The Syntax and Meaning of Psalm 30:6a

Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Psalm 30:6 reads as follows:

כִּ֤י רֶ֨גַע ׀ בְּאַפּוֹ֮ חַיִּ֪ים בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ

בָּ֭עֶרֶב יָלִ֥ין בֶּ֗כִי וְלַבֹּ֥קֶר רִנָּֽה׃

Concerning the first line, one scholar has recently noted that "the two versets are parallel not in meaning but because of their syntax, their rhythm and length, and their extremely curt manner of expression, which requires the reader to fill in what is missing in both." Indeed, translations have tried to "fill in what is missing" in a variety of ways:

• "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime" (ESV)
• "For a moment (he acts) in his anger, but for a lifetime in his favor" (ELB)
• "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life" (KJV)

Strictly, the two clauses are composed of sentence fragments, as reflected by the TOB: "For an instant under his anger, a whole life in his favor." Nevertheless, they are "sentence-like subunits, whose exact syntactic status is, however, disputed," so to make sense of the line, we must evaluate the proposals for "filling in what is missing" from this sentence fragment explicitly. The three options illustrated by the translations above involve (1) interpreting the prepositional phrases (בְּאַפּוֹ֮ and בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ) as the grammatical subjects of their respective clauses (ESV); (2) the elision of both the grammatical subject and verb (ELB); or (3) reading the clauses as existential clauses (see the second clause of the KJV).

We evaluate these three interpretations in the argument maps below.

Argument Maps

"Anger" and "favor" as grammatical subjects

In the poetic line כִּ֤י רֶ֨גַע ׀ בְּאַפּוֹ֮ חַיִּ֪ים בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ, some have translated the constituents בְּאַפּוֹ֮ and בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ as two grammatical subjects, such as the ESV: "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime."

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[ב-constituents as grammatical subjects]: The constituents בְּאַפּוֹ֮ and בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ should be understood as the grammatical subjects of their respective clause (Müller 1999, 193 :A:; Jacobson & Tanner 2014, 294 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Ancient versions>: This is the interpretation of Jerome (Hebr.) and Targum Psalms.#dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: "Because to the moment is his wrath and life in his propitiation" (Hebr.); "For his anger is a moment, his good pleasure is eternal life" (Stec 2004, 69, adapted).#dispreferred
 - <Prepositional phrases>: The phrases בְּאַפּוֹ֮ and בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ are prepositional phrases, and prepositional phrases do not typically function as grammatical subjects.
  <_ <Beth existentiae>: The *beth* prepositions on בְּאַפּוֹ֮ and בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ are instances of the so-called *beth existentiae* (Müller 1999, 193 :A:), that is, a pseudo-copula, "to be."#dispreferred
   + [Examples of beth existentiae]: See, for example, וַיְהִי֙ בַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לְחַטַּ֖את בֵּ֣ית יָרָבְעָ֑ם in 1 Kings 13:34, translated as "And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam" (ESV); כִּֽי־בְ֝רַבִּ֗ים הָי֥וּ עִמָּדִֽי in Psalm 55:19, translated as "for many are arrayed against me" (ESV; cf. Jerome); בְּיָ֥הּ שְׁמ֗וֹ in Psalm 68:5 translated as "his name is Yah" (CBC).#dispreferred
    - <Ps 55:19>: Psalm 55:19 should be understood as "they were with me as many" (cf. LXX).
   - <As-relations>: "The Old Testament passages used for a non-prepositional *Beth existentiae* (copula) are better understood as prepositional As-relations (*Beth essentiae*)," i.e., "a moment is *as* his anger" etc., "unless they exhibit one of the other uses of ב, as in Psalm 30:6" (Jenni 2012, 116 :A:). 
    - <Exceptions>: It is difficult to see how 1 Kings 13:34 or Psalm 68:5 could be understood as *beth essentiae* ("like this thing," "like Yah") rather than *beth existentiae*.#dispreferred
 - <חיים>: This interpretation requires that חיים ("life") be understood as in a temporal sense: "his favor is for a lifetime." Nevertheless, "the Hebrew word חיים does not have a temporal connotation like our English word 'lifetime'" (Sommer 2022, 163 :A:), but rather refers to the "the state of being alive and well; ◄ because of the presence of air to breathe and food to eat; ≈ life is regarded as more than a mere physical condition; in many cases it includes health, strength, and some degree of prosperity" (SDBH). 
  - <"Lifetime, lifespan">: The word חיים sometimes means "lifetime, lifespan" (HALOT :L:).#dispreferred
    + [Leviticus 18:18]: "Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living (בְּחַיֶּֽיהָ)" (NIV). #dispreferred
     <_ <Life as a state of being alive>
    + [Deuteronomy 28:66]: "You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life (וְלֹ֥א תַאֲמִ֖ין בְּחַיֶּֽיךָ)" (NIV).#dispreferred
     <_ <Life as a state of being alive>: Both of these examples are probably better interpreted as "life as the state of being alive" (cf. LXX Lev 18:18: ἔτι ζώσης αὐτῆς "while she is still alive;" LXX Deut 28:66: οὐ πιστεύσεις τῇ ζωῇ σου "you will not trust in your life").

Elision

In the poetic line כִּ֤י רֶ֨גַע ׀ בְּאַפּוֹ֮ חַיִּ֪ים בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ, some have understood both the grammatical subject and finite verb to be elided, such as the ELB: "For a moment (he acts) in his anger, but for a lifetime in his favor."

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[Elision]: The grammatical subject and finite verb are elided (Briggs & Briggs 1906–7, 259 :C:; Ḥakham 1979, 162 :C:; Kraus 1993, 352 :C:; Malul 1996, 140 :C:; Jenni 2012 :A:).#dispreferred
 + <Double elision>: There are some examples of double elision in the Hebrew Bible, including examples where the subject and predicate are elided. #dispreferred
  + [Double elision]: See, e.g., אֶת־וָהֵ֣ב בְּסוּפָ֔ה וְאֶת־הַנְּחָלִ֖ים אַרְנֽוֹן (lit. "Waheb in Suffah and the ravines of the Arnon") in Numbers 21:14; אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ בִּנְיָמִֽין (lit. "After you, Benjamin") in Hosea 5:8; כִּ֖י לְהַמְלִיכֽוֹ (lit. "because to make him king") in 2 Chronicles 11:22.#dispreferred 
  <_ <Rare and dubious>: Cases of double elision are very rare in Biblical Hebrew and usually textually dubious.
 + <Similar passages>: We find other passages in the Psalms in which a clause grounding the preceding discourse, indicated by an initial כִּי, contains only a sentence fragment. #dispreferred
  + [Similar passages]: See, e.g., הוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה כִּי־ט֑וֹב ("Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good," NIV) in Psalm 106:1. #dispreferred
 - <Unclear elision>: It is unclear what should be supplied as the elided constituents, for example, whether "God acts" or "people stand" (Jenni 2012, 107 :A:).
 - <חיים>: This interpretation requires that חיים ("life") be understood as in a temporal sense: "his favor is for a lifetime." Nevertheless, "the Hebrew word חיים does not have a temporal connotation like our English word 'lifetime'" (Sommer 2022, 163 :A:), but rather refers to the "the state of being alive and well; ◄ because of the presence of air to breathe and food to eat; ≈ life is regarded as more than a mere physical condition; in many cases it includes health, strength, and some degree of prosperity" (SDBH). 
  - <"Lifetime, lifespan">: The word חיים sometimes means "lifetime, lifespan" (HALOT :L:).#dispreferred
    + [Leviticus 18:18]: "Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living (בְּחַיֶּֽיהָ)" (NIV). #dispreferred
     <_ <Life as a state of being alive>
    + [Deuteronomy 28:66]: "You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life (וְלֹ֥א תַאֲמִ֖ין בְּחַיֶּֽיךָ)" (NIV).#dispreferred
     <_ <Life as a state of being alive>: Both of these examples are probably better interpreted as "life as the state of being alive" (cf. LXX Lev 18:18: ἔτι ζώσης αὐτῆς "while she is still alive;" LXX Deut 28:66: οὐ πιστεύσεις τῇ ζωῇ σου "you will not trust in your life").

<Unambiguous subject>: The states introduced by the *beth* prepositional phrases ("anger, favor") are action nominals, so one would expect the subject to be the one who carries them out (Jenni 2012, 109 :A:), i.e., God, just as in v. 8.#dispreferred
 -> <Unclear elision>
 + [Psalm 30:8]: "YHWH, in your favor..." (יְֽהוָ֗ה בִּרְצוֹנְךָ֮).#dispreferred

Existentials (preferred)

Though not as common in translations, a number of scholars support the interpretation of the two clauses in כִּ֤י רֶ֨גַע ׀ בְּאַפּוֹ֮ חַיִּ֪ים בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ as existential clauses.

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[Existential clauses]: The two clauses in Psalm 30:6a should be read as existential clauses (Rashi :C:; Radak :C:; Delitzsch 1871, 377 :C:; Craigie 2004, 250 :C:; Goldingay 2006, 428 :C:; Böhler 2021, 540–541 :C:).
 + <Surrounding co-text>: The existential interpretation is also the best interpretation of 30:6d.
  + [Psalm 30:6d]: וְלַבֹּ֥קֶר רִנָּֽה׃ "but by the morning there is a shout of joy" (CBC). 
 - <Syntactic function of רֶגַע>: The word רֶגַע is always used as an adverbial in the Bible, not as the grammatical subject (see Exod 33:5; Isa 47:9; 54:8; Jer 4:20; 18:7; Ps 6:11; Job 34:20).#dispreferred
  <_ <Parallel line>: The word רֶגַע is in parallel with חַיִּים in the next clause, which is not limited in its syntactic distribution, so the same grammatical function should be applied to רֶגַע as to חַיִּים.
 - <Existential syntax>: Biblical Hebrew requires an existential particle יֵשׁ or copula היה to encode existential clauses.#dispreferred
  - <Zero marked existentials>: Biblical Hebrew has a number of examples of existential clauses lacking either יֵשׁ or היה.
   + [Zero marked existentials]: See, e.g., צְוָחָ֥ה עַל־הַיַּ֖יִן בַּֽחוּצ֑וֹת "There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine" (ESV) in Isaiah 24:11; נָהָ֗ר "There is a river" (ESV) in Psalm 46:5; וּמִלְחֲמ֧וֹת רְחַבְעָ֛ם וְיָרָבְעָ֖ם כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים "There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam" (ESV) in 2 Chronicles 12:15.

Conclusion (B)

The finite verbal clauses reflected in the majority of both ancient and modern translations of Psalm 30:6 do little justice to the Hebrew text. The presence of beth existentiae in the Bible is extremely rare, most of which should probably better understood as beth essentiae, that is, comparative "as" relations, and, where there are less-controversial syntactic interpretations, these should be followed. In the present instance, these involve either heavy elision or the interpretation of existential clauses. Nevertheless, instances of elision of both the grammatical subject and finite verb are rare indeed in the Bible and often textually questionable. In the absence of suitable alternatives, then, much less controversial syntax involves the the existential reading of each clause. The same syntax is quite unambiguously found in the fourth clause of this verse. Furthermore, existentials lacking יֵשׁ or היה occur in the Bible, such that the prepositional phrases "in his anger" and "in his favor" modify the constituents "a moment" and "life," as naturally indicated by their morphology. Thus, we recommend the translation "Because there is a moment in his anger; there is life in his favor."

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ὅτι ὀργὴ ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ζωὴ ἐν τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ·
  • "because wrath is in his fury and life in his will."
• Secunda: χι ρεγε βααφφω αϊϊμ βαρσωνω
  • כי רגע באפו חיים ברצונו
• Aquila: ὅτι ἀθροι̣σ̣μὸς ἐν θυμῶι αὐτοῦ ζωὴ ἐν εὐδοκίᾳ αὐτο̣ῦ.
  • "because a gathering [of condensation?] in his wrath; life in his good will."
• Symmachus: ὅτι πρὸς ὀλίγιστον ὀργὴ αὐτοῦ ζωὴ ἐν τῆι διαλλαγῆι αὐτοῦ.
  • "because for a little is his wrath; life in his reconciliation."
• Quinta: ὅτι συντέλεια ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ ζωὴ ἐν τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ
  • "because the end is in his wrath and life in his will."
• Iuxta Hebraeos: quoniam ad momentum est ira eius et vita in repropitiatione eius
  • "Because to the moment is his wrath and life in his propitiation."
• Peshitta: ܡܛܠ ܕܟܐܬܐ ܒܪܘܓܙܗ ܘܚ̈ܝܐ ܒܨܒܝܢܗ
  • "For there is rebuke in his anger, and life in his delight."
• Targum: מטול דשעתא רוגזיה חיי עלמא רעותיה טבא
  • "For his anger is (but for) a moment, his good pleasure is (for) eternal life."

Modern

"God" elided

• For [God] is angry but a moment, and when pleased, there is life. (RJPS)
• Denn einen Augenblick ⟨handelt er⟩ in seinem Zorn, ein Leben lang in seiner Gunst (ELB)

"Anger" and "favor" as grammatical subjects

• For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime (ESV; cf. CEB, CJB, CSB, NABRE, NASB, NET, NIV)
• Porque su enojo dura un momento, pero su buena voluntad, toda la vida (DHH; cf. RVC)
• car sa colère dure un instant, mais sa grâce toute la vie (SG21; cf. NBS; NFC; PDV)
• Denn sein Zorn währet einen Augenblick und lebenslang seine Gnade (LUT; cf. EÜ; ZÜR)

Mixed with existential

• For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life (KJV)

Sentence fragments

• Pour un instant sous sa colère, toute une vie dans sa faveur. (TOB)

Emendation

• In his anger is distress, in his favour there is life (REB)

Secondary Literature

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.

Craigie, Peter C. 2004. Psalms 1–50. Second edition. Nashville, TN: Nelson.

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.

Ḥakham, Amos. 1979. The Book of Psalms: Books 1–2 (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.

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.

Jenni, Ernst. 2012. "Psalm 30,6a – eine ungewöhnliche Sentenz," in Studien zur Sprachwelt des Alten Testaments III. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 105–120.

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

Malul, Meir. 1996. "Chapter 30" (in Hebrew). Pages 138–142 in Psalms: Volume 1. Olam HaTaNaKh. Tel Aviv: דודזון–עתי.

Müller, Hans-Peter. 1999. "Formsgeschichtliche und sprachliche Beobachtungen zu Psalm 30," Zeitschrift für Althebraistik 12.2: 192–201.

Radak. Radak on Psalms.

Rashi. Rashi on Psalms.

Sommer, Benjamin D. 2022. "Form and Flexibility: A Commentary on Psalm 30." Pages 150–180 in David gavra tava. Festschrift in honor of David Marcus. Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society: Special Supplement. New York, NY: Jewish Theological Seminary.

References

30:6