The Text and Meaning of Ps 93:3

Back to Psalm 93

Introduction

The MT of Ps 93:3 reads as follows:

נָשְׂא֤וּ נְהָר֨וֹת ׀ יְֽהוָ֗ה

נָשְׂא֣וּ נְהָר֣וֹת קוֹלָ֑ם

יִשְׂא֖וּ נְהָר֣וֹת דָּכְיָֽם׃

The noun דֳּכִי only occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, and translations disagree on how exactly to understand it. A number of dynamic translations smooth over the third line:

• The ocean depths raise their voice, O Lord; they raise their voice and roar. (GNT)

Most translations, however, include the third line as a discrete clause, though they disagree on how best to render the final word, דָּכְיָם, whether the noise that the waves produce or their crashing movement.

• The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. (ESV)
• The seas have lifted up, LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. (NIV)

Argument Maps

Inclusion of the third line

There is a question of whether or not the third line (v. 3c) should be included as part of the text at all. The question arises because this line is omitted in the Septuagint.

Third line absent

The Septuagint, the oldest extant translation of Psalm 93, omits v. 3c entirely. The arguments for and against the exclusion of this line are as follows.

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[Third line absent]: The original text of Ps. 93:3 contains only the first two lines (v. 3ab). #dispreferred 
 + <LXX>: The LXX omits the third line of v. 3. #dispreferred
  + [LXX]: ἐπῆραν οἱ ποταμοί, κύριε, ἐπῆραν οἱ ποταμοὶ φωνὰς αὐτῶν (Rahlfs 1931). #dispreferred
  <_ <Later Greek traditions>: Other Greek manuscripts of the Lucianic/Antiochene Greek tradition include a third line in v. 3, as does the Syro-hexapla (which follows the Lucianic tradition and marks the third line as an addition with the asterisk), the Gallican Psalter, and Alexendrinus and its aligned manuscripts.
   + [Later Greek traditions]: LXX mss: ἀροῦσιν οἱ ποταμοὶ ἐπιτρίψεις αὐτῶν ("The rivers lift up their pounding"); Syro-hex: ܢܪܕܡܘܢ ܢܗܪܘܬܐ ܚܪܬܐ ܕܝܠܗܘܢ ("The rivers lift up their grinding"); Ga: elevabunt flumina fluctus suos ("the rivers will lift up their tides")
  <_ <Line skipped>: The omission of the third line in the LXX was an unintentional scribal error, caused by either the same last word (Greek αὐτῶν) or final letter (Hebrew ם).
  <_ <Misunderstanding>: The omission of the third line was due to the translator not understanding it.
   + <Peshitta>: The Peshitta also did not understand דֳּכִי, but, as typical when a word was not understood (Weitzman 1999:37), instead offers a similar-sounding but totally different phrase ܒܕܟܝܘܬܐ, "in purity".
 + <Syntax>: Besides v. 3, the only other case of gapping in the psalm involves two clauses, not three, setting the precedent for the two lines with gapping of the object argument in the first. #dispreferred 
  + [V. 1b-c]: גֵּא֪וּת לָ֫בֵ֥שׁ לָבֵ֣שׁ יְ֭הוָה. #dispreferred
 + <Poetic structure>: The preceding verse (v. 2) is a bicolon, making it likely that v. 3 is also a bicolon. #dispreferred
  <_ <Prevalent tricola>: Besides v. 2, the rest of Ps. 93 has tricola throughout, which would make it much more likely here.

Third line present (preferred)

All of the modern translations that we consulted include the third line. The arguments for and against inclusion are as follows.

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[Third line present]: The original text of Ps. 93:3 contains three lines.
 - <The meaning of דֳּכִי >: The line-final דֳּכִי is out of place in the current discourse, which is concerned with the waters' voice (v. 3, קוֹלָ֑ם; v. 4, מִקֹּל֨וֹת), not their 'crushing' (דֳּכִי) so may have been added for poetic-structural purposes. #dispreferred
  - <The context within the psalm>: The word דֳּכִי probably relates to the threat of the waters against the dry land (cf. v. 1c), so is, in fact, relevant.
  - <The context within the Psalter>: The root דכא, a by-form of דכה, is attested in nearby psalms (Ps. 90:3 and 94:5, respectively), so is probably a deliberate lexical connection by an early compiler (Hossfeld 2005:449 :C:), whose meaning may shed light on דֳּכִי.
 + <Ancient versions>: The third line is present in the MT and all of the ancient versions, with the exception of the LXX.
  + [Ancient versions]: MT: יִשְׂא֖וּ נְהָר֣וֹת דָּכְיָֽם; Peshitta: ܐܬܬܪܝܡܘ ܢܗܪ̈ܘܬܐ ܡܪܝܐ܂ ܐܪܝܡܘ ܢܗܪ̈ܘܬܐ ܩܠܗܘܢ܂ ܐܬܬܪܝܡܘ ܢܗܪ̈ܘܬܐ ܒܕܟܝܘܬܐ܂; Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): levaverunt flumina Domine levaverunt flumina voces suas levaverunt flumina gurgites suos; Targum Psalms: זקיפין נהרוותא ייי זקיפין נהרוותא קלהון בשירתא יקבלון נהרוותא אגר שבחיהון.
 + <Iconicity of the waves>: The three-fold repetition of clauses/lines describing the waves' actions are "may be deliberatively deployed to suggest a wavelike movement in the formal pattern of the verse" (Alter 2019: 223).
 + <Prevalent tricola>: With the exception of v. 2, the rest of Ps. 93 consists of tricola.

The Semantics of דֳּכִי

Translations generally interpret the meaning of דֳּכִי in one of two ways:

1. Referring to the waves' sound
2. Referring to the waves' action

The waves' sound

Some translations understand the sense of to refer to the noise produced by the waves, primarily roaring (ESV, Luther 2017, ELB, EÜ, ZÜR, RVA 2015, BTA4ª, NBS, NVSR, BDS, NFC, TOB).

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[Roaring]: The word דֳּכִי refers to the "roaring" of the waves (Hengstenberg 1860: 151 :C:; Delitzsch 1887: 72 :C:; Baethgen 1904: 290 :C:; Kraus 1960: 646 :C:; TDOT vol. 3: 203 :L:; Bratcher & Reyburn 1991: 815 :M:; Alonso-Schökel 1993 :C:; Hossfeld 2005: 446 :C:; Alter 2019: 223 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Co-text of the verse>: דֳּכִי in v. 3c is in parallel with קוֹלָם in v. 3b. #dispreferred
  <_ <Parallel semantics>: Words in structurally parallel position (at the end of vv. 3b and 3c) do not need to be synonymous, so a gloss with a similar sense to קוֹל is not necessary.
 + <Semantic extension>: The noisy effect of either the waves themselves or their crushing action is in view. #dispreferred
#dispreferred
  - <Illegitimate jump>: A shift from the crushing waves' action to the noisy side-effect is not valid semantic extension, but would require a totally distinct sense of the root דכא/ה.
   + <Root>: The root דכא/ה finds its semantic primitive in "crushing" (TDOT :L:).

The waves's action (preferred)

Other translations highlight the pounding action of the waves themselves (NIV, NLT, NASB, CSB, NABRE). This seems to be a metonymic extension from the action to the causer, as the case of מִשְׁבָּר (breakers, waves) from the verb שׁבר (to break). In line with the crushing evident in the root דכ׳׳א/ה, this etymology sheds light on the waves' movement against the shore and its attritional effects.

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[Crushing (waves)]: The word דֳּכִי refers to "crushing (waves)" (BDB :L:; HALOT :L:; DCH :L:; NIDOTTE :D:; TWOT :D:; Theodoret :C:; Radak :C:; Kirkpatrick 1901: 464 :C:; Dahood 1968: 339 :C:; Tate 1990: 471 :C:; Goldingay 2008 :C:; VanGemeren 2008 :C:).
 + <World-knowledge>: There is only one thing the ocean currents can raise: their waves. Furthermore, the crashing action makes sense of real-world reality that the movement of the waves against the shore breaks down the earth it is up against (Theodoret 2001:114 :C:).
  <_ <Co-text>: Literal actions of the ocean are not in view here. #dispreferred
   + [The previous line]: The B-line speaks of the ocean currents lifting קוֹלָם. #dispreferred
    <_ <Voice >> Noise>: Waves do, in the real world, produce noise.
 + <Ancient Versions>: A number of ancient witnesses provide a similar gloss to waves.
  + [Jerome and Aquila]: Jerome's Gallican Psalter reads fluctus (waves), Jerome's translation from the Hebrew text reads gurges (floods), and Aquila reads βάθη (depths).
  + <Later Greek tradition>: The third line as represented in Origen's fifth column translates the word as 'pounding' (cf. Syro-hexapla).
   + [Later Greek tradition]: O': ἀροῦσιν οἱ ποταμοὶ ἐπιτρίψεις αὐτῶν (The rivers lift up their pounding); cf. Syro-hexapla: ܢܪܝܡܘܢ ܢܗܪܘܬܐ ܚܪܬܐ ܕܝܠܗܘܢ (The rivers lift up their grinding).
   + <Lexemes chosen>: The lexemes found in O' and Syro-hexapla are derived from verbs meaning "grind," "crush," "wear down," "hollow out" (LSJ :L:; Diggle 2021:582 :L:; Sokoloff 2009:496 :L:). 
  <_ <Misunderstanding>: It is possible that דֳּכִי was not understood, which led translators to give a contextual guess. #dispreferred
   + <Peshitta>: The Peshitta has ܒܕܟܝܘܬܐ ('in purity') is a clear example of guessing at the meaning of the word (Weitzman 1999: 37). #dispreferred
   <_ <Analogy with modern translations and commentators>: Some modern commentators translate the word as "waves" and later nuance with more detail, indicating the probably metonymic interpretation (crushing>>waves), rather than contextual guess.
    + [Kirkpatrick]: Kirkpatrick translates "the floods lift up their waves" (1901:564), but later comments, "A word occurring here only, probably meaning collusion, clash, din" (ibid.:565).
 + <Etymological derivation>: The morphology of דֳּכִי clearly derives from the root דכא/ה, "to crush" (TDOT vol. 3 1978:195-208 :D:).
 + <Surrounding Discourse>: The rare root דכא/ה is common in surrounding psalms to such an extent that "the link between the natural and social phenomena, given the rarity of the root, is probably deliberate" (Hossfeld 2005:449 :C:).
  + [Surrounding Discourse]: Ps. 89:11 reads "You crushed (דִכִּאתָ) Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm" (ESV), immediately after "You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them" (ESV). Furthermore, Ps. 90:3: "You return man to dust (דַּכָּא)" (ESV) and Ps. 94:5: "They crush (יְדַכְּאוּ) your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage" (ESV).
 + <Nominal morphology>: The nominal pattern דֳּכִי follows the verbal substantive qoty pattern (Heuhnergard 2015: 41).
  + [Nominal morphology]: See also חֳלִי "sickness", יֹפִי "beauty", עֳנִי "affliction", and רֱאִי "sight".

Conclusion

In conclusion, the evidence for the omission of the third line is unconvincing. Its unique absence, only in the base text of the LXX, probably arose by scribal error skipping over the line due to its identical last word with the previous line in Greek (αὐτῶν), its identical last letter in Hebrew (ם), or perhaps on account of the misunderstanding of the last word דֳּכִי (as seems to have been the case in the Peshitta, and possibly Targum Psalms). If absent from the proto-MT Vorlage, the later appearance of this third line seems difficult to hypothesise. Thus, the third line should be included as both the MT and the rest of the ancient versions have it.

The hapax legomenon דֳּכִי has caused problems for translators, but a gloss identifying the grinding and crushing attritional actions on the shore is preferable. It is clearly related to the דכא/ה word family, present also in Ps. 89:11, 90:3 and 94:5. Though other commentators appear aware of the semantic field of דכא/ה, translations relating to the waves' sounds are misleading.

Thus, דֳּכִי should be translated along the lines of crushing (waves). Our conclusions maintain the integrity of the MT's text, both structurally and lexically. While the potentially harmful actions of these powerful waters threaten the dry land, v. 1 has already comforted the reader that the world is in its place without moving (אַף־תִּכּ֥וֹן תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל בַּל־תִּמּֽוֹט׃). This is possible because YHWH is more majestic than the sounds of many waters (v. 4).

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ἐπῆραν οἱ ποταμοί, κύριε, ἐπῆραν οἱ ποταμοὶ φωνὰς αὐτῶν·
  • "The streams lifted up, O Lord; the streams lifted up their voices"
• LXX plus: ἀροῦσιν οἱ ποταμοὶ ἐπιτρίψεις αὐτῶν
  • "The rivers lift up their pounding"
• Aquila: ἐπήρθη ποταμῶν βάθη αὐτῶν
• Gallican Psalter: elevabunt flumina fluctus suos
  • "The rivers will lift their waves"
• Peshitta: ܐܬܬܪܝܡܘ ܢܗܪ̈ܘܬܐ ܡܪܝܐ܂ ܐܪܝܡܘ ܢܗܪ̈ܘܬܐ ܩܠܗܘܢ܂ ܐܬܬܪܝܡܘ ܢܗܪ̈ܘܬܐ ܒܕܟܝܘܬܐ܂
  • "The rivers are lifted up, O Lord – the rivers have lifted up their voice; the rivers are lifted up in purity."
• Iuxta Hebraeos: levaverunt flumina Domine levaverunt flumina voces suas levaverunt flumina gurgites suos
  • "The rivers lifted, Lord, the rivers lifted their voices; the rivers lifted their floods."
• Targum: זקיפין נהרוותא ייי זקיפין נהרוותא קלהון בשירתא יקבלון נהרוותא אגר שבחיהון
  • "The rivers have lifted up their voice with songs; they have given praise before the Lord; the rivers have lifted up their voice with songs; the rivers will receive a reward for their praise."

Modern

Third line suppressed in dynamic translations

• The ocean depths raise their voice, O Lord; they raise their voice and roar. (GNT)
• Die Fluten der Meere toben und tosen, sie brüllen ihr mächtiges Lied. (HFA)
• Oh Señor, los ríos braman y levantan grandes olas (DHH)
• Autrefois les fleuves ont crié, les fleuves ont crié de colère, et ils crient, ils crient encore. (PDV)

דֳּכִי understood as roaring

• The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. (ESV)
• HERR, die Fluten erheben, / die Fluten erheben die Stimme, die Fluten erheben ihr Brausen. (Luther 2017 ≈ ELB, EÜ)
• Ströme erhoben, HERR, Ströme erhoben ihre Stimme, Ströme erheben ihr Tosen. (ZÜR)
• Alzaron los ríos, oh SEÑOR, alzaron los ríos su sonido; alzaron los ríos su estruendo. (RVA 2015 = BTX4ª)
• Les fleuves élèvent, Seigneur! Les fleuves élèvent leur voix, les fleuves élèvent leur grondement. (NBS = NVSR, BDS, NFC)
• Les flots ont enflé, Seigneur! les flots ont enflé leur voix; les flots enflent leur fracas. (TOB)
• The waves roar, O LORD, the waves roar, the waves roar and crash. (NET)

דֳּכִי understood as pounding waves

• The seas have lifted up, LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. (NIV = NLT, NASB, CSB, NABRE)
• The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. (KJV)
• Les fleuves font entendre, Eternel, les fleuves font entendre leur voix, les fleuves font entendre le grondement de leurs flots. (SG21)

דֳּכִי understood as pounding (without explicit waves)

• The rivers have lifted up, O Yahweh; the rivers have lifted up their rumbling; the rivers have lifted up their pounding. (LEB ≈ JPS 1985)

Secondary Literature

Texts, Editions & Translations

Pietersma, Albert (tr.) 2009. NETS translation of the Psalms.

Stec, David M. 2004. The Targum of Psalms: Translated, with a Critical Introduction, Apparatus, and Notes. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.

Taylor, Richard A. in Bali, Joseph & George Kiraz [eds.]. 2020. The Psalms According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.

Monographs

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

Weitzman, Michael P. 1999. The Syriac Version of the Old Testament. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Article

Heuhnergard, J. 2015. "Biblical Hebrew Nominal Patterns" in J. M. Hutton & A. D. Rubin (eds.) Epigraphy, Philology, and the Hebrew Bible: Methodological Perspectives on Philological and Comparative Study of the Hebrew Bible in Honor of Jo Ann Hackett. Atlanta, GA: SBL, 25-64.

Lexica

DCH = David J. A. Clines, David J. A. (ed). 1993-2011. The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.

BDB = Brown, Francis, Driver, Samuel R. & Briggs, Charles A. 1977. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

HALOT = Ludwig Koehler, Ludwig & Baumgartner, Walter et al. 1994-2000. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Leiden: Brill.

TWOT = Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer Jr., Gleason L & Waltke, Bruce K. (eds.). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

NIDOTTE = VanGemeren, Willem (ed.). 1997. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

TDOT = Botterweck, G. Johannes & Ringgren, Helmer (eds.). 1978. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, Volume III. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

LSJ = Liddel, Henry G., Scott, Robert & Jones, Henry S. 1940. A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Diggle, James (ed.). 2021. The Cambridge Greek Lexicon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Sokoloff, Michael. 2009. A Syriac Lexicon: A Translation from the Latin, Correction, Expansion, and Update of C. Brockelmann's Lexicon Syriacum. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns & Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.

Commentaries

Alonso Schökel, Luis. 1993. Salmos II (Salmos 73-150): Traducción, Introducciones y Comentario. Navarra: Verbo Divino.

Alter, R. 2019. The Hebrew Bible (Volume 3): The Writings: A Translation with Commentary. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.

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

Dahood, Mitchell J. 1968. Psalms II, 51-100: Introduction, Translation, and Notes. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1877. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 3. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Goldingay, John. 2008. Psalms 90-150. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Hengstenberg, Ernst W. 1863-4. Commentary on the Psalms, Vol. III. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar. 2005. A Commentary on Psalms 51-100. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Kirkpatrick, Alexander F. 1901. The Book of Psalms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1960. Psalmen: 2 Teilband. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag.

Radak (Kimchi, David) on Psalms.

Tate, Marvin E. 1990. Psalms 51-100. Dallas, TX: Word Books.

Theodoret of Cyrus, (trans.) Hill, Robert C. 2001. Commentary on the Psalms. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press.

VanGemeren, Willem A. 2008. The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Psalms. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

References

93:3