The Text, Grammar and Meaning of Psalm 7:7c

Back to Psalm 7

Introduction

Psalm 7:7c contains a textual issue that affects the grammar depending on the outcome.

• Is the form אלי to be vocalised as אֵלַי ‘to me’ or אֵלִי ‘my God’?
  • If אֵלַי ‘to me’ is correct, then this prepositional phrase adverbially modifies עוּרָה ‘Awake’ so that עוּרָה אֵלַי means something like ‘Awaken to/for me!’ (see the semantic issues below).
    • E.g., 'Awake for me; you have ordained a judgement (HCSB; cf. ELBBK, LSG, LBLA, Vulgate)
  • If אֵלִי 'my God' is the correct reading, then, grammatically, this noun phrase stands outside the clause as a vocative: עוּרָה אֵלִי 'Awaken, my God!'
    • E.g., 'Wake up, my God; you command that justice be done!' (CEB; cf. NLT, NIV, LXX)

The grammatical decision that must be made is how the clause מִשְׁפָּ֥ט צִוִּֽיתָ relates to the previous clause.

• Is it coordinate?
  • E.g., ' And awake for me; thou hast commanded judgment' (ASV)
• Is it subordinate in some way?
  • E.g., 'And awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded'(KJV)

There is also semantic issue here. The word מִשְׁפָּ֥ט obviously refers to some part a judicial scenario, but which one?

• The 'trial'?
  • E.g., consurge ad me iudicio quod mandasti ‘Rise up towards me in(by?) the trial that you commanded!'(Jerome).
• The actual verdict, so 'judgement'
  • E.g., 'And awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.' (KJV)
• Does it refer to the basis on which the trial is conducted, so 'law' or 'commandment'?
  • ἐξεγέρθητι, κύριε ὁ θεός μου, ἐν προστάγματι, ᾧ ἐνετείλω ‘and awake, O my God, with the ordinance you commanded' (LXX-Greek; NETS-English.)
• Or perhaps 'justice' in general?
  • 'Wake up, my God; you command that justice be done!' (CEB)

Finally, what is the grammatical relation between משפט and the verb צוית?

• Some translations construe משפט as the direct object of צוית.
  • E.g., 'thou hast commanded judgment ' (ASV, cf. ESV, ELBBK, BCC1923, DH94I)
• Others construe משפט as the antecedent of an elided relative pronoun (viz., the משפט that you commanded)
  • E.g., 'And awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded' (KJV, cf. LXX, Symmachus, Vulgate, Peshitta, Targum)

Argument Maps

אֵלִי 'my God' vs. אֵלַי 'to me'

אֵלַי as 'to me' (preferred)

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Retain MT's אֵלַי ‘to me’]: The vocalisation of the MT (אֵלַי) should be retained (so, e.g., Jerome, Peshitta, Targum, KJV, ASV, ESV, HCSB, LEB, NASB1995).
 + <Multiple Solutions>: There is more than one grammatically responsible way to make sense of the construction as it stands. It is therefore unnecessary to resort to emendation.
  + <Sensible Preposition>: It is not unusual for the preposition אֵל to serve as 'an ethical dative of intertest, advantage, or disadvantage (‘for, against’...) (Waltke & O'Conner :G:; Cf. Hupfeld :C:). Cf. NETS 'Wake up for my sake' (cf. Kwakkel 2002 :M:). It is therefore unnecessary to emend the text when other options for making sense of it are available.
   + 1 Kings 19:3; Ezek 36:9; Jer 15:1; Num 32:14
  + <Elision>: Another option is that a word has been elided: עוּרָה אֵלַי is a pregnant construction in which a verb like ‘to help’ must be mentally added, just as Psalm 59:5 (Kwakkel :M:; GKC §119ee, gg :G:).
   + ע֖וּרָה לִקְרָאתִ֣י וּרְאֵה 'Awake, in order to meet me , and See!' (Psa. 59:5).

אֵלִי as 'my God'

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Revocalise the MT as אֵלִי ‘my God]: The form אלי should rather be vocalised as אֵלִי (so, e.g., LXX, CEB, NLT, NIV). #dispreferred
 + <Meter>: Following the LXX (=יהוה אלִי) would give us the 'needed word for pentameter' (Briggs :C:)#dispreferred
 + <Ancient Testimony>: The LXX seems like translates אֵלִי 'my God'.#dispreferred
  <_ <Assimilation>: Either the LXX assimilated to 2a and 4a (both of which contain יהוה אלהי) or an additional אלי crept into LXX's Vorlage via assimilation to 7a (CTAT).

Coordination or Subordination of מִשְׁפָּט צִוִּיתָ?

Coordination

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Coordination]: The clauses וְע֥וּרָה אֵ֝לַ֗י and מִשְׁפָּ֥ט צִוִּֽיתָ are separate independent clauses. ‘Awaken for/to me. You commanded justice/judgement/a law.’ #dispreferred
 + <No Explicit Subordination>: There is no formal subordination in the text. #dispreferred.
 - <Verbal Semantics>: The ''qatal'' form of צוית can retain its normal past or present perfect semantics if this verse is read as the psalmist giving the basis for the imperatives. Thus, 'do x and y, 'because/for...' (Olshausen :C:; cf. Hengstenberg :C:). Otherwise, one must resort to the 'precative' ''qatal'' (e.g., '...Decree justice' Waltke 2010, 80 :M:), which would be grammatically 'impermissible' ('unzulässig'; Hupfeld :C:)

Subordination

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Subordination]: The clause מִשְׁפָּ֥ט צִוִּֽיתָ should be interpreted as subordinate to the previous clause.
 + <Linguistic Precedent>: Hebrew poetry can often omit particles. ‘The correct (interpretation) in my opinion is that וערה is intransitive and that a kaf is missing from מִשְׁפָּט as in וְעַ֥יִר פֶּ֝֗רֶא אָדָ֥ם יִוָּלֵֽד '(like/as) a colt of a donkey is a man born (Job 11:15) (Ibn Ezra :C:). 
  + 'But the witless can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born human.' (Job 11:12 NIV).
 + <Meaning>: Regardless of the underlying means of subordination (e.g., missing particle, asyndetic relative clause, etc.) many subordinate this clause to the previous one because they recognise that the psalmist is offering justification here for the surrounding imperatives (Olshausen :C:; Hengstenberg :C:; GKC :G:; Alonso-Schokel :C:)
 + <Verbal Semantics>: The ''qatal'' form of צוית can retain its normal past or present perfect semantics if this verse is read as the psalmist giving the basis for the imperatives. Thus, 'do x and y, 'because/for...' (Olshausen :C:; cf. Hengstenberg :C:). Otherwise, one must resort to the 'precative' ''qatal'' (e.g., De Wette :C:), which would be grammatically 'impermissible' ('unzulässig'; Hupfeld :C:)

The Meaning of מִשְׁפָּט

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
['Trial']: The word מִשְׁפָט here refers to a legal trial (so SDBH :L:; DCH :L:). #dispreferred
 + <Context>: The following verse explicitly depicts a trial and this must therefore be read in light of that context (De Wette :C:; Olshausen :C:; Baethegan :C:).#dispreferred
  - <Verse Division>: The fact that משפט does not appear in the next verse makes this interpretation 'uncomfortable' ('unbequemer', Olshausen :C:).
 - <Collocation>

['Judgement']: The word refers to the verdict or outcome of the trial (so BDB :L:). #dispreferred1
 - <Collocation>

['Justice']: The word refers generally to justice (so Waltke :M:). #dispreferred2
 - <Collocation>

['Ordinance' or 'Commandment']: The word refers to the laws or commandments given by YHWH.
 + <Collocation>: When used with the verbal root צו׳׳ה, this is the the most commonly attested meaning (see TLOT :L:)
  + Num 36:13; Deut 6:20; 8:11; 26:16; 1 Kgs 8:58; Mal 3:22; Psa 7:7; Neh 1:7; 1 Chron 22:13; 24:19; 2 Chron 7:17.
 + <Ancient Support>: The LXX translates with πρόσταγμα 'Order, Commeandment', which Symmachus tried to correct with ἐν κρίματι 'with the judgement'
 + <Psalm as a Whole>: Scholars agree that the problem facing the Psalmist here is one of false accusations (e.g., Tigay :A:), which were expressly forbidden in the Law (Deut. 19:16–20). 

The Relation between משפט and צוית

משפט as the direct object of צוית

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Direct Object]: משפט is the direct object of צוית. #dispreferred
 - <Adverbial Accusative>: The constituent משפט is all that is indirectly modifying the main verb.
  + <Causal Semantics>: The clause משפט צוית gives the grounds for the preceding imperatives (Olshausen :C:; cf Hengsetnberg :C:). 
  + <No Conjunction>: If the entire clause משפט צוית was meant as grounds then we would expect a כִּי. 
   + <Volitional + ki>: כּי clauses often follow volitionals in the psalms.
    + 2:12; 3:8; 4:9; 5:3; 5:5; 5:10; 5:11; 5:13; 6:3(x2); 6:6; 6:9; 9:13; 10:3; 11:2; 11:7; 12:2 (x2); 13:6; 16:1, etc. 
 + <No subordinating particles>: The clause does not explicitly subordinate one of the words in any way. #dispreferred

משפט as the Antecedent of a Relative Pronoun

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Relative Pronoun]: משפט is the antecedent of an accusative relative pronoun whose governing verb is צוית.
 + <Adverbial Accusative>: The constituent משפט is all that is indirectly modifying the main verb.
  + <Causal Semantics>: The clause משפט צוית gives the grounds for the preceding imperatives (Olshausen :C:; cf Hengsetnberg :C:). 
  + <No Conjunction>: If the entire clause משפט צוית was meant as grounds then we would expect a כִּי. 
   + <Volitional + ki>: כּי clauses often follow volitionals in the psalms.
    + 2:12; 3:8; 4:9; 5:3; 5:5; 5:10; 5:11; 5:13; 6:3(x2); 6:6; 6:9; 9:13; 10:3; 11:2; 11:7; 12:2 (x2); 13:6; 16:1, etc. 
 + <Ancient Witness>: All the ancient versions reflect this grammatical structure (LXX, Symmachus, Vulgate, Peshitta, Targum).

Conclusion

We have chosen to translate Psalm 7:7c as: Wake up for my sake, because of the commandment that you commanded.

There is no need to follow the LXX's vocalisation of אלי since (1) it is probably the result of assimilation and (2) there are many other acceptable solutions, all which make perfect sense out of the text as it stands. The coordinate readings of משפט צוית are mostly influenced by reading the form צוית as a precative perfect. The status of the precative perfect in Biblical Hebrew, however, is dubious. Retaining the normal semantics of qatal—past or present perfect—fits into the overall flow of the Psalm better. In 7:7c, the psalmist is giving the grounds for the surrounding imperatives; Hebrew can achieve this semantically with no formal subordination. Accepting the normal semantics of qatal invites a semantically subordinate reading, as most commentators recognise. The collocation of צוה with משפט usually refers to God's commandments/laws. The issue at hand in the Psalm is false accusation, which was forbidden by the law (Deut. 19:16–20). Thus taking משפט as anything other than this is unconvincing. Finally, משפט is an adverbial accusative which also serves as an antecedent to an accusative relative pronoun whose governing verb is צוית. As was already stated, 7:7c clearly offers the grounds for the preceding imperatives. If the whole clause was the grounds, we'd expect כי to precede. This is not the case, and so this only leaves an adverbial accusative as the only means by which to achieve this.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ἐξεγέρθητι, κύριε ὁ θεός μου, ἐν προστάγματι, ᾧ ἐνετείλω ‘and awake, O my God, with the ordinance you commanded' (NETS).
• Symmachus: ἐν κρίματι 'with the judgement' instead of LXX ἐν προστάγματι 'with the ordinance' for Hebrew מִשְׁפָּט.
• Vulgate: consurge ad me iudicio quod mandasti ‘Rise up towards me in(by?) the trial that you commanded!'
• Peshitta: ܐܬܬܥܝܪ ܥܠܝ݂ ܒܕܝܢ݂ܐ ܕܦܩܕܬ ‘(lit.,) Stir yourself to me in the judgement that you commanded!'
• Targum: וְסַרְהֵיב לִי דִינָא דִי פַקֵדְתָּא 'Hasten to me the judgement that you commanded!

Modern

English

• KJV: And awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
• ASV: And awake for me; thou hast commanded judgment.
• CEB: Wake up, my God; you command that justice be done!
• ESV: awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.
• HCSB: Awake for me; you have ordained a judgement.
• LEB: and awake for me, since you have commanded judgment.
• NASB1995: And arouse Yourself for me; You have appointed judgment.
• NLT: Wake up, my God, and bring justice!
• NIV: Awake, my God; decree justice.
• JPS TANAKH: bestir Yourself on my behalf; You have ordained judgement.

German

• ELBBK: und wache auf zu mir: Gericht hast du befohlen.
• NGU2011: wach auf und komm mir zu Hilfe, denn du hast ja bereits Gericht angekündigt.
• SCH2000: Wache auf um meinetwillen, [und schreite] zu dem Gericht, das du befohlen hast!

French

• BCC1923: réveille-toi pour me secourir, toi qui ordonnes un jugement.
• BDS: entre en action en ma faveur, ╵toi qui as établi le droit.
• LSG: Réveille-toi pour me secourir, ordonne un jugement!

Spanish

• DHH94I: Tú, que has decretado hacer justicia, ¡ponte de mi parte!
• LBLA: y despiértate en favor mío; tú has establecido juicio.
• RVR95: y despierta en favor mío el juicio que mandaste!

Secondary Literature

CTAT

Le G a pu être influencé par Ps 44, 24 où עוּרָה est suivi d'un vocatif divin (עוּרָה לָמָּה תִישַׁן אֲדֹנָי). Notons que, dans la traduction de ce Psaume, le G use déjà deux foid de κύριε ὁ θεός μου pour rendre יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי en 2a et 4a. Il semble que la Vorlage du G comprenait ici une double leçon qu'il a lu אֵלִי אֱלֵי, la première étant inspirée par les occurrences récentes d'un vocatif divin et la seconde par l'opportunité d'une cheville syntaxique pour connecter avec la suite; ces deux leçons constituant d'allieurs des échappatoires à l'égard de l'ellipse du M.

Grammars

GKC §156d; §119ee;gg

§156d: As circumstantial verbal-clauses, we find (1) sometimes affirmative clauses (see below), but far more frequently (2) negative clauses (see f), and among these (3) a certain number of expressions which may be regarded simply as equivalent to negative adverbial ideas (see g). Examples of (1) Is 5:11 b woe unto them, that tarry late in the evening, יַ֫יִן יַדְלִיקֵם while wine inflames them. Is 1:5, 10:24, 30:31, Jer 7:26, 20:15, Ps 4:3, 5:12, 21:13, 62:5. The circumstantial verbal-clause is used to particularize an action which has before been expressed generally, in Gn 44:12, 48:14 = crossing his hands; Dt 2:27, Ju 6:19; antithetically, 1 K 13:18 כִּחֵשׁ לוֹ wherewith however he lied unto him. The verbal-clause seems to assign a reason in Ps 7:7 מִשְׁפָּט צִוִּ֫יתָ since thou hast commanded judgement; a consequence in Ps 103:5.

§119ee: 4. Sometimes a preposition appears to be under the immediate government of a verb, which, by its meaning, excludes such a union. In reality the preposition is dependent on a verb (generally a verb of motion), which, for the sake of brevity, is not expressed, but in sense is contained in what is apparently the governing verb. §119gg: Pregnant constructions with אַֽחֲרֵי: Nu 14:24 equivalent to וַיְמַלֵּא לָלֶ֫כֶת אַֽחֲרָ֑י and he made full to walk i. e. walked fully after me; in 1 S 13:7 read with the LXX חָֽרְדוּ מֵאַֽחֲרָיו they trembled, i. e. went trembling away from him; with אֶל־ Gn 43:33 ‏תָּמַהּ אֶל־‎ to turn in astonishment to some one (cf. Is 13:8); ‏דָּרַשׁ אֶל־ Is 11:10, &c., to turn inquiringly to some one; ‏הֶחֱרִישׁ אֶל־ Is 41:1 to turn in silence to some one; ‏חָרַד אֶל־ Gn 42:28 to turn trembling to some one (cf. ‏חָרַד לִקְרַאת to come trembling to meet, 1 S 21:2 [also with ‏שאג‎, ‏הריץ‎, ‏שמךְ‎ and other verbs, Ju 14:5, 15:14, 19:8; see Lexicon]); cf. further Jer 41:7, Ps 7:7, 2 Ch 32:1; with בְּ Ps 55:19 he hath redeemed and hath put my soul in peace, exactly like Ps 118:5; with לְ Ps 74:7 they have profaned and cast . . . even to the ground; cf. 89:40.

Waltke & O'Conner

One group of logical senses is “datival” (cf. 11.2.10d): ʾl marks a simple dative (‘to’ the recipient of a gift or an address; ## 6-7), an ethical dative of intertest, advantage, or disadvantage (‘for, against’; ## 8-11), and a normative dative (‘in accord with’; # 12).

Lexica

DCH

place/seat of judgment, court, <NOM CL> פשרו הוא בית המשפט its interpretation is the house of judgment 1QpHab 103. <OBJ> צוה pi. appoint Ps 77.

BDB

sentence, decision of judgment: כן משׁפטךָ 1 K 20:40 thus is thy sentence; ‏עת ומ׳ Ec 8:5, 8:6 time and sentence; ‏על מ׳ Dt 17:11 according to the sentence; ‏מ׳ מָוֶת 19:6, 21:22, Je 26:11, 26:16; מ׳ דמים Ez 7:23, cf. Hb 1:4, 1:4, ψ 7:7.

TLOT (3:1396)

In series with other terms for commandments and laws, the meaning of mišpāṭîm/mišpāṭ is usually completely homogenized; the words serve, then, as synonymous designations for Yahweh’s ordinances and commandments. The series mišpāṭîm . . . ḥuqqîm characterizes Deut (see → ḥqq 4d); mišpāṭîm . . . ḥuqqôt characterizes H and Ezek; almost every possible combination of the terms mišpāṭîm, ḥuqqîm/ḥuqqôt, and miṣwôt (→ ṣwh ) occurs in Dtr; Chr follows Deut more closely (citations in Liedke, op. cit. 13–16 (tables), 185). Regarding the formula ḥuqqat mišpāṭ, → ḥqq 4c.

mišpāṭîm/mišpāṭ in this sense is often combined with verbs in the following expressions: ꜥśh mišpāṭîm (Lev 18:4; 19:37; 20:22; 25:18; Deut 4:1, 5, 14; 5:1, 31; 6:1; 7:11f.; 11:32; 12:1; 26:16; 1 Kgs 6:12; 11:33; 2 Kgs 17:37; Ezek 5:7f.; 11:12, 20; 18:17; 20:11, 13, 19, 21; 36:27; Psa 103:6; 105:5; Neh 10:30; 1 Chron 22:13; 28:7); regarding ꜥśh mišpāṭ and ꜥśh mišpāṭ ûṣᵉdāqâ, see 3d and → ꜥśh; šmr mišpāṭîm (Lev 18:5, 26; 19:37; 20:22; 25:18; Deut 5:1, 31; 7:11f.; 8:11; 11:1, 32; 12:1; 26:16f.; 30:16; 1 Kgs 2:3; 8:58; 9:4; 2 Kgs 17:37;  [Vol. 3, p. 1399]  Isa 56:1; Ezek 11:20; 18:9; 20:18ff.; 36:27; Hos 12:7; Psa 106:3; Neh 1:7; 10:30; 1 Chron 22:13; 2 Chron 7:17; → šmr. In addition to doing and keeping the mišpāṭîm, hearing (→ šmꜥ Deut 4:1; 5:1; 7:12; 26:17; 1 Kgs 3:11, 28) and speaking (→ dbr pi. Deut 4:45; 5:1, 31; 1 Sam 10:25; 2 Kgs 25:6; Isa 32:7; Jer 1:16; 12:1; Psa 37:30; → ṣwh pi. Num 36:13; Deut 6:20; 8:11; 26:16; 1 Kgs 8:58; Mal 3:22; Psa 7:7; Neh 1:7; 1 Chron 22:13; 24:19; 2 Chron 7:17; spr pi. “to report,” Exod 24:3; Psa 119:13) the mišpāṭîm also occur. Opposites are: to disregard (→ mʾs Lev 26:15; Ezek 5:6; 20:13, 16; Job 31:13), forget (→ škḥ Deut 8:11), abandon (→ ꜥzb Isa 58:2), etc., the mišpāṭîm.

Monographs

Kwakkel 2002

עוּרָה אֵלַי is a pregnant construction in which a verb like ‘to help’ must be mentally added, just as עוּרָה לִקְרָאתִי in Ps. 59:5...this being so, it is unnecessary to read אֵלִי 'my God' with LXX, as many interpreters do.

If the perfect צִוִּיתָ is taken in the meaning which it most usually has in active verbs (i.e. as a constative referring to the past) מִשְׁפָּט צִוִּיתָ must be an attributive clause which underscores the imperatives of v. 7a and 7bα.

Waltke (2010)

Decree denotes a superior stating something with authority and/or force to a subordinate with the purpose of eliciting a response. The Most High speaks with authority to bring about justice (מִשְׁפָּט), which. may mean “to act as lawgiver, governor” in a most comprehensive sense, or, as in this context, “to decide cases and/or execute justice by delivering the oppressed and punishing the oppressor.” In this sense מִשְׁפָּט implies the interaction of three parties: the oppressor(s), the oppressed, and a “judge” who has the sanction to condemn and punish the former and to clear and reward the latter.

Articles

Tigay 1970

[The Psalm's] superscription suggests that the psalm was recited response to an accusation against the speaker...for דבר in the sense of "accusation charge," cf. BDB, s.v. דבר I, 1, g (add, e.g., Deut 19:15; Exod 24:14...)

Commentaries

Ibn Ezra

והנכון בעיני כי ועורה אלי מלה עומדת ויחסר כ׳׳ף ממשפט כמו ועיר פרא אדם יולד ‘The correct [interpretation] in my opinion is that וערה is intransitive and that a kaf is missing from מִשְׁפָּט as in וְעַ֥יִר פֶּ֝֗רֶא אָדָ֥ם יִוָּלֵֽד '[like] a colt of a donkey is a man born (Job 11:15).

De Wette (1829)

Es entsteht ein ähnlicher Sinn, wenn mann so erklärt: hast du Gericht geordnet, und umringt dich der Völker Versammlung: so steige dann...(126).

Olshausen (1853)

In ihrer Stellung am Schlusse dieses V. könnten diese Worte zunächst als Begründung der vorhergehenden Bitte angesehn werden, etwa in dem Sinne von: denn Du hast ja Recht geboten, geboten, dass geschehe was Recht ist. Allein das Folgende (V. 8. 9.) macht es viel wahrscheinlicher, dass משפט‎ in der Bedeutung Gericht zu nehmen sei, wodurch die Stellung am Schlusse des V., die doch nach der Gliederung der Parallelreihen nicht aufgegeben werden kann, unbequemer wird...

Will man aber hier die Bedeutung des Perf.’s nicht ohne Noth‏ fallen lassen, (wie Ew. allerdings in seiner Uebersetzung der Pss.‏ thut: „reg’ Dich zu mir, Gericht bestellend!“) so möchte man die‏ Sache einfacher und sprachgemässer so fassen, dass der Redende zur‏ Begründung der vorgetragenen Bitte auf ein vorliegendes (seinen Um-ständen nach uns nicht näher bekanntes) Factum hindeutet, welches‏ eine nahe Entscheidung des Streites zwischen ihm und seinen Gegnern‏ erwarten lässt; also etwa so: wach auf, eile mir zu Hülfe! Du hast‏ ja schon (ein oder das) Gericht bestellt.

Hupfeld (1888)

'Wach auf zu mir] d.i. für mich , in Beziehung auf mich, zu meiner Hilfe, eig. praegnante Konstr. st. wach auf u. wende dich zu mir u. dgl.

משפט kann weder von עורה abhängiges Obj. (Chald. u. a.) noch accus. adverb. sein: im Gericht, wozu צוית Relativsats wäre... Aber mitten unter diesen imperativischen Sätzen VV. 7. 8 hat dieser Zwischensatz etwas Bedenkliches, und auch eine Praepos. vor משפט ist in diesem Fall nur schwer zu entbehren vgl. 35 , 23. Viel einfacher ist die Verbindung von משפט צוית, nur darf man natürlich das Perf. nicht im Sinn des Imp. Nehmen...was grammatisch unzulässig ist. Vielmehr ist der Satz entweder durch Relat. resp. Kausalkonj. mit dem Vorhergehenden zu verbinden: der du resp. da du Gericht angeordnet hast, so dass also mit diesem allgem. Satz die spezielle Bitte des Dichters motiviert würde.

Hengstenberg (1863)

Thou hast ordained judgment. As regards the matter, the clause is a relative one  : Thou, who hast ordained judgment ; and that this is not externally indicated, is to be explained from the circumstance, that poetry loves the abrupt and concise. David begins here to ground his prayer for help on God's being the righteous judge of the world. David says here, the Lord has ordained judgment, inasmuch as to exercise judgment is a necessary outflow of His nature, of His holiness and righteousness, with a reference, perhaps, to the numerous declarations of the law concerning this exercise of judgment — which, however, only are so far considered, as they testify to the fact of God's having appointed judgment. We are not to understand, "Thou hast ordained judgment in, but according to Thy word;" for in the law, judgment is not ordained, but announced. In what follows, then, he calls upon God actually to hold this judgment : " Help me, for Thou hast ordained judgment ; Thou hast ordained judgment, therefore judge the people first, and then, in particular, me."

Baethegan (1904)

מִשְׁפָּט ist nicht das Recht, sondern wie das Folgende zeigt, der Akt des Gerichthaltnes.

Briggs (1906)

אֵלִי] usually interpreted as prep. אל (Jerome) sf. 1 ad me, for me, but G κύριε ὁ θεός μου = יהוה אֵלִי as in vv. 2a, 3a. י׳ אלהי gives us needed word for pentameter and prob. occasioned the י׳ אלהי v. 2a, 3a, where יהוה was not needed.

Alonso-Schokel (1992)

mšpṭ ṣwyt: relativa asindética LXX Jerón Qim Cast; circunstancial con valor causal o explicativo Jouon 170 b; coordinada Del Duhm, cf. GK 156 d. Perfecto precativo Ros Dah Rav. Leen imperativo piel Gun Wei.

References

7:7 Approved