÜR.
↑ E.g., KJV, LUT, ELB, CEV.
↑ GNT, GNB, NGÜ, HFA.
↑ E.g., NET, NJB.
↑ Zenger 2011, 143; cf. Goldingay 2008.
↑ Zenger 20011, 143.
↑ Barbiero 2014, 3; cf. Nordheim 2008, 42; Baethgen 1904, 339; Briggs 1907, 378; Allen 2002; Mitchell 2003, 263; et al.
↑ Van der Lugt 2013, 231
↑ Mitchell 2003, 263.

[1] Text copied from Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible.

[2] E.g., NIV, NLT, RSV, ESV, JPS85, REB, EÜ, ZÜR.

[3] E.g., KJV, LUT, ELB, CEV.

[4] GNT, GNB, NGÜ, HFA.

[5] E.g., NET, NJB.

[6] Zenger 2011, 143; cf. Goldingay 2008.

[7] Zenger 20011, 143.

[8] Barbiero 2014, 3; cf. Nordheim 2008, 42; Baethgen 1904, 339; Briggs 1907, 378; Allen 2002; Mitchell 2003, 263; et al.

[9] Van der Lugt 2013, 231

[10] Mitchell 2003, 263.

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The Subject(s) in Ps. 110:5-7

Contents