The Text and Meaning of Ps. 21:10a

Psalm Overview

Exegetical issues for Psalm 21:

The Subject(s) in Ps. 21:9-13

The Text and Meaning of Ps. 21:10a

The Meaning of Psalm 21:13

Introduction

The traditional Hebrew text of Ps. 21:10a reads as follows:

תְּשִׁיתֵמוֹ כְּתַנּוּר אֵשׁ לְעֵת פָּנֶיךָ

Modern Bible translations are divided along two different understandings of the prepositional phrase לְעֵת פָּנֶיךָ.

The majority translate פָּנֶיךָ along the lines of "your appearing":

You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear (ESV). (cf. NLT, NIV, NET)

The remainder translate פָּנֶיךָ as "your anger":

You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger (NASB). (cf. NKJV, RVR95)

There is a third option that suggests a textual emendation to the traditional text. The proposal is that לְעֵת פָּנֶיךָ be emended to לְעֻמַּת פָּנֶיךָ .לְעֻמַּת פָּנֶיךָ would translate as "against (or opposite) your face".

You will make them as a fiery oven opposite (across from) your face.

Argument Maps

The meaning of פנים in the context of Ps. 21:10a

The first issue is how best to translate פנים in the context of Ps. 21:10a. The two general options that modern translations take are either "appearance" or "anger".

פנים as ("appearance")

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[פנים as ("appearance")]: פנים should be understood as "appearance" in the context of Psalm 21:10 (ESV, NLT, NIV, CEV, GNT, NET, REB, NRSV, JPS 1985, NEB, NJB, Luther 2017, NGÜ, ELB, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR, NBS, BDS, S21, TOB, NVSR, NFC, NVI, DHH)
 + <Context>: Appearing (for judgement) fits the context of vv. 8-12 where the content is related to a future judgement on enemies. 'In Ps. 21:10(9) ʿēṯ pāneyḵā is the “time of presence,” when Yahweh will reveal himself' (TDOT :D:)
  <_ <Anger not excluded>: The translation of "anger" is just as fitting in the context of judgement on enemies.#dispreferred
 - <No other instances in OT>: "'at the time of your appearing'...nowhere else do we find that פָּנֶה has this meaning..." (Morrow 1905:559 :A:). #dispreferred
  - <פנים as king’s appearance>: "On פנים as an expression for the power of the king’s appearance, cf. 2 Sam. 17:11" (Kraus 1993:287 :C:)
"...the word is used of the presence of a king, 2 Sam. 17:11 (where E. V. has, 'that thou go to battle in thine own person;' lit. 'thy face or presence goeth') and we find the same sentiment Prov. 16:14, 19:12." (Perowne 1883:243 :C:).
   + [2 Sam. 17:11]: כִּ֣י יָעַ֗צְתִּי הֵ֠אָסֹף יֵאָסֵ֨ף עָלֶ֤יךָ כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִדָּן֙ וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שֶׁ֔בַע כַּח֥וֹל אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב וּפָנֶ֥יךָ הֹלְכִ֖ים בַּקְרָֽב׃. Cf. Ex. 33:14; Isa. 63:9; Ps. 80:17; Lam. 4:16a (cited in Ges–18 :L: under entry "personal presence").

פנים as ("anger")

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[פנים as ("anger")]: פנים should be understood as "anger" in the context of Psalm 21:10 (Peshitta, Targum, NASB, NKJV, KJV, JPS 1917, RVR95, BTX4) #dispreferred
 +<Ancient support for "anger">: There is early support for reading פנים as "anger". The Targum uses the Aramaic word רגז "anger" (HALOT :L:) to translate פְּנִים and the Peshitta reads ܕܪܘܓܙܐ "sudden wrath" (CSD :L:). #dispreferred
  <_<Incorrectly assumed semantic correspondence>: These early Aramaic translations of פנים as "anger" may be due to a false assumption that the semantic range for the Hebrew word פנים was equivalent to that of the Aramaic word for "face" (אפין) which can also mean "anger." 
  +[Ancient support for "anger"]: Targum: תשוינון היך אתון נורא לעידני רוגזך, Peshitta: ܬܥܒܕ ܐܢܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܬܢܘܪܐ ܕܢܘܪܐ ܠܙܒܢܐ ܕܪܘܓܙܐ #dispreferred
 +<Supported by parallelism>: פָּנִים in this context is in a line parallel to אַף "anger" (cf. Briggs 1907:186 :C:; Dahood 2008:133–134 :C:). #dispreferred
 +<Supported by context>: In light of the immediately preceding context of capturing enemies in v. 9 and the subsequent consumption in wrath by fire that completes v. 10, "pānîm alone can refer to Yahweh’s wrathful glance" (TLOT :L:). #dispreferred
 +<The line may be defective>: The line is defective and נתן should be inserted before פנים as in Lev 20:3, 6; 26:17; Ezek 14:8, giving the sense "of angry looks" (Briggs 1907:188 :C:). #dispreferred
 -<No other instances in OT>: "Nowhere else in the Bible do we find that פָּנֶה is used to mean 'anger'" (Morrow 1905:558 :A:).
  -<פנים in the context of anger>: "For pānīm, 'fury,' see Pss 34:17, penē yhwh beʿōśē rāʿ lehakrīt mēʾereṣ zikrām, 'The fury of Yahweh is with the evildoers, to cut off from the earth all memory of them'; 80:17; Eccles 8:1; Lam 4:16" (Dahood 2008:133–134 :C:). #dispreferred
    +[פנים in the context of anger]:  פְּנֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה בְּעֹ֣שֵׂי רָ֑ע לְהַכְרִ֖ית מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃ (Ps. 34:17); שְׂרֻפָ֣ה בָאֵ֣שׁ כְּסוּחָ֑ה מִגַּעֲרַ֖ת פָּנֶ֣יךָ יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃ (Ps. 80:17); מִ֚י כְּהֶ֣חָכָ֔ם וּמִ֥י יוֹדֵ֖עַ פֵּ֣שֶׁר דָּבָ֑ר חָכְמַ֤ת אָדָם֙ תָּאִ֣יר פָּנָ֔יו וְעֹ֥ז פָּנָ֖יו (Ecc. 8:1); פְּנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ חִלְּקָ֔ם לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֖יף לְהַבִּיטָ֑ם פְּנֵ֤י כֹהֲנִים֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔אוּ זקנים  וּזְקֵנִ֖ים  לֹ֥א חָנָֽנוּ׃ (Lam. 4:16)#dispreferred
    <_<Context doesn't dictate translation of פְּנִים>: While the idea of fury exists in these passages, that idea doesn't dictate that פְּנִים be translated "anger" as it can be readily applied from context. פְּנִים can be just as easily be understood as "appearance" or "face" here.

MT (לְעֵת) vs emendation (לְעֻמַּת)

The second issue is, What is the text which precedes פָּנֶיךָ? Is the traditional reading of לְעֵת best, or is the proposed לְעֻמַּת more probable?

MT (לְעֵת)

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[לְעֵת]: The MT reading לְעֵת פָּנֶיךָ is the original and should be retained.
 + <Manuscript Support>: All known extant Hebrew manuscripts have this reading.
  <_ <Limited alternative manuscripts to compare>: There are no (currently identified) fragments from the DSS for Psalm 21, and it is also missing from the Aleppo Codex, two important early textual witnesses.#dispreferred
 + <Common construction>: לְעֵת + x is a common construction in Hebrew (Jenni 2000:272; rubric 881).
  +[לְעֵת + x in OT]: Gen 8:11, 24:11; Ruth 2:14; 2 Sam 11:2; 1 Kings 11:4, 15:23; 1 Chron 12:23, 20:1; Job 38:23; Ps 21:10, 71:9; Ecc 9:12; Isa 17:4; Jer 8:15, 14:19; Dan 8:17; Zech 14:7.
 + <Result of haplography>: "תשיתמו כתנור אש לעת פניך has always posed a problem for Bible translators and commentators because of their failure to see in it a simple case of haplography" (Morrow 1905: 558:A:).#dispreferred
  <_ <Neighbouring text>: There is little in the way of related consonant patterns or letters that might be confused in the surrounding text to lend weight to haplography.
 + <Ancient support for עֵת ("time")>: The MT reading of לְעֵת has strong support in the ancient translations.
  + [Ancient support for עֵת ("time")]: LXX: θήσεις αὐτοὺς ὡς κλίβανον πυρὸς εἰς καιρὸν τοῦ προσώπου σου; Peshitta: ܬܥܒܕ ܐܢܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܬܢܘܪܐ ܕܢܘܪܐ ܠܙܒܢܐ ܕܪܘܓܙܐ; Jerome: pones eos ut clibanum ignis in tempore vultus tui; Targum: תשוינון היך אתון נורא לעידני רוגזך

(Logos SESB search in BHS "lemma.sesb.h:לְ@P+S BEFORE 1 CHARS lemma.sesb.h:עֵת@NCUSC+S")

Proposed emendation (לְעֻמַּת)

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[לְעֻמַּת]: The text of MT should be emended to לְעֻמַּת פָּנֶיךָ. (Morrow 1905: 559:A:; Craigie 1983: 189:C:; Kraus 1993: 283:C:) #dispreferred
 + <Context of wider psalm>: Reading לְעֻמַּת פָּנֶיךָ as "against (or opposite) your face" works better within the wider context of the psalm where פנים has been used with the more literal referent of "face", see vv. 7, 13. #dispreferred
 + <Haplography>: The reading לְעֻמַּת פָּנֶיךָ could be considered as the original with haplography readily accounting for the shorter MT reading. #dispreferred
  - <Neighbouring text>: There is little in the way of related consonant patterns or letters that might be confused in the surrounding text to lend weight to haplography.
 - <No manuscript support>: There is no textual support for this reading.
 + <Found elsewhere in OT>: פְּנִים following לְעֻמַּת is found in Ezekiel 3:8. #dispreferred
  + [Ezekiel 3:8]:  הִנֵּ֨ה נָתַ֧תִּי אֶת־פָּנֶ֛יךָ חֲזָקִ֖ים לְעֻמַּ֣ת פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֶֽת־מִצְחֲךָ֥ חָזָ֖ק לְעֻמַּ֥ת מִצְחָֽם׃  #dispreferred

Conclusion

While it might be tempting to translate לְעֵת פָּנֶיךָ as "at the time of your anger"—given the parallelism in the next line with יְהוָה ‬בְּאַפֹּו יְבַלְּעֵם "The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath"(ESV)—there is little precedent elsewhere in the OT for understanding פָּנִים as "anger". The passages given in support of such a reading could equally have פָּנִים translated as "face", "presence" or "appearing". Therefore the preferred translation is to follow what the majority of modern translations read and render לְעֵת פָּנֶיךָ along the lines of "the time of your presence >> when you appear".

For the textual issue, there is a reasonable argument that can be made for how the MT text לְעֵת פָּנֶיךָ may have become corrupted through haplography, but there are no known Hebrew manuscripts that present the proposed alternative reading of לְעֻמַּת פָּנֶיךָ. Furthermore, all ancient translations follow the MT reading, in translating this as "at the time/when" rather than "opposite/against". Because of the limited evidence for the proposed emendation, it is recommended that the MT text לְעֵת פָּנֶיךָ be retained as original.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: θήσεις αὐτοὺς ὡς κλίβανον πυρὸς εἰς καιρὸν τοῦ προσώπου σου
  • "You will make them like an oven of fire at the time of your presence"
• Peshitta: ܬܥܒܕ ܐܢܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܬܢܘܪܐ ܕܢܘܪܐ ܠܙܒܢܐ ܕܪܘܓܙܐ
  • "Thou shalt make them like a furnace of fire in the time of wrath"
• Jerome: pones eos ut clibanum ignis in tempore vultus tui
• Targum: תְּשַׁוִינוּן הֵיךְ אַתּוּן נוּרָא לְעִדָנֵי רוּגְזָךְ
  • "You will make them like an oven of fire in the times of your anger"

Modern

When you appear

• You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear (ESV)
• You will throw them in a flaming furnace when you appear (NLT)
• When you appear for battle, you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace (NIV)
• You will make them burn like a fiery furnace when you appear (CSB)
• They will be destroyed by fire once you are here (CEV)
• He will destroy them like a blazing fire when he appears (GNT)
• You burn them up like a fiery furnace when you appear (NET)
• At your coming you will set them in a fiery furnace (REB)
• You will make them like a fiery furnace when you appear (NRSV)
• You set them ablaze like a furnace when You show Your presence (JPS 1985)
• At your coming you shall plunge them into a fiery furnace (NEB)
• You will hurl them into a blazing furnace on the day when you appear (NJB)
• Du lässt sie glühen wie einen Feuerofen, wenn du erscheinst (Luther 2017)
• Wie Glut im Ofen werden sie sein, wenn du dich zeigst (NGÜ)
• Einem Feuerofen wirst du sie gleichmachen zur Zeit deines Erscheinens (ELB)
• Du lässt sie glühen wie einen feurigen Ofen, sobald dein Angesicht erscheint (EÜ)
• Du wirst sie vernichten mit lodernden Flammen am Tag, an dem du dich ihnen zeigst (GNB)
• Wie einen Ofen lässt du sie glühen, wenn dein Angesicht, HERR, erscheint (ZÜR)
• Tu les rendras comme une fournaise ardente, le jour où tu te montreras (NBS)
• Tu en feras une fournaise quand tu apparaîtras (BDS)
• Tu feras d’eux une fournaise ardente, le jour où tu te montreras (S21)
• Tu en feras un brasier quand ta face paraîtra. (TOB)
• Tu les rendras tels qu'une fournaise ardente, Le jour où tu te montreras (NVSR)
• Tu en feras un grand feu dès que tu apparaîtras (NFC)
• Cuando tú, Señor, te manifiestes, los convertirás en un horno encendido (NVI)
• Los pondrás en un horno encendido cuando aparezcas para juzgar (DHH)

In the time of your anger

• You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger (NASB)
• You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger (NKJV)
• Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger (KJV)
• Thou shalt make them as a fiery furnace in the time of thine anger (JPS 1917)
• Los pondrás como horno de fuego en el tiempo de tu ira (RVR95)
• Los convertirás en horno abrasador en el tiempo de tu ira (BTX4)

Secondary Literature

Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Grace Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. International Critical Commentary. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons.

Craigie, Peter C. 2004. Psalms 1–50. 2nd ed. Vol. 19. Word Biblical Commentary. Nashville, TN: Nelson.

Dahood, Mitchell. 1966. Psalms. Vol. 1. Anchor Bible Commentary. New York: Doubleday.

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

Morrow, Francis J. 1968. “Psalm XXI 10: An Example of Haplography.” Vetus Testamentum 18, no. 4.

Perowne, J. J. Stewart. 1870. The Book of Psalms: A New Translation, with Introductions and Notes Explanatory and Critical. London: Bell.

Smith, R. Payne. 1902. A Compendious Syriac Dictionary: Founded upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, edited by J. Payne Smith. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Appendix: Venn Diagrams with פָּנִים as "presence" and "appearance"

פָּנִים as "presence"

פָּנִים as "appearance"

References

21:10 Approved