Psalm 37 Semantics
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Psalm 37/Semantics
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They will soon wither
Psalm 37
Guardian: Ryan Sikes
About the Grammar & Semantics Layer
Semantics is the study of how language is used to represent meaning. The goal of semantic analysis for interpreting and translating the Bible is to understand the meaning of words and how they relate to each other in context. We want to understand what is implicit about word meaning – and thus assumed by the original audience – and make it explicit – and thus clear for us who are removed by time, language, and culture. The semantics layer is composed of three major branches: lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics and verbal semantics.
About the Grammar Layer
The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Show/Hide Grammar Legend" below.)
| Visualization | Description |
|---|---|
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The clause is represented by a horizontal line with a vertical line crossing through it, separating the subject and the verb. |
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The object is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause. Infinitives and participles may also have objects. If the direct object marker (d.o.m.) is present in the text, it appears in the diagram immediately before the object. If the grammar includes a secondary object, the secondary object will appear after the object, separated by another vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause. |
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The subject complement follows the verb (often omitted in Hebrew) separated with a line leaning toward the right. It can be a noun, a whole prepositional phrase or an adjective. The later two appear modifying the complement slot. |
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When a noun further describes or renames the object, it is an object complement. The object complement follows the object separated by a line leaning toward the right. |
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In a construct chain, the noun in the absolute form modifies the noun in the construct form. |
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Participles are indicated in whatever position in the clause they are in with a curved line before the participle. Participles can occur as nominal, where they take the place of a noun, predicate, where they take the place of a verb, or attributive, where they modify a noun or a verb similar to adjectives or adverbs. |
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Infinitives are indicated by two parallel lines before the infinitive that cross the horizontal line. Infinitive constructs can appear as the verb in an embedded clause. Infinitive absolutes typically appear as an adverbial. |
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The subject of the infinitive often appears in construct to it. In this situation, the infinitive and subject are diagrammed as a construct chain. |
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The object of the infinitive is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the infinitival clause. |
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Modifiers are represented by a solid diagonal line from the word they modify. They can attach to verbs, adjectives, or nouns. If modifying a verb or adjective, it is an adverb, but if modifying a noun, it is an adjective, a quantifier, or a definite article. If an adverb is modifying a modifier, it is connected to the modifier by a small dashed horizontal line. |
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Adverbials are indicated by a dashed diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. These are nouns or infinitives that function adverbially (modifying either a verb or a participle), but are not connected by a preposition. |
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Prepositional phrases are indicated by a solid diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. The preposition is to the left of the diagonal line and the dependent of the preposition is on the horizontal line. They can modify verbs (adverbial) or nouns (adjectival). |
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Embedded clauses are indicated by a "stand" that looks like an upside-down Y. The stand rests in the grammatical position that the clause fulfills. Extending from the top of the stand is a horizontal line for the clause. If introduced by a complementizer, for example כִּי, the complementizer appears before the stand. Embedded clauses can stand in the place of any noun. |
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When clauses are joined by a conjunction, they are compound clauses. These clauses are connected by a vertical dotted line. The conjunction is placed next to the dotted line. |
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Within a clause, if two or more parts of speech are compound, these are represented by angled lines reaching to the two compound elements connected by a solid vertical line. If a conjunction is used, the conjunction appears to the left of the vertical line. Almost all parts of speech can be compound. |
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Subordinate clauses are indicated by a dashed line coming from the line dividing the subject from the predicate in the independent clause and leading to the horizontal line of the subordinate clause. The subordinating conjunction appears next to the dashed line. |
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Relative clauses also have a dashed line, but the line connects the antecedent to the horizontal line of the relative clause. The relative particle appears next to the dashed line. |
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Sentence fragments are represented by a horizontal line with no vertical lines. They are most frequently used in superscriptions to psalms. They are visually similar to discourse particles and vocatives, but most often consist of a noun phrase (that does not refer to a person or people group) or a prepositional phrase. |
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In the body of the psalm, a horizontal line by itself (with no modifiers or vertical lines) can indicate either a discourse particle or a vocative (if the word is a noun referring to a person or people group). A discourse particle is a conjunction or particle that functions at the discourse level, not at the grammatical level. Vocatives can appear either before or after the clause addressed to them, depending on the word order of the Hebrew. |
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Apposition is indicated by an equal sign equating the two noun phrases. This can occur with a noun in any function in a sentence. |
| Hebrew text colors | |
|---|---|
| Default preferred text | The default preferred reading is represented by a black line. The text of the MT is represented in bold black text. |
| Dispreferred reading | The dispreferred reading is an alternative interpretation of the grammar, represented by a pink line. The text of the MT is represented in bold pink text, while emendations and revocalizations retain their corresponding colors (see below). |
| Emended text | Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold blue text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred. |
| Revocalized text | Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold purple text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred. |
| (Supplied elided element) | Any element that is elided in the Hebrew text is represented by bold gray text in parentheses. |
| ( ) | The position of a non-supplied elided element is represented by empty black parentheses. For example, this would be used in the place of the noun when an adjective functions substantivally or in the place of the antecedent when a relative clause has an implied antecedent. |
| Gloss text colors | |
|---|---|
| Gloss used in the CBC | The gloss used in the Close-but-Clear translation is represented by bold blue text. |
| Literal gloss >> derived meaning | A gloss that shows the more literal meaning as well as the derived figurative meaning is represented in blue text with arrows pointing towards the more figurative meaning. The gloss used in the CBC will be bolded. |
| Supplied elided element | The gloss for a supplied elided element is represented in bold gray text. |
About the Lexical Semantics Layer
One major branch of semantic study is lexical semantics, which refers to the study of word meanings. It examines semantic range (=possible meanings of a word), the relationship between words (e.g. synonymy, hyponymy), as well as the relationship between words and larger concepts (conceptual domains). One component of our approach involves not only the study of the Hebrew word meaning, but also of our own assumptions about word meaning in modern languages. Because the researcher necessarily starts with their own cultural assumptions (in our case, those of Western-trained scholars), this part of the analysis should be done afresh for every culture.
For a detailed description of our method, see the Lexical Semantics Creator Guidelines.
- See our growing collection of Venn Diagrams, not only for Psalm 37, but for all of the psalms.
- See SDBH on Psalm 37.
About the Phrase-Level Semantics Layer
The Phrase-level Semantics layer analyses the meaning of syntactic units which are larger than the level of the word and smaller than the level of the clause. Specifically, this layer analyses the meaning of prepositional phrases (e.g., לְאִישׁ), construct phrases (e.g., אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים), phrases formed by a coordinating waw conjunction (e.g., אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה) and noun phrases which consist of a noun plus a determiner (e.g., הָאִישׁ) or a quantifier (e.g., כֹּל אִישׁ).
For a detailed description of our method, see the Phrase-level Semantics Creator Guidelines.
| Visualization | Description |
|---|---|
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The prepositional phrase is indicated by a solid green oval. |
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The construct chain is indicated by a solid yellow oval. |
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When the conjunction ו appears at the phrase-level (not clause-level), it is indicated by a solid light purple oval. |
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The article is indicated by a solid blue oval. |
About the Verbal Semantics Layer
This sub-layer focuses on the relationship between verbs, time and modality. These are important categories for interpretation and translation, and how one analyses a verb can have a significant effect on how it is rendered. This sub-layer has been through several iterations, as it strives to accomplish two things: (1) Transparency for the native Hebrew structures, and (2) Transparency for the interpretation necessary to translate the verbal semantics into other languages.
For a detailed description of our method, see the Verbal Semantics Creator Guidelines.
| Conjugations | |
|---|---|
| qatal | yiqtol-jussive |
| wayyiqtol (following qatal)* | cohortative |
| yiqtol | participle |
| wayyiqtol (following yiqtol)* | wayyiqtol (following participle)* |
| weyiqtol | inf. construct |
| weqatal | inf. absolute |
| *Wayyiqtol is colored a darker version of the conjugation it follows. | |
| Relative tense arrows | ||||
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| Relative tense arrows (placed within the appropriate 'Fut/Pres/Past' column) are color coded according to the conjugation of the verb. The arrows in the table below are colored according to the typical uses of the conjugations. | ||||
| After/posterior/future | Imminent future | Simultaneous/right now | Recent past | Before/anterior/past |
| ← ← |
↤ | ↓↓↓ | ↦ | → → |
| Aspect | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous | Habitual or iterative | Stative | Perfective | |
| Encoded in words | ⟲ | ⟲⟲⟲ | ⎯ | • |
| Inferable from context | ⟲ | ⟲⟲⟲ | ⎯ | • |
| Reference point movement | |
|---|---|
| Movement | No movement |
| ⇐ | ⇍ |
| Modality | |
|---|---|
| indicative | purpose/result |
| jussive | necessity |
| imperative | possible |
| cohortative | probable |
| wish | ability |
| (past) conditional | interrogative, etc. |
If an emendation or revocalization is preferred, that emendation or revocalization will be marked in the Hebrew text of all the visuals.
| Emendations/Revocalizations legend | |
|---|---|
| *Emended text* | Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is indicated by blue asterisks on either side of the emendation. |
| *Revocalized text* | Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is indicated by purple asterisks on either side of the revocalization. |
Psalm 37 Verbal Semantics
For an overview of the Verbal Semantics of Psalm 37, click the expandable button below.
(Click diagram to enlarge)
Psalm 37 Semantic Analysis & Diagrams
The following grammatical diagrams are zoomable, and the lexical and phrasal overlays can be toggled on/off. Notes on the semantic layers can be found beneath each verse's diagram.
vv. 1-2
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| לְדָוִ֨ד | v. 1a | By David. |
| אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים | v. 1b | Do not get upset about those who act wickedly; |
| אַל־תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בְּעֹשֵׂ֥י עַוְלָֽה׃ | v. 1c | Do not be jealous of those who do wrong. |
| כִּ֣י כֶ֭חָצִיר מְהֵרָ֣ה יִמָּ֑לוּ | v. 2a | For they will soon wither like grass, |
| וּכְיֶ֥רֶק דֶּ֝֗שֶׁא יִבּוֹלֽוּן׃ | v. 2b | and they will fade like green leaves on plants. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 1-2]
Fragment
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ by
Object
noun: דָוִד David
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: תִּתְחַר get upset
Adverbial
adverb: אַל not
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בַּ about
Object
Nominal
verb-participle: מְּרֵעִים those who act wickedly
article: הַ <status="elided"> the
Conjunction <status="alternative">
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: תְּקַנֵּא be jealous of
Adverbial
adverb: אַל not
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ of
Object
Nominal
Clause
Predicate
verb-participle: עֹשֵׂי those who do
Object
noun: עַוְלָה wrong
Fragment
particle: כִּי for
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יִמָּלוּ they will wither
Adverbial
adverb: מְהֵרָה soon
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כֶ like
Object
Nominal
noun: חָצִיר grass
article: הֶ <status="elided"> the
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יִבּוֹלוּן fade
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כְ like
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="green leaves on plants">
noun: יֶרֶק green (leaves)
noun: דֶּשֶׁא plants
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
Note for vv. 1-2
v. 1b: The verb רעע in the hiphil means “to treat badly, make difficulties for someone, cause injury” (TLOT). In Ps 37, the participle מרעים is partially synonymous with עשי עולה (v. 1), רשׁעים (vv. 9, 12, 14, etc.), and so it has a clear moral dimension: "[those who] act wickedly" (SDBH). The מרעים rebel against YHWH's authority (cf. v. 38) and are thus considered "YHWH's enemies" (v. 20).
Note for vv. 1-2
v. 2a: The adverb מְהֵרָה probably refers to the imminence of the wicked's destruction as well as to the speed with which it will take place. It will happen "soon" (NIV, NLT, ESV, CEV, GNT), and when it does, it will happen "quickly" (NET). Cf. v. 10.
Note for vv. 1-2
v. 2b: The word יֶרֶק is a substantive in Hebrew but must be translated as an adjective+noun in English “green thing” or “something green” (cf. HALOT: "greenery"). The noun can refer to any green appendage of a plant (e.g., Exod 10:15).
Note for vv. 1-2
v. 1a: The verb תִּתְחַר opens the psalm and occurs a total of three times in the psalm (vv. 1, 7-8). Otherwise, the verb is rare, occurring only in Prov 24:19 (אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים) and in the margin of a manuscript of Ben Sira (38:16—ואל תתחר בגויתם). Therefore, this verb is part of what makes Ps 37 unique, and understanding its meaning is important to understanding the meaning of the psalm.
- Modern English translations use a wide variety of terms to translate תִּתְחַר: "fret" (NIV, ESV, NET), "worry" (NLT, cf. GNT), "get upset" (NASB), "be annoyed" (CEV), "be vexed" (NJPS), "strive to outdo" (NEB), "get heated" (NJB).
- The ancient versions show a similar variety: "make jealous" (LXX παραζήλου, which Origen understood as meaning "make jealous"), "irritate" (Theodotion παρερεθίζου), "be quarrelsome" (Quinta ἐρεθίζου), "fight" (Aquila διαμάχου), "be contentious" (Symmachus φιλονείκει, lit: "be fond of victory"), "contend" (Jerome contendere), "envy" (Peshitta ܬܚܣܡ), "be impatient" (Targum תגרג, cf. Stec 2004, 79).
- The basic meaning of the verb in the qal stem is "to burn" (BDB, DCH, TDOT) >> "to be angry" (BDB, HALOT, DCH). The hithpael (תִּתְחַר), then, probably means, literally, "cause yourself to become hot" (cf. BDB, "heat oneself in vexation") >> cause yourself to become angry. As Boyd writes, "with stative intransitive verbs, the Hithpael is connected with the factitive Piel. With the Piel, the referent represented by [subject] places the referent represented by the [direct object] into a state; whereas, with the Hithpael, the referent/[subject] places himself into a state" (Boyd 2017, 103; but see TDOT which suggests that the hithpael of this verb is intensive: "fly into a passion").
- In Ps 37, the verb is associated with anger. It is parallel to "anger" (אַף) and "wrath" (חֵמָה) in v. 8, and in v. 1 it is parallel to "envy" (קַנֵּא), which is elsewhere associated with anger (e.g., Ps 79:5; Prov 27:4). In v. 7, its opposite is patient and calm waiting for YHWH (דּ֤וֹם׀ לַיהוָה֮ וְהִתְח֪וֹלֵ֫ל ל֥וֹ).
- The attitude described by this verb is clearly expressed in other passages of the Bible. Someone who says the following is someone who has "worked themselves up" (הִתְחַר) in the sense described in Ps 37:
- "It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it." (Mal 3:14-15, NIV)
- "Take a good look. This is what the wicked are like, those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer. I concluded, 'Surely in vain I have kept my motives pure and maintained a pure lifestyle. I suffer all day long, and am punished every morning.'" (Ps 73:12-14, NET)
- SDBH accurately defines the word as "process by which humans or deities experience extreme displeasure" and glosses it as "become angry." "Get upset" (which refers not just to anger, but also to worry and to displeasure more generally) would also be an appropriate gloss for this definition (so NASB: "get upset").
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
Note for vv. 1-2
11QPsD reads יבלון (probably a defective spelling of יִבֹּלוּן) (cf. DJD XXIII, 65). The LXX (ἀποπεσοῦνται) probably agrees with this reading. Although the verb ἀποπίπτω does not elsewhere translate the root בלה, but rather מלל ( Job 24:24; Ps 89:6) and נפל (Job 29:24; Ps 5:11), the related verb ἐκπίπτω is used to translate נבל in Isa 40:7—ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ἐξέπεσεν.
Note for vv. 1-2
A number of witnesses read a conjunction before the second אַל (v. 1b), including the LXX (μηδε), the Peshitta (ܘܠܐ), Jerome iuxta Hebr (neque), the Targum (ולא), and some 20 mss listed by Kennicott. The conjunction feels natural (cf. Ps 6:2), and this naturalness might explain how it entered the textual tradition as a secondary reading. Throughout the psalm, the versions show a tendency to add coordinating conjunctions at the beginnings of b-lines (cf. vv. 1, 25, 31, 38, 40), probably to facilitate reading. Furthermore, the alef as the first letter of the b-line strengthens the acrostic nature of the psalm (cf. Ruiz 2009, 51). (On the other hand, scribes might have removed the conjunction in harmonization to Prov 24:19—אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים אַל־תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בָּרְשָׁעִֽים).v. 3
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| בְּטַ֣ח בַּֽ֭יהוָה וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב | v. 3a | Trust in YHWH and do good! |
| שְׁכָן־אֶ֝֗רֶץ וּרְעֵ֥ה אֱמוּנָֽה׃ | v. 3b | Reside in the land and graze securely! |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 3]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: בְּטַח trust
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בַּ in
Object
noun: יהוָה YHWH
Conjunction
conjunction: וַ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: עֲשֵׂה do
Object
adjective: טוֹב good
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: שְׁכָן reside in
Object
noun: אֶרֶץ land
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: רְעֵה graze
Object <status="alternative">
noun: אֱמוּנָה faithfulness
Object <status="alternative">
ConstructChain
noun: הֲמוֹנָ abundance <status="emendation">
suffix-pronoun: הּ its <status="emendation">
Adverbial <gloss="securely">
noun: אֱמוּנָה reliability >> security
Notes
Note for v. 3
The word אֱמוּנָה could be either the direct object of רְעֵה or an adverbial modifier. The issue depends on the meaning of the verb רְעֵה (see lexical semantics).
- Option 1: Direct object.
- Option 1a: "shepherd/graze upon>>be busy with faithfulness" (cf. HALOT, on analogy with Prov 15:14 וּפִי כְסִילִים יִרְעֶה אִוֶּלֶת). So Targum: "be occupied with (עסוק) faithfulness" (Stec 2004, 79).
- Option 1b: "graze on faithfulness>>a reliable food supply" (see Kselman 1997, 252). The following verb ענג in v. 4 is also associated with food (cf. Isa 55:3; 58:14; 66:11).
- Option 1c: "befriend faithfulness" (ESV). According to this view, the verb רעה is from a different root.
- Option 1d: "shepherd>>guard faithfulness", i.e., "maintain your integrity" (NET, cf. NJPS: "remain loyal").
- Option 2: Adverbial. "Live securely" (CSB; so Baethgen 1904, 104; Hossfeld and Zenger 1993, 234). Cf. Symmachus and Jerome (who was probably influenced by Symmachus): διηνεκῶς (adverbial -ως ending), fide (ablative case). The image is similar to that in Isa 14:30: "The poorest of the poor will find pasture (וְרָעוּ), and the needy will lie down in safety" (NIV; cf. Ezek 34:14, 18f; Isa 33:6). On nominals which function adverbially, see GKC 118m-q.
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 3
v. 3b: There are five different ways of understanding the meaning of רעה אמונה.
- Option 1: root רעה I, transitive, "graze on faithfulness >> be busy with faithfulness" (cf. HALOT, Gesenius 2013, 1254), on analogy with Prov 15:14—"the fool feeds on trash" (NLT; Hebrew: וּפִי כְסִילִים יִרְעֶה אִוֶּלֶת). So Targum: "be occupied with (עסוק) faithfulness" (Stec 2004, 79).
- Option 2: root רעה I, transitive, "graze on faithfulness >> graze on a reliable food supply" (see Kselman 1997, 252). The following verb ענג in v. 4 is also associated with food (cf. Isa 55:2; 58:14; 66:11).
- Option 3: root רעה I, transitive, "shepherd faithfulness >> guard faithfulness", i.e., "maintain your integrity" (NET, cf. NJPS: "remain loyal")
- Option 4: root רעה I, intransitive, "graze securely >> "Live securely" (CSB; so Baethgen 1904, 104; Hossfeld and Zenger 1993, 234). Cf. Symmachus (also Jerome): ποιμαίνου διηνεκῶς. The image is similar to that in Isa 14:30: "The poorest of the poor will find pasture (וְרָעוּ), and the needy will lie down in safety" (NIV; cf. Ezek 34:14, 18f; Isa 33:6). The syntax is similar to Isa 30:23, where intransitive רעה is modified by an adverbial accusative—יִרְעֶ֥ה מִקְנֶ֛יךָ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא כַּ֥ר נִרְחָֽב, "In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows" (NIV). According to this view, אמונה does not refer to the virtue of "faithfulness" but to "security" or "stability" (cf. Isa 33:6—"He is your constant source of stability [אֱמוּנַ֣ת עִתֶּ֔יךָ]," NET) and functions as an adverbial accusative (CSB: "securely").
- Option 5: root רעה II, transitive, "befriend faithfulness" (ESV). Cf. SDBH: "literally: to associate (with an event); hence: = process by which humans undergo a certain condition"; cf. BDB: "cherish faithfulness".
Note for v. 3
In the context, the imperatives in vv. 3b-4 are probably not moral exhortations to righteous living, but promises for the person who trusts in YHWH (cf. Baethgen 1904, 104). In other words, only the imperatives in the first line (v. 3a) function as a directives ("trust in YHWH and do good!"). The following imperatives, beginning with "dwell in the land," function (as imperatives sometimes do) "to express a distinct assurance... or promise" (GKC 110c; cf. JM114p; IBHS 34.4c). Cf. the parallel verse, Ps 37:27 ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֗וֹב וּשְׁכֹ֥ן לְעוֹלָֽם = "turn from evil and do good, and (you will) dwell forever." If this analysis is correct and רעה אמונה is not a moral exhortation to faithfulness, then the options 1, 3, and 5 discussed in phrase-level notes are less likely, and options 2 and 4 are more likely. Between these two options, option 4 has clearer semantic and syntactic parallels.
Note for v. 3
In place of אֱמוּנָה, the LXX has ἐπὶ τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτῆς, perhaps reading הֲמוֹנָהּ (so BHS, LXX.D; cf. v. 16b; cf. Ezek 29:19). 11QPsD appears to read אמונה (cf. DJD XXIII, 68), and so do the other ancient witnesses: Aquila (πίστιν), Symmachus (διηνεκῶς), Quinta (πίστιν), Peshitta (ܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ), Jerome (fide), Targum (בהימנותא). Thus the external evidence favours the reading of the MT. Furthermore, the notion of "security" (see below) fits better in the context (cf. Ruiz 2009, 51). LXX's πλοῦτος (=המון) may be explained as secondary due to either an aural confusion brought about the the weakening of ה in pronunciation, or simply assimilating a difficult Hebrew reading to an easier one.v. 4
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| וְהִתְעַנַּ֥ג עַל־יְהוָ֑ה | v. 4a | And then you will delight yourself in YHWH, |
| וְיִֽתֶּן־לְ֝ךָ֗ מִשְׁאֲלֹ֥ת לִבֶּֽךָ׃ | v. 4b | and he will give you your heart's desires. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 4]
Fragment
particle: וְ and then
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: הִתְעַנַּג you will delight yourself
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עַל in
Object
noun: יהוָה YHWH
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יִתֶּן he will give
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ to
Object
pronoun: ךָ you
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="your heart’s requests">
noun: מִשְׁאֲלֹת requests
noun: לִבֶּ heart
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 4
מִשְׁאֲלֹת לִבֶּֽ (your heart's requests >> your heart's desires): Most translations have "desires of your heart" (NIV, ESV, cf. NLT, CEV, GNT). If the "requests of the heart" are unarticulated, then "desires" is a good translation. Alternatively, the phrase "requests of the heart" could instead refer to verbal requests which originate in the heart (cf. NET: "your prayers"). In Ps 19, the phrase "meditation of my heart" (הֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי), juxtaposed with the phrase "words of my mouth," probably refers to unvoiced thoughts. Similarly, in Ps 37:4, the reference is probably to unvoiced requests, i.e., (deep-seated) desires.
Note for v. 4
The imperative in v. 4a, which is coordinate with the imperatives in v. 3b (and part of the same ב strophe) should probably be understood in the same way, i.e., not as an exhortation ("delight yourself!") but as a promise ("and you will delight yourself..."). In this case, the purpose-result semantics are not only an implicature, they seem to be encoded syntactically by means of the waw prefix (cf. JM §116f on the use of waw + imperative to indicate purpose or consecutive action). Thus, according to vv. 3b-4, those who trust in YHWH and do good (v. 3a) will dwell in the land and graze securely (v. 3b), find delight in YHWH, and receive their heart's desires (v. 4). Cf. NET: "Then you will take delight in the LORD..."
Note for v. 4
LXX omits the conjunction at the beginning of v. 4 (cf. Peshitta). 11QPs-d has the conjunction, which weighs the external evidence in favor of it. The LXX omission might be due to haplography within the LXX tradition (cf. the surrounding και's of 3b and 4b as well as the identical beginning of the first word of 4a, καταρύφησον).vv. 5-6
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| גּ֣וֹל עַל־יְהוָ֣ה דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ | v. 5a | Commit your way to YHWH, |
| וּבְטַ֥ח עָ֝לָ֗יו וְה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ | v. 5b | and trust in him, and he will act, |
| וְהוֹצִ֣יא כָא֣וֹר צִדְקֶ֑ךָ | v. 6a | and he will make your righteousness known like the light, |
| וּ֝מִשְׁפָּטֶ֗ךָ כַּֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃ | v. 6b | and [he will make] your justice [known] like midday. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 5-6]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: גּוֹל roll >> commit
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עַל to
Object
noun: יהוָה YHWH
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="your way">
noun: דַּרְכֶּ way
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: בְטַח trust
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עָלָי in
Object
pronoun: ו him
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
pronoun: הוּא he
Predicate
verb: יַעֲשֶׂה will act
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: הוֹצִיא he will bring out >> he will make known
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כָ like
Object
Nominal
noun: אוֹר light
article: הָ <status="elided"> the
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="your righteousness">
noun: צִדְקֶ righteousness
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
pronoun:
Predicate
verb: יוֹצִיא <status="elided"> he will bring out >> he will make known
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כַּ like
Object
Nominal
noun: צָּהֳרָיִם midday
article: הַ <status="elided"> the
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="your justice">
noun: מִשְׁפָּטֶ justice
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
Note for vv. 5-6
v. 6a: "Bring out like the light" >> make known. "Your righteousness will be visible to everyone; in the same way that everyone can see the light, so everyone will be able to see that you are in the right and that your deeds are just." Cf. CEV: "Then it will be as clear as the noonday sun that you were right."
Note for vv. 5-6
v. 5b: The verb עשה is sometimes intransitive, meaning "act with effect, especially of [YHWH]" (BDB; e.g., Pss 22:32; 52:11; see BDB for more examples). Cf. ESV: "he will act"; NET: "he will act on your behalf."
Note for vv. 5-6
v. 6b: The word משפט refers to behavior that conforms to YHWH’s law (cf. SDBH: “practices that conform to the laws of God”). Everyone will be able to see that this person is in the right and their deeds are just (in conformity with God’s law).
Note for vv. 5-6
v. 5a: The word translated commit (גּ֣וֹל, so ESV, NIV, NLT, NET) is, literally "to roll away, to God: a need, distress" (HALOT). SDBH defines it as an "action by which humans show their confidence in a deity by putting difficult matters in that deity's hands, ◄ like a heavy stone is rolled on to someone else who is more able to carry it" (cf. Ps 22:9 [גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה]; Prov 16:3 [גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ]). The NJPS translation does a good job bringing out the sense of the clause: "Leave all to the LORD" (NJPS).
Note for vv. 5-6
The article in כַּֽ(הַ)צָּהֳרָֽיִם (midday) indicates identifiability - specific referent. In other words, there is only one mid-point of each day; similarly in English: "the middle of the day". Alternatively, inclusiveness-class.
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
Note for vv. 5-6
v. 5: LXX and Targum read גַל (from גלה, "reveal") instead of גוֹל (from גלל, "roll"). But see the same expression in Ps 22:9 (גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה, where the LXX translates accurately as ἐλπίζειν) and Prov 16:3 (גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ). So Jerome: volve.
Note for vv. 5-6
v. 6: The Masorah Parva notes that מִשׁפָּטֶךָ is a defective plural which occurs a total of five times in the Bible. Kennicott lists more than 60 mss which have the full plural spelling: משפטיך (cf. de Rossi pg. 25; cf. Peshitta ܘܕܝܢ̈ܝܟ which has a plural). Some of the earliest witnesses have a singular noun, e.g., LXX (τὸ κρίμα σου), Jerome (iudicium), which fits better in the literary context (cf. the collocation of צדקה and משׁפט in Gen 18:19; Pss 33:5; 99:4; 106:3; Job 37:23; Prov 16:8; 21:3). מִשׁפָּטֶךָ should probably be analyzed as a pausal form (Baethgen 1904, 105; Revell, "List of Pausal Forms" 2004, 33).v. 7
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| דּ֤וֹם ׀ לַיהוָה֮ וְהִתְח֪וֹלֵ֫ל ל֥וֹ | v. 7a | Be silent before YHWH and wait for him! |
| אַל־תִּ֭תְחַר בְּמַצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכּ֑וֹ | v. 7b | not get upset about someone who makes his way successful, |
| בְּ֝אִ֗ישׁ עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְזִמּֽוֹת׃ | v. 7c | about a person carrying out schemes. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit
Fragment [v. 7]
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: דּוֹם be silent
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לַ before
Object
noun: יהוָה YHWH
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: הִתְחוֹלֵל wait
verb: הוֹחֵל <status="alternative"> wait
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: ל for
Object
pronoun: וֹ him
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: תִּתְחַר get upset
Adverbial
adverb: אַל not
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ about
Object
Clause
Predicate
verb-participle: מַצְלִיחַ someone who makes successful
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="his way">
noun: דַּרְכּ way
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ about
Object
Nominal
noun: אִישׁ person
Adjectival
Clause
Predicate
verb-participle: עֹשֶׂה carrying out
Object
noun: מְזִמּוֹת schemes
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 7
The expression עשות מזמות refers to carrying out plans (cf. Jer 11:15), not to forming them. The latter is expressed with the verb חשׁב, e.g., בִּמְזִמֹּ֖ות ז֣וּ חָשָֽׁבוּ (Ps 10:2).
Note for v. 7
The verb be silent (דמם) is associated with hope (cf. Ps 62:6).
Note for v. 7
The verb הִתְחוֹלֵל elsewhere means "to writhe with fear" (HALOT, cf. Jer 23:19; Job 15:20; for the possible combination of fear and silence, cf. Ps 4:5—רִגְזוּ... וְדֹמּוּ), but this is not appropriate to the context. Thus, virtually all translation agree that the verb הִתְחוֹלֵל here means to "wait longingly" (BDB, DCH; cf. NIV, NLT, ESV, GNT, NET, NJPS, NEB, LUT, HFA, NGÜ, ELB, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR). So also the Targum (ואוריך ליה) and Aquila (ἀποκαραδόκει). Cf. the similar phrase וּתְח֥וֹלֵֽל לֽוֹ in Job 35:14—"you must wait for him" (NIV, cf. NLT, ESV, NET, etc.). The verbal root חיל/חול in Ps 37:7 and Job 35:14 is probably different from the root חיל/חול ("to writhe") and is instead related to the root יחל ("to wait", so Briggs 1906, 333; cf. DCH, SDBH).
Note for v. 7
In the phrase בְּמַצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכּ֑וֹ בְּ֝אִ֗ישׁ עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְזִמּֽוֹת, the second member specifies a characteristic action of the first member ("...at someone who makes his way successful, at a person carrying out schemes").
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 7
The MT (וְהִתְח֪וֹלֵ֫ל) has a hithpoel imperative (root: חיל), which occurs also in Job 15:20 and Jer 23:19). BHS and HALOT propose reading וְתוֹחֵל instead (a hiphil 2ms from the root יחל = "wait"; cf. Aquila ἀποκαραδόκει = "expect earnestly"), but our oldest Hebrew witness, the Qumran pesher manuscript 4Q171, supports the reading התחולל in its lemma. The LXX's translation (ἱκέτευσον = "supplicate, beseech"; cf. Symmachus ἱκέτευε) is probably just an attempt to make sense of this difficult text (cf. Dorival 2021, 434).v. 8
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| הֶ֣רֶף מֵ֭אַף וַעֲזֹ֣ב חֵמָ֑ה | v. 8a | Let go of anger and leave wrath behind! |
| אַל־תִּ֝תְחַ֗ר אַךְ־לְהָרֵֽעַ׃ | v. 8b | Do not get upset only to act wickedly! |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 8]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: הֶרֶף let go
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מֵ of
Object
noun: אַף anger
Conjunction
conjunction: וַ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: עֲזֹב leave behind
Object
noun: חֵמָה wrath
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: תִּתְחַר get upset
Adverbial
adverb: אַל not
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="only to act wickedly">
Preposition
preposition: לְ to
Object
Clause
Predicate
verb-infinitive: הָרֵעַ act wickedly
Adverbial
adverb: אַךְ only
Fragment <status="alternative">
Clause
Subject
Clause
Predicate
verb-infinitive: הִתְחָרוֹת getting upset <status="elided">
Predicate
Adverbial
adverb: אַךְ only
Complement
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ to
Object
Clause
Predicate
verb-infinitive: הָרֵעַ act wickedly
Notes
Note for v. 8
Alternatively, אַךְ לְהָרֵעַ might be "a clause to itself (cf. Prov 11:24; 21:5; 22:16): it tends only to evil-doing, it ends only in thy involving thyself in sin" (Delitzsch 1996, 283). Cf. NIV: "do not fret--it leads only to evil" (so ESV, NLT, NET, etc.).
Note for v. 8
The lamed preposition + infinitive construct (לְהָרֵעַ) modifies the clause and indicates the result of becoming upset ("so dass du nur schadest" [Jenni 2000, 220]; cf. Deut 9:8, 20; 29:26; cf. LXX: μὴ παραζήλου ὥστε πονηρεύεσθαι). The particle אַךְ modifies לְהָרֵעַ, indicating that "doing evil" is the only possible outcome of getting angry. As Hupfeld explains, "Anger only serves to lead a person into sin, particularly inappropriate speech against God (cf. Pss 39:2; 73:2)... such that the person himself falls in with the evildoers" (1868, 307).
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
No Textual notes to display for this diagram.
v. 9
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־מְ֭רֵעִים יִכָּרֵת֑וּן | v. 9a | For those who act wickedly will be destroyed; |
| וְקֹוֵ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה הֵ֣מָּה יִֽירְשׁוּ־אָֽרֶץ׃ | v. 9b | but those who hope in YHWH—they will possess the land. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 9]
Fragment
particle: כִּי for
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
verb-participle: מְרֵעִים those who act wickedly
Predicate
verb: יִכָּרֵתוּן will be cut off >> will be destroyed
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ but
Clause
Subject
Apposition
Subject
ConstructChain
verb-participle: קֹוֵי those who hope in
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Subject
pronoun: הֵמָּה they
Predicate
verb: יִירְשׁוּ will possess
Object
noun: אָרֶץ land
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 9
The verb קוה ("hope") refers to a "state in which humans are confident that their longing will be fulfilled" (SDBH). It is synonymous with התחולל (from the root חול/חיל, a by-form of יחל) in v. 7. TDOT compares the two verbs as follows: "It is difficult to distinguish semantically the various verbs for hoping and waiting. As far as the two most frequent verbs are concerned, one can perhaps best follow Westermann’s suggestion that yḥl 'in reference to God retains the entire range of meaning that it has in nontheological usage,' whereas qwh is much more influenced by its theological use. Similar to ḥkh and śbr, yḥl would then emphasize more the aspect of 'waiting' and qwh more the aspect of 'hoping.' One consideration, however, is that these verbs and their derivatives appear not only in similar contexts but generally also in late (exilic-postexilic) texts, suggesting that they have lost much of their original semantic content and have become increasingly synonymous such that the use of the one or the other depends more on stylistic than semantic considerations."
Note for v. 9
The verb ירשׁ (qal) occurs five times in Psalm 37 (vv. 9b, 11a, 22a, 29a, 34b). SDBH gives the gloss "take possession." Some English translations simply have "possess" (e.g., NLT, NET, GNT) and others have "inherit" (e.g., NIV, ESV, NJPS, CSB). Similarly, most German translations have "besitzen" (="possess") (HFA, ELB, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR), but at least one has "erben" (="inherit") (LUT). Despite the popularity of the gloss "inherit" for the verb ירשׁ (qal), this meaning is relatively rare in the Bible and appears to be late. As Lohfink writes, "Only in very late passages does this usage come to refer also to inheritance of the family’s wealth by whoever takes over family leadership when the father dies. Earlier contexts always involve 'acquisition' of something additional, without stipulating the specific mode of acquisition, usually purchase" (TDOT). This developed meaning of the verb ("inherit") might reflect Aramaic influence (cf. Aramaic ירת). In Ps 37, the verb is more accurately glossed as "possess" rather than "inherit." The word "possess," like the verb ירשׁ, can communicate both the initial act of taking possession (cf. 1 Kgs 21:15) or the continued act of possessing (cf. Josh 1:15b; 1 Chron 28:8). In Ps 37, both senses of "possess" are in view to some extent. On the one hand, the righteous are already living in the land, and many of them are probably land-owners. Thus, the psalm affirms that, whereas the wicked will lose possession of the land, the righteous will continue to possess it. On the other hand, the fact that the wicked lose possession of the land implies the righteous will gain land, i.e., they will "take possession." "The wicked, who have taken more than their fair share, will be destroyed in the end, leaving the meek in sole possession" (Kidner 1973, 150). Cf. Isa 57:13; 60:21; 65:9. The following Venn diagram explores some of the similarities and differences between the English word "inherit" and the Hebrew verb ירשׁ (qal).
Note for v. 9
The land (אֶרֶץ) is a key theme in this psalm (cf. vv. 9, 11, 22, 29, 34). The word refers to the land of Canaan which YHWH promised to give to Abraham and his descendants (see Gen 12:7; 15:7, 18-21). In the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, YHWH fulfilled his promise (see Josh 21:43-45; Jdg 2:6; 1 Kgs 8:56), but Israel's continued possession of the land depended on their faithfulness to the covenant (see Lev 26; Deut 28; cf. Ezra 9:12; 1 Chron 28:8). In Ps 37, it is only the righteous who will possess the land in the end (cf. Isa 60:21), perhaps hinting at the idea that only the righteous—i.e., those who trust in YHWH and practice covenant faithfulness—are the true descendants of Abraham to whom the land has been given. On the land theme throughout the Bible, see Martin 2013. The following Venn diagram explores some of the similarities and differences between the English word "land" and the Hebrew word אֶרֶץ.
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 9
The future-perfective yiqtol of יִֽירְשׁוּ probably expresses the terminal phase of the event: they already possess the land to some extent now but will do so fully in the future when the wicked have been destroyed.
Note for v. 9
The destruction of the wicked and the righteous' taking possession of the land are future events (rather than habitual events). The psalm is looking forward to a time in the imminent future (cf. v. 1 "soon", v. 10 "just a little longer...") when YHWH will act decisively to bring about the destruction of the wicked and reward the righteous with possession of the land. Cf. Ruiz 2009.
No Textual notes to display for this diagram.
v. 10
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| וְע֣וֹד מְ֭עַט וְאֵ֣ין רָשָׁ֑ע | v. 10a | And just a little bit longer, and the wicked person will be gone; |
| וְהִתְבּוֹנַ֖נְתָּ עַל־מְקוֹמ֣וֹ וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ | v. 10b | And you will look closely at the place where he was, and he will not be |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 10]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
adjective: מְעַט little
Predicate
verb: יִהְיֶה <status="elided"> will be
Adverbial
adverb: עוֹד longer
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and <height="150">
Clause
Subject <located="after existential particle">
Predicate
Adverbial
ConstructChain <gloss="the wicked will be gone">
noun: אֵין there is no
Nominal
adjective: רָשָׁע wicked
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: הִתְבּוֹנַנְתָּ you will look closely
verb: אֶתְבּוֹנְנָה <status="alternative emendation"> I will look closely
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עַל at
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="they place where he was">
noun: מְקוֹמ place
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and <height="175">
Clause
Subject <located="after existential particle">
Predicate
Adverbial
ConstructChain <gloss="he will not be there">
noun: אֵינֶ there is not
suffix-pronoun: נּוּ he
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 10
HALOT: "עוֹד מְעַט just a little time Ex 17:4 Is 10:25 Jr 51:33 Hos 1:4 Ps 37:10"
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 10
4Q171 reads a first person singular verb with a he suffix in its lemma: ואתבוננה ("I will stare")—ועוד מעט ואין רשע ואתבוננה על מקומו ואיננו (reading adopted by Craigie 1983, 294). The LXX (καὶ ζητήσεις) agrees with MT in reading a 2ms verb. The 2ms verb better fits the context (cf. the consistent use of 2ms verbs and pronouns through vv. 1-9). The 1cs reading of 4Q171 might be a harmonization to vv. 35-36, a similar strophe which uses first-person language (cf. Ruiz 2009, 53). Or, the variant אתבוננה may have a graphic explanation. At one point in the textual history, התבוננתָ might have been written as אתבוננתא (cf. Kutscher 1974, 163), which could easily be confused for אתבוננא / אתבוננה.v. 11
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| וַעֲנָוִ֥ים יִֽירְשׁוּ־אָ֑רֶץ | v. 11a | But the humble will possess the land |
| וְ֝הִתְעַנְּג֗וּ עַל־רֹ֥ב שָׁלֽוֹם׃ | v. 11b | and delight themselves in great prosperity. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 11]
Fragment [v. 11]
particle: וַ but
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
adjective: עֲנָוִים humble
Predicate
verb: יִירְשׁוּ will possess
Object
noun: אָרֶץ land
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: הִתְעַנְּגוּ they will delight themselves
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עַל in
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="great prosperity">
noun: רֹב greatness
noun: שָׁלוֹם prosperity
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 11
The humble (ענוים) here refer to those who quietly suffered while the wicked prospered.
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
No Textual notes to display for this diagram.
v. 12
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| זֹמֵ֣ם רָ֭שָׁע לַצַּדִּ֑יק | v. 12a | wicked person is plotting against the righteous person |
| וְחֹרֵ֖ק עָלָ֣יו שִׁנָּֽיו׃ | v. 12b | and grinding his teeth at him. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 12]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
adjective: רָשָׁע wicked
Predicate
Predicate
verb-participle: זֹמֵם is plotting
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לַ against
Object
Nominal
adjective: צַּדִּיק righteous
article: הַ <status="elided"> the
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Predicate
verb-participle: חֹרֵק grinding
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עָלָי at
Object
pronoun: ו him
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="his teeth">
noun: שִׁנָּי teeth
suffix-pronoun: ו him
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 12
It is not clear whether the participles in vv. 12, 21, 32 are continuous or habitual. Participles usually indicate continuous action, but see BHRG §20.3.3, which says that "the participle may refer to habitual events" and JM §121b who list some examples of the participle with "frequentive aspect." Similarly, Joosten 2020, 5, says that "in other usages, the verbalized participle expresses functions that can also be expressed with yiqtol. Both forms can refer to habitual processes..." (citing Exod 13:15 as an example). The author of Ps 37 might have used the participle instead of yiqtol because a yiqtol would not have fit the acrostic (cf. Ps 34:8, 21, 23). So most English translations: "the wicked plot(s)" (NLT, NIV, ESV, GNT, REB; cf. Jerome: cogitat). On the other hand, continuous aspect would work well in the context. Each of the participles in vv. 12, 21, 32 occurs at the beginning of a new poetic section (see poetic structure). Each section begins, in other words, with the speaker pointing to some current situation about which the hearer is worried (cf. v. 1) and then proceeding to address the issue.
Note for v. 12
4Q171 (along with a few medieval mss listed in de Rossi [p. 26]) reads בא (qatal or participle, though more likely a participle) instead of יָבֹא (a yiqtol)—זומם רשע לצדיק וחורק ע[ליו שניו ]יהוה ישחק לו כיא ראה כיא בא יומו. The LXX (ἥξει) has a future indicative verb, which could attest to either reading. If יָבֹא is the earlier reading, then the yod might have dropped out due to haplography: כי בא << כי יבא.v. 13
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| אֲדֹנָ֥י יִשְׂחַק־ל֑וֹ | v. 13a | The Lord laughs at him, |
| כִּֽי־רָ֝אָ֗ה כִּֽי־יָבֹ֥א יוֹמֽוֹ׃ | v. 13b | because he sees that his time will come. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 13]
Fragment
Clause
Subject
noun: אֲדֹנָי the Lord
Predicate
verb: יִשְׂחַק laughs
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: ל at
Object
pronoun: וֹ him
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי because
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: רָאָה he sees
Object
ComplementClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי that
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his time">
noun: יוֹמ day >> time
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
verb: יָבֹא will come
verb-participle: בָא <status="alternative"> is coming
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 13
As a stative-transitive verb (like ידע or שׁמע), the qatal verb ראה can have a present meaning (cf. Gen 26:28; 33:10; etc.; so LXX: προβλέπει). Recognizing the morphology, however, we will diagram it as an action that took place in the past whose resultant state still obtains. This could be paraphrased: “he has come to see” (= “he sees”).
No Textual notes to display for this diagram.
v. 14
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| חֶ֤רֶב ׀ פָּֽתְח֣וּ רְשָׁעִים֮ | v. 14a | wicked have drawn swords |
| וְדָרְכ֪וּ קַ֫שְׁתָּ֥ם | v. 14b | and strung their bows |
| לְ֭הַפִּיל עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן | v. 14c | in order to bring down the one who is afflicted and poor, |
| לִ֝טְב֗וֹחַ יִשְׁרֵי־דָֽרֶךְ׃ | v. 14d | in order to slaughter those whose conduct is upright. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 14]
Fragment
Clause
Subject
adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
Predicate
Predicate
verb: פָּתְחוּ they have opened >> drawn
Object
noun: חֶרֶב sword
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Predicate
verb: דָרְכוּ they have stepped on >> strung
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="their bows">
noun: קַשְׁתָּ bow
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ in order to
Object
Clause
Predicate
verb-infinitive: הַפִּיל bring down
Object
Object
adjective: עָנִי afflicted
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Object
adjective: אֶבְיוֹן poor
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לִ in order to
Object
Clause
Predicate
verb-infinitive: טְבוֹחַ slaughter
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="those whose conduct is upright">
Nominal
adjective: יִשְׁרֵי upright
noun: דָרֶךְ way >> conduct
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 14
The clause translated "they have strung their bows" (cf. NLT) is literally "they have stepped on their bows." The reference is not to pulling the string back to fire an arrow but to "the method of bending the unstrung bow enough [using one's foot] to slip the bowstring in place on the end of the bow" (Pritz 2009, 107). See J. A. Emerton, “Treading the Bow,” Vetus Testamentum 53, no. 4 (2003): 465–486.
Note for v. 14
The clause translated they have drawn their swords is literally "they have opened their swords." In Hebrew, a sword is like a mouth that devours (e.g., Deut 23:42—וְחַרְבִּ֖י תֹּאכַ֣ל בָּשָׂ֑ר). Just as a person opens their mouth to prepare to eat, so a warrior "opens" his sword to prepare to slay someone. English uses the verb "to draw" (so most English translations; so LXX: ῥομφαίαν ἐσπάσαντο; cf. BDB, DCH; cf. Ezek 21:33—חֶ֣רֶב חֶ֤רֶב פְּתוּחָה֙ לְטֶ֣בַח מְרוּטָ֔ה).
Note for v. 14
עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן ("person who is afflicted and poor"): Two synonymous words forming a fixed compound.
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
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v. 15
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| חַ֭רְבָּם תָּב֣וֹא בְלִבָּ֑ם | v. 15a | Their swords will go into their hearts, |
| וְ֝קַשְּׁתוֹתָ֗ם תִּשָּׁבַֽרְנָה׃ | v. 15b | and their bows will be broken. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 15]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="their swords">
noun: חַרְבָּ sword
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Predicate
verb: תָּבוֹא will go
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְ into
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="their hearts">
noun: לִבָּ heart
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="their bows">
noun: קַשְּׁתוֹתָ bows
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Predicate
verb: תִּשָּׁבַרְנָה will be broken
vv. 16-17
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| טוֹב־מְ֭עַט לַצַּדִּ֑יק | v. 16a | A little belonging to the righteous person is better |
| מֵ֝הֲמ֗וֹן רְשָׁעִ֥ים רַבִּֽים׃ | v. 16b | than the abundance of many wicked people. |
| כִּ֤י זְרוֹע֣וֹת רְ֭שָׁעִים תִּשָּׁבַ֑רְנָה | v. 17a | For the arms of the wicked will be broken, |
| וְסוֹמֵ֖ךְ צַדִּיקִ֣ים יְהוָֽה׃ | v. 17b | but YHWH is upholding the righteous. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 16-17]
Fragment
Clause
Subject
adjective: מְעַט little
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לַ belonging to
Object
Nominal
adjective: צַּדִּיק righteous
article: הַ <status="elided"> the
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
adjective: טוֹב better
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מֵ than
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="the abundance of many wicked people">
Nominal
noun: הֲמוֹן abundance
Adjectival <status="alternative">
adjective: רָב much
Nominal
adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
Adjectival
adjective: רַבִּים many
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי for
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: זְרוֹעוֹת arms
Nominal
adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
Predicate
verb: תִּשָּׁבַרְנָה will be broken
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: is
verb-participle: סוֹמֵךְ is upholding
Complement <status="alternative">
Nominal
Clause
Predicate
verb-participle: סוֹמֵךְ one who upholds
Object
Nominal
adjective: צַדִּיקִים righteous
Object
adjective: צַדִּיקִים righteous
Notes
Note for vv. 16-17
v. 17: The participle סוֹמֵךְ could either be an active predicative participle ("YHWH is supporting the righteous", as in v. 18a; cf. LXX: ὑποστηρίζει, most modern translations) or a nominalized constituent functioning as the predicate complement ("YHWH is the supporter of the righteous"). The word order suggests the latter. A predicate-complement—subject word order is easier to explain than a verb—object—subject word order.
Note for vv. 16-17
v. 16: Instead of the plural adjective רַבִּים modifying the nominal רְשָׁעִים ("many wicked people"), the LXX has a singular adjective (πολύν) modifying the word for "wealth" (πλοῦτον) (cf. Jerome: divitiae... multae; Peshitta: ܩܢܝܢܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ). Other witnesses, including 4Q171 (רשעים רבי[ם]), agree with the MT and read רַבִּים (cf. Aquila and Symmachus: πολλῶν; Targum: רשיעין סגיעין). The LXX reading is probably an attempt to make the text easier to understand (cf. Barthélemy 2005).
Note for vv. 16-17
It’s significant that after the arms of the wicked are broken YHWH “supports” the psalmist, since “supporting” in non-theological usage involves holding oneself up with one’s arms (see e.g., Amos 5:19; see TLOT 2:804).
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
No Textual notes to display for this diagram.
v. 18
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הוָה יְמֵ֣י תְמִימִ֑ם | v. 18a | YHWH knows the days of the blameless, |
| וְ֝נַחֲלָתָ֗ם לְעוֹלָ֥ם תִּהְיֶֽה׃ | v. 18b | and their inheritance will be forever. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 18]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb-participle: יוֹדֵעַ knows
Object
ConstructChain
noun: יְמֵי days
Nominal
adjective: תְמִימִם blameless
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="their inheritance">
noun: נַחֲלָתָ inheritance
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Predicate
verb: תִּהְיֶה will be
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="forever">
Preposition
preposition: לְ for
Object
noun: עוֹלָם indefinite duration >> forever
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 18
"YHWH knows (יוֹדֵעַ) the days of the blameless (יְמֵי תְמִימִים)." SDBH: "literally: to know; hence: = state in which humans or deities are actively involved in circumstances relating to the life of humans and animals and care for their well-being." If, as SDBH claims, the word "knows" (יוֹדֵעַ) means "care for," then "days of the blameless" is probably figurative for "the life-span >> life of the blameless" (cf. Ps 1:6—כִּֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הוָה דֶּ֣רֶךְ צַדִּיקִ֑ים, where דֶּרֶךְ is figurative for "life"; cf. Baethgen 1904, 106—"Die Tage sind Bezeichnung des Lebens..."). The point is that "each day of their lives is known to God and comes within his protective care" (Craigie 1983, 298). "Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent" (NIV, cf. NET, CEV).
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 18
The LXX reads ὁδοὺς (perhaps from דרכי) instead of ἡμέρας (=MT יְמֵ֣י, so Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion). The LXX's reading is probably a harmonization to Ps 1:6a: γινώσκει κύριος ὁδὸν δικαίων.v. 19
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| לֹֽא־יֵ֭בֹשׁוּ בְּעֵ֣ת רָעָ֑ה | v. 19a | They will not come to shame during hard times, |
| וּבִימֵ֖י רְעָב֣וֹן יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃ | v. 19b | and they will eat their fill during times of famine. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 19]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יֵבֹשׁוּ they will come to shame
Adverbial
adverb: לֹא not
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="during hard times">
Preposition
preposition: בְּ during
Object
ConstructChain
noun: עֵת time
noun: רָעָה trouble
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יִשְׂבָּעוּ they will eat their fill
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="during times of famine">
Preposition
preposition: בִ during
Object
ConstructChain
noun: ימֵי times
noun: רְעָבוֹן famine
Notes
Note for v. 19
The word רָעָה could be either (1) an adjective modifying עֵת (cf. LXX ἐν καιρῷ πονηρῷ; Jerome tempore malo) or (2) a noun in construct with עֵת (cf. Targum בעידן בישתא). The fact that עֵת is "often in construct defined by the noun following" (BDB) supports the latter analysis. (Because there is little to no difference in meaning, the alternative is not represented on the diagram.)
Note for v. 19
"The force of bôš is somewhat in contrast to the primary meaning of the English 'to be ashamed,' in that the English stresses the inner attitude, the state of mind, while the Hebrew means 'to come to shame' and stresses the sense of public disgrace, a physical state" (TWOT).
Note for v. 19
בְּעֵת רָעָה ("during hard times"): Entity–characteristic. It refers to a period of time which is characterized by trouble, i.e., "hard times" (NLT, NET).
Note for v. 19
The prepositional phrases in this line and the next indicate habitual aspect for these events: "whenever hard times come, [those who trust YHWH] will not come to shame."
No Textual notes to display for this diagram.
v. 20
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| כִּ֤י רְשָׁעִ֨ים ׀ יֹאבֵ֗דוּ | v. 20a | For the wicked will perish, |
| וְאֹיְבֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה כִּיקַ֣ר כָּרִ֑ים | v. 20b | and YHWH's enemies [will perish] like flowers in a pasture. |
| כָּל֖וּ בֶעָשָׁ֣ן כָּֽלוּ׃ | v. 20c | They are finished like smoke! They are finished! |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 20]
Fragment
particle: כִּי for
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
Predicate
verb: יֹאבֵדוּ will perish
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: אֹיְבֵי enemies
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: יֹאבֵדוּ <status="elided"> will perish
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כִּ like
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="flowers in a field">
Nominal
adjective: יקַר glorious
noun: כָּרִים pastures
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: כָּלוּ they are finished
Adverbial <status="alternative">
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בֶ in
Object
noun: עָשָׁן smoke
article: הֶ <status="elided"> the
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כֶ <status="emendation"> like
Object
noun: עָשָׁן smoke
article: הֶ <status="elided"> the
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: כָּלוּ they are finished
Notes
Note for v. 20
Verse 20 contains one of the most difficult exegetical issues in this psalm. It is not clear whether the phrase כִּיקַר כָּרִים in v. 20b refers to "the fat of lambs" (KJV), "the glory of the pastures" (ESV), or "fuel in a furnace" (REB). See The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Psalm37:20 for an in-depth discussion. In short, the phrase probably refers to "the glory of the pastures" (ESV, cf. Ps 65:14), i.e., "the flowers of the field" (NIV), which, despite their beauty, quickly "come to an end" (אבד, v. 20a). The determining factor for this decision is the surrounding context of agricultural images for the wicked. The agricultural image for the wicked here at the end of the first half of the psalm (vv. 1-20) corresponds to the agricultural image for the wicked at the beginning of the psalm ("like grass," v. 2). Indeed, all of the similes for the wicked in Ps 37 are taken from the agricultural domain (cf. vv. 2, 20, 35). Furthermore, the image of fading flowers fits well with the image of vanishing smoke in the next line (v. 20c). Both flowers and smoke are images of transitoriness (cf. Hos 13:3; Ps 103:15-16). The point of these images is that the end of the wicked will be soon and sudden. This is the point of the verse even if an alternative interpretation is adopted ("fat of lambs" or "burning of ovens"). As Klein writes, "Entscheidend ist jedoch nicht das Bild, sondern die Aussage: Die Bösewichte verschwinden, als wären sie Rauch. Von ihnen bleibt nichts übrig, nicht einmal Asche" (Klein 2018, 68). Although they appear to flourish for the moment, their demise is imminent. And when they are destroyed, there will be no trace of their existence.
Note for v. 20
SDBH defines כָּלוּ as "literally: to finish; hence: = process by which humans and objects completely disappear from existence." The literal gloss "be finished" works well in the context, since the word (emphatically repeated) also signals that the first half of the psalm is finished (cf. כָּלוּ in Ps 72:20; cf. the use of אבד "come to an end" as the last word of Ps 1).
Note for v. 20
Verse 20 contains one of the most difficult exegetical issues in this psalm. It is not clear whether the phrase כִּיקַר כָּרִים in v. 20b refers to "the fat of lambs" (KJV), "the glory of the pastures" (ESV), or "fuel in a furnace" (REB). See The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Psalm37:20 for an in-depth discussion. In short, the phrase probably refers to "the glory of the pastures" (ESV, cf. Ps 65:14), i.e., "the flowers of the field" (NIV), which, despite their beauty, quickly "come to an end" (אבד, v. 20a). The determining factor for this decision is the surrounding context of agricultural images for the wicked. The agricultural image for the wicked here at the end of the first half of the psalm (vv. 1-20) corresponds to the agricultural image for the wicked at the beginning of the psalm ("like grass," v. 2). Indeed, all of the similes for the wicked in Ps 37 are taken from the agricultural domain (cf. vv. 2, 20, 35). Furthermore, the image of fading flowers fits well with the image of vanishing smoke in the next line (v. 20c). Both flowers and smoke are images of transitoriness (cf. Hos 13:3; Ps 103:15-16). The point of these images is that the end of the wicked will be soon and sudden. This is the point of the verse even if an alternative interpretation is adopted ("fat of lambs" or "burning of ovens"). As Klein writes, "Entscheidend ist jedoch nicht das Bild, sondern die Aussage: Die Bösewichte verschwinden, als wären sie Rauch. Von ihnen bleibt nichts übrig, nicht einmal Asche" (Klein 2018, 68). Although they appear to flourish for the moment, their demise is imminent. And when they are destroyed, there will be no trace of their existence.
Note for v. 20
There is a textual problem in v. 20c regarding the phrase translated like smoke (*כֶעָשָׁן*). Some translations read the text as כֶעָשָׁן ("like smoke"), while other translations read the text as בֶעָשָׁן ("in smoke"). See grammar notes for a detailed discussion. The beth preposition of the MT is best analyzed as a beth essentiae: "they will vanish as smoke."
Note for v. 20
The future destruction of YHWH's enemies is so certain that the psalmist can speak of it as though it is already complete: "they are finished!" (cf. LXX: ἐξέλιπον). Most English translations use a future-tense verb: "shall/will be consumed" (NJPS, NIV), "will disappear" (NLT, GNT) (cf. Jerome: consumentur). "In some cases qatal appears indeed to be used to refer to an event that has not yet occurred.... The use of qatal in these cases appears to be exxagerated rhetoric by which a future event is described 'as good as done'" (Rogland 2003, 113). This use of qatal is especially common with verbs that belong to the semantic domain of 'perishing' (cf. JM §112g), which is exactly what we find in Ps 37 (vv. 20, 28, 38). E.g., “We will die! (גָּוַ֛עְנוּ) We are lost (אָבַ֖דְנוּ), we are all lost (כֻּלָּ֥נוּ אָבַֽדְנוּ)! Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die (יָמ֑וּת). Are we all going to die (תַּ֖מְנוּ לִגְוֺֽעַ)?” (Num. 17:27 NIV; cf. Gen. 17:20; 30:13; examples cited in IBHS §30.5.1e as 'accidental perfectives', where "a speaker vividly and dramatically represents a future situation both as complete and as independent;" see also Isa 6:5; Lam 3:54).
Note for v. 20
v. 20c: Many witnesses appear to read כעשן (with a kaf), including 4Q171 (כלו כעשן כולו), LXX (ὡσεί), Jerome iuxta Hebr (sicut), Peshitta (ܘܐܝܟ), and more than 30 medieval Hebrew mss listed by Kennicott (cf. Isa 51:6—כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֜יִם כֶּעָשָׁ֤ן נִמְלָ֨חוּ֙; Hos 13:3). Only MT and the Targum (ובתנן גהנם) clearly read a beth preposition (cf. the similar issue in Ps 102:4—כִּֽי־כָל֣וּ בְעָשָׁ֣ן יָמָ֑י), which is probably best interpreted as a beth essentiae (Baethgen 1904, 106; cf. GKC 119i). If the phrase כִּיקַר כָּרִים in the previous line refers to the "fat of lambs," then the beth preposition fits well, since animal sacrifices go up "in/as smoke." It makes sense, then, that the Targum, which interprets כָּרִים to refer to lambs, would also read a beth preposition. But if the phrase כִּיקַר כָּרִים refers to the flowers of a field (see exegetical issue), then the beth preposition "in/as smoke" does not work as well, unless we are to think that the image in this verse is that of a field set on fire (cf. Dahood 2008, 230). If כִּיקַר כָּרִים refers flowers in a field, then the kaf preposition ("like smoke") fits better. The verse compares YHWH's enemies to two different things: flowers which quickly fade (v. 20b) and smoke which quickly vanishes (v. 20c). Rather than a single image (a field on fire), the verse gives us two images, flowers and smoke, both images of transience. Cf. Hosea 13:3—"Therefore they will be like the morning mist (כַּעֲנַן־בֹּ֔קֶר), like the early dew (כַטַּ֖ל) that disappears, like chaff (כְּמֹץ֙) swirling from a threshing floor, like smoke (כְעָשָׁ֖ן) escaping through a window" (NIV).
Alternative
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 20 alt]
Fragment <status="alternative">
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: אֹיְבֵי enemies
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: will be
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כִּ like
Object
Clause
Subject
Predicate
ConstructChain <gloss="the burning of ovens">
verb-infinitive: יקֹד burning
noun: כּוּרִים ovens
Notes
Note for v. 20
It is not clear whether the prepositional phrase כֶּעָשָׁן modifies the first כּלוּ, which precedes it, or the second כּלוּ, which follows it. The Masoretic tradition might support grouping the PP with the first כּלוּ, since the preposition in בֶעָשָׁן has no dagesh and the accent under the first כָּל֖וּ (tarcha) is conjunctive (so Baethgen 1904, 106; a number of Masoretic manuscripts, however, do have a dagesh; see Ginsburg 1913, 73). The word בֶעָשָׁ֣ן also has a conjunctive accent (munach), but this accent might be a substitute for the disjunctive accent revia mugrash (Delitzsch 1996, 284). The word order might also support grouping the prepositional phrase with the first verb, since modifiers typically follow (rather than precede) the verbs they modify (cf. Ps 102:4—כִּֽי־כָל֣וּ בְעָשָׁ֣ן יָמָ֑י).
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vv. 21-22
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| לֹוֶ֣ה רָ֭שָׁע וְלֹ֣א יְשַׁלֵּ֑ם | v. 21a | wicked person is borrowing and will not repay, |
| וְ֝צַדִּ֗יק חוֹנֵ֥ן וְנוֹתֵֽן׃ | v. 21b | but the righteous person is giving generously. |
| כִּ֣י מְ֭בֹרָכָיו יִ֣ירְשׁוּ אָ֑רֶץ | v. 22a | For those blessed by him will possess the land, |
| וּ֝מְקֻלָּלָ֗יו יִכָּרֵֽתוּ׃ | v. 22b | and those cursed by him will be destroyed. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 21-22]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
adjective: רָשָׁע wicked
Predicate
Predicate
verb-participle: לֹוֶה is borrowing
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Predicate
verb: יְשַׁלֵּם will repay
Adverbial
adverb: לֹא not
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ but
Clause
Subject
adjective: צַדִּיק righteous
Predicate
Predicate
verb-participle: חוֹנֵן is being generous
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Predicate
verb-participle: נוֹתֵן is giving
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי for
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="those blessed by him">
verb-participle: מְבֹרָכָי those who are blessed
suffix-pronoun: ו him
Predicate
verb: יִירְשׁוּ will possess
Object
noun: אָרֶץ land
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="those cursed by him">
verb-participle: מְקֻלָּלָי those who are cursed
suffix-pronoun: ו him
Predicate
verb: יִכָּרֵתוּ will be cut off >> will be destroyed
Notes
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No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
Note for vv. 21-22
v. 21: חוֹנֵן וְנוֹתֵֽן ("giving generously"): Two synonymous words forming a fixed compound. The two verbs communicate a single idea ("lending generously"). The same expression is used in Ps 112:5—חוֹנֵן וּמַלְוֶה. Cf. NIV "give generously."
Note for vv. 21-22
The wicked is currently borrowing (in the present), and he will not repay (in the future). I.e., he is borrowing without the intention of repaying.
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v. 23
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| מֵ֭יְהוָה מִֽצְעֲדֵי־גֶ֥בֶר כּוֹנָ֗נוּ | v. 23a | person's steps are made steadfast by YHWH, |
| וְדַרְכּ֥וֹ יֶחְפָּֽץ׃ | v. 23b | then he will be pleased with his way. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 23]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: מִצְעֲדֵי steps
noun: גֶבֶר person
Predicate
verb: כּוֹנָנוּ are made steadfast
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מֵ from >> by
Object
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יֶחְפָּץ he will be pleased with
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="his way">
noun: דַרְכּ way
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Notes
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No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 23
The preposition מִ in מֵ-יְהוָה is a מִ of source (from YHWH >> by YHWH). Confer GKC §121f. "The efficient cause (or personal agent) is, as a rule, attached to the passive by לְ... less commonly by מִן (called מִן of origin=coming from), e.g. Gen 9:11... Ps 37:23..." For agentive מן in passive constructions, see also 2 Kgs 25.30/Jer. 52.34; Job 24.1 and 1QIsaª of Isa. 9.18 (מעברת יהוה צבאות נתעם הארץ), though the MT has בְּעֶבְרַ֛ת יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת נֶעְתַּ֣ם אָ֑רֶץ (which shows an overlap with instrumental בְּ).
Note for v. 23
The semantic relationship between the b-line and the a-line is difficult to understand. Consequently, the meaning of the words in the b-line are also hard to understand (וְדַרְכּ֥וֹ יֶחְפָּֽץ). There are at least three options. The first two options see the b-line as semantically subordinate to the a-line, qualifying or restricting the meaning of the a-line in some way. The third option sees an opposite relationship: the b-line is semantically subordinate to the a-line.
- Option 1. "...when he [=a person] delights in YHWH's prescribed way of life" (cf. NIV), i.e., YHWH only establishes a person's steps if that person delights in YHWH's prescribed way of life.
- Option 2. "...when he [=YHWH] delights in a person's way of life" (cf. NJPS, NET, CEV, GNT), i.e., YHWH only establishes a person's steps if he delights in that person's way of life (cf. Theodore of Mopsuestia ed. 2006, 430-1; Baethgen 1904, 106-107; Hupfeld 298; Hossfeld and Zenger 1993, 233). Calvin: "For I consider the copula and, in the second clause of the verse, to be used instead of the causal particle because, and resolve the whole verse in this way: Because the way of the godly is acceptable to God, he directs their footsteps to a happy issue..."
- Option 3. "When (ὅταν) the ways of a person are straightened by the Lord, then (τότε) he will want his road" (Origen, trans. Trigg 2020, 127; Greek text from Origen, ed. 2015, 162). Calvin mentions this interpretation, though he does not adopt it: "Some join together these two things, first, that the footsteps of the godly are ordered by the grace of God, since men do not in their own strength follow what is just and right, but only in so far as the Spirit of God directs them; and hence the second follows, namely, that God favors and approves what is his own."
Note for v. 23
See note on Lexical Semantics on כּוֹנָ֗נוּ. The yiqtol is future relative to the situation expressed by כננו (i.e., YHWH establishes and then he delights). Thus, the qatal here has conditional modality: "(When) a person's steps are established by YHWH, (then) he will delight in his way." Cf. BHRG §19.2.1.3; IBHS §30.5.4 (although in this case there is no particle making the modality explicit).
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v. 24
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־יִפֹּ֥ל לֹֽא־יוּטָ֑ל | v. 24a | When he falls, he will not fall flat. |
| כִּֽי־יְ֝הוָ֗ה סוֹמֵ֥ךְ יָדֽוֹ׃ | v. 24b | because YHWH is supporting his hand. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 24]
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יוּטָל fall flat
Adverbial
adverb: לֹא not
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי when
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יִפֹּל he falls
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי because
Clause
Subject
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb-participle: סוֹמֵךְ is supporting
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="his hand">
noun: יָד hand
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 24
"When he falls, he will not be thrown down," i.e., the fall will not be a devastating crash from which he does not recover (cf. LXX: "Should he fall [ὅταν πέσῃ], he will not crash [οὐ καταραχθήσεται]" [NETS]; cf. Origen, trans. Trigg 2020, 127, who compares it to a wrestler who falls in one round but emerges victorious in the end; Jerome iuxta Hebr.: cum ceciderit non adlidetur; so most modern translations, which they express in various ways: "fall... cast headlong" [ESV]; "trips... fall headlong" [NET]; "stumble... fall" [NIV, NLT, CEV]; "fall... stay down" [GNT]; cf. Radak: לא ישלך לארץ). Craigie expresses the idea well: "if he falls, he won't fall flat on his face" (1983, 295). As he writes, "The righteous retain their humanity and still may fall in the walk of life; the divine hand ensures that the fall will not be so grave as to prohibit them from ever rising again and continuing to walk life's road" (1983, 298). The thought is similar to Ps 34:20—"The hardships of the righteous are many, but YHWH rescues him from all of them" (CBC).
- Another option: "When he falls, he will not be thrown off the path" (cf. Jer 22:28, where הוטל refers to being thrown out of the land; cf. hiphil in Jer 16:13; 22:26).
- Another option: The subject of יִפּוֹל could also be impersonal: "when it falls", i.e., "When disaster falls, he will not be thrown down." Cf. Targum: "Though he may fall ill (ארום יפול מרע, lit.: "though sickness may fall"), he will not die (לא ימות)" (Stec 2004, 81; cf. DCH).
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v. 25
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| נַ֤עַר ׀ הָיִ֗יתִי גַּם־זָ֫קַ֥נְתִּי | v. 25a | I was once a young man; and now I am old, |
| וְֽלֹא־רָ֭אִיתִי צַדִּ֣יק נֶעֱזָ֑ב | v. 25b | and I have not seen a righteous person abandoned |
| וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ־לָֽחֶם׃ | v. 25c | or his children looking for food. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 25]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: הָיִיתִי I have been
Complement
noun: נַעַר a young man
Conjunction <status="alternative">
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: זָקַנְתִּי I have become old
Adverbial
adverb: גַּם also
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: רָאִיתִי I have seen
Adverbial
adverb: לֹא not
Object
Object
adjective: צַדִּיק righteous
Adjectival
verb-participle: נֶעֱזָב abandoned
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ or
Object
Nominal
ConstructChain <gloss="his children looking for food">
Nominal
noun: זַרְע seed >> children
Adjectival
ConstructChain
verb-participle: מְבַקֶּשׁ looking for
noun: לָחֶם bread >> food
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Notes
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Note for v. 25
The singular זֶרַע is often used to refer to one's descendants collectively (e.g., Gen 3:15; 15:3; 1 Sam 2:20; Jer 33:26; Job 21:28), so a plural gloss ("children") is appropriate.
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Note for v. 25
Several witnesses read וגם instead of just גם, including the lemma of 4Q171 (נער היי]תי וגם זקנתי), 17 manuscripts in Kennicott, and probably also the parent text of the LXX: καὶ γὰρ ἐγήρασα (cf. Symmachus: ἀλλὰ καί). But there seems to be a tendency for these and other witnesses to add coordinating conjunctions in this psalm (cf. vv. 1, 31, 38, 40), probably to facilitate the reading of the text.v. 26
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| כָּל־הַ֭יּוֹם חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה | v. 26a | He is always lending generously, |
| וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ לִבְרָכָֽה׃ | v. 26b | and his children will become a blessing. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 26]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
pronoun: הוּא <status="elided"> he
Predicate
Predicate
verb-participle: חוֹנֵן is being generous
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Predicate
verb-participle: מַלְוֶה is lending
Adverbial
Nominal <gloss="always">
quantifier: כָּל all
article: הַ the
noun: יּוֹם day
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his children">
noun: זַרְע seed >> children
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
verb: יִהְיֶה <status="elided"> will become
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לִ
Object
noun: בְרָכָה blessing
Notes
Note for v. 26
On the common construction היה ל to indicate a change of state, see HALOT היה entry 3c. In this verse, the copular היה is probably elided (cf. LXX εἰς εὐλογίαν ἔσται).
Note for v. 26
To become a blessing (לִבְרָכָה) probably means, in this context, to become a standard which is invoked in the verbal blessing of others. Cf. Zech 8:13—"And just as you were a curse among the nations, O House of Judah and House of Israel, so, when I vindicate you, you shall become a blessing" (NJPS). The same phrase (היה לברכה) occurs in Gen 12:3, which Wenham explains as follows: "In other words, people will say, 'May God make me as blessed as Abram'" (1987, 276).
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 26
The adverbial "always" (lit.: "all day long") implies habitual aspect for the participle. "All day long he is gracious and lends" (NASB, cf. NET) >> "They are always generous and lend freely" (NIV, cf. NLT, GNT).
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vv. 27-28a
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֗וֹב | v. 27a | Turn away from evil and do good, |
| וּשְׁכֹ֥ן לְעוֹלָֽם׃ | v. 27b | and you will reside forever! |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 27-28A]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: סוּר turn away
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מֵ from
Object
adjective: רָע evil
Conjunction
conjunction: וַ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: עֲשֵׂה do
Object
adjective: טוֹב good
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: שְׁכֹן you will reside
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ for
Object
noun: עוֹלָם indefinite duration >> forever
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי for
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb-participle: אֹהֵב loves
Object
noun: מִשְׁפָּט justice
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יַעֲזֹב abandon
Object
particle: אֶת d.o.m.
ConstructChain <gloss="those who are loyal to him">
noun: חֲסִידָי loyal ones
suffix-pronoun: ו him
Adverbial
adverb: לֹא not
Notes
Note for vv. 27-28a
For the change from the verse order of the MT for vv. 28-31, see the note on 28b.
Note for vv. 27-28a
The word justice (מִשְׁפָּט) refers to "practices that conform to the laws of God" (SDBH).
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v. 28b
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 28B]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
noun: עַוָּלִים <status="emendation"> Wrong-doers
Predicate
verb: נִשׁמָדוּ <status="emendation"> are exterminated
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="the children of the wicked">
noun: זֶרַע seed >> children
Nominal
adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
Predicate
verb: נִכְרָת are cut off >> are destroyed
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
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No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 28b
Verse 28BA contains the most significant textual issue in the psalm. The ESV, representative of most modern translations, follows the reading of the Masoretic Text (לְעוֹלָ֣ם נִשְׁמָ֑רוּ), which it translates, "They are preserved forever." Other translations, however, choose to emend the text. The NJB, for example, adopts as its Hebrew text עַוָּלִים לְעוֹלָם נִשְׁמָדוּ, which it translates as "Evil-doers will perish eternally." Other translations appear to adopt a slightly different Hebrew text: עַוָּלִים נִשְׁמָדוּ (or perhaps עַוָּלִים נִצְמָתוּ): "Wrongdoers will be destroyed" (cf. BDS, DHH94I). See The Text of Psalm37:28 for an in-depth discussion of the issue. In short, there are good reasons to think that the earliest reading of Ps 37:28c is wrong-doers are exterminated (עַוָּלִם נִשְׁמָדוּ). In the first place, this reading appears to be supported by the oldest witnesses (4Q171 and LXX). It also explains how the other readings came about. The development of the text might have looked something like the following: (1) The original text read עַוָּלִם נִשְׁמָדוּ (so probably LXX and 4Q171), (2) Then the ד in נִשְׁמָדוּ was confused for a ר, and so the text became נִשְׁמָרוּ, and (3) because it makes no sense for עַוָּלִם to be the subject of נִשְׁמָרוּ, the word עַוָּלִם came to be vocalized/understood as עוֹלָם. Finally, (4) because adverbial לְעוֹלָם is more common than adverbial עוֹלָם, the text was changed to לְעוֹלָם נִשְׁמָרוּ. By contrast, it is difficult to explain how the reading לְעוֹלָם נִשְׁמָרוּ would have led to the reading עַוָּלִם נִשְׁמָדוּ. The second reason for adopting עַוָּלִם נִשְׁמָדוּ as the earlier reading is that it fits well in the context. It restores the otherwise disturbed acrostic structure by having a word that begins with ע at the beginning of the line. It also fits well with the parallel line in v. 28d ("the offspring of the wicked are cut off" (וְזֶ֖רַע רְשָׁעִ֣ים נִכְרָֽת). This pair of lines about the wicked (v. 28cd) also matches the pair of lines about the righteous in the following verse (v. 29).
Alternative
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 28b]
Fragment <status="alternative">
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: נִשְׁמָרוּ are guarded
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="forever">
Preposition
preposition: לְ for
Object
noun: עוֹלָם indefinite duration >> forever
Fragment <status="alternative">
Clause
Subject
noun: עַוָּלִים wrong-doers
Predicate
verb: נִצְמָתוּ are exterminated
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="forever">
Preposition
preposition: לְ for
Object
noun: עוֹלָם indefinite duration >> forever
v. 29
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 29]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
adjective: צַדִּיקִים righteous
Predicate
verb: יִירְשׁוּ will possess
Object
noun: אָרֶץ land
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יִשְׁכְּנוּ reside
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="forever">
Preposition
preposition: לָ for
Object
noun: עַד forever
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עָלֶי on
Object
pronoun: הָ it
v. 30
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 30]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: פִּי mouth
Nominal
adjective: צַדִּיק righteous
Predicate
verb: יֶהְגֶּה utters
Object
noun: חָכְמָה wisdom >> what is wise
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his tongue">
noun: לְשׁוֹנ tongue
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
verb: תְּדַבֵּר speaks
Object
noun: מִשְׁפָּט justice >> what is just
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 30
The abstract nouns wisdom and justice are metonymic for "that which is wise" and "that which is just" (cf. NIV: "what is just"). Words that are just are words that conform to YHWH's law, i.e., they are characterized by truth, honesty and love for one's neighbor.
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v. 31
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 31]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="the instruction of his God">
noun: תּוֹרַת instruction
noun: אֱלֹהָי God
suffix-pronoun: ו him
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ in
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="his heart">
noun: לִבּ heart
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Conjunction <status="alternative">
conjunction: וְ
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his steps">
noun: אֲשֻׁרָי steps
suffix-pronoun: ו him
Predicate
verb: תִמְעַד slip
Adverbial
adverb: לֹא not
Notes
Note for v. 31
On the apparent mismatch in grammatical number between תִמְעַ֣ד and אֲשֻׁרָיו, see GKC 145k: "Plurals of names of animals or things, and of abstracts, whether they be masculine or feminine, are frequently construed with the feminine singular of the verbal predicate."
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
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Note for v. 31
Some witnesses read ולא instead of just לא (LXX [καὶ οὐχ], Peshitta [ܘܠܐ], one manuscript in Kennicott). There is a tendency to add waw conjunctions at the beginnings of b-lines (cf. vv. 1, 25, 38, 40).v. 32
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| צוֹפֶ֣ה רָ֭שָׁע לַצַּדִּ֑יק | v. 32a | wicked person is watching for the righteous person |
| וּ֝מְבַקֵּ֗שׁ לַהֲמִיתוֹ׃ | v. 32b | and trying to kill him. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 32]
Fragment
Clause
Subject
adjective: רָשָׁע wicked
Predicate
Predicate
verb-participle: צוֹפֶה is watching
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לַ for
Object
Nominal
article: הַ <status="elided"> the
adjective: צַּדִּיק righteous
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Predicate
verb-participle: מְבַקֵּשׁ is seeking >> is trying
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לַ to
Object
Clause
Predicate
verb-infinitive: הֲמִית kill
Object
pronoun: וֹ him
v. 33
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| יְ֭הוָה לֹא־יַעַזְבֶ֣נּוּ בְיָד֑וֹ | v. 33a | YHWH will not abandon him into his hand, |
| וְלֹ֥א יַ֝רְשִׁיעֶ֗נּוּ בְּהִשָּׁפְטֽוֹ׃ | v. 33b | and he will not let him be condemned as guilty when he enters into judgment. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 33]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: יַעַזְבֶ will abandon
Object
suffix-pronoun: נּוּ him
Adverbial
adverb: לֹא not
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְ into
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="his hand">
noun: יָד hand
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יַרְשִׁיעֶ he will let be condemned as guilty
Object
suffix-pronoun: נּוּ him
Adverbial
adverb: לֹא not
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="when he enters into judgment">
Preposition
preposition: בְּ when <height="200">
Object
Clause
Subject <located="after infinitive construct">
Predicate
ConstructChain
verb-infinitive: הִשָּׁפְט entering into judgment
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 33
In this context, the hiphil verb יַרְשִׁיעֶנּוּ is probably not declarative ("declare guilty, condemn") but causative—"cause to be condemned" (HALOT) or "allow to be condemned" (NET, cf. NIV, NLT, ESV, GNT, NJPS), since YHWH is not the judge in this case, but rather the one protecting the righteous person who has entered into judgment. Alternatively, it could mean that "if men sit in judgment upon the righteous, yet God, the supreme Judge, does not condemn him, but acquits him" (Delitzsch 1996, 286).
No Textual notes to display for this diagram.
v. 34
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| קַוֵּ֤ה אֶל־יְהוָ֨ה ׀ וּשְׁמֹ֬ר דַּרְכּ֗וֹ | v. 34a | Hope in YHWH and keep his way, |
| וִֽ֭ירוֹמִמְךָ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אָ֑רֶץ | v. 34b | and he will exalt you to possess the land. |
| בְּהִכָּרֵ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃ | v. 34c | You will see when the wicked are destroyed. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 34]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: קַוֵּה hope
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: אֶל in
Object
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: שְׁמֹר keep
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="his way">
noun: דַּרְכּ way
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Conjunction
conjunction: וִ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: ירוֹמִמְ he will exalt
Object
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לָ to
Object
Clause
Predicate
verb-infinitive: רֶשֶׁת possess
Object
noun: אָרֶץ land
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: תִּרְאֶה you will see
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="when the wicked are destroyed">
Preposition
preposition: בְּ when
Object
Clause
Subject
Predicate
ConstructChain
verb-infinitive: הִכָּרֵת being destroyed
Nominal
adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
vv. 35-36
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| רָ֭אִיתִי רָשָׁ֣ע עָרִ֑יץ | v. 35a | I once saw a ruthless wicked person, |
| וּ֝מִתְעָרֶ֗ה כְּאֶזְרָ֥ח רַעֲנָֽן׃ | v. 35b | and he was ascending like a native tree. |
| וָאֶעֲבֹר וְהִנֵּ֣ה אֵינֶ֑נּוּ | v. 36a | Then I passed by, and—get this!—he was gone; |
| וָֽ֝אֲבַקְשֵׁ֗הוּ וְלֹ֣א נִמְצָֽא׃ | v. 36b | then I looked for him, and he was not found. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 35-36]
Fragment [vv. 35-36]
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: רָאִיתִי I saw
Object
Nominal
adjective: רָשָׁע wicked
Adjectival
Adjectival
adjective: עָרִיץ ruthless
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ
Clause
Subject
pronoun: הוּא <status="elided"> he
Predicate
verb-participle: מִתְעָרֶה ascending
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כְּ like
Object
noun: אֶזְרָח native tree
Adjectival
adjective: רַעֲנָן flourishing
Conjunction
conjunction: וָ <status="revocalization"> and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: וַיַּעֲבֹר <status="alternative"> he vanished
verb: אֶעֲבֹר <status="emendation"> I passed by
Conjunction
conjunction: וְהִנֵּה and (get this!) <height="125">
Clause
Subject <located="after existential particle">
Predicate
Adverbial
ConstructChain <gloss="he was gone">
noun: אֵינֶ there is no
suffix-pronoun: נּוּ he
Conjunction
conjunction: וָ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: אֲבַקְשֵׁ I looked for
Object
suffix-pronoun: הוּ him
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ but
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: נִמְצָא he was found
Adverbial
adverb: לֹא not
Notes
Note for vv. 35-36
v. 35: Cf. Ibn Ezra (trans. 2009, 280): "The word ke-ezrach is vocalized with a pattach. It is in the construct. The word etz has been omitted."
Note for vv. 35-36
v. 36: The meaning of עבר in v. 36a depends on whether we read אעבר ("I passed by") or יעבר ("he vanished"). See note on grammar.
If we adopt the reading אעבר, then it probably means "to pass by (and see) [something]." E.g., Prov 24:30-31—"I passed by (עָבַרְתִּי) the field of a sluggard... and behold (וְהִנֵּה), it was all overgrown with thorns..." (ESV; cf. Ezek 37:2). In Ps 37, the psalmist's use of הִנֵּה invites the addressee to see the surprising situation for himself. Cf. BHRG §40.22.4.1(2): "וְהִנֵּה is used by a narrator (sometimes a speaker) to put the addressee in the perspective of the observing character... Typically, one or another type of movement and/or change of scene is involved so that the the observers are confronted with a new situation which is surprising to them."
No Phrase-level notes to display for this diagram.
Note for vv. 35-36
The 3ms independent personal pronoun הוּא is sometimes omitted before ms active predicative participles (cf. GKC §116s; JM §154c).
Note for vv. 35-36
"The perfective form may represent a past situation which the speaker is either unwilling or unable to specify precisely ("indefinite perfective")... Comrie refers to the 'experiential perfect,' which indicates 'that a given situation has held at least once during some time in the past leading up to the present'; Aspect, 58" (IBHS §30.5.1). Waltke and O'Connor suggest translating this particular verb (ראיתי) as a present perfect ("I have seen...", so NIV, NLT, ESV, CEV, NET, REB), but the following wayyiqtol verbs indicate that the psalmist is telling a story (with reference point movement) and that the qatal verb in v. 35a (ראיתי) is setting up the story, better translated as a simple past: "I once knew someone wicked... but later I passed by, and he wasn't there; I looked for him, but he could not be found" (GNT).
Note for vv. 35-36
v. 36: The MT has a third person verb at the beginning of v. 36 (וַ֭יַּֽעֲבֹר), which could either refer to the passing away of the wicked man ("but he passed away," ESV, cf. NIV, CEV, NJPS) or to the passing by of an onlooker ("one passes by," NET, cf. LUT, ELB). The 3ms form is supported also by Symmachus (παρελθόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ) and the Targum (ופסק). Other modern translations reflect a first person verb (וָאֶעֲבֹר): "I passed by" (GNT, cf. NLT, CSB, HFA, NGÜ, GNB, ZÜR), a reading which is supported by the LXX (καὶ παρῆλθον), Jerome (iuta Hebr.) (transivi), the Peshitta (ܥܒܪܬ), and perhaps also by 4Q171 (ראי]תי רשע עריץ ומתע[רה...ו]אעבור על מ[קו]מו וה[נה אינ]נו וא[בקשהו] ולוא [נמצא]) (transcription by García Martínez and Tigchelaar 1997, 346; cf. DJD אעבור על פ[ניו], corrected by Strugnell 1970, 216 to ו]אעבור על מ[קו]מו וה[נה, so Pardee 1973). The strong manuscript support for this reading, along with the fact that it fits very well in the immediate context (parallel with the 1st person verb וָאֲבַקְשֵׁהוּ), suggests that it is the original reading. The reading וַיַּעֲבֹר (understood to refer to the "passing away" of the wicked person, so Targum) is probably an assimilation to the preceding verse which describes the activity of the wicked person. Another factor in favor of the 1cs reading (וָאֶעֲבֹר) is the use of הִנֵּה ("look!" or "get this!"). The particle הִנֵּה assumes that some noteworthy piece of information is about to be presented. If the wicked person "vanished" (ויעבר), then the fact that he "is no more" is not noteworthy. It would indeed be noteworthy, however, if the psalmist passed by expecting to see the wicked person but the wicked person was nowhere to be found. This use of עבר + הנה is similar to Prov 24:30-31—"I passed by (עָבַרְתִּי) the field of a sluggard... and behold (וְהִנֵּה), it was all overgrown with thorns..." (ESV; see also Ezek 37:2).v. 37
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| שְׁמָר־תָּ֭ם וּרְאֵ֣ה יָשָׁ֑ר | v. 37a | Pay attention to the blameless one and look at the upright one, |
| כִּֽי־אַחֲרִ֖ית לְאִ֣ישׁ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ | v. 37b | because the future of a [blameless] person is peace. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 37]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: שְׁמָר watch over >> pay attention to
Object
adjective: תָּם blameless
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: רְאֵה look at
Object
adjective: יָשָׁר upright
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי because
Clause
Subject
noun: אַחֲרִית future
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ belonging to
Object
Nominal
noun: אִישׁ person
Adjectival
adjective: תָּם blameless <status="elided">
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
noun: שָׁלוֹם peace
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase <status="alternative">
Preposition
preposition: לְ belonging to
Object
ConstructChain
noun: אִישׁ person
noun: שָׁלוֹם peace
Notes
Note for v. 37
v. 37a: The adjectives might modify the implied noun דֶּרֶךְ (cf. v. 34): "Keep to the blameless [way], and consider the upright [way]" (Kselman 1997, 253). The adjectives תם/תמים and ישׁר are elsewhere used to characterize pathways (e.g., תמם Pss 18:31; 101:2, 6; Job 4:6; ישׁר Ps 5:9; Prov 14:12; 16:25), and the act of "guarding" (שׁמר) can have a "pathway" as its patient (e.g., Prov 2:20) (cf. Kselman 1997, 253-254). Or, in light of the b-line, the adjectives might modify the implied noun אִישׁ: "observe the blameless [man]; look at the upright [man]" (so Rashi; Ibn Ezra). Or, the adjectives might function as abstract nouns: "observe that which is blameless [i.e., blamelessness...]" (cf. LXX).
Note for v. 37
v. 37b: But in the Psalm, "peace" (שָׁלוֹם) is the final result of those who have trusted YHWH (cf. v. 11). It seems likely, therefore, that the "the last part of our verse is to be interpreted as if written, For peace is the future of the man of integrity. (The word תם is to be read as if written twice)" (Ibn Ezra, trans. 2009; i.e., שָׁלוֹם is not in construct with אִישׁ but is the predicate complement of the clause). So Targum: ארום דסוף בר נשא שלמא.
Note for v. 37
The precise meaning of the word אַחֲרִית is difficult to determine in this context. As Seebass writes, "it cannot be determined with certainty whether it is better to translate it by 'future' or 'posterity' in Ps. 37:37; and even more perplexing is the use of אַחֲרִית in v. 38 (future, posterity, remnant?)" (TDOT; cf. LXX ἐγκατάλειμμα ["remnant"]). The NLT translates the words as "a wonderful future... future" (cf. Jer 29:11; Prov 23:18) while the GNT translates them both as "descendants" (cf. Jer 31:17; Ps 109:13, so HALOT, BDB, DCH). However we translate the words here, both "wonderful future" and "descendants" are probably in view. Indeed, in the ancient Israelite worldview, a wonderful future entails descendants.
Note for v. 37
The verb שׁמר can sometimes mean "watch" or "pay attention to" (e.g., 1 Sam 1:12; Isa 42:20) (cf. HALOT, "to keep > to watch, observe").
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v. 38
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| וּֽ֭פֹשְׁעִים נִשְׁמְד֣וּ יַחְדָּ֑ו | v. 38a | But those who rebel are completely exterminated! |
| אַחֲרִ֖ית רְשָׁעִ֣ים נִכְרָֽתָה׃ | v. 38b | future of the wicked is destroyed! |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 38]
Fragment
particle: וּ but
Fragment
Clause
Subject
verb-participle: פֹשְׁעִים those who rebel
Predicate
verb: נִשְׁמְדוּ are exterminated
Adverbial
adverb: יַחְדָּו altogether
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: אַחֲרִית future
Nominal
adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked ones
Predicate
verb: נִכְרָתָה is cut off >> is destroyed
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 38
The adverb יחדו could indicate inclusivity (LXX: "together" [NETS, ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό]; NIV: "all sinners") or degree (GNT: "completely," NET: "totally", so DCH: transgressors shall be utterly destroyed; cf. Ps 19:10). The use of the verb שׁמד ("wipe out completely, exterminate") and the emphatic assertion of the b-line that even their offspring will be destroyed suggests that יחדו indicates degree: "utterly" or "completely" (see DCH).
No Verbal notes to display for this diagram.
Note for v. 38
4Q171 divides the words differently: (יחד ואחר[ית), analyzing the ו as a conjunction instead of the final consonant of יחדו. LXX agrees with MT.vv. 39-40
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| וּתְשׁוּעַ֣ת צַ֭דִּיקִים מֵיְהוָ֑ה | v. 39a | But the salvation of the righteous comes from YHWH, |
| מָֽ֝עוּזָּ֗ם בְּעֵ֣ת צָרָֽה׃ | v. 39b | their fortress during times of trouble, |
| וַֽיַּעְזְרֵ֥ם יְהוָ֗ה וַֽיְפַ֫לְּטֵ֥ם | v. 40a | and YHWH helps them and rescues them. |
| יְפַלְּטֵ֣ם מֵ֭רְשָׁעִים וְיוֹשִׁיעֵ֑ם | v. 40b | He will rescue them from the wicked and save them, |
| כִּי־חָ֥סוּ בֽוֹ׃ | v. 40c | because they have sought refuge in him. |
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 39-40]
Fragment
particle: וּ and
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: תְשׁוּעַת salvation
Nominal
adjective: צַדִּיקִים righteous
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מֵ from
Object
Apposition
Object
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="their fortress during times of trouble">
Nominal
noun: מָעוּזָּ fortress
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ during
Object
ConstructChain
noun: עֵת time
noun: צָרָה trouble
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Conjunction
conjunction: וַ and
Clause
Subject
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: יַּעְזְרֵ helps
Object
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Conjunction
conjunction: וַ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יְפַלְּטֵ rescues
verb: יְמַלְּטֵ <status="alternative"> rescues
Object
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Conjunction <status="alternative">
conjunction: וַ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יְפַלְּטֵ will rescue
Object
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מֵ from
Object
Nominal
adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יוֹשִׁיעֵ will save
Object
suffix-pronoun: ם them
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי because
Clause
Predicate
verb: חָסוּ they have sought refuge
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: ב in
Object
pronoun: וֹ him
Notes
No Grammar notes to display for this diagram.
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
Note for vv. 39-40
In the phrase מֵיְהוָ֑ה מָֽ֝עוּזָּ֗ם בְּעֵ֣ת צָרָֽה׃ ("...from YHWH, their fortress during times of trouble"), "the second member designates the role/capacity of the first member" (BHRG §29.3).
Note for vv. 39-40
The yiqtol verbs in v. 40b might continue the habitual semantics of the previous clauses (so NIV, NLT, ESV, GNT, NET, NJPS). However, the use of a different form (yiqtol instead of wayyiqtol) probably implies a different meaning. The imminent and certain destruction of the wicked has featured so much in this psalm it seems fitting to take these last yiqtols as expressing certainty about a future event.
Note for vv. 39-40
The wayyiqtol verbs continue the gnomic semantics of the verbless clause in v. 39. "The LORD helps them and rescues them" (NJPS, cf. NIV, NLT, ESV, GNT, NET).
Note for vv. 39-40
The waw in וְיוֹשִׁיעֵם does not have distinctive semantics. It has a structural function, grouping וְיוֹשִׁיעֵם with the preceding words to form a line.
Note for vv. 39-40
v. 40: The lemma of 4Q171 is וימלטם ויפלטם מרשעים, reading וימלטם instead of ויפלטם and ויפלטם instead of יפלטם. There are, then, two textual issues in this verse: (1) is the first verb מלט or פלט, and (2) does the second verb have a waw conjunction (ויפלטם) or not (יפלטם)?
- Other textual evidence.
- The LXX has καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐξελεῖται αὐτοὺς. The use of two different Greek verbs (cf. Ps 71:2 where ῥῦσαί με καὶ ἐξελοῦ με = תַּצִּילֵ֥נִי וּֽתְפַלְּטֵ֑נִי) and an additional conjunction (καὶ) suggests that the parent text of LXX agreed with 4Q171. (Elsewhere, the LXX has no problem repeating the same Greek verb if the parent text repeats the same Hebrew verb [e.g., ἐρρύσθη... ἐρρύσθημεν = נִמְלְטָה֮...נִמְלָֽטְנוּ in Ps 124:7].)
- The Peshitta, which has the same verb twice, the second time with the conjunction (ܘܡܦܨܐ...ܘܡܦܨܐ), probably read ויפלטם ויפלטם.
- Jerome (iuxta Hebr.) has only one verb (et salvabit eos) (probably a haplography).
- The mss in Kennicott agree with MT.
- Solution.
- Given the tendency to add waw conjunctions at the beginnings of b-lines in this psalm (cf. vv. 1, 25, 31, 38, 40), the conjunction on the second verb (the first word of the b-line) is probably secondary.
- The issue of מלט or פלט is more difficult to decide. Given the graphic and sonic similarities between וימלטם and ויפלטם, either reading could be easily explained as a scribal error. The issue comes down to which reading makes better sense in the context of the psalm. It is interesting to note, in this regard, that there is one other instance in the psalm where the same word occurs twice within a very short span of text: כָּל֖וּ... כָּֽלוּ (v. 20), which just so happens to be the final verse of the first half of the psalm and is, therefore, structurally parallel to וַֽיְפַ֫לְּטֵ֥ם יְפַלְּטֵ֣ם in v. 40). The reading of MT thus fits very well within the poetic structure. Just as the wicked are emphatically finished off (v. 20), so the righteous are emphatically rescued (v. 40). The reading of 4Q171 and LXX is either a scribal error or an attempt at stylistic variation.
Note for vv. 39-40
v. 39: Some textual witnesses omit the waw in וּתְשׁוּעַת in order to "fix" the acrostic structure (see e.g., Jerome iuxta Hebr., two mss in Kennicott). The oldest witnesses, however, have the waw (e.g., 4Q171 ות[שועת...]; LXX: σωτηρία δὲ).<ul><li>"!IncludeInVxV" contains a listed "!" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.</li> <!--br--><li>The part "]]" of the query was not understood.Results might not be as expected.</li></ul>