The Text, Grammar and Participants of Psalm 22:9

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Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Psalm 22:9 reads as follows:[1]

גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה יְפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ
יַ֝צִּילֵ֗הוּ כִּ֘י חָ֥פֵֽץ בּֽוֹ׃

It is immediately preceded by these two verses:

But I am a worm and not a man; I am scorned by mankind and despised by people.
Everyone who sees me mocks me, they open their mouth wide, they shake [their] head.

When we reach the first word of v. 9, the psalmist is quoting the mockers' direct speech, as indicated by the addition of "They say" in the NET and the quotation marks offered in the ESV (see just below). The first verb (with the consonants גל), however, has been understood as either an imperative or an indicative,[2] as illustrated by the NET and ESV, respectively:

  • They say, "Commit yourself to the LORD!" (NET)[3]
  • "He trusts in the LORD" (ESV)

We examine these two possibilities in the following argument maps.

Imperative גֹּל

The vocalization of the MT, גֹּ֣ל, suggests an imperative, as read by the NET: "They say, 'Commit yourself to the LORD!'" (NET) 


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<Imperative>: The verb should be interpreted as an imperative (Delitzsch 1880, 313 :C:; Briggs & Briggs 1906, 194–195 :C:; Ḥakham 1979, 116 :C:; Goldingay 2006, 329 :C:; Böhler 2021, 397 :C:).
 + <Parallel texts>: The other instances of the verb גלל in the qal binyan expressed by גל are all imperatives.
  + [Parallel texts]: "Commit (גּ֣וֹל) your way to YHWH; trust in him, and he will act" (Ps 37:5); "Take (גַּ֣ל) insult and contempt away from me, because I have kept your testimonies" (Ps 119:22); "Commit (גֹּ֣ל) your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established" (Prov 16:3).
   - <Ps 119:22>: The vocalization of גַּל in Ps 119:22 is indicative. #dispreferred
    - <Unique form>: Both GKC (§67p) and JM (§82l) understand this form as a unique morphological form of the imperative.
    - <Revocalization>: The form גַּל in Ps 119:22 should be revocalized to גֹּל (see our notes on this verse). 
    <_ <Ancient versions of Ps 119:22>: The ancient versions contain an imperative.
     + [Other versions of Ps 119:22]: LXX: περίελε; Peshitta: ܐܥܒܪ; Jerome: aufer; Targum: אעדי "take away."
    <_ <Other texts of Ps 119:22>: The text of 11Q5 contains an imperative.
     + [Other texts of Ps 119:22]: See גול in 11QPSa f7.
 + <Modality and co-text>: The sarcastic tone among the modal verbs is continued for the next three clauses (Barthélemy 2005, 124 :C:).
 + <MT>: The MT, as represented in Codex Leningrad, reads the verb as an imperative, גֹּל.
  + <Manuscripts>: A number of manuscripts avoid the ambiguity, with the consonants גול (see VTH vol. 4, 321).
  <_ <Harmonization>: The Masoretes probably pointed גל as an imperative in harmony with the other examples of imperative גל in the Psalms (see Pss 37:5; 119:22). #dispreferred
   - <Harmonization unlikely>: The number of places in which גל is an imperative are so few in number that it seems unlikely that such a morphological form (גֹּל) would be immediately present in the scribe's mind.
   - <MT of Psalm 119:22>: The MT of Psalm 119:22, as read in Codex Leningrad, vocalizes the form as גַּל, not גֹּל.
 - <Ancient versions>: None of the ancient versions read an imperative here. #dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX:  ̓́Ηλπισεν "He hoped” (NETS); Jerome: confugit "he has taken refuge"; Peshitta: ܐܬܬܟܠ "he trusted" (Taylor 2020, 73); Targum: שבחית "he will sing" (Stec 2004, 58). #dispreferred
 <_ <Person shift>: The person shift from second person to third person in the same line, in this case from the psalmist (גֹּ֣ל) to God (יְפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ), is difficult. #dispreferred
  <_ <Person shifts in Biblical Hebrew Poetry>: "In poetic (or prophetic) language there sometimes occurs ... a more or less abrupt transition from one person to another. Thus from the 2nd to the 3rd (i.e. from an address to a statement)" (GKC §144p :G:)
   + [Person shifts in Biblical Hebrew Poetry]: אָ֥ז חִלַּ֖לְתָּ יְצוּעִ֥י עָלָֽה׃ (Gen 49:4c); וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ בְּר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם וּבְאֵ֥שֶׁת נְעוּרֶ֖יךָ אַל־יִבְגֹּֽד׃ (Mal 2:15b); וְאֹתִ֖י אַתֶּ֣ם קֹבְעִ֑ים הַגּ֖וֹי כֻּלּֽוֹ׃ (Mal 3:9b); רָנִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה לֹ֣א יָלָ֑דָה פִּצְחִ֨י רִנָּ֤ה וְצַהֲלִי֙ לֹא־חָ֔לָה (Isa 54:1a–b); שֶׁ֖קֶר רְדָפ֣וּנִי עָזְרֵֽנִי (Ps 119:86); לְֽךָ־אֲ֭נִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי (Ps 119:94); עַבְדְּךָ־אָ֥נִי הֲבִינֵ֑נִי (Ps 119:125); הֲבִינֵ֥נִי וְאֶחְיֶֽה (Ps 119:144); קְרָאתִ֥יךָ הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי (Ps 119:146), among others.


Argument Mapn0Parallel texts"Commit (גּ֣וֹל) your way to YHWH; trust in him, and he will act" (Ps 37:5); "Take (גַּ֣ל) insult and contempt away from me, because I have kept your testimonies" (Ps 119:22); "Commit (גֹּ֣ל) your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established" (Prov 16:3).n6Parallel textsThe other instances of the verb גלל in the qal binyan expressed by גל are all imperatives.n0->n6n1Other versions of Ps 119:22LXX: περίελε; Peshitta: ܐܥܒܪ; Jerome: aufer; Targum: אעדי "take away."n10Ancient versions of Ps 119:22The ancient versions contain an imperative.n1->n10n2Other texts of Ps 119:22See גול in 11QPSa f7.n11Other texts of Ps 119:22The text of 11Q5 contains an imperative.n2->n11n3Ancient versionsLXX: ̓́Ηλπισεν "He hoped” (NETS); Jerome: confugit "he has taken refuge"; Peshitta: ܐܬܬܟܠ "he trusted" (Taylor 2020, 73); Targum: שבחית "he will sing" (Stec 2004, 58). n18Ancient versionsNone of the ancient versions read an imperative here. n3->n18n4Person shifts in Biblical Hebrew Poetryאָ֥ז חִלַּ֖לְתָּ יְצוּעִ֥י עָלָֽה׃ (Gen 49:4c); וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ בְּר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם וּבְאֵ֥שֶׁת נְעוּרֶ֖יךָ אַל־יִבְגֹּֽד׃ (Mal 2:15b); וְאֹתִ֖י אַתֶּ֣ם קֹבְעִ֑ים הַגּ֖וֹי כֻּלּֽוֹ׃ (Mal 3:9b); רָנִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה לֹ֣א יָלָ֑דָה פִּצְחִ֨י רִנָּ֤ה וְצַהֲלִי֙ לֹא־חָ֔לָה (Isa 54:1a–b); שֶׁ֖קֶר רְדָפ֣וּנִי עָזְרֵֽנִי (Ps 119:86); לְֽךָ־אֲ֭נִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי (Ps 119:94); עַבְדְּךָ־אָ֥נִי הֲבִינֵ֑נִי (Ps 119:125); הֲבִינֵ֥נִי וְאֶחְיֶֽה (Ps 119:144); קְרָאתִ֥יךָ הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי (Ps 119:146), among others.n20Person shifts in Biblical Hebrew Poetry"In poetic (or prophetic) language there sometimes occurs ... a more or less abrupt transition from one person to another. Thus from the 2nd to the 3rd (i.e. from an address to a statement)" (GKC §144p 🄶)n4->n20n5ImperativeThe verb should be interpreted as an imperative (Delitzsch 1880, 313 🄲; Briggs & Briggs 1906, 194–195 🄲; Ḥakham 1979, 116 🄲; Goldingay 2006, 329 🄲; Böhler 2021, 397 🄲).n6->n5n7Ps 119:22The vocalization of גַּל in Ps 119:22 is indicative. n7->n0n8Unique formBoth GKC (§67p) and JM (§82l) understand this form as a unique morphological form of the imperative.n8->n7n9RevocalizationThe form גַּל in Ps 119:22 should be revocalized to גֹּל (see our notes on this verse). n9->n7n10->n7n11->n7n12Modality and co-textThe sarcastic tone among the modal verbs is continued for the next three clauses (Barthélemy 2005, 124 🄲).n12->n5n13MTThe MT, as represented in Codex Leningrad, reads the verb as an imperative, גֹּל.n13->n5n14ManuscriptsA number of manuscripts avoid the ambiguity, with the consonants גול (see VTH vol. 4, 321).n14->n13n15HarmonizationThe Masoretes probably pointed גל as an imperative in harmony with the other examples of imperative גל in the Psalms (see Pss 37:5; 119:22). n15->n13n16Harmonization unlikelyThe number of places in which גל is an imperative are so few in number that it seems unlikely that such a morphological form (גֹּל) would be immediately present in the scribe's mind.n16->n15n17MT of Psalm 119:22The MT of Psalm 119:22, as read in Codex Leningrad, vocalizes the form as גַּל, not גֹּל.n17->n15n18->n5n19Person shiftThe person shift from second person to third person in the same line, in this case from the psalmist (גֹּ֣ל) to God (יְפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ), is difficult. n19->n5n20->n19


Indicative גַּל

The consonants גל should be vocalized as an indicative גַּל, as the ESV: "He trusts in the LORD." 


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<Indicative>: The consonants גל should be revocalized to read גַּל, an indicative form (Kirkpatrick 1887, 117 :C:; Craigie 2004, 194 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Ancient versions>: All of the ancient versions read an indicative here. #dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX:  ̓́Ηλπισεν "He hoped” (NETS); Jerome: confugit "he has taken refuge"; Peshitta: ܐܬܬܟܠ "he trusted" (Taylor 2020, 73); Targum: שבחית "he will sing" (Stec 2004, 58). #dispreferred
   <_ <The more difficult form is preferred>: Translators were more likely to read the consonantal text as indicative as it makes for an easier flow of the verse's participants, avoiding the number shift (see the argument map above) and maintaining third-person reference throughout the verse.
    <_ <Varying referent>: Even if third person reference was maintained, their referents would nonetheless be distinct, alternating between the psalmist and God, so could be considered equally difficult to the number shift of second-person imperative to third-person jussive. #dispreferred
 + <Later interpretations>: The reception and allusion to this passage in both Wisdom 2:16–17 and Matthew 27:43 contain an indicative form.
  + <Later interpretations>: "He calls the last end of the righteous happy and boasts that God is his father. 17 Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life" (Wisdom 2:16–17, NETS); "He trusts (πέποιθεν) in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him" (Matt 27:43, ESV).


Argument Mapn0Ancient versionsLXX: ̓́Ηλπισεν "He hoped” (NETS); Jerome: confugit "he has taken refuge"; Peshitta: ܐܬܬܟܠ "he trusted" (Taylor 2020, 73); Targum: שבחית "he will sing" (Stec 2004, 58). n2Ancient versionsAll of the ancient versions read an indicative here. n0->n2n1IndicativeThe consonants גל should be revocalized to read גַּל, an indicative form (Kirkpatrick 1887, 117 🄲; Craigie 2004, 194 🄲). n2->n1n3The more difficult form is preferredTranslators were more likely to read the consonantal text as indicative as it makes for an easier flow of the verse's participants, avoiding the number shift (see the argument map above) and maintaining third-person reference throughout the verse.n3->n0n4Varying referentEven if third person reference was maintained, their referents would nonetheless be distinct, alternating between the psalmist and God, so could be considered equally difficult to the number shift of second-person imperative to third-person jussive. n4->n3n5Later interpretationsThe reception and allusion to this passage in both Wisdom 2:16–17 and Matthew 27:43 contain an indicative form.n5->n1n5->n5


Conclusion

Despite the unanimous support for an indicative reading in the ancient versions, it is likely that they read the two consonants גל as indicative as the easier option, avoiding such sudden person shifts in the verse. The vocalization of the consonants גל in the Masoretic Text as an imperative is to be preferred, being the more difficult reading, though in no way unnatural.[4] The resulting sense of the verse would involve the mockers sarcastically telling the suffering psalmist to commit his situation to the Lord, before commenting amongst themselves—again, sarcastically—that the Lord should act in consequence “Commit [it] to YHWH!—Let him rescue him. Let him deliver him because he is 'pleased with him'.”

Research

Translations

Ancient

  • LXX: ῎Ηλπισεν ἐπὶ κύριον, ῥυσάσθω αὐτόν· σωσάτω αὐτόν, ὅτι θέλει αὐτόν.[5]
    • "He hoped in the Lord; let him rescue him; let him save him, because he wanted him."[6]
  • Jerome (Hebr.): confugit ad Dominum salvet eum liberet eum quoniam vult eum
    • "He has taken refuge in the Lord. Let him save him, let him deliver him, because he desires him."
  • Peshitta: ܐܬܬܟܠ ܥܠ ܡܪܢܐ ܕܢܦܨܝܘܗܝ ܘܢܦܠܛܝܘܗܝ ܐܢ ܨܒܐ ܒܗ[7]
    • "‘He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him; let him deliver him if he takes pleasure in him!’"[8]
  • Targum: ישבח קֳדָם יְיָ וְשֵׁזְבֵיהּ פְּצָא יָתֵיהּ מְטוּל דְאִתְרְעֵי בֵיהּ [9]
    • "He will sing before the Lord and he rescued him; he delivered him because he took delight in him."[10]

Modern

Imperative

  • They say, "Commit yourself to the LORD! Let the LORD rescue him! Let the LORD deliver him, for he delights in him." (NET; cf. CEV)
  • "Turn him over to the LORD, let Him save him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him." (NASB)
  • Wälze es auf den HERRN. Der rette ihn, er befreie ihn, er hat ja Gefallen an ihm"« (ZÜR; cf. ELB, EÜ)
  • Tourne-toi vers le SEIGNEUR (TOB; cf. NBS, SG21)

Indicative

  • "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" (ESV; cf. CSB, NIV, REB)
  • »Er klage es dem HERRN, der helfe ihm heraus und rette ihn, hat er Gefallen an ihm.« (Luther 2017)
  • y dicen: «Éste confiaba en el Señor; pues que el Señor lo libre. Ya que tanto lo quiere, que lo salve.» (DHH; cf. RVC)
  • «Il a fait confiance au Seigneur. Eh bien, si le Seigneur l'aime, il n'a qu'à le délivrer et le sauver!» (PDV; cf. NFC)

====Jussive====[11]

  • "Let him commit himself to the LORD; let Him rescue him, let Him save him, for He is pleased with him." (JPS)
  • "Que se encomiende al SEÑOR; que Él lo libre, que Él lo rescate, puesto que en Él se deleita." (LBLA)

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. 1880. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.
GKC = Gesenius, Wilhelm & Kautsch, Emil. 1909. A. E. Cowley (trans.) Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Goldingay, J. 2006. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Psalms 1–41. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Ḥakham, Amos. 1979. The Book of Psalms: Books 1–2 (Hebrew; ספר תהלים: ספרים א–ב). Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.
Ibn Ezra, Abraham. Ibn Ezra on Psalms.
JM = Joüon, Paul & Muraoka, Takamitsu. 2006. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Rome: Pontificio Istituto Biblico.
Kirkpatrick, A. F. 1887. The Book of Psalms: Book 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Radak. Radak on Psalms.
Rashi. Rashi on Psalms.
Saadia = Qafaḥ, Yosef. 1965. The Psalms with Translation and Commentary of Saadia Gaon (in Hebrew: תהלים עם תרגום פוירוש הגאון). Jerusalem: The American Academy for Jewish Research (האקדימיה האמריקאנית למדעי היהדות).


References

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22:9 Approved

  1. ↑ Text from OSHB.
  2. ↑ A rarer interpretation is that of Ibn Ezra (and followed by Radak), who understand the form as an adjective: "one that is committed to the Lord," of similar form to (חֹם) in “bread that is hot (לֶ֣חֶם חֹ֔ם)” (1 Sam 21:7); and to תֹּם in “the way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright (תֹּם)” (Prov 10:29); cf. also Saadia (Qafaḥ 1965, 88). The NLT is similar: "Is this the one who relies on the LORD? The let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!"
  3. ↑ A minor interpretation of the imperative is that directed to the onlookers with the psalmist as the undergoer of the action: "Turn him over to the LORD, let Him save him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him." (NASB)
  4. ↑ See the other instances of imperatival גל (Pss 37:5; 119:22; Prov 16:3) and the other examples of person shifts from second- to third-person in the same line (Gen 49.4c; Mal 2:15b; 3:9b; Isa 54:1a–b).
  5. ↑ Rahlfs 1931, 110.
  6. ↑ NETS.
  7. ↑ CAL
  8. ↑ Taylor 2020, 73.
  9. ↑ CAL.
  10. ↑ Adapted from Stec 2004, 58. There is some variety among Targum manuscripts (see Stec and https://cal.huc.edu/index.html CAL] for details).
  11. ↑ This interpretation seems to follow the MT's imperative, though avoids the second- to third-person shift. It is possible that these translation follow Rashi, who suggests that the form should be read as the impersonal infinitive construct , i.e., "people should roll" (כְּמוֹ לָגוֹל, יֵשׁ לָאָדָם לְגוֹלֵל).