Introduction

Psalm 9:7 reads as follows in the Hebrew (with English interlinear underneath):

הֵֽמָּה	זִכְרָ֣ם	אָבַ֖ד	נָתַ֑שְׁתָּ	וְעָרִ֥ים	לָ֫נֶ֥צַח	חֳרָב֗וֹת	תַּ֥מּוּ	הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב
^MASC.PLthey	memory-^MASC.PLtheir	it-^PASTperish	you-^PASTuproot	and-^FEM.PLcities	to-everlasting	^FEM.PLruins	they-^PASTcome to an end	the-enemy

There are a number of issues in this verse that to some extent feed into each other

Observe the differences in the following translations:

These differences reflect the following difficulties, all of which will be addressed here:

What is the subject of תַּ֥מּוּ?
- Is it the word חֳרָב֗וֹת?<ref>So LXX. Note that the LXX translates this word with αἱ ῥομφαῖαι 'the swords', which indicates that the translator vocalised the word as חֲרָבוֹת. This issue will not be addressed here as it seems to be an isolated one not considered by existing translations.

Argument Map(s)

LXX: τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἐξέλιπον αἱ ῥομφαῖαι εἰς τέλος, καὶ πόλεις καθεῖλες, ἀπώλετο τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν μετ̓ ἤχους; The swords of the enemy failed completely, and cities you destroyed; the memory of them perished resoundingly.