The Text and Grammar of Psalm 45:12–13

Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Psalm 45:12–13 reads as follows:

וְיִתְאָ֣ו הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יָפְיֵ֑ךְ

כִּי־ה֥וּא אֲ֝דֹנַ֗יִךְ וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִי־לֽוֹ׃

וּבַֽת־צֹ֨ר ׀ בְּ֭מִנְחָה פָּנַ֥יִךְ יְחַלּ֗וּ

עֲשִׁ֣ירֵי עָֽם׃

There are a number of ways to understand the syntax of v. 13, some dependent on how one reads the final clause of v. 12 (וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִי־לֽוֹ), as illustrated by the following translations:

• and the king will desire your beauty. Bow down to him, for he is your lord. The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people, will seek your favor with gifts. (CSB)
• So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. (KJV)
• and let the king be aroused by your beauty; since he is your lord, bow to him. O Tyrian lass, the wealthiest people will court your favor with gifts (JPS)
• because the king desired your beauty, because he is your lord. And daughters of Tyre will do obeisance to him with gifts; your face the rich of the people will entreat. (NETS)

The CSB interprets "the daughter of Tyre" (בַֽת־צֹ֨ר ׀) and "the wealthy of people" (עֲשִׁ֣ירֵי עָֽם) as appositives and rearranges the order of the Hebrew verse. The KJV also probably understands these two entities as co-referential, though reads the first two constituents of v. 13a as a verbless clause, supplying shall be there in "And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift." The JPS interprets וּבַֽת־צֹ֨ר ׀ at the beginning of v. 13 as a vocative, "O Tyrian lass." Finally, the LXX, as represented by the NETS, reads a third-person plural *וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ* for the MT's וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִי at the end of v. 12 as the verb of a clause which contains the "daughters of Tyre" as the grammatical subject.

We consider these four possibilities in the following argument maps.

Argument Maps

Apposition

Some translations understand the constituents "daughter of Tyre" and "richest of people" to be in apposition, such as the CSB: "...and the king will desire your beauty. Bow down to him, for he is your lord. The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people, will seek your favor with gifts."

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[Apposition]: "Daughter of Tyre" and "richest of people" should be read in apposition (Böhler 2021, 815 :C:). #dispreferred

Verbless clause

Some translations supply a copula to create a clause of וּבַֽת־צֹ֨ר ׀ בְּ֭מִנְחָה, such as the KJV: "So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour."

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[Verbless clause]: A copula should be supplied to read "The daughter of Tyre will be with gifts" (Radak :C:; Craigie 2004, 336 :C:).#dispreferred

Vocative

Some translations interpret וּבַֽת־צֹ֨ר ׀ as a vocative such as the JPS: "and let the king be aroused by your beauty; since he is your lord, bow to him. O Tyrian lass, the wealthiest people will court your favor with gifts."

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[Vocative]: The first constituent of v. 13, וּבַֽת־צֹ֨ר ׀, should be read as a vocative (Malbim :C:; Hitzig 1863, 252 :C:; Weisman 1996, 201 :C:).#dispreferred
 - <Waw>: "apart from one insecure passage, Jer. xx. 12 ... there is no instance to be found in which a vocative with ו occurs (Prov. viii. 5, Joel ii. 23, Isa xliv. 21), when another vocative has already preceded it" (Delitzch 1871, 87 :C:; cf. Böhler 2021, 818 :C:).
  <_ [Jer 20:12]: "LORD Almighty (וַיהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙), you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause" (NIV).#dispreferred
  + [Vocative following another]: "You who are simple (פְתָאיִ֣ם), gain prudence; you who are foolish (וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים), set your hearts on it" (Prov 8:5, NIV); "Do not be afraid, you wild animals (בַּהֲמ֣וֹת שָׂדַ֔י) ... Be glad, people of Zion (וּבְנֵ֣י צִיּ֗וֹן)" (Joel 2:12–13, NIV); "Remember these things, O Jacob (יַעֲקֹ֔ב), and Israel (וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל), for you are my servant" (Isa 44:21, ESV).
  <_ <Manuscripts>: De-Rossi codex 596 reads only בת, not ובת (Variae Lectionis, vol 4., 31).#dispreferred

Emendation

The LXX contains a slightly different text than the MT, which reflects the third person-plural "they will bow down," in place of the MT's second-person feminine singular "bow down," and "the daughter of Tyre" as the grammatical subject of this clause: "because the king desired your beauty, because he is your lord. And daughters of Tyre will do obeisance to him with gifts; your face the rich of the people will entreat." (NETS)

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[Emendation]: Following the LXX, the MT's וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִי should be read וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ and "the daughter of Tyre" the grammatical subject.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ὅτι ἐπεθύμησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ κύριός σου.† καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ θυγατέρες Τύρου ἐν δώροις, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου λιτανεύσουσιν οἱ πλούσιοι τοῦ λαοῦ
  • "because the king desired your beauty, because he is your lord. And daughters of Tyre will do obeisance to him with gifts; your face the rich of the people will entreat."

• Aquila: καὶ προσκύνησον αὐτῷ καὶ θυγάτηρ Σόρ ἐν δώροις...
  • "And bow down to him and the daughter of Tyre with gifts..."

• Symmachus: καὶ προσκύνει αὐτῷ ἡ δὲ θυγάτηρ ἡ κραταιὰ δῶρα οἴσει
  • "And bow down to him, but the mighty daughter will bring gifts."

• Theodotion: καὶ προσκύνησον αὐτῷ θυγάτηρ Τύρου...
  • "And bow down to him; the daughter of Tyre..."

• Jerome (Hebr.): et concupiscet rex decorem tuum quia ipse est dominus tuus et adora eum † et o filia fortissimi in muneribus faciem tuam deprecabuntur divites populi
  • "And the king will desire your beauty, because he is your lord, and honor him, and, O daughter, powerful ones with gifts will entreat your face, wealthy of the people."

• Peshitta: ܕܢܬܪܓܪܓ ܡܠܟܐ ܠܫܘܦܪܟܝ ܡܛܠ ܕܗܘܝܘ ܡܪܟܝ ܣܓܘܕܝ ܠܗ ܘܒܪܬ ܨܘܪ ܬܣܓܘܕ ܠܗ ܒܩܘܪ̈ܒܢܐ ܐ̈ܦܝܟܝ ܢܒܥܘܢ ܥܬܝܪ̈ܘܗܝ ܕܥܡܐܢ
  • "so that the king may earnestly desire your beauty. Reverence him, for he is your lord. The daughter of Tyre will reverence him; with offerings the rich of the people will seek your face."

• Targum: ובכן ירגג מלכא שופרייך ארום הוא ריבונייך ותסגדין ליה׃ ויתבי כרכא דצור בתקרובתא ייתון ואפיך ישחרון לבית מקדשייך עתירי עממיא׃
  • "And then, the king will desire your beauty; for he is your lord, and you shall bow down to him. And the inhabitants of the city of Tyre will come with an offering, and the rich ones of the nations will seek your face at the house of your sanctuary."

Modern

Apposition

• and the king will desire your beauty. Bow down to him, for he is your lord. The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people, will seek your favor with gifts. (CSB; cf. CEB, CJB, NET)
• Que le roi désire ta beauté ! Maintenant, il est ton maître, mets-toi à genoux devant lui. Alors, les gens de Tyr, les peuples les plus riches, essaieront de te plaire en t’offrant des cadeaux. (PDV; cf. NBS?, NFC, SG21)

Verbless clause

• So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. (KJV; cf. NASB, NIV)
• ...The daughter of Tyre is here with gifts, the richest of people seek your favor (ESV alternative)
• que el rey desea poseer tu hermosura; él es tu señor, y le debes obediencia. Gente de Tiro vendrá a ti con presentes; los ricos del pueblo implorarán tu favor. (RVC)
• Den König verlangt nach deiner Schönheit; denn er ist dein Herr, und du sollst ihm huldigen. Die Tochter Tyrus kommt mit Geschenken; die Reichen im Volk suchen deine Gunst. (LUT 2017; cf. ELB, EÜ, ZÜR)

Vocative

• and let the king be aroused by your beauty; since he is your lord, bow to him. O Tyrian lass, the wealthiest people will court your favor with gifts (JPS)
• that the king might desire your beauty. He is your lord; honor him, daughter of Tyre. Then the richest of the people will seek your favor with gifts. (NABRE)
• let the king desire your beauty, for he is your lord. Do him obeisance, daughter of Tyre. The richest in the land will court you with gifts. (REB)
• pues el rey desea tu belleza; él es tu señor, y debes obedecerlo. Princesa de Tiro, los más ricos del pueblo procuran con regalos ganarse tu favor. (DHH)
• que le roi s'éprenne de ta beauté ! C'est lui ton seigneur, prosterne-toi devant lui. Alors, fille de Tyr, les plus riches du peuple te flatteront avec des présents. (TOB; cf. NBS?)

Secondary Literature

Böhler, Dieter. 2021. Psalmen 1-50. Freiburg, Basel, Wien: Herder Verlag.

Bratcher, Robert G. & Reyburn, William D. 1991. A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

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

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

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

Malbim. Malbim on Psalms.

Radak. Radak on Psalms.

Weisman, Zeev. 1996. "(Chapter 45)" (Hebrew; פרק מה). Pages 197–202 in Psalms: Volume 1. Olam HaTaNaKh (Hebrew; תהלים א׳ עולם התנ׳׳ך). Tel Aviv: דודזון–עתי.

References

45:13