The Text and Meaning of Ps 17:14

Back to Psalm 17.

Exegetical issues for Psalm 17:

• The Form and Function of זמתי in Ps 17:3
• The Text of Ps 17:11a
• The Text and Meaning of Ps 17:14

Introduction

Verse 14 is the most challenging verse of Psalm 17 on account of an apparent textual corruption that spans its first seven words as the MT has it. The Hebrew text of v. 14 reads as follows:

מִֽמְתִ֥ים יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד

חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ וּֽצְפיּנְךָ֮ תְּמַלֵּ֪א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם

יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם׃

The variety attested in translations can be simplified by focusing on how one interprets the key term: מִמְתִים (MT). The following seven examples illustrate some interpretive possibilities for the first seven words of verse 14:

1. from mortals (מִמְתִים) —by your hand, O Lord— from mortals (מִמְתִים) whose portion in life is in this world (NRSV)
2. From the dead (מִמֵּתִים) who die at your hands, O Lord, and from the dead (מִמֵּתִים) of the grave may you divide them in life
3. Finish them off (הֲתִמֵּם), by your hand, Lord, bring them to their life's end (הֲתִמֵּם מֵחֶ֗לֶד) whose portion is in life
4. make an end of them (הֲמִיתֵם). . . . With your hand, LORD, make an end of them (הֲמִיתֵם); thrust them out of this world from among the living (REB)
5. Kill them (מְמִיתָם) by your hand, O Lord! Kill them (מְמִיתָם) from the world, their portion from among the living
6. Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers (מִמְּמִתִים), from the murderers (מִמְּמִתִים) of this world (NET)
7. those who are dead (ממותים) by your hand, Lord, from men (ממתים) of the world whose portion is in life.

The first option follows the text of the MT, taking מִמְתִים as a twice repeated prepositional phrase, whereas the others involve an emendation and/or revocalization of מִמְתִים (the individual details are dealt with in the argument maps that follow).

Argument Maps

1. מִמְתִים (preferred)

This option holds that the earliest recoverable form of the text included two occurrences of מִמְתִים (prep. מן + pl. n. מְתִים: "from men/mortals"). This option is taken by numerous modern Bible translations (e.g., ESV, NIV, GNT, NJB, NRSV, JPS 1985; Luther 2017, ELB, EÜ, ZÜR, HFA, NGÜ; S21, BDS, NBS, NVSR; NVI, RVR95, BTX4).

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[מִמְתִים]: The earliest recoverable form of the text is מִמְתִים...מִמְתִים ("from mortals...from mortals").
 - <Incoherent>: The text מִמְתִים...מִמְתִים ("from mortals...from mortals") is incoherent.#dispreferred
  <_ <Literary Device>: The odd wording of the text is a deliberate attempt to convey cognitive discombobulation and/or a generally flustered state of mind ("The effect of the garbled phrases in the first line as we have it conveys the suppliant’s incoherent spluttering, anxious fear, and bitter resentment") (Rendsburg 1999, 1-13; Goldingay 2006, 244 :C:; Calvin :C:).
  - <Coherent>: The constituents in v. 14 modify the clause in v. 13b: "Deliver my life from the wicked (person) by your sword, from mortal men, by your hand, YHWH, from worldly people." The repetition of מִמְתִים ("mortals") is emphatic, with the context indicating that the deliverance David entreats YHWH for is "from" a threat posed by people (viz., his enemies) (BDB :L:; BHRG §39.14 :G:; Delitzsch 1883, 301 :C:; Hengstenberg 1863, 272 :C:).
 + <Accounts for Variants>: The reading מִמְתִים...מִמְתִים is the more difficult reading, and it best explains the emergence of the other readings. 
 + <External Evidence>: The reading מִמְתִים is supported by MT, LXX, and Jerome.
  + [MT]:  :מִֽמְתִ֥ים יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮
  + [LXX]: \[v. 13b\] ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν τῆς χειρός σου κύριε, ἀπὸ ὀλίγων... (cf. Deut 4:27, where מְתֵי = ολίγοι)
  + [Jerome (iuxta Hebr.)]: a viris manus tuae Domine qui mortui sunt...
   <_ <Jerome>: Although Jerome understands the first occurrence of ממתים as "mortals" (מִמְתִים) Jerome renders the second occurrence of ממתים as "those who have died" (qui mortui sunt = מֵתִים).#dispreferred
 + <"Staircase Parallelism">: The reading מִמְתִים...מִמְתִים results in a "stair-step pattern, with each line linking back to the preceding but adding some new progression," and this pattern "is not uncommon in the poetry of the psalms (see esp. 93:3–4)" (Wilson 2002, 325 :C:; Watson 1984, 150 :M:).
  + ["Staircase Parallelism"]: ‏‎‏כִּ֤י הִנֵּ֪ה אֹיְבֶ֡יךָ ׀ יְֽהוָ֗ה ‎‏ כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֣ה אֹיְבֶ֣יךָ יֹאבֵ֑דוּPs 92:10 (Watson 1984, 152 :M:). ‏ מַה־בְּ֭רִי‏ וּמַֽה־בַּר־בִּטְנִ֑י וּ֝מֶה ‏בַּר־נְדָרָֽי׃ (Prov 31:2).  עַד־מָתַ֖י רְשָׁעִ֥ים ׀ יְהוָ֑ה עַד־מָ֝תַ֗י רְשָׁעִ֥ים יַעֲלֹֽזוּ׃ (Ps 94:3)

2. מִמֵּתִים

Some of the ancient versions, i.e., Symmachus, Aquila, Jerome, and the Peshitta, read ממתים as "from those who have died," probably vocalizing the text as מִמֵּתִים (prep. מן + v. מת - Qal ptcp. masc. pl.).

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[מִמֵּתִים]: The earliest recoverable form of the text is מִמֵּתִים...מִמֵּתִים ("from the dead ones... from the dead ones...").#dispreferred
 + <Implied Contrast>: The specific meaning of "the dead" may also be suggested by an implied contrast with the following phrase חֶלְקָם בַּחַיִּים "their portion in life," though the precise sense would still remain unclear.#dispreferred
 - <Incoherent>: The dead are not a threat to the living, so it would not make sense for the psalmist to describe his threating foes as "dead ones" as he entreats YHWH for deliverance.
 + <Ancient Witnesses>: Some of the ancient versions probably read מִמֵּתִים (cf. Barthélemy 2005, 77 :M:).#dispreferred
  + [Aquila]: ἀπὸ τεθνηκότων χειρός σου, κύριε, ἀπὸ τεθνηκότων...#dispreferred
  + [Symmachus]: ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν ἀπὸ ἐνδεδυκότων... #dispreferred
  + [Syriac]: ...ܘܡܢ ܡ̈ܝܬܐ ܕܡܝܬܝܢ ܡܢ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܟ ܡܪܝܐ܂ ܘܡܢ ܡ̈ܝܬܐ.#dispreferred 
  + [Jerome]: ...qui mortui sunt...#dispreferred 
  - <11Q7>: If the reading of 11Q7 (ממותים) is a phonetic variant from the traditional Tiberian pronunciation מֵתִים, it may corroborate these ancient versions.#dispreferred
   + [11Q7]: 11Q7 frg. 8,4: \[ממות\[ים \]מ֯י֯ד֯\[כה#dispreferred

3. הֲתִמֵּם

Another option for interpreting the text is suggested by BHS: מִמְתִים should be emended to read הֲתִמֵּם (v. תמם - Hiphil + 3mp pron. suff.).

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[הֲתִמֵּם]: The earliest recoverable form of the text is הֲתִמֵּם ("bring an end to them... bring an end to them!"). #dispreferred
 - <Manuscript Evidence>: No Hebrew manuscript or ancient version reads התמם. Rather, all witnesses to the text appear to agree on the consonants ממתם.
  <_ <Metathesis and Interchange>: At some early point in the transmission process, a scribe might have accidentally swapped the מ and the ת (metathesis) and mistaken the initial ה for a מ (interchange).#dispreferred
 + <Context>: In the previous verse (v. 13) the psalmist uses imperatives to ask YHWH to rescue him from his enemies. The continued use of imperatives in v. 14 would make the most sense in this context (cf. Villanueva, 2016, 17:13–14 :C:).#dispreferred
  + [Verse 13]: קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃#dispreferred
 + <Song of the Sea>: There are numerous similarities in verse 7 and "the Song of the Sea (Exod 15:1–18) in which Israel celebrated its deliverance from the Pharaoh in the Exodus" and so it is appropriate that verses 13-14 would invoke YHWH's death sentence (cf. Exod 14:30-31) on the present enemies threatening YHWH's people, represented here by David (Craigie 2004, 163 :C:).#dispreferred
  + [Ps 17:7 and Exod 15:11–13]:
הפלא “reveal the wonder”/
פלא “wonder” -
חסדיך “your lovingkindness”/
בחסדך “in your lovingkindness” -
בימינך “by your right hand”/
ימינך “your right hand”
(Craigie 2004, 163 :C:)#dispreferred
  + [Exodus 14:30-31]: "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead (מֵת) on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses" (Exod 14:30-31 ESV).#dispreferred

4. הֲמִיתֵם

Another option is to emend both occurrences of מִמְתִים to הֲמִיתֵם (the verb מת in the Hiphil stem with a 3mp pronominal suffix; e.g., "make an end of them with your sword. With your hand, LORD, make an end of them" NEB/REB). The NLT and NFC also take this option.

 
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[הֲמִיתֵם]: The earliest recoverable form of the text is הֲמִיתֵם...הֲמִיתֵם ("kill them... kill them!").#dispreferred
 - <Manuscript Evidence>: No Hebrew manuscript or ancient version reads המיתם. Rather, all witnesses to the text appear to agree on the consonants ממתם.
  <_ <Interchange>: At some early point in the transmission process, a scribe might have mistaken the initial ה for a מ.#dispreferred
 + <Context>: In the previous verse (v. 13) the psalmist uses imperatives to ask YHWH to rescue him from his enemies. The continued use of imperatives in v. 14 would make the most sense in this context (cf. Villanueva, 2016, 17:13–14 :C:).#dispreferred
  + [Verse 13]: קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃#dispreferred
 + <Song of the Sea>: There are numerous similarities in verse 7 and "the Song of the Sea (Exod 15:1–18) in which Israel celebrated its deliverance from the Pharaoh in the Exodus" and so it is appropriate that verses 13-14 would invoke YHWH's death sentence (cf. Exod 14:30-31) on the present enemies threatening YHWH's people, represented here by David (Craigie 2004, 163 :C:).#dispreferred
  + [Ps 17:7 and Exod 15:11–13]:
הפלא “reveal the wonder”/
פלא “wonder” -
חסדיך “your lovingkindness”/
בחסדך “in your lovingkindness” -
בימינך “by your right hand”/
ימינך “your right hand”
(Craigie 2004, 163 :C:)#dispreferred
  + [Exodus 14:30-31]: "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead (מֵת) on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses" (Exod 14:30-31 ESV).#dispreferred

5. מְמִיתָם

Another option is to emend both occurrences of מִמְתִים to מְמִיתָם ("kill them with your sword. With your hand, LORD, kill them"). Craigie and Dahood both choose this option (the verb מות in Hiphil participle form).

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[מְמִיתָם]: The earliest recoverable form of the text is מְמִיתָם...מְמִיתָם ("kill them... kill them!").#dispreferred
 + <External Evidence>: Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions appear to agree on the consonants ממתם.#dispreferred
 - <Imperative>: The participle in Biblical Hebrew does not usually have imperatival force. מְמִיתָם would mean "the one who kills them," not "kill them!"
  <_ <Participle as Imperative>: In this particular context, the participle מְמִיתָם has imperatival force ("kill them!") (Dahood 1966, 98-99 :C:).#dispreferred
   - <Circumstantial Clauses>: The participles would more naturally be read as circumstantial clauses elaborating on the main verb in v. 13b (פַּלְּטָה).
   + <Parallelism>: The consonants later in the verse (חלקם) should be vocalized as חַלְּקֵם - with חלק meaning "to perish, die" (as Akkadian halāqu) - such that מְמִיתָם is in parallel with an imperative verb (cf. UT, 49:I:13-14) (Dahood 1966, 99 :C:). #dispreferred
    + [UT, 49:I:13-14]: kmt aliyn b’l khlq zbl b’l ars
“For Victore Baal has died, the Prince Lord of Earth has perished” (Dahood 1966, 99 :C:). #dispreferred
    + <LXX>: The LXX vocalizes the consonants חלקם as an imperative (cf. Peshitta). #dispreferred
     + [LXX]: διαμέρισον αὐτοὺς = חַלְּקֵם  #dispreferred
     + [Peshitta]: חַלְּקֵם = ܬܦܠܓ ܐܢܘܢ #dispreferred
    - <Meaning of חלק>: Interpreting the verb חלק as "to die" has little-to-no support from usage in the Hebrew Bible or interpretation by the ancient versions.
 + <Context>: In the previous verse (v. 13) the psalmist uses imperatives to ask YHWH to rescue him from his enemies. The continued use of imperatives in v. 14 would make the most sense in this context (cf. Villanueva, 2016, 17:13–14 :C:).#dispreferred
  + [Verse 13]: קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃#dispreferred
 + <Song of the Sea>: There are numerous similarities in verse 7 and "the Song of the Sea (Exod 15:1–18) in which Israel celebrated its deliverance from the Pharaoh in the Exodus" and so it is appropriate that verses 13-14 would invoke YHWH's death sentence (cf. Exod 14:30-31) on the present enemies threatening YHWH's people, represented here by David (Craigie 2004, 163 :C:).#dispreferred
  + [Ps 17:7 and Exod 15:11–13]:
הפלא “reveal the wonder”/
פלא “wonder” -
חסדיך “your lovingkindness”/
בחסדך “in your lovingkindness” -
בימינך “by your right hand”/
ימינך “your right hand”#dispreferred
  + [Exodus 14:30-31]: "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead (מֵת) on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses" (Exod 14:30-31 ESV).#dispreferred

6. מִמְּמִתִים

This option reads מִמְּמִתִים (preposition מן +Hiphil ptcp. masc. pl.) as the earliest recoverable Hebrew of what is now attested in the MT (מִמְתִים). E.g., "Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, from the murderers of this world!" (NET)

 
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[מִמְּמִתִים]: מִמְּמִתִים is the earliest recoverable Hebrew of what is now attested in the MT as מִמְתִים.#dispreferred
 - <Manuscript Evidence>: No Hebrew manuscript reads מִמְּמִתִים and no ancient version translates in a manner that suggests מִמְּמִתִים is what they translated from.
 + <Fits Context>: Similar uses of the Hiphil participle (v. מת) elsewhere in the HB show that it fits well in the context of verses 8-14 in Psalm 17, verses that outline the threat David's enemies pose to him. In particular, it resonates well with the leonine imagery (v. 12) more immediately preceding it.#dispreferred
  + [2 Kgs 17:26]: "The king of Assyria was told, 'The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land, so he has sent lions among them. They are killing \[מְמִיתִ֣ים\] the people because they do not know the requirements of the God of the land.'" (NET)#dispreferred
  + [Job 33:22]: "He draws near to the place of corruption,
and his life to the messengers of death \[לַֽמְמִתִֽים\]." (NET)#dispreferred
  + [Jer 26:15]: "But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death \[מְמִתִ֣ים\], you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man.  (NET)#dispreferred 
 + <Haplography>: It is feasible that a scribe might accidentally omit a mem (מ) from מִמְּמִתִים which would account for the MT reading (מִמְתִים) which, in turn, could give rise to other variants.#dispreferred 

7. ממותים

Another option is to read ממותים as the earliest recoverable Hebrew of what the MT attests as the first word of verse 14 (מִמְתִים).

 
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[מְמוֹתִים]: The earliest recoverable form of the Hebrew text begins verse 14 with ממותים ("those who are dead...).#dispreferred
 - <Incoherent>: The dead are not a threat to the living, so it would not make sense for the psalmist to describe his threating foes as "dead ones" as he entreats YHWH for deliverance.
 + <11Q7>: 11Q7, the oldest known witness to the text of Ps 17:14, appears to read ממותים. #dispreferred
  + [11Q7]: 11Q7 frg. 8,4: \[ממות\[ים \]מ֯י֯ד֯\[כה#dispreferred

Conclusion (B)

Granted the apparent textual corruption in v. 14, the preferred solution is to read מִמְתִים with the MT as the earliest recoverable form of the Hebrew text. Whether it is a deliberate use of staircase parallelism or a literary device for communicating bewilderment, it fits the context and seems to best account for the many variants. Moreover, the MT's reading is represented amongst the ancient versions, just not in its entirety in any one of them. If one of the proposed emendations/revocalizations did represent an earlier reading, the textual history of verse 14 would likely be much simpler, with fewer variants, if any at all. The significance of reading with the MT is that it preserves what is probably an instance of the poetic freedom, or least the attested variety, of the ancient Hebrew poetry preserved in the Psalms.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• The LXX: ρομφαίαν σου ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν τῆς χειρός σου· Κύριε ἀπὸ ὀλίγων γῆς, διαμέρισον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν· καὶ τῶν κεκρυμμένων σου ἐπλήσθη ἡ γαστὴρ αὐτῶν, ἐχορτάσθησαν ὑίων καὶ ἀφῆκαν τὰ κατάλοιπα τοῖς νηπίοις αὐτῶν
  • "your sword from the enemies of your hand. O Lord, from things from earth, separate them in their lives. And with your hidden things their belly was filled; they were fed with sons, and they left the remnants to their infants"
• Aquila: κύριε, ἀπὸ τεθνηκότων ἐκ καταδύσεως μέρος αὐτῶν ἐν ζωῇ καὶ τῶν κεκρυμμένων σου πληρώσεις γαστέρας αὐτῶν· ἐμπλησθήσονται [δὲ] υἱῶν, καὶ ἀφήσουσιν αὐτὰ περιουσίαν τοῖς βρέφεσιν αὐτῶν
  • “Lord, their portion in life is from those who have died(,) out of a descent; and with your hidden things you will fill their bellies. They will be satisfied with sons, and they(?) will leave (them?) a surplus for their infants.”
• Symmachus: κύριε, ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν ἀπὸ ἐνδεδυκότων ἡ μερὶς αὐτῶν ἐν ζῶσιν καὶ τῶν ἀπὸθέτων σου πληρώσεις τὰς γαστέρας αὐτῶν. χορτασθήσονται υἱοὶ, καὶ ἀφήσουσι τὰ λείψανα αὐτῶν τοῖς νηπίοις αὐτῶν
  • “Lord, their portion among the living is from the dead, from those who have sunk, and from your hidden stores you will fill their bellies. Sons will be satisfied, and they will leave their leftovers to their infants.”
• Peshitta: ܘܡܢ ܡ̈ܝܬܐ ܕܡܝܬܝܢ ܡܢ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܟ ܡܪܝܐ܂ ܘܡܢ ܡ̈ܝܬܐ ܕܚܦܪܐ܂ ܬܦܠܓ ܐܢܘܢ ܒܚ̈ܝܐ܂ ܘܣܝ̈ܡܬܟ ܡܠܝ ܟܪܣܗܘܢ܂ ܢܣܒܥܘܢ ܒ̈ܢܝܐ ܘܢܫܒܩܘܢ ܫܪܟܐ ܠܒܢܝܗܘܢ
  • “From the dead who die at your hands, O Lord, and from the dead of the grave may you divide them in life. Fill their bellies with your treasures; may their children be filled, and may they leave the remainder to their children”
• Targum: וצדיקיא דמסרין נפשיהון מטולתך ייי למיתותא ומשתצון בארעא חולקהון בחיי עלמא וטשיותך טביא/טבא יתמליין כריסהון יסבעון בנין וישבקון שיוריהו/ יתריהו לטליהון׃
  • “As for the righteous who deliver up their soul to death for your sake, their portion is away from the earth, in eternal life; may their belly be filled with your good store, may (their) sons be satisfied and leave their surplus to their children”
• Jerome (IUXTA HEBR.): a viris manus tuae Domine qui mortui sunt in profundo quorum pars in vita et quorum de absconditis tuis replesti ventrem qui satiabuntur filiis et dimittent reliquias suas parvulis eorum
  • "from the men of your hands, O Lord, who have died in the deep, whose part in life and whose belly you have filled with your hidden things, who will be satisfied with children and leave their remains to their little ones"

Modern

מִמְתִים (the plural noun מְתִים + preposition מִן)

• from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. (ESV)
• By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life (NIV)
• Yahweh, from mortals, by your hand, from mortals whose part in life is in this world (NJB)
• from mortals—by your hand, O Lord— from mortals whose portion in life is in this world (NRSV)
• from men, O LORD, with Your hand, From men whose share in life is fleeting (JPS 1985)
• Use your powerful arm and rescue me from the hands of mere humans whose world won't last (CEV)
• save me from those who in this life have all they want (GNT)
• vor den Leuten, HERR, mit deiner Hand, vor den Leuten dieser Welt, die ihr Teil haben schon im Leben, (Luther 2017)
•  Bring mich vor denen in Sicherheit, die nichts als die Güter dieser Welt im Sinn haben! (HFA)
•  bewahre mich durch deine starke Hand vor den Menschen, HERR, die alles Begehrenswerte allein von dieser vergänglichen Welt erwarten (NGÜ)
• vor den Leuten durch deine Hand, HERR, vor den Leuten, deren Teil im Leben von dieser Welt ist! (ELB)
•  HERR, rette mich mit deiner Hand vor den Leuten, deren Teil am Leben keine Dauer hat! (EÜ)
•  Von solchen Menschen, HERR, von solchen Menschen sei fern deine Hand, ihr Anteil am Leben sei gering (ZÜR)
• fais-moi échapper aux hommes par ta main, Seigneur, aux hommes de ce monde! Leur part est dans la vie, (NBS)
• Des hommes par ta main, Éternel, des hommes de ce monde! Leur part est dans la vie, (NVSR)
• Délivre-moi de ces hommes par ton intervention, Eternel! Que des hommes de ce monde je sois délivré! Leur seule part est en cette vie. (BDS)
• Délivre-moi des hommes par ta main, Eternel, des hommes de ce monde! Leur part est dans cette vie, (S21)
• Que ta main, SEIGNEUR, les chasse de l’humanité, hors de l’humanité et du monde. Voilà leur part pendant cette vie! (TOB)
• ¡Con tu mano, Señor, sálvame de estos mortales que no tienen más herencia que esta vida! (NVI)
• de los hombres, con tu mano, Jehová, de los hombres de este mundo, para quienes lo mejor es esta vida, (RVR95)
• Y con tu mano, oh YHVH, de los hombres mundanos, Cuya porción está enesta vida, (BTX4)

הֲתִמֵּם

•  Befrei mich von ihnen mit deiner starken Hand! Verkürze ihren Anteil am Leben! (GNB?)

הֲמִיתֵם

• Que ton épée les supprime ; de ta propre main, Seigneur, achève-les! Que leur sort, parmi les vivants, soit d'être exclus de la vie! (NFC)
• By the power of your hand, O LORD, destroy those who look to this world for their reward (NLT)
• make an end of them with your sword. With your hand, LORD, make an end of them; thrust them out of this world from among the living (REB)

מִמְּמִתִים

• Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, from the murderers of this world! (NET)

Ambiguous

• con tu poder, Señor, líbrame de ellos; ¡arrójalos de este mundo, que es su herencia en esta vida! (DHH)
• Seigneur, par ta main, chasse-les de la terre, loin des habitants du monde! Voilà tout ce qu’ils méritent dans cette vie! (PDV)

Secondary Literature

Barthélemy, Dominique. 2005. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament. Tome 4: Psaumes. Fribourg: 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.

Brockington, L. H. 1973. The Hebrew text of the Old Testament: the readings adopted by the translators of the New English Bible. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Charney, D. 2013. "Maintaining Innocence Before a Divine Hearer: Deliberative Rhetoric in Psalm 22, Psalm 17, and Psalm 7." BI 21, no. 1: 33-36.

Craigie, Peter C. and Marvin E. Tate. 1983. 2nd ed. Psalms 1-50. Vol. 19. WBC. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

Calvin, John. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Translated by James Anderson. Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Dahood, Mitchell. 1966. Psalms. Vol. 1. ABC. New York: Doubleday.

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

Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms: Psalms 1–41. Vol. 1. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

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

Kissane, Edward. 1953. The Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. Westminster: The Newman Press.

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

Rendsburg, Gary A. 1999. “Confused Language as a Deliberate Literary Device in Biblical Hebrew Narrative.” JHS 2: 1-20.

Stec, David M. 2004. The Targum of Psalms. Vol. 16. The Aramaic Bible. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.

Villanueva, Federico G. 2016. Psalms 1-72. Carlisle, England: Langham Global Library.

Watson, Wilfred G. E. 1986. Classical Hebrew Poetry. JSOT. Sheffield: JSOT Press.

Wilson, Gerald H. 2014. Reprint. Psalms Volume 1. NIVAC. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

References

17:14