The Text and Meaning of Psalm 27:8a

Back to Psalm 27

Introduction

The MT of Psalm 27:8a reads:

לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃

Psalm 27:8a is considered “difficult in the context” (Craigie, 229, 230), to such an extent that some say that its “translation can only be tentative” (Anderson, 224). There are multiple interrelated textual and semantic issues in the verse, especially related to the words לך, בקשׁ and פָּנֶה. Below is a chart with combinations of choices pertaining to these issues as related to major English translations:

Versions	לך	בקשׁ	פָּנֶה	Sample Translation
NEB, NRSV	‘Come’ לֵךְ (impv. 2ms הלךְ)	‘Seek’ בַּקֵּשׁ (impv. 2ms)	‘His face’ פָּנָיו (3ms pron. suffix)	“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. (NRSV)
NJB, NIV	‘Of you’ לְךָ֤ (prep. + pron. suffix)	‘Seek’ בַּקֵּשׁ (impv. 2ms)	‘His face’ פָּנָיו (3ms pron. suffix)	My heart says of you, "seek His face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. (NIV)
DBT, JPS, NJPS	‘In behalf of/for you’ לְךָ֤ (prep. + pron. suffix)	‘Seek’ בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ (impv. 2mp)	‘My face’ (as object) פָנָ֑י (1cs pro suffix)	My heart said for thee, Seek ye my face. Thy face, O Jehovah, will I seek. (DBT)
ESV, NASB, GWT, RSV KJV, NKJV, WEB, ASV, ERV	‘To you’ לְךָ֤ (prep. + pro suffix)	‘Seek’ בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ (impv. 2mp)	‘my face’ (as object) פָנָ֑י (1cs pro suffix)	You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” (ESV) *see alternate grammatical diagram in pink for clausal rearrangement

The issues can be broken down into four questions:

(1) לך, textual question: should לך be vocalized as: לֵךְ (2ms imperative) or לךָ (preposition with a 2ms pronominal suffix)?

(2) לך, semantic question: if לך is viewed as a preposition is it a dative of advantage meaning something like 'in behalf of'/'for' [you], a dative of specification, meaning something like ‘of'/'regarding' [you], or a dative indicating addressee (indirect object), meaning 'to' [you]?

(3) בקשׁ, textual question: is בקשׁ an imperative 2mp or an imperative 2ms?

(4) פָּנֶה, textual question: does פָּנֶה have a 1cs pronominal suffix or a 3ms pronominal suffix?

The following argument maps will address each of these questions.

Argument Map(s)

Textual question: לְךָ vs לֵךְ

לְךָ (preferred)

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"} 
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[לְךָ]: The earlier reading of the text is לְךָ with 'ל' as a preposition plus a 2ms pronominal suffix: ('for'/'in behalf of', 'of'/'concerning', 'to') you
 + <Textual support for לְךָ>: Early witnesses read the text as לְךָ.
  + [Ancient support for לְךָ]: MT; cf. LXX: σοὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία, TgPss: לך אמר לבי, Peshitta: ܠܟ ܐܡܪ ܠܒܝ, Jerome: tibi dixit cor meum
 - <Conflicting singular and plural addressee>: If the 'ל' indicates the addressee (indirect object) of the speech, the singular suffix (ך) conflicts with the plural imperative (and thus plural addressee) within the speech itself (e.g. 'My heart says to you (sing.), "(You pl.) seek my face" Your face, LORD, I will seek'). #dispreferred
  - <No addressee conflict with clausal rearrangement>: With a clausal rearrangement (as represented in the alternate pink diagram above) the 'ל' indicates the singular suffix (ך) as an addressee of speech, but not the same addressee as the plural imperative's, thus removing the conflict (e.g., 'You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek”').
  - <No addressee conflict with with 'ל' of advantage or specification>: With the 'ל' as a dative of interest indicating advantage ('for'/'in behalf of') or a dative of specification ('of'/'concerning') there is no conflict between the singular suffix and the plural imperative within the speech (e.g., 'My heart says in your behalf, "(You pl.) seek my face." Your face, LORD, I will seek'). 

לֵךְ

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"} 
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[לֵךְ]: The earlier reading of the text is לֵךְ, with לֵךְ as a Qal impv. 2ms from הלך ('come') #dispreferred
 + <Context cogency>: Because the 'ל' as a preposition with the speaking verb 'אמר' is 'grammatically dissonant' (Dahood, 166-8) another solution is needed; לֵךְ suits the context. #dispreferred
  - <Grammatical dissonance solved: no addressee conflict with clausal rearrangement>:  With a clausal rearrangement (as represented in the alternate pink diagram above) the 'ל' indicates the singular suffix (ך) as an addressee of speech, but not the same addressee as the plural imperative's, thus removing the conflict (e.g., 'You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek”').
  - <Grammatical dissonance solved: no addressee conflict with with 'ל' of advantage or specification>: With the 'ל' as a dative of interest indicating advantage ('for'/'in behalf of') or a dative of specification ('of'/'concerning') there is no conflict between the singular suffix and the plural imperative within the speech  (e.g., 'My heart says in your behalf, "(You pl.) seek my face." Your face, LORD, I will seek'). 
 + <'לך' as an impv. 2ms in HB>: Other HB texts with לך are clarified by reading it as a Qal impv. 2ms from הלך rather than a preposition with a 2ms pronominal suffix. #dispreferred
  + ['לך' as an impv. 2ms in HB]:Ps. 45:15; 105:11 #dispreferred
  - <Emendations unnecessary and unsupported>: There is no textual support for emending these texts.
 - <No ancient support>: There is no ancient Hebrew mss support nor support in early ancient witnesses for reading לֵךְ as a 2ms imperative verb from הלך.

Semantic question: meaning of the lamed

'ל' as a dative of advantage ('in behalf of'/'for') (preferred)

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"} 
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
['ל' as a dative of advantage]: The 'ל' preposition in Ps. 27:8a is a dative of interest indicating advantage, meaning 'for'/'in behalf of' (IBHS §11.2.10d, 207)
 + <Medieval commentary support>: Medieval Jewish commentators (e.g., Rashi, Ibn Ezra) read the preposition as a dative of advantage.
  + [Medieval Jewish commentator evidence]: Rashi: "TO Y0U MY HEART SAYS: ‘SEEK MY FACE’.”לְךָ ‘to/for you’ here means ‘for you’, i.e., ‘in your behalf’"; Ibn Ezra: "IN THY BEHALF MY HEART HATH SAID. Rabbi Moses says that the meaning of lekha (in Thy behalf) is, because of you. לְךָ is like לי (because of me) in, say because of me: He is my brother (Gen. 20:13). The following is the meaning of our verse: I declare what You commanded us through the hand of Your messengers. You said to us, seek My face. I therefore seek Your face O Lord".
 + <HB support>: At least two other texts, Joshua 10:12 and Isaiah 5:1, may be read with a 'ל' as a dative of advantage (cf. Barthelemy, 159-60).
  - <Isaiah 5:1 'ל' as topic>: The 'ל' in Is. 5:1 better analysed as indicating the topic of communication along with Gen. 20:13 (Jenni Rubrik 6:6911, 147 :M:). #dispreferred
  + <Ancient grammarian support>: "The ancient grammarian "Hayyuj (Kokovzov 14) has already remarked that "דודי and לידידי here both refer to the Lord who inspires the prophet to compose this song in his name. This 'lamed' should be understood as 'in the name of'. Rashi also glosses this 'lamed' with 'in behalf of..., instead of...' and 'by mandate of..." (Barthelemy, 118, notes on Isaiah 5:1).
  + [HB texts with 'ל' as a dative of advantage]: Joshua 10:12 אָ֣ז יְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה; Isaiah 5:1 אָשִׁ֤ירָה נָּא֙ לִֽידִידִ֔י 
 + <Grammatical dissonance solved: no addressee conflict with with 'ל' of advantage>: With the 'ל' as a dative of interest indicating advantage ('for'/'in behalf of') or a dative of specification ('of'/'concerning') there is no conflict between the singular suffix and the plural imperative within the speech (e.g., 'My heart says in your behalf, "(You pl.) seek my face." Your face, LORD, I will seek'). 

'ל' as a dative indicating addressee ('to')

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"} 
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
['ל' as a dative indicating addressee]: The 'ל' preposition in Ps. 27:8a is a dative indicating addressee, meaning 'to' #dispreferred
 + <'ל' with verbs of saying usually indicates addressee>: The 'ל' preposition with verbs of saying usually indicates an addressee (BHRG §39.11b).#dispreferred
 + <Ancient support for 'ל' as 'to'>: Some ancient versions read the 'ל' as indicating the indirect object, meaning 'to'. #dispreferred
  + [Greek versions]: LXX: σοὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου ᾿Εζήτησεν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου·; Aquila: σοι εΐπεν ή καρδία μου, εζήτησαν πρόσωπά μου; Symmachus: σοί προσελάλει ή καρδία μου, σε εζήτει τὸ πρόσωπόν μου. #dispreferred
 - <Conflicting singular and plural addressee>: If the 'ל' indicates the addressee (indirect object) of the speech, the singular suffix (ך) conflicts with the plural imperative (and thus plural addressee) within the speech itself (e.g., 'My heart says to you' (sing.), "(You pl.) seek my face" Your face, LORD, I will seek').
  - <No addressee conflict with clausal rearrangement>:  With a clausal rearrangement (as represented in the alternate pink diagram above) the 'ל' indicates the singular suffix (ך) as an addressee of speech, but not the same addressee as the plural imperative's, thus removing the conflict (e.g., 'You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek”'). #dispreferred
  <_ <Alternate vocalization for coherency>: An alternate vocalization of בקשׁ and/or a transposition of the 'ו' (waw) make the speech coherent with a datival 'ל' indicating addressee. #dispreferred

Textual question: בַּקְּשׁוּ vs בָּקֵּשׁ

בַּקְּשׁוּ ('seek', 2mp impv.) (preferred)

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"} 
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[בַּקְּשׁוּ]: The earlier text reads בַּקְּשׁוּ, an imperative 2mp ('seek')
 + <Textal support for בַּקְּשׁוּ>: Early witnesses read the text as בַּקְּשׁוּ.
  + [MT]: The MT reads the text as בַּקְּשׁוּ.
  + [Targum]: The Targum reads בעו (cf. Stec 2004:66).
 + <HB divine command>: In the HB, God commands people to seek him.
  + [E.g., Amos 5:4]: For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: 
“Seek me and live;  כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֖ה לְבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל דִּרְשׁ֖וּנִי וִֽחְיֽוּ
 + <Completive relation>: A command to seek YHWH's face in the a-line would explain the psalmist's response in the b-line: "Your face, YHWH, I will seek." The psalmist 'justifies his request by appealing to the YHWH's summons to turn to him (in times of need)' (Baethgen, 77-78, cf. Magin, 4).
 - <Conflicting singular and plural addressee>: If the 'ל' indicates the addressee (indirect object) of the speech, the singular suffix (ך) conflicts with the plural imperative (and thus plural addressee) within the speech itself (e.g., 'My heart says to you (sing.), "(You pl.) seek my face" Your face, LORD, I will seek'). #dispreferred
  - <No addressee conflict with clausal rearrangement>:  With a clausal rearrangement (as represented in the alternate pink diagram above) the 'ל' indicates the singular suffix (ך) as an addressee of speech, but not the same addressee as the plural imperative's, thus removing the conflict (e.g., 'You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek”').
  - <No addressee conflict with בַּקְּשׁוּ plus a 'ל' of advantage or specification>: With the 'ל' as a dative of interest indicating advantage ('for'/'in behalf of') or a dative of specification ('of'/'concerning') there is no conflict between the singular suffix and the plural imperative within the speech (e.g., 'My heart says in your behalf, "(You pl.) seek my face." Your face, LORD, I will seek'). 

בַּקֵּשׁ ('seek', impv. 2ms)

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"} 
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[בַּקֵּשׁ]: The earlier text reads בקשׁ as בַּקֵּשׁ, an imperative 2ms ('seek') #dispreferred
 + <No addressee conflict with a 2ms impv.>: There is no addressee conflict between the 2ms pronominal suffix (ך) and the imperative if the imperative is read as 2ms (בַּקֵּשׁ) and is accompanied by a noun with a 3ms pronominal suffix (פָּנָיו), and a 'ל' as a dative of specification. #dispreferred
  <_ <No addressee conflict with בַּקְּשׁוּ plus a 'ל' of advantage>: With the 'ל' as a dative of interest indicating advantage ('for'/'in behalf of') there is no conflict between the singular suffix and the plural imperative within the speech (e.g., 'My heart says in your behalf, "(You pl.) seek my face." Your face, LORD, I will seek'). 
 + <HB commands to seek God>: The command to seek God is often a 2ms verb with an object in the 3rd person.  #dispreferred
  + [HB commands to seek God]: Amos 5:6; Ps. 105:4; Ps. 24:6; 1 Chron. 16:11; Zeph. 2:3 #dispreferred

Textual question: פָנָי vs פָּנָיו

פָנָי ('my face', 1cs pronominal suffix) (preferred)

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"} 
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[פָנָי]: The earlier reading is פָּנֶה) פָנָי with a 1cs pronominal suffix) 'my face'
 + <Textual support for פָנָי>: Early witnesses read the text as פָנָי.
  + [Ancient support for פָנָי]: MT; cf. LXX; Iuxta Hebr.; Peshitta; Targum
 + <HB divine command>: There are divine commands to seek in the HB with God as the object.
  + [Amos 5:4]: 'For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live..."'

פָּנָיו ('his face', 3ms pronominal suffix)

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"} 
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[פָּנָיו]: The earlier reading is פָּנֶה) ,פָנָ֑יו with a 3ms pronominal suffix) 'his face' #dispreferred
 - <No ancient witnesses for פָּנָיו>: There are no ancient witnesses that read the text as פָּנָיו.
 + <HB command to seek God>: The command to seek is often 2ms accompanied by a 3rd person object (seek his face). #dispreferred
  + [HB command to seek God]: Amos 5:6; Ps. 105:4; Ps. 24:6; 1 Chron. 16:11; Zeph. 2:3 #dispreferred
 + <'ו' with the object>: The 'ו' (in the MT בַּקְּשׁוּ) if transposed to פָנָי may function as a 3ms pronominal suffix, rendering the object 'his face' rather than 'my face' (cf. BHS critical note a–a). #dispreferred

Conclusion

A typical reading of the lamed preposition with a verb of speech is that it indicates an addressee. However, if the 'ל' in Ps. 27:8a indicates the addressee (indirect object) of the speech, the singular suffix (ך) conflicts with the plural imperative (and thus plural addressee) within the speech itself. This difficulty is resolved with the following preferred readings:

• לך, textual question: לך is best read as.לְךָ, a preposition plus a 2ms pronominal suffix.

• לך, semantic question: לך is best read as לְךָ, with the preposition as a dative of advantage rendering the meaning of the phrase something like 'in behalf of'/'for' [you].

• בקשׁ, textual question: בקשׁ is best read as בַּקְּשׁוּ, an imperative 2mp.

• פָּנֶה, textual question: פָּנֶה is best read as פָנָי, a noun with a 1cs pronominal suffix.

With these choices the verse reads, ‘My heart [mind] has said in your behalf, “Seek my face”’. It functions in a “request-reason relation... in which David is stating he has performed the very thing Yahweh told him [along with the community of faith] to do” (Magin, 4). Psalm 27:8b and following expresses the psalmist's response: ‘your face, YHWH, will I seek. Do not hide your face from me’.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• MT: לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י
• Mp: 7 times with a dagesh (in the ק, and once without a dagesh)
• Mm 1690: 1 Sam. 28:7; Zeph. 2:3 (3 times); Ps. 27:8; 105:4; 1 Chron. 16:11; (once without a dagesh וּבַקְשׁוּ Jer. 5:1)
• BHS: NOTE a–a: ^aבַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י^a: The Syriac connects (it) with the following [line]; בָּקֵּשׁ פָּנָיו has been proposed by BHS editors – imperative 2ms and 3ms pronominal suffix on noun 'seek his face').
• BHS: NOTE b: ^bבַּקְּשׁ֣וּ: LXX (α’, σ’, Syriac) εζήτησεν = בִּ׳ [בִּקֵּשׁ Piel Qatal 3ms or 3mp בִּקְּשׁ֣וּ]
• LXX: σοὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου ᾿Εζήτησεν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου· [= בִּקֵּשׁ Piel Qatal 3ms]
• NETS: To you my heart said, “My face sought!”
• 'A.: σοι εΐπεν ή καρδία μου, εζήτησαν πρόσωπά μου. [3mp]
• Σ.: σοί προσελάλει ή καρδία μου, σε εζήτει τὸ πρόσωπόν μου [Cod. 264 minus probabiliter παραλάλει et εζητησε habet.] [3ms]
• TgPss: לך אמר לבי בעו אפי
• STEC: [This is a difficult verse in the MT, which TgPss has translated virtually literally.] To you, my heart said, “Seek [Plural imperative; M singular.] my face.”
• Peshitta: ܠܟ ܐܡܪ ܠܒܝ ܘܒ̈ܥܝܢ ܐ̈ܦܝ ܠܐ̈ܦܝܟ܂
• TAYLOR: My heart speaks to you; my face seeks your face
• IUXTA Hebr.: tibi dixit cor meum quaesivit vultus meus faciem tuam [= Qatal 3ms 'he sought']
• Douay-Rheims: My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee:

Modern

• NEB: ‘Come,’ my heart has said, ‘seek his face,’ [prob. rdg., Heb. seek ye]
• NRSV: “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
• NJB: Of you my heart has said, ‘Seek his face!’ [‘seek his face’ conj.; seek (plur) my face’ Hebr. This expression, see Am 5:4c, originally signifying ‘to consult yahweh in his sanctuary, 2 S 21:1, took on a wider sense: to seek to know God, to live in his presence. To ‘seek God’, 40:16; 69:6; 105:3; Dt 4:29, see Am 5:4c, is to serve him faithfully.]
• NIV: My heart says of you, "Seek [Or To you, O my heart, he has said, “Seek my] his face!"
• NLT: My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
• ESV: You have said, “Seek [The command (seek) is addressed to more than one person] my face.” My heart says to you,
• NET Bible: My heart tells me to pray to you,[tc Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’ ” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the LORD he hears. His “heart” is viewed as speaking, however, so it is better to emend the form to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”).]
• NASB: When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
• NASB 1995: When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You,
• NASB 1977: When Thou didst say, “Seek My face,” my heart said to Thee,
• CEV: My heart tells me to pray. I am eager to see your face,
• GNT: When you said, "Come worship me,"
• GWT: [When you said,] "Seek my face," my heart said to you,
• ISV: My mind recalls your word, "Seek my face," [The Heb. lacks your word]
• NET: My heart tells me to pray to you, and I do pray to you, O LORD.
• KJV: When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,
• NKJV: When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You,
• RSV: Thou hast said, “Seek ye my face.” My heart says to thee,
• WEB: When you said, "Seek my face," my heart said to you,
• ASV: When thou saidst , Seek ye my face; My heart said unto thee,
• DBT: My heart said for thee, Seek ye my face.
• ERV: When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,
• CPDV: My heart has spoken to you; my face has sought you.
• JPS 1917: In Thy behalf my heart hath said: 'Seek ye My face';
• NJPS: In Your behalf [Meaning of Hebrew uncertain.] my heart says: “Seek My face!”
• TS2009: To my heart You have said, “Seek My face.” Your face, יהוה, I seek.
• TOJB2011: When my lev said of Thee, Seek ye My face, my lev said unto Thee, Thy face, Hashem, will I seek.

Lexicons

• BDB: בָּקַשׁ 134.2, 135.1 b. of God (from resorting to sacred places) Ho 5:15 1 Ch 16:11 ( = ψ 105:4) 2 Ch 7:14 2 S 21:1 ψ 24:6; 27:8(); without פְּנֵי c. יהוה Dt 4:29 Zp 1:6; 2:3 Ho 3:5; 5:6 Ex 33:7 (J) 1 Ch 16:10 ( = ψ 105:3) 2 Ch 11:16; 20:4 Is 51:1 Pr 28:5 Zc 8:21, 22 Je 50:4; אלהים 2 S 12:16, cf. Ezr 8:22 Is 45:19; 65:1 2 Ch 15:4, 15 Ho 7:10 Je 29:13 Mal 3:1 ψ 40:17; 70:5; 69:7 Dn 9:3; דבר י׳ Am 8:12; שׁמד ψ 83:17.

• DCH: אמר I thought, Y. is my portion Lm 3:24, מָה־תֹּאמַר נַפְשְׁךָ וְאֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ whatever your soul says, i.e. whatever you think fit, I shall do for you 1 S 20:4, לֵב heart Ps 27:8 (DCH 1:322).

• DCH: בקשׁ I 225.15.29.2 vb. seek—Pi. Pf. בַּקֵּשׁ (בִּקֶּשׁ־), בִּקְשָׁה (בִּקְשָׁ֫תַם), בִּקַּ֫שְׁתִּי (בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו, בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֫יהוּ), בִּקְשׁוּ (בִּקְשֻׁ֫נִי, בִּקְשֻׁ֫הוּ), בִּקַּשְׁתֶּם; impf. יְבַקֵּשׁ, (יְבַקֶּשׁ־), 2ms תְּבַקֵּשׁ (תְּבַקְשֶׁ֫נּוּ, תְּבַקְשֶׁ֫נָּהּ, תְּבַקְשֵׁם), תְּבַקְשִׁי, אֲבַקֵּשׁ (אֲבַקֶּשׁ־, אֲבַקְשָׁה, אֲבַקְשֶׁ֫נּוּ, אֲבַקְשֵׁ֫הוּ), יְבַקְשׁוּ (יְבַקֵּֽשׁוּ, וִיבַקְשׁוּ), 2mpl תְּבַקְשׁוּ (תְּבַקֵּוּן), נְבַקֵּשׁ, נְבַקְשָׁה; + waw וַיְבַקְשֵׁ֫הוּ, וַיְבַקְשׁוּ (וַיְבַקְשֻׁ֫הוּ); impv. בַּקֵּשׁ, בַּקְּשׁוּ (בַּקְשׁוּ, בַּקְשׁ֫וּנִי); ptc. מְבַקֵּשׁ (מְבַקֶּשׁ־), מְבַקְשִׁים, מְבַקְשֵׁי (מְבַקְשֶׁ֫יךָ, מְבַקְשָׁיו, מְבַקְשֶׁ֫יהָ); inf. בַּקֵּשׁ (בַּקְשֵׁ֫נִי, בַּקֶּשְׁךָ, בַּקְשׁוֹ)—seek, ask, request, require, entreat. <SUBJ> י׳ Y. Ex 4:24; Jos 22:23; 1 S 13:14; 20:16; Ezk 3:18, 20; 22:30; 33:8; 34:16 (ǁ שׁוב hi. take back, חבשׁ bind, חזק pi. strengthen) Zc 12:9; Ps 119:176; Si 5:3; 20:4 GnzPs 11, אֱלוֹהַּ God Jb 10:6 (ǁ דרשׁ seek), אֱלֹהִים God Ec 3:15; Ezr 8:22, אֶחָד the one God Ml 2:15, Israel Lv 19:31; Dt 4:29; 1 K 19:10, 14; Is 41:12; 51:1; Jr 2:33; 29:13; 50:4; Ezk 7:25, 26; Ho 2:9 (ǁ רדף pi. pursue) 3:5 (ǁ שׁוב go back) 5:6, 15; 7:10; Am 8:12; Ml 3:1, Judah Jr 50:4; 2 C 15:4, 15; 20:4, 4, Nineveh Na 3:11, Philistines 2 S 5:17ǁ1 C 14:8, Aramaeans 2 K 6:19, Chaldaeans Jr 22:25. Esther Est 2:15; 4:8, Naomi Ru 3:1, Aaron Ex 10:11, Abiram Nm 16:10, Absalom 2 S 17:3, Barak Jg 4:22, Baruch Jr 45:5, 5, Benhadad 1 K 20:7, Ben Sira Si 51:13, Bigthan Est 2:21; 6:2, Daniel Dn 1:8; 8:15; 9:3, Dathan Nm 16:10, David 1 S 24:10; 2 S 4:11; 12:16; 2 S 21:1, Ashiah Arad ost. 4012 ([א]ש[יה]ו), Hadad 1 K 11:22, Haman Est 3:6; 7:7, Jacob Gn 43:9, Jehu 2 C 22:9, Joab 2 S 20:19, Job Jb 23:9 (if em. בַּעֲשׂתוֹ leftward in his doing to בִּקַּשְׁתִּי leftward I sought), Jonathan 1 S 14:4, Joseph Gn 37:15, 16; 43:30, Koheleth Ec 7:25 (ǁ ידע know, תור spy) 12:10, Korah Nm 16:10, Laban Gn 31:39, Moses Ex 10:11, Nebuchadrezzar Jr 22:25; 46:26, Nehemiah Ne 2:4; 5:18, On Nm 16:10, Samson Jg 14:4, Saul 1 S 9:3; 10:2, 14; 19:2, 10; 23:10, 14, 15, 25; 24:3; 26:2; 27:1, 4; 2 S 4:8; 2 S 21:2, Shimei 1 K 2:40, Solomon 1 K 11:40, Teresh Est 2:21; 6:2. אֶרֶץ earth 1 K 10:24, עַם people Zc 8:22 (+ חלה pi. sweeten face, i.e. entreat favour) Lm 1:11; 2 C 7:14 (+ כנע ni. be humbled, פלל htp. pray), גּוֹי nation Zc 8:22 (+ חלה pi.) 11QT 583, דּוֹר generation Ps 24:6 (ǁ דרשׁ seek), שֵׁבֶט tribe of Dan Jg 18:1, of Israel 2 C 11:16, זֶרַע seed Is 45:19; Ps 37:25=4QPsa 1.318, נֶפֶשׁ soul Ec 7:28; 11QT 5919, לֵב heart Ps 27:8; 1 C 16:10, אֹזֶן ear Pr 18:15.

• HALOT: pi: (if the second radical letter is followed by shewa the dagesh forte is omitted (BL 220m) except 1S 28:7 Is 45:19 Ps 27:8 La 1:11 1C 16:11, (BL 328a 346 ×): pf. בִּקֵּשׁ, בִּקֶּשׁ־, בִּקְשָׁה, בִּקַּשְׁתִּי, בִּקְשׁוּ, בִּקְשָׁ֫תַם, בִּקַּשְׁתִּיהוּ/תִּיו, בִּקְשֻׁהוּ; impf. Ex 2:15; —3. to try to possess Nu 16:10, to demand, to require Is 1:12 Ezk 7:26 2S 4:11 (→ דָּם 4, without דָּם 1 S 20:16); Ex 10:11, to request Ps 27:4 Est 2:15 1C 21:3 Neh 5:12 (מִן from); Neh 2:4 Est 4:8 7:7 Ezr 8:21, 23; to endeavour, to strive for 1K 20:7 Zeph 2:3 Ps 4:3 71:13, 24; בִּ׳ אֲשֶׁר to request that Da 1:8; —4. to search for, call on, consult: with פְּנֵי K 1 10:24; with פְּנֵי י׳ 2 S 21:1 Hos 5:15 Ps 24:6 27:8 105:4 Pr 29:26 1C 16:11 2C 7:14; with י׳ Ex 33:7; with דְּבַר י׳ Am 8:12; with שֵׁם י׳ Ps 83:17; spirit Lv 19:31; בִּ׳ דָּבָר מִן to ask somebody’s advice concerning a matter Da 1:20; —5. misc.: a) בִּ׳ תְּפִלָּה Da 9:3 to seek in prayer → Bentzen 73; Zimmermann JBL 57:263; b) with acc. (HALOT, 152).

• HALOT: פָּנֶה — c. בִּקֵּשׁ 2 S 21:1 Hos 5:15 Ps 24:6 27:8 105:4/1C 16:11 2C 7:14, cf. (HALOT, 941)

• JENNI: Lamed illocutionis (Rubrik 6) – Die Einteilung der Verba dicendi in den Hauptrubriken geschieht so, daß nach dem Allgemeinverbum ״ אמרsagen“ (Rubrik 61) die hauptsächlich vorkommenden Sprechakte (nach dem von Searle inaugurierten System) maßgebend sein sollen (Rubriken 62-67, s. unten). Die Einteilung dient praktischen Zwecken der Übersicht und soll nicht als theoretische Stellungnahme zur Sprechakttheorie oder als deren systematische Anwendung verstanden werden. Nachgetragen werden in Rubrik 68 die Nominalsätze mit Substantiva dicendi und in Rubrik 69 die Fälle, bei denen die Präposition nicht den Hörer, sondern das Thema der Kommunikation ״anspricht“. 61 – אמר “sagen” Gen 20:5 הֲלֹ֨א ה֤וּא אָֽמַר־לִי֙ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֔וא וְהִֽיא־גַם־הִ֥וא אָֽמְרָ֖ה אָחִ֣י ה֑וּא “Hat er nicht selbst zu mir gesagt: *Sie ist meine Schwester’?” Rubrik 611: Einleitung direkter Gottesrede / Botenrede – Rubrik 612: Einleitung direkter Rede zu Gott – 6123 Text unklar: Ps 27.8 ״ לך אמר לביdir sagt mein Herz(?)” (Ernst Jenni, 3: 134-6).

German

• LutherBibel: Mein Herz hält dir vor dein Wort: »Ihr sollt mein Antlitz suchen.«
• HFA: Ich erinnere mich, dass du gesagt hast: »Sucht meine Nähe!«
• NGU: In meinem Herzen wiederhole ich deine Worte: »Kommt vor mein Angesicht, sucht meine Nähe!«

French

• TOB: Je pense à ta parole : « Cherchez ma face !» [27,8 Trad. incertaine ; litt. Mon cœur dit (c.-à-d. je pense) à toi, ou à ton sujet, ou de ta part, ou à cause de toi ; c’est le rappel d'une pratique cultuelle ordonnée par Dieu : « Cherchez ma face » 2 S 21,1 ; Os 5,15 ; Ps 24,6 ; 105,4. Les versions se partagent en général entre deux trad. : mon cœur te dit : je cherche ta face, ou bien : ma face te cherche.]
• NBS: Pour toi mon cœur dit : Recherchez-moi ! [27.8 Pour toi mon cœur dit… : texte difficile, diversement rendu par les versions anciennes ; on pourrait aussi comprendre devant toi mon cœur dit, c.-à-d. se remémore le commandement divin . – Recherchez-moi : litt. recherchez ma face ; autre traduction recherchez ma faveur ; même expression plus loin et en 24.6+ ; 105.4 ; 2S 21.1 ; 1R 10.24 ; Os 5.15 ; Pr 29.26 ; 1Ch 16.11 ; 2Ch 7.14 ; 9.23 ; cf. Ps 50.15.]
• NVSR: Mon cœur dit de ta part : Cherchez ma face ! [27.8 part. Litt. : pour toi, à ton sujet, mais alors on attendrait ensuite : Cherchez sa face, comme l'adoptent plusieurs traductions.]
• BDS: Du fond de mon cœur, je me dis, de ta part : « Tournez-vous vers moi ! »
• PDV: Je pense à ce que tu as dit : « Cherchez mon visage ! »
• NFC: Je réfléchis à ce que tu as dit : Tournez-vous vers moi.
• S21: Mon cœur dit de ta part: «Recherchez-moi!»

Spanish

• RVR95: Mi corazón ha dicho de ti: «Buscad mi rostro.»
• NVI: El corazón me dice: «¡Busca su rostro!». [27:8 El corazón … su rostro! (lectura probable); A ti dice mi corazón: «Busquen mi rostro» (TM).]
• DHH: El corazón me dice: «Busca la presencia del Señor.»
• BTX4: Sobre Ti dijo mi corazón: «Buscad mi rostro!»

Secondary Literature

• ALTER: Of You, my heart said: “Seek My face.” (Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms, 203).

• ANDERSON: The translation of this verse can be only tentative, a possible literal rendering might be: 'To you, says my soul: belongs the command, "seek (plur.) my face"...' (cf. F. James, Thirty Psalmists, [1965, 146). Or perhaps, 'To you, O my heart, has he said, "Seek (sing.) my face"... ' (reading baḳḳēš ûpānāy for M.T. baḳḳešû pānāy 'seek (plur.) my face', and regarding the conjunction wāw as an emphatic particle (A. A. Anderson, The book of Psalms : based on the Revised Standard Version, 2 vols., I:224).

• AUFFRET: Pour toi il a dit (en lui-même), mon cœur. “Cherchez ma face”. “Autour de 10 nous voyons 7-9 et 11-14 commencer par un impératif accompagné d’une interpellation à YHWH (Entends YHWH! Enseigne-moi, YHWH!) et se terminer par l’un des termes de la paire stéréotypée sauver/espérer. Considérons d’abord 7-8 et 13-14. En 7-8 nous découvrons 8a entouré par deux chiasmes/ dont les termes correspondants s’inversent d’ici à là, soit: 7a Entends, YHWH, // ma voix;. j’appelle. // 7b Aie pitié de moi et réponds-moi. // Pour toi il a dit (en lui-même), mon cœur. // 8b “Cherchez // ma face”. // 8c Ta face, YHWH, // je (la) cherche. Chercher en 8bc est le fait du même que celui dont la voix appelle en 7, mais ce YHWH dont la face est recherché n’est autre que celui qu’on prie d’entendre et répondre en 7. Notons aussi l’inversion des rôles de 7 à 8bc: YHWH qui est prié d’agir en 7 devient l’objet de la recherche en 8bc, et le fidèle objet de son attention en 7 devient celui qui se met à sa recherche en 8bc. En 13-14 La structure en chiasme de 14 est limpide, d’autant plus si l’on se souvient de la paire stéréotypée se renforcer/se rassurer: Espère en YHWH / Renforce-toi / que se rassure ton cœur / Espère en YHWH. Mais 13 ne présente pas de structure interne. Mais si à présent nous comparons 7-8 et 13-14 nous pouvons repérer d’ici à là le parallèle suivant: 7a Entends* pour voir* 13b // YHWH de YHWH // 7b Aie pitié° de la vie° 13c // en YHWH 14a // 8a mon cœur ton cœur 14b // 8c YHWH en YHWH 14c //. Nous voyons ici jouer deux paires stéréotypées, soit voir/entendre et vie/pitié. Les deux couples de versets sont tendus vers l’avenir, d’abord pour obtenir l’écoute de YHWH et sa pitié pour un cœur bien disposé, puis pour fonder en lui l’espérance de voir sa bonté sur la terre de la vie ('“Mais YHWH M’accueillera”. Nouvelle étude structurelle du Psaume 27,' Estudios Biblicos 60 [2002], 284-86).

• BARTHELEMY: Ps 27,8 בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ {B} M Targum / / err-voc: LXX a’ σ’ ς’ε’ Hebr Syriac clav בִּקְּשׁ֣וּ. Options de nos traductions: Le M porte: לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י / אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ Au lieu de בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑, J1-6 conjecture (1) בּקש פניו quand elle donne: "De toi mon coeur a dit: «Cherche sa face» ʃ C'est ta face, Yahve, que je cherche". Selon BROCKINGTON, 15 [R]NEB ajouter à cela une conjecture (2) de לֵךְ. au lieu de לְךָ֤ quand elle donne: "«Come», my heart has said, ʃ «seek his face (REB: présence)!» ʃ I will (REB om.) seek thy face, O (REB: your presence) LORD". NRSV fait de même: "«Come», my heart says, ʃ «seek his face!» ʃ Your face, LORD, do I seek", alors que, sans note, RSV donnait: "Thou hast said, «Seek my face.» My heart says to thee, ʃ «Thy face, LORD, do I seek»". RL offre: "Mein Herz hält dir vor dein Wort: «Ihr sollt mein Antlitz suchen.» ʃ Darum suche ich auch, HERR, dein Antlitz", TOB: "Je pense a ta parole: ʃ «Cherchez ma face! Je cherche ta face SEIGNEUR.»" et NV: "De te dixit cor meum: «Exquirite faciem meam! Faciem tuam, Domine, exquiram.» . Correcteurs antérieurs: La conjecture (1) est mentionnée par BHS. Les temoins anciens: Le LXX porte, selon B24: σοὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου εξεζήτησαν τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, κύριε, ζητήσω. Des témoignages combinés des mss 264, 1121 et 1175, on peut attribuer a σ’: σοί προσελάλει ή καρδία μου, σε εζήτει το πρόσωπον μου, puis a θ’, ε’, ς‘: εξεζήτησα το πρόσωπον σου GAL offre: "tibi dixit cor meum exquisivit facies mea ʃ faciem tuam Domine requiram", HEBR: "tibi dixit cor meum quaesivit vultus meus ʃ faciem tuam Domine et requiram". La S donne pour tout le vs: ܠܟ ܐܡܪ ܠܒܝ ܘܒ̈ܥܝܢ ܐ̈ܦܝ ܠܐ̈ܦܝܟ܂ לך אמר לבי בעו אפי ית סבר אפך ייי אתבע׃. Choix textuel: La plupart des versions ont compris פני comme sujet de בקשׁו, ce verbe étant interprété comme un accompli. Et a’ a pris l'option littérale de traduire פני par un pluriel, ce qui lui permet de respecter le pluriel du verbe; alors que le LXX, ' et σ’ ς’ε’ et HEBR, traduisant ce substantif par un singulier, traduisent aussi le verbe par un singulier. Ces mêmes versions ont vu en אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ le complément d'objet de בקשׁו, ce qui laisse אבקשׁ en porte-à-faux. Aussi la Syriac omet-elle ce verbe final et relie-t-elle le tétragramme au vs suivant. Toutes ces divergences dérivent donc d'une vocalisation בִּקְּשׁ֣וּ au lieu de בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ. Sur ce point, le comité a attribué au M, Ia note {B}. Interprétation proposée: À אָמַ֣ר sied ici Ia valeur forte de 'a ordonne'. Quant à לְךָ֤, il faut le comprendre au sens de 'en ton nom', c'est-à-dire 'sur ton ordre', comme en Is 5,1: אָשִׁ֤ירָה נָּא֙ לִֽידִידִ֔י (= je chanterai au nom de mon bien-aimé") ou en Jos 10,12: אָ֣ז יְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה (= "alors Josue prononca au nom du SEIGNEUR…"). On pourra donc traduire: "En ton nom, mon cœur a ordonné: «Cherchez ma face!» ʃ Ta face, SEIGNEUR, je la chercherai".

• BAETHGEN: The psalmist justifies his request by appealing to YHWH's summons to turn to him (in times of need), cf. 50 15; he comes to this request, i.e. Israel, now after. That in general this must be the meaning of the verse cannot be doubted; but the interpretation of the first three words presents great difficulty. With Dathe and Olshausen, the view given in the translation (cf. Luther) is still to be regarded as the simplest. The psalmist would then refer to related passages such as Deut 4:29; Jer 29:13 (F. Baethgen, Die Psalmen, 77-78).

• BOTHA and WEBER: Concerning you my heart said: “Seek my face”. (Phil Botha and Beat Weber, “The Lord is my light and my salvation …” (Ps 27:1): Psalm 27 in the literary context of Psalms 25-34,” Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 45/2 (2019), 24).

• CRAIGIE: My heart said to you: “I have sought your face.” “The text of MT is difficult in the context: בקשׁו פני, “seek (plural) my face.” The second person plural form (בקשׁו) causes problems after the second person singular. Leveen solves the problem by radical means (VT 21 [1971] 54); the offending words are omitted as pleonastic, and the first three words of v 8 are emended to: כי מר לבי (“for my heart is bitter”). But the solution is too radical, and the versions, though apparently based on a text different from MT, offer no support for such major emendation. A possible solution is that of Dahood (Psalms I, 168), who translated: “Come, said my heart, seek his face.” The translation involves the pointing לֵךְ (impv. of הָלַךְ) and transposing the waw to provide the text: בּקש פניו (“seek his face”). But probably the best solution (that taken above) is to follow G (ἐξεζήτησα τὸ πρόσωπον σου) and emend the Hebrew text as follows: בִּקַּשְׁתִּי פָנֶיךָ (“I have sought your face”). The variety of renditions in the versions indicates the possibility that the original text was corrupt at an early stage, probably as a result of confusion arising from the threefold use of פניך. (Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1–50, 2nd ed., vol. 19, Word Biblical Commentary [Nashville, TN: Nelson Reference & Electronic, 2004], 229, 230).

• DAHOOD: Come, said my heart, seek his face; “Come, said my heart. Reading qal imperative lēk from hālak for MT lekā; Ps. 45:15 where lāk should be read lēk, ‘Come!’ and Ps. 105:11, where grammatically dissonant leka should be pointed as qal imperative plural leku, ‘Come!’ Seek his face. Reading imperative singular baqqēš for MT plural baqqešū and attaching the final waw of consonantal bqšw to pny as waw emphaticum, a particle treated in the NOTE on Ps 4:5. Pānāy, ‘his face,’ is parsed as containing the third-person suffix –y, discussed in the NOTE on Ps 2:6. Particularly relevant is Job 41:2, ūmī hū’ lepānay yityassāb, ‘And who then can send before his face?’ Here the usual emendation to lepānāyw can safely be discarded. For the thought, see Ps 105:4, baqqešu pānāyw tāmīd, ‘Seek his face always,’ and El Amarna, 165:5-7, ‘The Beautiful face of the king, my lord, do I perpetually seek” (Mitchell Dahood, Psalms I:166, 168).

• DIODORE OF TARSUS: "My heart said to you, I shall seek the Lord (v. 8). He did well to say my heart with the purpose of bringing out that the request did not only reach to words but also proceeded from the very depths of the heart. My face sought you out, that is, I shall seek your face, Lord, face similarly meaning you and support from you" (Diodore of Tarsus: Commentary on Psalms 1-51, 84).

• EATON: My Heart recalls your word: Seek my face; "After the preparation, the lamenting prayer. The peril seems to have deepened over some time, as though the Lord were 'hiding his face' (v. 9, cf. 22.24), and an apprehension of being forsaken has crept in (w. 9, 12; cf. 22.1). Verse 8a may be interpreted as a recollection of the Lord's invitations to his worshippers, 'Seek (ye) my face' (the phrase is used of worship in 24.6; 105.4). Now indeed the psalmist earnestly seeks the face and favourable acceptance of God (v. 8b), and prays they may not be denied him (v. 9)" (John H. Eaton, The Psalms : A Historical and Spiritual Commentary with an Introduction and New Translation, 133, 135).

• EMMENEGGER: בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י ⁄ εζήτησεν το πρόσωπον μου (S), exquisivit facies mea GaHi] έξεζήτησα τὸ πρόσωπον μου 2110; έξεζήτησα τὸ πρόσωπον σου B αικω† Νcа Bo (A 2030); ... M εζήτησεν τὸ πρόσωπον σου USa^L; quaesivit te facies mea Su; vac: 2013 2110 bietet den von HIERONYMUS angegebenen Text. Die übrigen Zeugen führen eine nicht erwähnte Variante an. (George Emmenegger, Der Text des koptischen Psalters aus al-Mudil: Ein Beitrag zur Textgeschichte der Septuaginta und zur Textkritik koptischer Bibelhandschriften, mit der kritischen Neuausgabe des Papyrus 37 der British Library London (U) und des Papyrus 39 der Leipziger Universitätsbibliothek (2013) [English title: The Text of the Coptic Psalter from Al-Mudil], Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2007, 184).

• ERBELE-KÜSTER: God’s brilliance is justice and God is brilliant in justice, as it is expressed further on: “The heavens proclaim God’s justice” (v.6a). One can conclude from the Psalm that God’s appearance into the world is an esthetical and social manifesto: It realizes itself as proclamation of righteousness. Likewise the sight of the I in Psalm 27 is absorbed by the beauty and the resplendence of YHWH. The speaker begs for facial contact crying out (v.8): For to you speaks my heart: see my face (plural verb form). Eternal, I seek your face. The I exposes himself in front of the face of God. The psalmist goes on: “Do not hide your face!” (v.9a). This reflects the striving for a relationship with mutual recognition: to see (v.4.8) and being seen (v.9). The face of the Other reflects mine and mine reflects the face of the Other. In this sense God is enlightenment. This light shall lead on a just and even path (v.11). The I asks for directions, for ethos in order to know how to live in the light of God. To see God ́s saving beauty and to stand up against evil-doers goes hand in hand. Esthetics may highlight the precariousness of life (Dorothea Erbele-Küster, “Poetics and Ethics: Psalm 27 as an Exemplary Reading,” 47, 48).

• EVEN-CHEN: In Psalm 42:3 we read: ‘My soul thirsts for God, the living God— when shall I come and see the face of God’. In Psalm 27:8 it is said: ‘Your face, O Lord, I will seek’. According to Heschel, these utterances are clear expressions of a mystical mind that wants to get closer to the divine presence. The thirst to see the face of God was, and still is, essential to the religious experience of many. In order to illustrate this experience Heschel refers to an old tradition that emphasizes the mystical character of rabbi Akivah’s school. It relates that Akivah was one of the four sages who have entered the Divine Orchard and that he was the only one who ‘ascended’ and ‘descended’ in peace (BT Hagigah 14b). Such mystic experiences were thought to be dangerous; only rabbi Akivah was able to achieve this ultimate spiritual experience without any damage (Heschel 1962, 282). Heschel also points to a tradition that tells that when rabbi Akivah ascended and saw the glory of God, certain angels tried to push him aside; but God spoke to them: ‘Let this venerable sage stay. He is worthy to behold my glory’. (Heschel 1962, 282) (Alexander Even-Chen, “Seeing The Divine A Holy Controversy,” In Iconoclasm and Iconoclash, 99).

• FLETCHER: Of you, my heart said: 'Seek my face!' Your face, O LORD, I will seek. “The Hebrew of v. 8 is difficult.[FN 249] The psalmist is probably not seeking an oracle here but simply pleading for the protective presence of God. The psalmist knows in his heart that the voice of God calls to him, "Seek my face." And this is what he has done continually. The thought suggests that the king has sought the presence of God (lit., his "face") and he vows to continue to do so. He has listened for the call of God in his heart. He has not been unfaithful to God but has continued steadfastly to seek his protective presence. The present danger calls for this even more. From this point on the analysis of each verse will be briefer. I want to show the essence of each verse, but not at the expense of the overall theme of Ps 27 which is confidence in the sanctuary. The sanctuary experience is most crucial for the present study. [FOOTNOTE 249 – See Craigie, Psalms 1-50, 230, for a discussion of the grammar. The NIV footnote is helpful: To you, O my heart, he has said, ‘seek my face’ (D. Fletcher, “Seeking Solace in the Sanctuary: The Canonical Placement of Psalm 27,” 112).

• FRITSCH: As seen in the Introduction to this paper God's visibility was a problem for Jewish theologians and philosophers since the time of the Second Temple. Already in ancient Israel the idea prevailed that any one who saw God had to die. Ex. 33:20 is the classic expression of this belief: 'man shall not see me and live.' Cf. also Ex. 19:21 and Lev. 16:2 where the same warning is expressed. There were some, however, who saw God and were graciously spared death: Jacob (Gen. 32:20), Moses and the elders (Ex. 24:11), Gideon (Jud. 6:22), and the parents of Samson (Jud. 13:22-23).11 Paradoxically, however, 'seeing' the deity or his face is a rather common experience in the Old Testament, whether in visions or theophanies or on other occasions, or in worship. Cf. Ps. 27:8 where the worshipper is enjoined to seek the face of the Lord, and Ps. 42:2b where the worshipper longs to see the face of the deity (RSV). In the LXX there are about twenty places where the idea of 'seeing' the deity or his face is translated liiterally in the Greek. (Charles T. Fritsch, "A STUDY OF / מושא או נושא הוא האל כאשר 'ראה' שהוראתם הפעלים של היווני התרגום THE GREEK TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW VERBS "TO SEE", WITH DEITY AS SUBJECT OR OBJECT", 53).

• HARTENSTEIN: Für Ps 27,8 erscheinen nun vor allem die ersteren Stellen, die eine konkrete Not voraussetzen, aussagekräftig: JHWH ist die Instanz, deren Angesicht man sucht, um »vor« diesem Angesicht, also in unmittelbarer Nähe zu Gott, sein Anliegen vorzubringen und dessen »gnädige Antwort« ... zu erbitten.6 Deutlich ist, daß dieses »Aufsuchen« als ein Vorgang gedacht wird, bei dem ein Geringerer oder mehrere Untergebene vor den sozial Höher- gestellten treten. Eine räumliche Verortung ist dabeineben Ps 27 und 2 Chr 7,14 (Tempel) - am deutlichsten in Ps 24,6 zu erkennen, wo im Rahmen einer liturgischen Komposition aus alten und jüngeren Elementen das Thema des Einzugs der Gottheit in ihren Tempel und des Zutritts ihrer Verehrer in das Heiligtum unter verschiedenen Hinsichten bedacht wird. Gerade die diesen Psalm vor dem Hintergrund der Jerusalemer Tempelsymbolik beherrschende Thematik des Königtums Gottes scheint es nahezulegen, den mit... bezeichneten Vorgang im Kontext dieses Königtums, und das heißt einer mit dem Jerusalemer Tempelkonzept verbundenen höfischen Szenerie mit entsprechendem zeremoniellen »setting« und zugehörigen Handlungsrollen, zu verstehen. Betrachten wir dazu die beiden einzigen Belegstellen für die Wendung..., wo vom »Aufsuchen« des Angesichts eines menschlichen Gegenübers gesprochen wird. Beide Male handelt es sich nicht zufällig um das »Angesicht« des Herrschers. In 1 Kön 10,24 (Parr. 2 Chr 9,23) wird aus einer späteren (perserzeitlichen?) Perspektive die Größe und Herrlichkeit des salomonischen Königtums gepriesen:... Daß dieses »Aufsuchen« des königlichen Angesichts eine Audienz zum Zweck der Huldigung und der Anerkennung von Salomos Weltherrschaft durch die Könige der Erde meint, zeigt der folgende Vers 25, in dem von Audienz geschenken (»Gabe«) und von einem jährlich zu entrichtenden Tribut gesprochen wird. Es zeigt sich hier,... offenbar als ein Terminus technicus der Hofsprache zu verstehen ist, derwie die genannten Psalmen belege zeigen - zugleich für die in Analogie zu einem Thronsaal vorgestellte Sphäre JHWHs Verwendung findet. Der Charakter des in 1 Kön 10,24 geschilderten Vorgangs macht außerdem deutlich, daß eine solche Audienz vor dem Herrscher sehr unterschiedliche Funktionen und Inhalte haben kann. Der Bittsituation eines Einzelnen vor seinem Herrn in Ps 27 steht in 1 Kön 10,24 das staatliche Repräsentations geschehen der Anerkennung des Großkönigs durch andere Fürsten gegenüber - dies eine Form der Audienz, die im Psalter ihre Entsprechung in manchen hymnischen Kontexten findet. Der kurze Spruch ist sehr instruktiv in seiner vielleicht nicht nur als Kontrast, sondern auch als Weiterführung zu verstehenden Gegenüberstellung des Sich- Wendens an den Herrscher einerseits und der durch JHWH in der »Tiefe« der Welt hintergründig garantierten Rechtsordnung andererseits. Auch wenn man in der sozialen Sphäre in Fragen des Rechts das »Angesicht« des Herrschers aufsucht und in ihm eine Appellationsinstanz findet, so hat doch dies nur dann seinen Sinn, wenn man sich zugleich bewußt ist, daß JHWH allein letzter Rechtsgarant für den einzelnen - einschließlich des Herrschers selbst - ist. Aber auch wenn der Spruch stärker eine ausschließlich kritische Opposition markiert (Aufsuchen des irdischen Herrschers als Versuch der Begünstigung [vgl. etwa Prv 19,6a] im Gegensatz zum Vertrauen auf JHWH), so ist für unsere Fragestellung doch die Parallelisierung von Königsaudienz (mit der Implikation des Rechtsappells) und göttlichem Recht(sentscheid) wesentlich, die zeigt, daß in Prv 29,26 beides als ein vergleichbarer, sozial lesbarer Vorgang gesehen wurde. Die Wendung vom »Aufsuchen des Angesichts« JHWHs ist also auch nach dieser Stelle am ehesten vor dem Vorstellungshintergrund des königlichen Hofzeremoniells zu verstehen (Friedhelm Hartenstein, Das Angesicht JHWHs Studien zu seinem höfischen und kultischen Bedeutungshintergrund in den Psalmen und in Exodus 32-34, 69-71).

• HOLTZ: Regarding you, my heart has said, “Seek my face,” The speaker ‘seeks the face of the Lord’ and asks God not to ‘hide His face,’ Being lipney YHWH and seeing or being ‘et peney YHWH (both ‘in the presence, literally ‘the face,’ of YHWH’) are two familiar expressions for the human encounter with the divine in the temple or Tabernacle. This specifically cultic understanding of verses 8-9 makes sense in light of verse 4’s overt mention of the House of the Lord,’ (Shalom E. Holtz, “God As Refuge And Temple As Refuge In The Psalms” In The Temple of Jerusalem From Moses to the Messiah, 21).

• IBN EZRA: “IN THY BEHALF MY HEART HATH SAID. Rabbi Moses says that the meaning of lekha (in Thy behalf ) is, because of you [FOOTNOTE 26: The literal meaning of lekha is, to you. Hence our clause literally reads: To You (lekhah) my heart hath said, seek ye my face. However, this makes no sense. Hence I.E.’s interpretation]. Lekha is like li (because of me) [FOOTENOTE 27: The word li literally means to me. However, it makes no sense to translate Gen 20:13, say to me he is my brother. Hence li in Gen. 20:3 must be rendered because of me. See I.E. on Gen. 20:13] in, say because of me: He is my brother [FOOTNOTE 28: I.E.’s translation] (Gen. 20:13). The following is the meaning of our verse: I declare what You commanded us [FOOTNOTE 29: I.E.’s paraphrase of In Thy behalf my heart hath said] through the hand of Your messengers. You said to us, seek My face. I therefore seek Your face O Lord” (Ibn, Ezra, Abraham. Commentary: On the First Book of Psalms, 201).

• JACOBSON: "The text of v. 8 is difficult, but the sense is that in this prayer, the psalmist is pleading for a mutual seeking — the psalmist longs for God to seek the psalmist’s face. At the very same time, the psalmist earnestly and passionately seeks God and the restoration that only God can provide. The despair of the psalmist’s current crisis is cast in stark relief by the psalmist’s plea, do not hide your face from me! The mutual seeking for which the psalmist longs is a picture of a restored relationship — the opposite of the “hidden face” motif. The stanza, in fact, ends with four negative appeals: do not hide, turn from, forsake, abandon. These four appeals are offset with two affirmations of who God is in relation to the psalmist: my help and my deliverance. The relational aspect of these appellatives for God should be stressed. The sufferer does not merely confess God as an abstract helper or deliverer, but my helper and my deliverer. The psalmist takes her stand of faith with, as it were, one foot standing firmly on God’s internal character (as deliverer and helper) and one foot standing on God’s external relational commitment (to the psalmist)" (Nancy L.deClaisse-Walford, Rolf A. Jacobson, Beth LaNeel Tanner, The Book of Psalms NICOT, 290).

• LEVEEN: “As editors have pointed out, בקשׁו פני should be rejected, as it is a pleonasm merely duplicating (in part) the succeeding verse member The emendation כי מר לבי is an improvement on MT. In addition I would transpose לך to precede אקרא” (J. Leveen, “Textual Problems in the Psalms,” Vetus Testamentum 21 (1971), 54).

• MAGIN: You have said to my heart, “Seek my face.” “Verse 7 contains a parallel with the first line David requesting the Lord hear him, and in the second line is his request for a response. Both lines are a request construct. The relationship between the two lines is base-amplification since the second line is basically revealing the content of the call in the first line. In verse 8 there is a beginning reason for why David believes his prayer should be heard and answered. He has sought the face of Yahweh. Hence verses 7 and 8 represent a request-reason relationship. Within verse 8 itself we see a completive relation in the second line. David is stating he has performed the very thing Yahweh told him to do. However the structure is a more complicated than indicated. My synopsis concludes 8b is a general statement concerning what follows. Verses 9 through 12 further describe the action of seeking by David. The verses taken together are a result of Yahweh speaking to David’s heart, “Seek my face.” (Harry Magin, An Analysis of Psalm 27,” GIALens. [2010]: 4).

• van der MEER: "Books such as Genesis, Numbers, Judges, Kings, Psalms, Job, Amos and Isaiah also contain well-known sections where the protagonists (Jacob, Israel, Samson’s parents, Micah, Amos, Isaiah, Job) see God with their own eyes. In these cases, the Greek translators did not alter the diction of the Hebrew texts... Fritsch simply noticed this incongruity and did not attempt to explain it. In Gen 32:20 and Ps 27(26):8 the formulation is modal, i.e. Jacob and the psalmists hope to see God’s face. The context of Genesis 32 and Judges 13 makes clear that Jacob and Samson’s parents in fact had seen an angel of God. In Isaiah and Job, however, we find both statements that seem to avoid ánd acknowledge the possibility of humans to see God. The only Greek translation unit that seems to display a very tight consistent pattern appears to be the Greek Psalter where the whole idea of humans actually seeing God seems to be eradicated completely" (Michaël N. van der Meer, "Visio Dei in the Septuagint", 11-12).

• RASHI: TO Y0U MY HEART SAYS: ‘SEEK MY FACE’].” [lêkā ‘to/for you’ here means] bišêbîlêkā ‘for you’, [i.e.], ‘in your behalf’.[Heb. bišêlihûtêkā] MY HEART says:[Rashi, followed by NJV, q.v., interprets the psalmist’s perfect form of the verb ‘āmar as present in meaning; hence he paraphrases here employing the participle ‘ōmer.] “SEEK all of you, Israel, My [i.e., the LORD’s] face, and I [the LORD] shall hearken to him [Israel].” 8b O, LORD, I SEEK YOUR FACE. 8a [The use of the expression] lêkā [‘to/for you’ in the sense ‘in your behalf’] corresponds to [the use of the prefixed preposition lê ‘to/for’ in the sense ‘in behalf of’ in] “Behold I am like your mouth for God” (Job. 33:6); “Will you argue for God?” (Job. 13:8), [i.e.], ‘in His place’. Here [in Ps. 27:8a] also FOR YOU MY HEART SAID [means], “MY HEART came to me in Your place to say this [‘SEEK MY FACE’].” (Mayer I. Gruber, Rashi Commentary on the Psalms, 276-77).

• ROSS: “Verse 8 is a difficult verse. It begins clearly enough with "of to/concerning you my heart says" (לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי); but the rest of the verse is more problematic: "Seek my face" is the translation of the MT (בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י), and this is followed by "Your face, O LORD, I seek" (אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ). Some commentators work with the text as it stands, translating it "To you, says my soul, [belongs the command], 'Seek my face.’ Perowne explains that the words "Seek my face" are the words of God. The psalmist has taken them and laid them before God to make his appeal more irresistible. It is as if he said, ‘You said, 'Seek my face'; my heart takes them and responds, ‘I seek your face.’ Others emend the imperative to a singular form and change the suffix on "face" to a third person, "seek his face" (בּקש פניו; see the NIV). This would mean that his heart was encouraging him to seek his face. There is not a great difference in the resultant meaning, not enough to change the text. Other proposals are more extensive. Craigie says that the problem stems from the repetition of ‘face’ and of the verb ‘seek’; he simplifies it to read ‘I have sought your face’ with the Greek version The psalmist's decision to seek the LORD's face harmonizes with his desire to see the LORD's delightfulness. Seeking the face of the LORD means praying for his grace. Psalm 105:4 uses it in conjunction with trusting in the LORD's powerful presence. Similarly, the shining face simplifies the LORD's gracious intervention (Ps. 31:16; Num 6:25). The expression signifies that the psalmist was looking for the LORD’s gracious intervention. This fits with the first half of the psalm where the presence of the LORD emphasizes his favor and Protection” (Allen Ross, Psalms 1-41, I:630-31).

• THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: "He also changed the tense, using past for future. My face sought you out (v. 8)—that is, “will seek,” the tense being changed" (Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary on Psalms 1-81, 263).

• VILLANUEVA: “In v. 4, the psalmist intimates that which he really wishes to experience–to ‘seek (בּקש) him in his holy temple’. The verb בּקש occurs in v. 4 in the thanksgiving section of the psalm. In v. 8, the verb is repeated 2x, but this time in the context of lament ... Verse 8 contains a difficult text but the overall sense of the verse is discernible [FOOTNOTE 58 The textual problem is with בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י. BHS proposes that we read the verb as singular – בּקש (seek [singular] his face). LXX takes the verb not as an imperative but as an aorist indicative singular: "he sought my face". As it stands the MT is in the form of a plural. It may be reflective of the communal aspect of worship, so that even though the statement is being addressed to an individual person, such is formulated in the plural form (cf. Weiser, Die Psalmen I, 160, ET The Psalms, 252). Interestingly, where one would expect a plural in v. 14, one finds a singular verb (mp). Except for the plural form of the imperative, the text does not seem to contain difficulty in terms of understanding its sense. The psalmist is saying: "to you [Lord] my heart says, 'seek his face'. In the OT, there are only 5 occurrences of the verb 'to seek' in the plural imperative: Here in Psalm 27; I Sam 28:7; I Chron 16:11; Ps 27:8; 105:4; Zeph 2:3. Except for I Sam 28:7 (seek for a woman), each of the passages is a command in the plural to seek the Lord. Ps 105:4 is exactly the same as Psalm 27]. The verse recalls v. 4 through its double repetition of the word בּקש (8). The one thing which the psalmist is seeking (בּקש) as intimated in v. 4 is to ‘dwell in the house of Yhwh. . . to behold the beauty of Yhwh’. Here similar language is used: "your face, O Yhwh, I seek". Interestingly, as בּקש is used in v. 4 followed by סתר in v. 5, so also the double occurrence of בּקש in v. 8 is followed by the reappearance of the word סתר in v. 9. Clearly, we have here a close correspondence between Psalm 27A and 27B. But the repetition of the significant words is for the purpose of drawing a contrast between the two sections of the psalm. Whereas the words connote a strong sense of security and protection in vv. 4-5, the employment of the words in vv. 8-9 signify an element of insecurity, even of abandonment (the word עזב occurs 2x in the context [9-10]). The statement in v. 8 betrays a hint of complaint. Set in the context of v. 9 where the psalmist is asking Yhwh not to hide (סתר) his face, there is an implicit complaint in the formulation of the words. The psalmist seems to be saying: "I have sought your face, but why are you hiding yourself from me?". Indeed, instead of experiencing the sense of security resulting from Yhwh's protective presence (v. 5) the psalmist has been experiencing divine absence” (Federico G. Villanueva, The ‘Uncertainty of a Hearing’: A Study of the Sudden Change of Mood in the Psalms of Lament, 117-120).

• WEISS: “[Verse 8:] 'To you, my heart said, ask for me.' The choice of subject and theme 'he said to my heart' instead of 'I said' expresses the depth of the call for help that comes from the top of the bones, in relation to the sentence 'My heart will not be afraid' (verse 3). It turns out that the psalmist refers to the divine command: Ask me, etc., which appears several times in the Bible FOOTNOTE 37: Hosea 5:10. Compare with Deuteronomy 4:29; Jeremiah 29:13; Amos 5:4, 6]. The exact meaning of the phrase 'to you' is difficult to ascertain. The explanations given to it are crowded. [FOOTNOTE 38: Among the interpretations with a linguistic basis, see for example: "to you" for you as in "Tell me he is my brother" (Genesis 20:13) and the meaning: I say what was commanded us by the hand of your messengers and you said to us "Ask my face" therefore "I will seek your face, O Lord" (Rabbi in the name of Rabbi Moshe); or: "to you" - for you, we were in your name' (Erlich); 'The phrase "Ask for me" is what his heart says in the name of God (Erlich, reading as simply to the LORD' 10, 12)]. The meaning of the sentence is approximately: 'Go, O Lord, tell my heart what is required by you: ask for me'. The psalmist probably feels that he needs reinforcement for what he intends to do. Since you said: 'Ask for my face,' therefore I will ask for your face, O Lord. 39 This is what I am doing, I am asking for your face, and you:...

References

27:8