Psalm 4 Exegetical Issues

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Psalm 4/Exegetical Issues
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Exegetical Issues Video

Introduction to Exegetical Issues

Presented here are the top three Exegetical Issues that any interpreter of the psalm—whether they’re reading the text in Hebrew or looking at a number of translations—are likely to encounter. These issues usually involve textual criticism, grammar, lexical semantics, verbal semantics, and/or phrase-level semantics, though they sometimes involve higher-level layers as well.

Exegetical Issues for Psalm 4

According to the MT, the verbs in the first and third lines are imperatives, while the verb in the second line is qatal (הִרְחַבְתָּ). Modern translations disagree on how to render this qatal verb. The most common options for this verb are: (1) past-tense indicative ("you have given relief"); or (2) the so-called "precative qatal" (i.e., a qatal functioning like an imperative, "give me relief"). In addition, it is possible that the other verbs in verse 2 should be vocalized as qatal forms.
The NIV's translation "my glory into shame" is a translation of the MT: כְבוֹדִי לִכְלִמָּה. The NJB's translation is a translation of the supposed Hebrew text underlying the Septuagint's translation: כִבְדֵי לֵב לָמָּה. This reading differs from the MT's reading in four ways: (1) it redivides the words (לֵב לָמָּה vs לִכְלִמָּה); (2) it has a bet instead of a kaf (לֵב vs לִכְ); (3), it has a defective spelling for כבדי (vs כבודי in MT); and (4) it has a different vocalization.
Translations disagree on how to interpret the word נסה. Is this verb (1) an orthographic variant of נְשָׂא ("lift" > "cause to shine," so most translations); (2) a 3fs qatal form of נוס ("has fled"); or (3) a denominative verb from the noun נֵס ('"banner," so Symmachus, Rashi, cf. LXX)?