Exegetical Issues for Psalm 38:

Introduction

The text of the MT reads:^[1]

וְֽ֭אֹיְבַי חַיִּ֣ים עָצֵ֑מוּ וְרַבּ֖וּ שֹׂנְאַ֣י שָֽׁקֶר׃

The issue in this verse revolves around חַיִּ֣ים. Some scholars and translators believe that the word חַיִּ֣ים is not original and that חִנָּם "for no reason" is the original text.

"But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; those who hate me without cause outnumber me." (NET)

Most modern translations follow חַיִּ֣ים as the original reading. However, because of the difficult interpretation, this phrase is translated in several different ways. For example:

"But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully." (ESV)

"...for my mortal enemies are numerous; my treacherous foes are many." (JPS 1985)

The arguments for both readings are discussed below.

Argument Maps

חִנַּם (Preferred)

The original text is probably חִנָּם, translated "for no reason." This reading is supported by NIV, NET, NEB/REV, NRSV, and NJB.


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[חִנָּם]: The preferred reading of verse 20 is חִנָּם.
 + <Parallel with שֶׁקֶר>: The meaning of חִנָּם is parallel with the usage of שֶׁקֶר in this verse (Briggs and Briggs 1906-7, 344). 
   + [Psalm 38:20b]: "...those who hate me without reason (שֶׁקֶר) are numerous." (NIV)
 + <Support from context>: In the following verse, the psalmist further explores this concept when he discusses how his enemies repay evil for all the good he is pursuing. 
  + [Psalm 38:21]: "Those who repay my good with evil lodge accusations against me, though I seek only to do what is good." (NIV)
 + <Parallel Passages>: Psalm 35:19 and 69:5 have very similar wording (Baethgen 1904, 110 :C:; BHS Apparatus, 1121; Barthélemy 2005, 232 :M:). 
   + [Psalm 35:19]: "Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause (שֶׁקֶר); do not let those who hate me without reason (חִנָּם) maliciously wink the eye." (NIV) 
   + [Psalm 69:5]: "Those who hate me without reason (חִנָּם) outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause (שֶׁקֶר), those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal." (NIV)
 + <Qumran manuscript>: The Qumran manuscript 4Q83 has חִנָּם (Ouellette 1969, 109 :A:; deClaissé-Walford et al. 2014, 358 :C:). This manuscript is also older than all the other Psalms scrolls found at Qumran (DJD XVI, no. 83). 
   <_ <Not entirely legible>: While 4Q83 does seem to support חִנָּם, only נם is clearly legible, so it is possible 4Q83 has a different word entirely. #dispreferred
   + [4Q83]: ואיבי חנם עצמו ור(בו שנאי) שקרי "And those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous and (those who hate me) without cause (are mighty)."
 + <Easier to understand>: The meaning of חִנָּם in this passage is much clearer than the meaning of חַיִּים (Baethgen 1904, 110 :C:, Hupfeld 1868, 376 :C:). 
 - <Change to חַיִּים is unlikely>: Because חַיִּים is the more difficult reading, it is hard to imagine a situation where a scribe would have replaced חִנָּם with חַיִּים (Hengstengberg 1963, 50-51 :C:).  #dispreferred
  <_ <Unwitting alternation>: While it is true that the scribe would not likely purposefully change this to חַיִּים, it is possible for חִנָּם to be misread as חַיִּים because nun and yod could look similar if they are not written clearly (Hitzig 1835, 62 :C:; Barthélemy 2005, 232 :M:).

חַיִּים

The original text is not likely to be חַיִּים. This is supported by all major French, German, and Spanish translations, as well as the ESV, NASB, CSV, GNT, NLT, CEV, and JPS 1985.



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[חַיִּים]: The preferred reading in verse 20 is חַיִּים.#dispreferred
 + <Manuscript evidence>: The majority of manuscripts support the reading "living."  #dispreferred
   + [Masoretic Text]: The MT has חַיִּים "living." #dispreferred
   + [LXX]: The LXX has ζῶσιν "alive."  #dispreferred
   + [Peshitta]: The Peshitta uses ܐܬܥܫܢܘ "strong."  #dispreferred
   + [Targum]: The Targum uses חיי "lively." #dispreferred
 + <More difficult reading>: Because the use of חַיִּים in this verse is difficult to interpret, it is more likely scribes would purposefully change the reading to חִנָּם.  #dispreferred
 - <Difficult to interpret>: Interpreting the use of חַיִּים is difficult, both grammatically and lexically.
  <_ <Grammatical>: חַיִּים could be an adjective, part of a construct phrase, or a predicate. #dispreferred
   + <Adjective>: חַיִּים could be functioning as an adjective describing the psalmist's enemies. This would be translated "my living/healthy enemies." #dispreferred
    - <Definiteness>: If חַיִּים was an adjective describing "my enemies," it would require an article to match the definiteness (Baethgen 1904, 110 :C:). 
     <_ <Article sometimes omitted>: However, sometimes the article is omitted (BHRG, §30.2.2.2 :G:).  #dispreferred
   + <Construct Phrase>: חַיִּים could be a noun and be in construct with אֹיְבַי, meaning "the enemies of my life," often translating this "deadly/mortal enemies" (NLT, CEV, JPS, and GNB; Alexander 1864, 180 :C:). #dispreferred
     - <Interrupts Construct Phrase>: Because of the pronominal suffix "my" on "enemies," the construct phrase is interrupted and חַיִּים could not be in construct to it (BHRG, §25.3.1.4.d :G:). 
       <_ <Revocalization>: If אֹיְבַי "my enemies" was revocalized to אֹיְבֵי, removing the pronominal suffix, this reading is still possible. #dispreferred
       <_ <Exceptions>: While the construct phrase is not typically interrupted, in a few instances the construct phrase has a pronominal suffix on the nomen regens (Num 25:12; Lev 27:3; GKC, §128d :G:). #dispreferred
         - <Other explanations>: However, most of these examples can be explained with other analyses rather than as construct phrases (GKC, §128d :G:). 
   + <Predicate>: חַיִּים could be the subject complement in a verbless clause. If this were the case, v. 20a would be translated either "My enemies are healthy and mighty," or "My enemies are healthy. They are mighty." #dispreferred
     - <Form of עצם>: If חַיִּים is the subject complement of the verbless clause, the form of the verb would be expected to be וַעֲצוּמִים, the participial form, rather than עָצֵמוּ. Since the form of the verb is the finite verb עָצֵמוּ, it is less likely that חַיִּים is functioning as a subject complement (Baethgen 1904, 100 :C:; Delitzsch 1871, 24 :C:). 
       <_ <Independent Clause>: Even though the participial form would more closely parallel the use of חַיִּים, it is not necessary for the grammar of the verse. The verb עָצֵמוּ could be an independent clause. #dispreferred
   + <Asyndetic relative clause>: חַיִּים could also be an asyndetic relative clause (Hengstengberg 1963, 50-51 :C:; BHRG, §36.3.1.1.3 :G:; JM, §129q :G:). #dispreferred
     + <Parallelism>: This option most closely parallels the grammar in the second half of this verse, allowing for the first half to be one clause. Both would then be one clause with a participle modified by a noun (relative clause for the a line and adverbial for the b line) and a verb. #dispreferred
       <_ <חִנָּם parallels better>: However, the use of חִנָּם parallels the entire meaning of the b line better.
   + <Apposition>: חַיִּים could be functioning as a substantival in apposition to אֹיְבַי (BHRG, §29.1.4 :G:). #dispreferred
     <_ <Mismatched definiteness is rare>: It is very rare for an adjective to not have an article when in apposition to a definite noun (JM, §138e-f :G:). 
   + <Asyndetic Circumstantial Clause>: חַיִּים could be an asyndetic circumstantial clause further describing the condition of the enemies (JM, §159b :G:; cf. 2 Sam 18:14; Exod 22:13). This would be translated "My enemies, (being) living/healthy, are mighty." #dispreferred
  <_ <Lexical>: חַיִּים could mean either alive or healthy/vigorous in this context. #dispreferred
    + <Alive>: The most common definition for חַיִּים is "living" (HALOT, 308 :L:; BDB, 311 :L:). #dispreferred
    + <Healthy/Vigorous>: The root חַיִּים comes from חיה, is used to describe someone who is healthy and strong, full of life (TWOT, 279 :L:; DCH, 3:202 :L:; TDOT, 4:334 :L:). #dispreferred
      + [Healthy References]: Exod 1:19; Sir 30:14; 2 Sam 23:20 cf. use of חיה in Num 21:8; Josh 5:8; 2 Kings 1:2, 8:10 #dispreferred
 + <Contrast with psalmist's position>: For the majority of this psalm, the psalmist is describing his illness. His strength has abandoned him and he is close to death (v. 11). The use of חַיִּים to describe his enemies creates a contrast between his enemies who are healthy, strong, and alive (Delitzsch 1871, 24 :C:; Radak :C:). #dispreferred

Conclusion (A)

The reading חִנָּם, supported by a Qumran manuscript, other similar passages in the Hebrew Bible and the parallelism within the verse, is most likely the original text. The reading חַיִּ֣ים, while creating a stark contrast with the psalmist, does not fit the poetic symmetry of the immediate context. The text may have been changed from חִנָּם to חַיִּ֣ים when a scribe did not read or write the text clearly, which may be why the LXX, Peshitta, and Targums all translate חַיִּ֣ים rather than חִנָּם.

The two readings differ significantly in their meaning. "For no reason" implies that the psalmist is falsely accused, whereas "living" focuses on the contrast between the enemies being vigorous while the psalmist is weak. If "living" were the original reading, the contrast between the healthy lives of the psalmist's enemies and the psalmist's weakness would become explicit in the psalm.

While both meanings are consistent with the broader context of the psalm, "for no reason" more closely aligns with the immediate context and provides a clear focus. The psalmist thereby specifies that he has done nothing wrong to make his enemies hate him, which prepares for verse 21, in which his enemies repay evil for good.

Research

Translations

Manuscripts

The Qumran manuscript 4QPs^a (4Q83) reads חנם.^[2]

Ancient

LXX: οἱ δὲ ἐχθροί μου ζῶσιν καὶ κεκραταίωνται ὑπὲρ ἐμέ, καὶ ἐπληθύνθησαν οἱ μισοῦντές με ἀδίκως· ^[3]
- "But my enemies are alive and are stronger than I, and those who hate me unjustly multiplied."^[4]
Peshitta: ܒ̈ܥܠܕܒܒܝ ܐܬܥܫܢܘ ܘܚܙܘ܂ ܘܣܓܝܘ ܣܢܐ̈ܝ ܕܫܘܩܪܐ܂ ^[5]
Jerome: inimici autem mei vivent et firmati sunt super me et multiplicati sunt qui oderunt me inique. ^[6]
Targum: ובעלי דבבי חיי עלימו וסגיאין סנאי על שיקרא׃
- "But my enemies are lively, they are mighty; and many are those who hate me falsely." ^[7]

Modern

חַיִּים

Predicate/Adjectival: Strong/Healthy

But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. (ESV)
But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And those who wrongfully hate me are many.(NASB)
But my enemies are vigorous and powerful; many hate me for no reason.(CSB)
My enemies are healthy and strong; there are many who hate me for no reason. (GNT)
Aber meine Feinde leben und sind mächtig; die mich ohne Grund hassen, derer sind viele. (Luther 2017)
Meine lebendigen Feinde sind stark, und zahlreich sind, die ohne Grund mich hassen; (ELB)
Meine Feinde sind voller Leben und Kraft; viele hassen und täuschen mich. (EÜ)
Meine Feinde aber leben und sind stark, zahlreich sind, die mich grundlos hassen. (ZÜR)
Meine Feinde sind zahlreich und voller Kraft. Und es sind so viele, die mich ohne Grund hassen! (NGÜ)
Mes ennemis, pleins de vie, sont puissants; ils sont nombreux, ceux qui me haïssent injustement. (TOB)
Mes ennemis sont pleins de vie, de force; ceux qui me détestent à tort sont nombreux, (NBS)
Et mes ennemis sont pleins de vie, de force; Ceux qui me haïssent à tort sont nombreux, (NVSR)
alors que mes ennemis sont pleins de vie, pleins de force, et qu’ils sont nombreux à me haïr sans raison. (BDS)
Mes ennemis sont pleins de vie, ils sont puissants, beaucoup me détestent sans raison. (PDV)
Mes ennemis sont bien vivants et puissants; ils sont nombreux à m'en vouloir sans raison. (NFC)
Cependant mes ennemis sont pleins de vie, pleins de force; ceux qui me détestent sans raison sont nombreux. (S21)
Mis enemigos están vivos y fuertes, y se han aumentado los que me aborrecen sin causa. (RVR95)
Pero mis enemigos estan vivos y son fuertes, Y fueron multiplicados los qu me aborrecen sin causa. (BTX4)
Mis enemigos son muchos y poderosos; abundan los que me odian sin motivo. (NVI)

Construct chain: Deadly

I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason. (NLT)
Many deadly and powerful enemies hate me, (CEV)
for my mortal enemies are numerous; my treacherous foes are many. (JPS 1985)
Doch meine Todfeinde sind stark und mächtig; viele sind es, die mich grundlos hassen. (GNB)

חִנָּם

Many have become my enemies without cause; those who hate me without reason are numerous. (NIV)
But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; those who hate me without cause outnumber me. (NET)
But many are my enemies, all without cause, and many those who hate me wrongfully. (NEB/REB)
Those who are my foes without cause are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. (NRSV)
There is no numbering those who oppose me without cause, no counting those who hate me unprovoked, (NJB)

Secondary Literature

Alexander, Joseph Addison. 1864. Commentary on Psalms. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications.

Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.

Barthélemy, Dominique. 2005. Critique textuelle de l'Ancien Testament: Tome 4. Psaumes. Fribourg, Switzerland: Academic Press.

Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. ICC. Edinburgh: T & T Clark.

Brown, Francis, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs. 1977. Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Clines, David J. A., ed. 1993–2011. The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. Vol. I–VIII. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press; Sheffield Phoenix Press.

deBlois, Reinier. 2024. "חַי." In The Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew. United Bible Societies.

deClaissé-Walford, Nancy, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth LaNeel Tanner. 2014. The Book of Psalms. Edited by E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1883. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 1. Translated by Eaton David. Vol. 1. New York: Funk and Wagnalls.

Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm. 1863. Commentary on the Psalms. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.

Hitzig, Ferdinand. 1835. Die Psalmen: Historisch-Kritisch Untersucht. Heidelberg: C.F. Winter.

Hupfeld, Hermann. 1868. Die Psalmen. Vol. 2. Gotha: Friedrich Andreas Perthes.

Joüon, Paul, and T. Muraoka. 2006. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Roma: Pontificio Istituto Biblico.

Koehler, Ludwig, Walter Baumgartner, M. E. J. Richardson, and Johann Jakob Stamm. 1994–2000. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Leiden: E.J. Brill.

Merwe, Christo H.J. van der, Jacobus A. Naudé, and Jan H. Kroeze. 2017. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. Second. New York: Bloomsbury.

Ouellette, Jean. 1969. “Variantes Qumrâniennes Du Livre Des Psaumes.” Revue de Qumran 7 (1): 105–23.

Ringgren, Helmer. 1980. “חָיָה.” In Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, edited by G. Johannes Botterweck, translated by David E. Green, Revised Edition, IV:324–44. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Smick, Elmer B. 1999. “644 חָיָה.” In Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, edited by R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, electronic ed. Chicago: Moody Press.

References

38:20 Approved

↑ Hebrew text taken from OSHB
↑ See Ouellette 1969, 109. Ouellette cites 4QpPs^a, which is the Pesher (commentary) on the Psalms. However, Psalm 38 is not included in that document, so it is likely Ouellette intended to reference 4QPs^a instead.
↑ Rahlfs 1931
↑ NETS
↑ CAL
↑ Weber and Gryson, 1969.
↑ Stec 2004, 83.

[1] Hebrew text taken from OSHB

[2] See Ouellette 1969, 109. Ouellette cites 4QpPs^a, which is the Pesher (commentary) on the Psalms. However, Psalm 38 is not included in that document, so it is likely Ouellette intended to reference 4QPs^a instead.

[3] Rahlfs 1931

[4] NETS

[5] CAL

[6] Weber and Gryson, 1969.

[7] Stec 2004, 83.

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The Text and Meaning of Ps. 38:20

Contents

Introduction

Argument Maps

חִנַּם (Preferred)

חַיִּים

Conclusion (A)

Research

Translations

Manuscripts

Ancient

Modern

חַיִּים

Predicate/Adjectival: Strong/Healthy

Construct chain: Deadly

חִנָּם

Secondary Literature

References