The meaning of גילו ברעדה in psalm 2:11

Introduction

The construction וְגִילוּ בִּרְעָדָה seems like a contradiction because it suggests a particular behaviour (rejoicing) in an unbefitting manner (with trembling). This peculiarity is especially reflected by the fact that it receives virtually no treatment in many major works/commentaries on the Psalms such as Kraus (1979), Craigie (1983), Hossfeld and Zenger (1993) and Schaefer (2001).

Argument Map

['Rejoice']: The phrase גילו ברעדה should be understood as 'rejoice with trembling'
 - <Awkward>: The combination of the two concepts is awkward.
  <_ <Suitability>: 'On the other hand, this contradictory request is well bound up with the occasion of the psalm’ (Vang 1995, 175).
   + <Context>: 'Ps 2:11: serving “the LORD with fear” is in parallel with rejoicing “with trembling.” “Fear” and “trembling” are in close semantic relationship, and—seen in view of the son’s “wrath” that can be “quickly kindled”—clearly signify a very fearful state' (Engleman 2009, 163; see similar comment below by Barbiero 2008, 77).
   + <General Meaning>: גיל often has **non-cultic** sense of 'acknowledge the Lord as king' (Vang 1995, 174–175)
    + Psa 97:1; Isa 42:10, 12; Psa 96:11–13
   + <Parallels>: Both parts of v.11 correct the earlier behaviour of the kings and nations
    + <11a || 3>: עבדו את יהוה corrects the statement of throwing off bonds in v. 3 (see the comments below by Barbiero 2008, 77–78)
     + 'Cf the coherence in Jer 27,12 between bowing the neck under "the yoke" (עֹל) of the Babylonian king and serving  (עבד) him. Conversely, when the people disregards serving the Lord, it may be described as breaking the chains and cords (of the covenant), cf Jer 2,20; 5,5.' (Vang 1995, 177n.67).
    + <11b || 1–2>: גילו corrects the 'noise' of vv. 1–3 (esp. רגש and הגה)
 + <Regularity>: Both 'fascination and fear' often accompany God's presence (Vang 1995,  175–176) 
  + Psa 22:24; Psa 97:1, 4; Psa 40:4; Ex. 14:31



[Emendation]: Emend the text to בִרְעָדָה נַשְׁקוּ                                                     
 ‘Kiss His feet with trembling (i.e., bow down in trembling’)
 - <Previous Argument Map>: This has already been dealt with in another argument map. See below for the link.

[‘Fear‘]: The verb גילו should be translated as ‘fear’.
 - <Unsuitable Style>: 'The rendering of the phrase גילו ברעדה as "fear with trembling" seems a tautology that fits badly to the parallel v 11a' (Vang 1995, 174; similar comment by Barbiero 2008. p. 77).
 - <Lack of Versional Support>: 'Finally it msut not be ignored that none of the ancient versions support an understanding like that' (Vang 1995, 174; see also Barbiero 2008, p.77)
  + <Versions>: See the section "Ancient Versions" further below on this page for confirmation of this claim.
 + <Similar Use>: ‘This understanding gets some support from Hos 10:5, where גיל is often rendered as ‘mourn’ or ‘lament’ because of the context’ (Vang 1995, 174)
  + <Hosea 10:5>: לְעֶגְלוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן יָג֖וּרוּ שְׁכַ֣ן שֹֽׁמְר֑וֹן כִּי־אָבַ֨ל עָלָ֜יו עַמּ֗וֹ וּכְמָרָיו֙ עָלָ֣ יָגִ֔ילוּ עַל־כְּבוֹד֖וֹ כִּֽי־גָלָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ ‘For the heifers of Beth-Aven, let the inhabitant(s) of Samaria tremble, for its people mourn over it, and its priests **lament** over it—over its glory—because for it has gone into exile from him’.
  - <Hosea Difficult>: Hosea 10:5b is itself a disputed passage and may not be deduced as evidence for a particular usage (Vang 1995, 174)
  - <Too Exceptional>: 'Such overwhelming usage (of גיל with the meaning 'rejoice' (JH)) makes it imporb. that 2:11 and Hos. 10:5 should have the exceptional meaning _tremble_ '(Briggs 1906, 23).
 + <Etymology>: ’The use of the Arabic word _ǧāl_ , and its derivative noun _ǧawalānun_ to denote mental or emotional turmoil together with the meaning ‘aestuavit’ (‘be moved’) attested for Syriac _gwl_ suggest that the root _gwl/gyl_ was used in a number of Semitic languages to denote emotional or mental excitement’ (Macintosh 1976, 7–14)
  <_ <Limited Usage>: '_to wind_ or _twine round_, hence _to stir_, _be moved_ only with _rāḥmē_ and _ʾal_ of the object; _to be moved with compassion_ (Payne Smith 1903, 64).
  + <Medieval Grammarians>: Saadya Gaon and (9th Century), and Ibn Janāḥ (10th Century) both relate the root ''ǧwl'' to the Arabic root ''ṭrb'' (Macintosh 1976). Apparently, the latter can have both a positive and negative meaning.
   + <Saadya's Comment on Psa 2:11>: ופסרת וגילו רהבה לאנה ת׳לאת׳ה אלפאט׳ תקתצ׳י הד׳א אלמעני וכמריו עליו יגילו  החשמחים אלי גיל וגילו ברעדה ומן יעלם אן אלערב יסתעמלון אלטרב פי מוצ׳ע אלכ׳וף כמא יסתעמלונה פי מוצ׳ע אלסרור פסרנא לה הד׳ה אלת׳לאת׳ה אלפאט׳ טרבא מת׳ל אכ׳ואתהא (Qafih 1966, 87–88). ‘I have translated וגילו as "fear Him" because there are three expressions (i.e. verses) which require this meaning: וּכְמָרָיו֙ עָלָ֣יו יָגִ֔ילוּ (Hosea 10:5); הַשְּׂמֵחִ֥ים אֱלֵי־גִ֑יל ‘Who rejoice in dread’ (Job 3:22); וְגִ֗ילוּ בִּרְעָדָֽה׃ (Psa 2:11). For whomever knows that the Arabs use the term _Ṭarb_ 'to be moved (with joy or grief)' in a place appropriate for fear just like they use it in a place appropriate for joy, we have translated these three expressions 'moved' like its sisters (i.e. in all three instances).’   
   + <Ibn Janāḥ's entry on the root _gwl_>:  ‘The term _ṭarb_ relates both to joy and sadness. Examples of this are וְגִ֗ילוּ בִּרְעָדָֽה׃ (Psa 2:11); וּכְמָרָיו֙ עָלָ֣יו יָגִ֔ילוּ (Hosea 10:5). The term "ṭarb" refers to the movement which seizes someone whom joy or sadness has overtaken.'  (Translated from ed. Neubauer 1875, 128).
 
['Live']: The proper translation is 'Live in trembling' (Dahood 1966, 6).
 + <Attested Usage>: 'The root is probably gīl, recurring in Ps xxii 9 gāl ʿel yhwh ((JH) גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה 'Trust in the Lord'). Ps xliii 4, śimḥat gḷī ((JH) שִׂמְחַ֪ת גִּ֫ילִ֥י) "the happiness of my life"; and Ps cxxxix 15, gīlay "my life stages"' (Dahood 1966, 13).
  + <Basis in Daniel>: גיל means 'age' in Daniel 1:10 and can therefore refer to "era, stage of life"' (Dahood 1966, 13).
   + <Daniel 1:10>: לָמָּה֩ יִרְאֶ֨ה אֶת־פְּנֵיכֶ֜ם זֹֽעֲפִ֗ים מִן־הַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר כְּגִֽילְכֶ֔ם                                                ‘Why should he (the king) see that your faces are thinnger than those of **your own age** 
 

<Inaccuracy>: "...He gives to the word in the Psalms meanings substantially different from that which it bears in Dan i. 10; he misuses (and mistranslates) the LXX of Ps xliii. 4; he does not merely repoint the text of Ps. cxxxix. 16 (as he claims to do), he emends it" (Macintosh 1976, 2n.4).
 -> <Attested Usage>

Conclusion

The phrase גילו ברעדה should be translated and understood with its plain sense of 'rejoice with trembling.' The juxtaposition of גילו 'rejoice' and ברעדה 'with trembling' seems contradictory, but makes perfect sense in the context of the Psalm as a whole. While the wording is unique, the concept of positive emotions mixed with negative ones upon encountering the Divine is nothing new to the OT as a whole. The unique wording is motivated by one, possibly two, factors. The possible factor is that this is not 'cultic' language and therefore not restricted to any formulaic constructions usually associated it . The real reason for the wording, we conclude, is that it is a correction to the behaviour of the rebels in vv. 1–3. The clause עבדו ביראה corrects the prideful rebellion in v. 3; the clause גילו ברעדה corrects the obstinate noise of vv. 1–2. The pragmatic effect is as follows: Do not rebel in pride (ננתקה and נשליכה), but rather serve (עבדו) in fear (יראה)! Stop the 'unshakeable' (יתיצב and possible wordplay with יס"ד 'to scheme/be established') noise (רגש and הגה) of your plotting, rather turn that noise into praise (גילו), 'shaking' (ברעדה)!

Ancient Versions

LXX

καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε αὐτῷ ἐν τρόμῳ (Rahlfs 1931, 82).
'and rejoice in him with trembling' (NETS).

Peshitta

ܘܐܘܚܕܢܝܗܝ ܒܪܬܝܬܐ (Walter 1980, 2).
Take hold of Him (i.e. devote yourself to Him) with trembling.

Syro-Hexapla

ܪܘܙܘ ܠܗ ܒܪܥܠܐ (Ceriani 1874, fol. 6v)
Rejoice in Him with trembling!

Gallican Psalter

et exultate ei in tremore
Act thrilled before Him with quivering

Vulgate

et exultate ei in tremore
Act thrilled before Him with quivering

Targum

wṣlw brtyt (White 1988, 8; ܘܨܠܘ ܒܪܬܝܬ)
Pray with trembling.

Secondary Lit

Commentaries

Briggs (1906)

Yahweh has given the nations for the king's inheritance...that is a reason for rejoicing; but that joy should be accompanied with trembling lest He be displeased (17).

'Such overwhelming usage (with the meaning 'rejoice' (JH)) makes it imporb. that 2:11 and Hos. 10:5 should have the exceptional meaning tremble' (23).

Dahood (1966, 13)

‘The root is probably gīl, recurring in Ps xxii 9 gāl ʿel yhwh ([JH] גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה ‘Trust in the Lord’).; Ps xliii 4, śimḥat gḷī ([JH] שִׂמְחַ֪ת גִּ֫ילִ֥י) "the happiness of my life"; and Ps cxxxix 15, gīlay "my life stages". See Dahood, Biblica 40 (1959), 168f. In Dan i 10, gīl means "era, stage of life," like old South Arabic gyl, "course of the year".’

Terrien (2003, 84)

'The service of God is not slavery. The 'fear' that accompanies this service should not be understood negatively, as if it were a terror before a menace. On the contrary , the fear of the Lord, especially in wisdom poetry, is a response to forgiving compassion. In the fear of Yahweh the psalmist hopes not to sin by attempting to deceive him. This is the main freason for which the exhortation, crowing the first substrophe, is to rejoice with trembling (11b.).

Journal Articles

Macintosh (1976, 7–8)

‘In conclusion, the word gyl in Hebrew may be regarded as cognate with both Arabic words ǧāl/ǧwl and wǧl, and with Syriac gwl. The two Arabic words constitute evidence that the root gwl/gyl belongs to the ʾAḍdād class.

Vang (1995, 177)

׳The juxtaposition of גיל with רעדה is unique; but it is closely bound up with the cause and the background of the psalm. Vv 10-12 as such have a few exceptional idioms and syntactical constructions. Bearing this in mind the basis is too slender for looking for another Hebrew text behind the גילו ברעדה of the MT.׳

Other

(Barbiero 2008; Monograph)

The first word of text and translation are in bold to facilitate navigation

Dal momento che al v. 2c la rivolta si dirigeva contro due persone, «JHWH e il suo Messia», questo binomio viene ripreso nella strofa finale...Dapprima si raccomanda l'obbedienza a JHWH (v. 1 1), quindi quella verso il "figlio" (v. 12)...Il verbo " servire" עבדו riprende il tema delle " catene" e delle "funi" che i re della terra volevano rompere. Viene esposto qui l'atteggiamento esattamente antitetico, quello cioè di accettare il dominio di Dio, di obbedire a lui. (77).
Since in v. 2c the revolt was directed against two persons, 'JHWH and His Messiah,' this pairing is taken up again in the final stanza...First, obedience to JHWH is recommend (v.11), then obedience to the 'son' (v.12)...The verb 'to serve' עבדו takes up the theme of the 'chains' and 'ropes' that the kings of the earth wanted to break. Precisely the antithetical attitude is expressed here, that of accepting God's dominion, of obeying Him (77)

Il verbo רעד, "tremare" , è più forte di ירא, "temere" . Qui realmente si esprime lo "spavento" di fronte ad un avvenimento terrificante. D'altra parte il contesto giustifica un tale sentimento. Al v. 9 si era infatti prospettato l'intervento repressivo del Messia che avrebbe fatto a pezzi i popoli con scettro di ferro e al v. 12c si tornerà a parlare della "sua ira" , dove non è chiaro se si tratti dell'ira di Dio o del Messia, ma poco importa. Il senso di questa minaccia è appunto quello di incutere spavento, naturalmente in senso positivo. L'uomo ha bisogno talora delle maniere forti per essere condotto a saggezza(78)
The verb רעד 'to tremble' is stronger ירא, 'to fear'. Here it really expresses the 'fright' in the face of a terrifying event. On the other hand, the context justifies such a feeling. In v.9 the punitive intervention of the Messiah, who would tear people to pieces with an iron scepter, was forseen, and in v. 12c we return to speak of 'his wrath. It is not clear whether it is the wrath of God or of the Messiah, but it does not matter. The meaning of this threat is precisely to frighten, of course in a positive sense. Man sometimes needs 'tough love' to be led to wisdom. (78)

Ora il v. 1 1 TM è costruito secondo un preciso parallelismo sinonimico...Da una parte si corrispondono i due verbi, עבד " servire" , e גיל " esultare" , dall'altra i due complementi modali ביראה, " con timore" , ברעדה, " con tremore" . Le due proposizioni vogliono dunque venir interpretate insieme, contestualmente. (77)
Now, v.11 of the MT is constructed according to a precise synonymous parallelism...On the one hand we match the two verbs עבד 'to serve', and גיל 'to rejoice', on the other the two modal complements ביראה 'with fear' and ברעדה 'with trembling'. The two propositions are therefore to be interpreted together, contextually. (77)

Engleman (2009, 161, 163; PhD Dissertation)

Ps 2:11, for example, admonishes the reader to “serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling” (NIV). One might be tempted to find a semantic association between “fear” and “serve” and “rejoice”; but the much more likely parallel to “fear” is “trembling” because of its close relation to fear and because the general context of this verse is about the (messianic) son’s great wrath and punishment. Serving and rejoicing, then, should be both accomplished with a high level of the fear emotion/feeling. In the case of this verse, parallelism exists between colon A (“serve the LORD with fear”) and colon B (“rejoice with trembling”). “Serve” and “rejoice” are not synonymous, however, but simply describe two very different actions that are a part of proper YHWH worship; “fear” and “trembling” are technically not synonymous either—the first is the emotion/feeling itself, and the second is the physical reaction to it. But it is clear that serving the LORD and rejoicing before him ought to include trembling (that comes from fear) and to include fear (that manifests trembling) (pp. 161–162).

Ps 2:11: serving “the LORD with fear” is in parallel with rejoicing “with trembling.” “Fear” and “trembling” are in close semantic relationship, and—seen in view of the son’s “wrath” that can be “quickly kindled”—clearly signify a very fearful state (163).

Works Cited

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

Ceriani, A.M., ed. 1874. Codex Syro-hexaplaris Ambrosianus. Mediolani: Impensis Bibliothecae Ambrosianae.

Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1 - 50. Word Biblical Commentary 19. Dallas, TX: Word Books, Publisher.

Dahood, Mitchell J. 1966. Psalms I, 1-50: Introduction, Translation, and Notes. AB 16. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday.

Engleman, Eric. 2009. “Does Fear Remain in Old Testament יראת יהוה?” PhD, Universität Wien

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 1993. Die Psalmen I: Psalm 1–50. Wüzburg: Echter Verlag.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1979. Theologie der Psalmen. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag.

Macintosh, A. A. 1976. “A Consideration of the Problems Presented by Psalm II. 11 and 12.” The Journal of Theological Studies 27 (1): 1–14.

Neubauer, A.D., ed. 1875. The Book of Hebrew Roots. Oxford: Claredon Press.

Payne Smith, J. 1903. A Compendious Syriac Dictionary. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.

Qafiḥ, Yosef. 1966. תהלים עם תרגום ופירוש הגאון רבנו סעדיה בן יוסף פיומי זצ׳׳ל [Psalms with R. Saadya Gaon’s Translation and Commentary]. Jerusalem.

Rahlfs, Alfred. 1931. Psalmi Cum Odis. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Terrien, Samuel L. 2003. The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary. ECC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Vang, Carsten. 1995. “PS 2,11–12 ‐ a New Look at an Old Crux Interpretum.” Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament 9 (2): 163–84.

Walter, D.M., ed. 1980. The Old Testament in Syriac: The Book of Psalms. Leiden: Brill.

White, Emanuel. 1988. “A Critical Edition of the Targum of Psalms : a computer generated text of books I and II.” PhD Thesis. Montreal: McGill University.