The Text and Participants of Ps 78:28, 63-64

From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Jump to: navigation, search

Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Ps 78:28, 63-64 reads as follows:[1]

וַ֭יַּפֵּל בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֵ֑הוּ סָ֝בִ֗יב לְמִשְׁכְּנֹתָֽיו׃

בַּחוּרָ֥יו אָֽכְלָה־אֵ֑שׁ וּ֝בְתוּלֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א הוּלָּֽלוּ׃ כֹּ֭הֲנָיו בַּחֶ֣רֶב נָפָ֑לוּ וְ֝אַלְמְנֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִבְכֶּֽינָה׃ ...

Translations differ regarding whether to accept the MT's 3sg suffixes or whether to supply a 3pl suffix in their place:

  • "He let them fall in the midst of his camp, all around his dwellings ... His young men were devoured by fire, and his young women were not sung to. His priests fell by the sword, and his widows could not weep." (ZÜR)[2]
  • "he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings ... Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation." (ESV)

The ZÜR follows the MT's 3sg suffixes with "his" throughout, while the ESV opts to provide a 3pl reading, "their." The latter translation could have two possible causes, however:

  1. It prefers a textual tradition that attests to the plural suffix
  2. It is an interpretation of the MT's singular suffixes as referring to the people of Israel as a collective, which licenses a plural translation.


We first consider the text of the MT's singular suffix, before comparing the validity of rendering a singular suffix as "their" (3pl) or "his" (3sg).

Argument Maps

Text

Third plural

The MT's text should be rejected in favor of 3pl suffixes.


===
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
=== 
[Plural suffixes]: The MT's text should be rejected and emended to contain plural suffixes.#dispreferred
 + <Ancient versions>: The plural suffix is found in a number of ancient versions.#dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: See the LXX, Symmachus, Quinta, Syr., and Saadia, as cited at the bottom of the page.#dispreferred
  <_ <Translating by sense>: The LXX and related traditions simply translate according to the sense of the collective referent, Israel (Hossfeld 2005, 285 :C:; see the following argument map), as they do in Isa 9:16.
   + [Isa 9:16]: Compare עַל־כֵּ֨ן עַל־בַּחוּרָ֜יו לֹֽא־יִשְׂמַ֣ח׀ אֲדֹנָ֗י וְאֶת־יְתֹמָ֤יו וְאֶת־אַלְמְנֹתָיו֙ לֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔ם with "Therefore God will not rejoice over their young people, nor will he have compassion on their orphans and widows" (NETS). 
  <_ <Strict translations>: More isomorphically-strict translations contain the singular suffix.
   + [Strict translations]: See Aquila, Jerome's Hebr., and TgPs as cited at the bottom of the page.
 - <Lack of evidence>: There is no Hebrew evidence for any suffix other than the 3sg.


Argument Mapn0Plural suffixesThe MT's text should be rejected and emended to contain plural suffixes.n1Ancient versionsSee the LXX, Symmachus, Quinta, Syr., and Saadia, as cited at the bottom of the page.n4Ancient versionsThe plural suffix is found in a number of ancient versions.n1->n4n2Isa 9:16Compare עַל־כֵּ֨ן עַל־בַּחוּרָ֜יו לֹֽא־יִשְׂמַ֣ח׀ אֲדֹנָ֗י וְאֶת־יְתֹמָ֤יו וְאֶת־אַלְמְנֹתָיו֙ לֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔ם with "Therefore God will not rejoice over their young people, nor will he have compassion on their orphans and widows" (NETS). n5Translating by senseThe LXX and related traditions simply translate according to the sense of the collective referent, Israel (Hossfeld 2005, 285 🄲; see the following argument map), as they do in Isa 9:16.n2->n5n3Strict translationsSee Aquila, Jerome's Hebr., and TgPs as cited at the bottom of the page.n6Strict translationsMore isomorphically-strict translations contain the singular suffix.n3->n6n4->n0n5->n4n6->n4n7Lack of evidenceThere is no Hebrew evidence for any suffix other than the 3sg.n7->n0


Denotation of the 3rd Singular Suffixes

Having established the textual preference of the MT's singular suffixes, we now consider the two possible referents of (1) Israel as a collective or (2) YHWH as a singular.

Israel

The referent of the singular suffix is the collective people of Israel and can thus be rendered plural in translation.


===
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
=== 
[Israel]: The referent of the singular suffix is the collective people of Israel (Delitzsch 1871 :C:; Ḥakham 1979 :C:; Goldingay 2006, 510 :C:; Ramond 2014, 28 :M:).#dispreferred
 + <v. 28>: Israel is the most obvious antecedent of the suffixes in this verse (Delitzsch 1871, 368 :C:; Ḥakham 1979, 59 :C:).#dispreferred
  - <v. 21>: "Israel" has not been mentioned explicitly as a discourse participant since v. 21.
   <_ <v. 27>: They are active in the suffix עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם of v. 27.#dispreferred
    <_ <Plural>: The suffix on עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם in v. 27 is plural.
 + <vv. 63-64>: "His people" (עַמּ֑וֹ) in v. 62 is the most obvious antecedent of the suffixes in this verse (Delitzsch 1871, 374 :C:; Ḥakham 1979, 69 :C:).#dispreferred
  - <v. 62b>: The feminine singular "his inheritance" (נַחֲלָתוֹ) intervenes between "his people" and the series of suffixes.
 - <Plural suffixes>: Throughout the psalm, collective Israel is indexed with a plural forms (Ḥakham 1979, 59 :C:).
  + [Plural suffixes]: See, e.g., לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ "they had not believed" in v. 22; עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם "upon them" in v. 27; וַיַּסַּ֣ע כַּצֹּ֣אן עַמּ֑וֹ וַֽיְנַהֲגֵ֥ם כַּ֝עֵ֗דֶר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר "but he led out his people like a flock and guided them in the wilderness like a herd" in v. 52; וַ֭יִּרְעֵם "he shepherded them" and יַנְחֵֽם "he led them" in v. 72.


Argument Mapn0IsraelThe referent of the singular suffix is the collective people of Israel (Delitzsch 1871 🄲; Ḥakham 1979 🄲; Goldingay 2006, 510 🄲; Ramond 2014, 28 🄼).n1Plural suffixesSee, e.g., לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ "they had not believed" in v. 22; עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם "upon them" in v. 27; וַיַּסַּ֣ע כַּצֹּ֣אן עַמּ֑וֹ וַֽיְנַהֲגֵ֥ם כַּ֝עֵ֗דֶר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר "but he led out his people like a flock and guided them in the wilderness like a herd" in v. 52; וַ֭יִּרְעֵם "he shepherded them" and יַנְחֵֽם "he led them" in v. 72.n8Plural suffixesThroughout the psalm, collective Israel is indexed with a plural forms (Ḥakham 1979, 59 🄲).n1->n8n2v. 28Israel is the most obvious antecedent of the suffixes in this verse (Delitzsch 1871, 368 🄲; Ḥakham 1979, 59 🄲).n2->n0n3v. 21"Israel" has not been mentioned explicitly as a discourse participant since v. 21.n3->n2n4v. 27They are active in the suffix עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם of v. 27.n4->n3n5PluralThe suffix on עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם in v. 27 is plural.n5->n4n6vv. 63-64"His people" (עַמּ֑וֹ) in v. 62 is the most obvious antecedent of the suffixes in this verse (Delitzsch 1871, 374 🄲; Ḥakham 1979, 69 🄲).n6->n0n7v. 62bThe feminine singular "his inheritance" (נַחֲלָתוֹ) intervenes between "his people" and the series of suffixes.n7->n6n8->n0


YHWH (preferred)

The referent of the singular suffix is YHWH and should thus be rendered singular in translation.


===
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
=== 
[YHWH]: The referent of the singular suffix is YHWH (Rashi :C:; Ibn Ezra :C:; Hitzig 1836, 123, 125-6 :C:; Johnson 1979, 54 n. 2 :M:; Kraus 1989, 119, 121 :C:).
 + <v. 28>: YHWH is the antecedent of the most recent 3sg suffix.
  + <v. 26>: See בְּעֻזּ֣וֹ "with his might."
 + <Tabernacle>: לְמִשְׁכְּנֹתָֽיו is a plural of plural of intensification (GKC §142b, e), referring to the tabernacle (Johnson 1979, 54 n. 2 :M:), as the case of לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו in Ps 132:7, which is found in parallel to לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו.
  + [Ps 132:7]: נָב֥וֹאָה לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו נִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו ("Let us go to his dwelling place, let us worship at his footstool," NIV).
 + <vv. 63-64>: YHWH is the antecedent of the most recent 3sg suffix.
  + <vv. 61-62>: See עֻזּ֑וֹ וְֽתִפְאַרְתּ֥וֹ "his strength and his glory"; עַמּ֑וֹ "his people" and נַחֲלָתוֹ "his inheritance." 
   - <Greek of v. 61>: The LXX and a fragment of Aquila contain plural suffixes in this verse.#dispreferred
    + [Greek of v. 61]: LXX: καὶ παρέδωκεν εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν καλλονὴν αὐτῶν εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθροῦ ("and gave their strength over to captivity and their comeliness into an enemy’s hands," NETS); Aquila: τὸ κράτος αὐτῶν ... "their strength."#dispreferred
 + <Singular suffixes>: Throughout the psalm (with the exception of v. 8 and David in vv. 70-71), every other 3ms suffix unambiguously has YHWH as its antecedent.
  + [Plural suffixes]: See, e.g., "his people" (vv. 20, 52, 62); and "his adversaries" (v. 66), among others (see participant analysis).


Argument Mapn0YHWHThe referent of the singular suffix is YHWH (Rashi 🄲; Ibn Ezra 🄲; Hitzig 1836, 123, 125-6 🄲; Johnson 1979, 54 n. 2 🄼; Kraus 1989, 119, 121 🄲).n1Ps 132:7נָב֥וֹאָה לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו נִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו ("Let us go to his dwelling place, let us worship at his footstool," NIV).n6Tabernacleלְמִשְׁכְּנֹתָֽיו is a plural of plural of intensification (GKC §142b, e), referring to the tabernacle (Johnson 1979, 54 n. 2 🄼), as the case of לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו in Ps 132:7, which is found in parallel to לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו.n1->n6n2Greek of v. 61LXX: καὶ παρέδωκεν εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν καλλονὴν αὐτῶν εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθροῦ ("and gave their strength over to captivity and their comeliness into an enemy’s hands," NETS); Aquila: τὸ κράτος αὐτῶν ... "their strength."n9Greek of v. 61The LXX and a fragment of Aquila contain plural suffixes in this verse.n2->n9n3Plural suffixesSee, e.g., "his people" (vv. 20, 52, 62); and "his adversaries" (v. 66), among others (see participant analysis).n10Singular suffixesThroughout the psalm (with the exception of v. 8 and David in vv. 70-71), every other 3ms suffix unambiguously has YHWH as its antecedent.n3->n10n4v. 28YHWH is the antecedent of the most recent 3sg suffix.n4->n0n5v. 26See בְּעֻזּ֣וֹ "with his might."n5->n4n6->n0n7vv. 63-64YHWH is the antecedent of the most recent 3sg suffix.n7->n0n8vv. 61-62See עֻזּ֑וֹ וְֽתִפְאַרְתּ֥וֹ "his strength and his glory"; עַמּ֑וֹ "his people" and נַחֲלָתוֹ "his inheritance." n8->n7n9->n8n10->n0


Conclusion (A-)

The plural suffixes found in the LXX and Syr., among other ancient translations, should not be understood as a distinct textual tradition in contrast to the MT's singular forms, but rather as an intentional translation technique to make explicit their understanding of collective Israel as the referent of the suffixes. Such is probably also the case in those modern translations opting for the plural form.[3] Nevertheless, while Israel/the people is a possible antecedent, everywhere else in the psalm they are referred to with plural indexation.[4]

The evidence of the 3sg suffixes throughout the psalm strongly point to YHWH as the referent also in vv. 28, 63-64, so should be translated with singular suffixes:

"and he made them fall inside his camp, all around his tents...[5]

Fire consumed his young men and his young women were not sung to. His priests fell by the sword and his widows could not mourn."

The result is the remarkable rhetorical effect of still claiming the camp and tents as his own, while in the process of disciplining the people, and claiming the young men and women, priests and widows as his own, while in the process of allowing Shiloh to be destroyed. It follows the pattern of his people throughout the psalm (vv. 20, 52, 62 and probably 71) and stands to reason that he would arise and do something about their defeat (v. 65-66), such that Israel, though rejected as covenant administrators (v. 67) are still referred to as YHWH's people and inheritance at the end of the psalm (v. 71).[6]

Research

Translations

Ancient

  • LXX: καὶ ἐπέπεσον εἰς μέσον τῆς παρεμβολῆς αὐτῶν κύκλῳ τῶν σκηνωμάτων αὐτῶν ... τοὺς νεανίσκους αὐτῶν κατέφαγεν πῦρ, καὶ αἱ παρθένοι αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐπενθήθησαν· οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῶν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἔπεσαν, καὶ αἱ χῆραι αὐτῶν οὐ κλαυσθήσονται.[7]
    • "and they fell in the midst of their camp, all around their coverts ... Their young men fire devoured, and their girls were not bewailed. Their priests fell by sword, and their widows will not be lamented."[8]
  • Symmachus: καὶ ἐπέβαλον ἔνδον εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν αὐτῶν κύκλῳ τῶν σκηνῶν [αὐτῶν] ... τοὺς νεανιίσκους αὐτοῦ ἀνάλωσεν πῦρ ... οὐκ ἐπῃνέθησαν ἱερεῖς αὐτ[οῦ] μαχαίρᾳ ἔπ[εσον] καὶ αἱ χηρευθεῖσαι αὐτοῦ / αὐτῶν[9] οὐκ ἔκλαυσαν.[10]
    • "and he threw them into their camp, around [their] tents ... fire consumed his young men ... were not praised ... [his] priests fell by the sword and his / their widows did not weep."
  • Aquila: ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτ[οῦ] ἔφα[γεν] πῦρ καὶ παρθένοι αὐτοῦ οὐχ ὑμνήθησαν ἱερεῖς αὐτ[οῦ] ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἔπ[σεον]... [11]
    • "Fire consumed [his] chosen ones and his maidens were not sung to; [his] priests fell by the sword"
  • Quinta: ... καὶ αἰ παρθ[ένοι] αὐτῶν οὐκ επῃνέθησαν[12]
    • "... and their maidens were not praised."
  • Theodotion: τοὺς νεανιίσκους αὐτοῦ ... οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ ...[13]
    • "his young men ... his priests..."
  • Iuxta Hebraeos: et ceciderunt in medio castrorum eius in circuitu tabernaculorum eius ... iuvenes eius devoravit ignis et virgines eius nemo luxit sacerdotes eius gladio ceciderunt et viduae eius non sunt fletae"
    • "And they fell in the midst of his camp, round about his pavilions ... Fire devoured his young men: and his maidens he did not mourn. His priests fell by the sword: and his widows did not weep."
  • Peshitta: ܘܢܦܠܘ ܒܡܫܪ̈ܝܬܗܘܢ ܚܕܪ̈ܝ ܡܫ̈ܟܢܝܗܘܢ ... ܠܓܕܘ̈ܕܝܗܘܢ ܐܟܠܬ ܢܘܪܐ ܘܒܬ̈ܘܠܬܗܘܢ ܐܬܛܪܦ ܘܟܗ̈ܢܝܗܘܢ ܢܦܠܘ ܒܚܪܒܐ ܘܐܪ̈ܡܠܬܗܘܢ ܠܐ ܐܬܒ̈ܟܝ [14]
    • "They fell in their encampments, all around their tents ... Fire consumed their young men; their young women were treated badly. Their priests fell by the sword; their widows were not lamented. "[15]
  • Targum: ואפיל במצע משיריתיה חזור חזור למשכנוי ... עולימוהי אכלת אשתא ובתולתיה לא אשתבחן׃ משבחן‭ ‬כהנוי בקטלא דחרבא יפלון וארמלתוי לא ספיקן דתבכוון׃ [16]
    • "And he made them fall in the midst of his camp, all around his tents ... Fire devoured his young men, and his maidens were not praised. His priests fell by the sword, and his widows did not weep."[17]
  • Saadia: אוקע ד׳לך דאכ׳ל עסכרהם, והואלי מסאכנהם ... ואכל נאר אלסיף מן שבאנה, מאת מן אבכארה ולם ימדחוא ומן אימתה מן וקע באלסיף, ומן אראמלה מן לא יבכון בפקודהם [18]
    • "their army ... their tents ... his young men ... his virgins ... his priests ... his widows"

Modern

3sg

  • He made them fall in the camp, all around the tents ... Fire consumed his chosen young men, and his young women had no wedding songs. His priests fell by the sword, and the widows could not lament. (CSB)
  • mitten in sein Lager liess er sie fallen, rings um seine Wohnungen ... Seine jungen Männer frass das Feuer, und seine jungen Frauen wurden nicht besungen. Seine Priester fielen durch das Schwert, und seine Witwen konnten nicht weinen. (ZÜR; cf. ELB)

Combination of 3sg and 3pl

  • God brought the birds down in the center of their camp, all around their dwellings ... Fire devoured his young men, and his young women had no wedding songs. God’s priests were killed by the sword, and his widows couldn’t even cry. (CEB; cf. NASB)
  • making them come down inside His camp, around His dwelling-place ... Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens remained unwed. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep. (NJPS)
  • il les a fait tomber au milieu de leur camp, tout autour de leurs tentes ... le feu a dévoré ses jeunes gens, et ses vierges n’ont plus été célébrées; ses prêtres sont tombés par l’épée, et ses veuves n’ont pas pleuré leurs morts. (SG21; cf. NBS)
  • mitten in sein Lager ließ er sie fallen, rings um seine Wohnung her ... Ihre junge Mannschaft fraß das Feuer, und ihre Jungfrauen mussten ungefreit bleiben. Ihre Priester fielen durchs Schwert, und die Witwen konnten die Toten nicht beweinen. (LUT)

3pl

  • "he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings ... Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation." (ESV; cf. CJB, KJV, NABRE, REB)

Secondary Literature

Delitzsch, Franz. 1871. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 2. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.
Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms 42-89. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
GKC = Gesenius, Wilhelm & Kautsch, Emil. 1909. A. E. Cowley (trans.) Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Ḥakham, Amos. 1979. ספר תהלים: ספרים ג–ה (in Hebrew; The Book of Psalms: Books 3-5). Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.
Hitzig, Ferdinand. 1863. Die Psalmen: Übersetzt und Ausgelegt. Leipzig und Heidelberg: C. F. Winterische Verlagshandlung.
Hossfeld, F. 2005. "Psalm 78." Pages 282-301 in K. Baltzer (ed.) A Commentary on Psalms 51-100. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Press.
Ibn Ezra, Abraham. Ibn Ezra on Psalms.
Kraus, Hans. J. 1989. Psalms 60-150: A Commentary, trans. Hilton C. Oswald. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Press.
Johnson, Aubrey. R. 1979. The Cultic Prophet and Israel's Psalmody. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
Kafaḥ, Y. 1965. תהלים עם תרגום ופירוש הגאון רבינו סעדיה (in Hebrew; The Psalms with translation and commentary by the Gaon Rabbi Saadia). Jerusalem: American Academy for Jewish Research.
Ramond, S. 2014. Les Leçons et les Énigmes du Passé: Une Exégèse intra-biblique des Psaumes Historiques. Berlin: De Gruyter.
Rashi. Rashi on 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.

References

78:28, 63, 64",63,64" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 28.

  1. Text from OSHB.
  2. mitten in sein Lager liess er sie fallen, rings um seine Wohnungen ... Seine jungen Männer frass das Feuer, und seine jungen Frauen wurden nicht besungen. Seine Priester fielen durch das Schwert, und seine Witwen konnten nicht weinen.
  3. Such is the explicit recommendation of Ramond: "Pour la traduction, en raison du contexte, il est plus clair d’opter pour des pronoms possessifs au pluriel, encore qu’il soit possible de référer le suffixe singulier à Dieu dans le TM" (2014, 28).
  4. With the exception of דּ֭וֹר לֹא־הֵכִ֣ין לִבּ֑וֹ וְלֹא־נֶאֶמְנָ֖ה אֶת־אֵ֣ל רוּחֽוֹ ("a generation who was not committed in their heart and whose mind was not faithful to God") in v. 8, following the truly collective דּוֹר, which exhibits both singular and plural targets in Biblical Hebrew (cf. the plural לְמַ֤עַן יֵדְע֨וּ׀ דּ֣וֹר אַ֭חֲרוֹן in v. 6).
  5. Johnson argues at length that the singular suffix on his tents actually points to YHWH's tabernacle, such that the noun is a plural of intensification (GKC §124g-i) and should be rendered his tent. The upshot is that "in the metrical line under discussion the psalmist is subtly calling upon his audience to relate this story to the contemporary situation and recognize that Yahweh, in virtue of the Ark and its home on Mount Zion, is still in the midst of His people to punish or to bless, just as He was in the days of the Wandering" (1979, 54 n. 2).
  6. Although this is our preferred interpretation, it should be noted that the people and inheritance in v. 71 may possibly belong to David in this verse (cf., e.g., 2 Sam 8:15: "And David administered justice and equity to all his people," ESV).
  7. Rahlfs 1931, 214, 217.
  8. NETS.
  9. The singular is read in Ra 1173, while the Field (1875, 229) quotes the singular from Eusebius.
  10. https://septuaginta.uni-goettingen.de/hexapla/
  11. https://septuaginta.uni-goettingen.de/hexapla/
  12. https://septuaginta.uni-goettingen.de/hexapla/
  13. https://septuaginta.uni-goettingen.de/hexapla/
  14. CAL
  15. Taylor 2020, 317, 325.
  16. CAL
  17. Stec 2004, 152, 154.
  18. Kafaḥ 1965, 188.