The Syntax and Subject(s) in Ps. 112:4

Psalm Overview

Exegetical Issues for Psalm 112:

• The Identity of the Person in Psalm 112
• The Syntax of Psalm 112:2b
• The Syntax and Subject(s) in Ps. 112:4

Introduction

The Hebrew text of Ps 112:4 reads as follows:

זָ֘רַ֤ח בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ א֭וֹר לַיְשָׁרִ֑ים

חַנּ֖וּן וְרַח֣וּם וְצַדִּֽיק׃

The interpretation of v. 4 is, in the words of one scholar, "one of the thorniest problems in this psalm." To illustrate the difficulties, consider the differences among the following translations. (Bold text indicates the primary point[s] at which the translation differs from the previously listed translation.)

• Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous (ESV)
• In the darkness a light shines for the godly, for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. (NET)
• In the darkness he shines as a light for the upright: Gracious and merciful is the just person (EÜ).
• A bright light shines in the darkness for upright men. Gracious and merciful and just is God (NGÜ).

The differences among these translations reflect different answers to the following exegetical questions:

1. What is the correct text to be translated?
2. What is the syntactic structure of the text?
3. Who is this verse talking about, YHWH or the person who fears YHWH?

The following argument maps will explore answers to each of these questions.

Argument Maps

Text

The first issue is a textual issue. Should we read וְצַדִּיק (with the waw conjunction) or צַדִּיק (without the waw conjunction)?

חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק (preferred)

Most translations read the text as חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק: "merciful and gracious and just."

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[וְצַדִּיק]: The earlier form of the text reads וְצַדִּיק: "merciful and gracious and just."
 + <Manuscript evidence>: The earliest manuscripts read וְצַדִּיק.
  + [Manuscript evidence]: 4QPsb: וצדיק; MT: וְצַדִּיק; LXX: καὶ δίκαιος (=וצדיק); Jerome: et iustus (=וצדיק); Targum: וצדיקא.
 - <Assimilation to Ps 116:5>: The conjunction was added "probably by assimilation to Ps 116:5" (Allen 2002, 127 :C:). #dispreferred
  + [Assimilation to Ps 116:5]: Ps 116:5 — חַנּ֣וּן יְהֹוָ֣ה וְצַדִּ֑יק #dispreferred

חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם צַדִּיק

Some translations (e.g., NFC, EÜ) read the text as חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם צַדִּיק: "the just one is gracious and merciful."

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[צַדִּיק]: The earlier form of the text reads צַדִּיק: "a righteous person is gracious and merciful" (Gunkel 1926, 490 :C:; Allen 2002 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Manuscript evidence>: Some medieval Hebrew manuscripts read צדיק ("a righteous person") with no waw conjunction. #dispreferred
  + [Manuscript evidence]: Kennicott: 17, 39, 219, 231. #dispreferred
 + <צַדִּיק person most likely subject>: In light of the fact that "in six cases the psalm transfers to the righteous person terms predicated of Yahweh in Ps 111," the adjectives "gracious and merciful" probably apply to "a righteous person" (צַדִּיק); and this interpretation works best if the waw is omitted and צַדִּיק is the subject (Allen 2002, 127 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <Does not require צַדִּיק to be subject>: The adjectives can still refer to the person, even if צַדִּיק is not the subject.
 + <Parallel to Ps 111:4>: "The first two adjectives also occur in 111:4, followed by the divine name as the subject: 'Gracious and merciful is our LORD.' It would seem, therefore, that the third adjective in 111:4 is the subject with the first two being predicates: 'The one who is righteous is gracious and merciful'" (Futato 2009, 354 :C:). #dispreferred
  + [Ps 111:4]
 - <Assimilation to Ps 111:4>: This reading is probably an assimilation to the syntax of the similar clause in Ps 111:4.
  + [Ps 111:4]: Ps 111:4 — חַנּ֖וּן וְרַח֣וּם יְהוָֽה #dispreferred

Syntax

The Syntactic Function of "Light" (אוֹר) in v. 4a

What is the syntactic function of "light" (אוֹר) in v. 4a? There are at least two options.

1. "Light" is the subject.
2. "Light" is in apposition to the (implied) subject.

Subject (preferred)

Many translations understand "light" (אוֹר) as the subject of the clause in v. 4a. The ESV, for example, says, "Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous" (cf. LXX, Jerome, Peshitta, NLT, HFA, ELB, TOB, PDV2017).

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[Subject]: "Light" (אוֹר) is the subject of the clause in v. 4a: "Light has risen."
 - <Subject of v. 4b>: The subject of v. 4a ("has risen") is described in v. 4b as "gracious and merciful and just," and this would be an odd way to describe "light" (cf. Sherwood 1989, 51 :A:; Zenger 2011, 168 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <אוֹר = "light source" = "the man">: In this passage, "light" (אוֹר) probably refers to a "(source of) light," which, in the context, refers to the man.
   + [אוֹר as "(source of) light"]: Isa 60:19; Ps 136:7; Job 31:26; 37:21; 1QS 320; CD 518; 4QPrQuot 131; 299 (DCH :L:). 
 + <Isa 58:10>: A very similar syntactic construction occurs in Isa 58:10, in which אוֹר is clearly the subject of זרח.
  + [Isa 58:10]: וְזָרַ֤ח בַּחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ 
 + <Ancient versions>: At least some of the ancient versions appear to have understood אוֹר as the subject. 
  + [LXX]: Although the LXX is somewhat ambiguous, it is most naturally read with "light" as the subject: ἐξανέτειλεν ἐν σκότει φῶς, "in darkness light dawned" (NETS). 
  + [Peshitta]: The Peshitta places the noun "light" before the prepositional phrase, implying that it functions as the subject: ܕܢܚ ܢܘܗܪܐ ܒܚܫܘܟܐ, "light has shined in the darkness" (Taylor 2021).

Apposition to the Subject

Other translations understand the subject of the clause to be "the person" (איש, cf. v. 1), and they understand "light" (אוֹר) to be in apposition to the subject: "he has shined in the darkness (as) a light for the upright" (cf. NRSV, NEB, REB, CEV, NJB, EÜ).

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[Subject]: "Light" (אוֹר) is in apposition to the subject of the clause in v. 4a: "he has risen, a light" (cf. Baethgen 1904 :C:; Goldingay 2006 :C:; Zenger 2011 :C:; Prinsloo 2019 :A:). #dispreferred
 + <Subject "the person">: The subject of the clause is probably "the person" (אישׁ, cf. v. 1). If "light" is not the subject, then it is probably appositional to the subject. #dispreferred
  + <Grammatical Structure>: "If אישׁ is taken to be the subject of זָרַח, we can see in the psalm a balanced grammatical structure in which the verbs, pronouns, and predicates of the first half (vv. 1–6a) refer back to the איש of v. 1 (repeated in v. 5), while those of the second half (up to v. 10) refer to צדיק in v. 6b. Thus, the psalm would be divided into two equal haves of 11 lines each" (Sherwood 1989, 52–53 :A:). #dispreferred
  + <Adjectives (v. 4b)>: "Three masc. sg. adjectives in v. 4b allude to the subject of the 3 masc. sg. verb זרח in v. 4a, and... all other 3 masc. sg. suffixes in Ps 112 refer to the איש ירא את יהוה" (Prinsloo 2019, 654 :A:). #dispreferred

The Syntactic Function of the Adjectives in v. 4b

What is the syntactic function of the adjectives in v. 4b? There are at least three options:

1. They form the compound predicate complement of an independent verbless clause.
2. They are in apposition to "the upright" (לַיְשָׁרִים) in v. 4a.
3. They are in apposition to "light" (אוֹר) in v. 4a.

Predicate Complement of Independent Verbless Clause

Many translations understand the adjectives in v. 4b (חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק) as a compound predicate complement of an independent clause: "he is gracious and merciful and righteous (ESV; cf. NLT, REB, NRSV, JPS85, HFA, EÜ, NGÜ, ELB, TOB, PDV2017, RVR95).

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[Compound Predicate Complement]: The adjectives in v. 4b (חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק) are a compound predicate complement of an independent verbless clause: "he is gracious and merciful and righteous." #dispreferred
 - <No explicit subject>: Because there is no explicit subject (e.g., הוּא), there is probably no verbless clause in this line. 
  <_ <Elided 3ms pronoun>: Occasionally, a 3ms pronoun is omitted in a verbless clause (cf. JM §154c :G:). #dispreferred
   + [Elided 3ms pronoun]: E.g., Ps 16:8; Job 9:32 #dispreferred
    <_ <כִּי clauses>: These examples (Ps 16:8; Job 9:32) involve כִּי clauses, in which it is more common for a subject to be omitted.

Apposition to "the upright" (לַיְשָׁרִים) in v. 4a

Other translations understand the adjectives in v. 4b to be in apposition to "the upright" (לַיְשָׁרִים) in v. 4a. The GNT, for example, translates v. 4 as follows: "Light shines in the darkness for good people, for those who are merciful, kind, and just" (cf. NIV, NET, NVI, DHH94I, NBS, NVS78P, BDS, S21).

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[Apposition to the upright]: The adjectives in v. 4b (חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק) are in apposition to "the upright" (לַיְשָׁרִים) in v. 4a: "for those who are upright, the one who is gracious and merciful and just" (cf. Hengstenberg 1849, 270 :C:). #dispreferred
 - <Number mismatch>: The adjective יְשָׁרִים is plural, while the following adjectives חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק are singular.
  <_ <Switch to individual focus>: "By switching to the singular, the psalmist focuses on each individual member of the group known as the 'godly'" (NET Bible note). #dispreferred
 + <Specification necessary>: Because יְשָׁרִים had virtually become a proper name for Israel (cf. Num 23:10), it was necessary for the psalmist to specify what it means to be "upright" (Hengstenberg 1849, 270 :C:) #dispreferred

Apposition to "light" (אוֹר) in v. 4a (preferred)

It is also possible that the adjectives in v. 4b are in apposition to "light" (אוֹר) in v. 4a: "A (source of) light, (one who is) gracious and merciful and just, has risen in the darkness for the upright."

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[Apposition to light]: The adjectives in v. 4b (חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק) are in apposition to "light" (אוֹר) in v. 4a.
 + <Number agreement>: The adjectives in v. 4b are singular and so agree with light in grammatical number.
 + <Coreferential>: The image of a '(source of) light (אוֹר) and the adjectives in v. 4b (חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק) are characteristic descriptions of YHWH, and they are therefore characteristically coreferential. Without explicit indication to the contrary, they likely apply to the same participant here as well.

Subject

If we assume the preferred conclusions from the previous argument maps, then our text reads as follows: "A (source of) light has risen in the darkness for the upright, (one who is) gracious and merciful and just." It remains to determine who this verse is talking about. Who is the "(source of) light" who is "gracious and merciful and just"? There are two options:

1. YHWH
2. The person who fears YHWH

YHWH

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[YHWH]: YHWH is the one who rises like a light, who is gracious and merciful and just. #dispreferred
 + <Ancient Christian readers>: At least some ancient Christian readers understood v. 4b as referring to YHWH. #dispreferred
  + [Ancient Christian readers]: LXX manuscripts adding κυριος: Codex Veronensis (Greek), Old Latin Psalter of St. Germain of Paris; LXX manuscripts adding κυριος ο θεος: Codex Alexandrinus, 1219 (corrector), Codex Veronensis (Latin), the Bohairic, Sahidic and Syriac versions, Augustine, Chrysostom. #dispreferred
 + <"Gracious and merciful">: The predication "gracious and merciful" (חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם) is elsewhere applied uniquely to YHWH. #dispreferred
  + ["Gracious and merciful"]: Exod 34:6; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Pss 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 145:8; Neh 9:17; 2 Chr 30:9. #dispreferred
  <_ <Ps 112 unique>: "It is true that the predication 'gracious and merciful' is otherwise used only of YHWH. But that is the particular point of Psalm 112... The psalm is... a beatitude for the person who fears YHWH—and this precisely in correspondence to the image of God proposed in Psalm 111" (Zenger 2011, 168 :C:).
 + <God shining>: YHWH is often described in terms of solar/light imagery, and he is sometimes said to "rise" (זרח) like the sun. #dispreferred 
  + [God shining]: Deut. 33:2 (זרח); Isa 60:1–2 (זרח); cf. Pss 18:28; 27:1; 37:6; 104:2. #dispreferred 
  <_ <People shining>: "Although it is true that light generally belongs to the realm of the divine in the ancient world, its attribution to men is not entirely unknown, especially in the case of the just and wise" (Sherwood 1989, 55 :A:). Some passages also speak of the king in terms of light.
   + [People shining]: Wise: Prov 4:18; 13:9; Eccl 8:1; King: 2 Sam 23:3–7; Prov 16:15.
 - <Off topic>: If this verse is about YHWH, then the verse says nothing about the main topic of the poem: the person who fears YHWH.
  - <The "Upright">: The verse is about the help YHWH gives to "the upright" (לַיְשָׁרִים) (cf. Radak :C:), and "the upright" is coreferential with the person who fears YHWH (cf. Allen 2002 :C:). #dispreferred
   - <"Upright" plural>: "The upright" (לַיְשָׁרִים) is plural, while the rest of the psalm is about the singular "person" (אִישׁ) (Baethgen 1904, 342 :C:).
   - <"Upright" (v. 4) / "Poor" (v. 9)>: The mention of the "upright" (לַיְשָׁרִים) in v. 4 is parallel to the mention of the "poor" (לָאֶבְיוֹנִים) in v. 9, and in v. 9, the plural "poor" are distinguished from the singular "person." They are the beneficiaries of his kind generosity (cf. Baethgen 1904, 342 :C:).
   - <"Upright" vs "man" in v. 2>: The plural "upright" (יְשָׁרִים) are clearly distinguished from the man in v. 2.
 - <Inactive participant>: YHWH has not been activated in the discourse since v. 1, so it would be odd to make him the subject without any marking.

The Person (preferred)

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[Person]: The person (אישׁ, cf. v. 1) is the one who rises like light, who is gracious and merciful and just.
 + <The person as topic of the psalm>: The topic of Ps 112 is the person who fears YHWH. Verse 4, therefore, like the rest of the psalm, is probably about this person (cf. Baethgen 1904, 343 :C:).
 + <Context (vv. 3-5): "Gracious...Just">: The previous verse (v. 3b) describes the person's righteousness (צְדָקָה), and the following verse (v. 5a) describes his gracious behavior (חוֹנֵן). The adjectives חנון and צדיק in v. 4b, therefore, probably refer to the attributes of this same person (cf. Baethgen 1904, 342 :C:; Zenger 2011, 168 :C:).

Conclusion (A)

In conclusion, we have translated Ps 112:4 as follows: A (source of) light for the upright has risen in the darkness, one who is merciful and compassionate and righteous.

Text. The manuscript evidence strongly supports reading וְצַדִּיק ("and just"). The reading צַדִּיק might be an assimilation to the syntax of Ps 111:4.

Syntax/Subject. In light of the close parallel in Isa 58:10 and the testimony of the ancient versions (LXX and Peshitta), the grammatical subject of v. 4a is probably "light." Although it might seem odd to describe "light" as "merciful and compassionate and righteous" (v. 4b), "light" in this context probably refers to a "(source of) light" which is coreferential with "the man." By contrast, some have claimed that the light imagery and the language of "gracious and merciful" suggest that YHWH is the subject. The psalm as a whole, however, is not about YHWH, but about the person who fears YHWH, and this person is described similarly elsewhere in the psalm (צדקתו v. 3b, חונן v. 5a)

In summary, this verse describes the man who fears YHWH in terms that are usually applied to YHWH. The man who fears YHWH becomes like YHWH; he is merciful and compassionate, and his blessings radiate to the upright.

Research

Manuscripts

4QPs^b

Kennicott manuscripts that read צדיק (without waw conjunction): 17, 39, 219, 231.

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ἐξανέτειλεν ἐν σκότει φῶς τοῖς εὐθέσιν ἐλεήμων καὶ οἰκτίρμων καὶ δίκαιος
  • "In darkness light dawned for the upright ones; merciful and compassionate and righteous is he"
• Peshitta: ܕܢܚ ܢܘܗܪܐ ܒܚܫܘܟܐ ܠܬܪ̈ܝܨܐ܂ ܘܡܪܚܡ ܥܠ ܙܕܝܩ̈ܐ܂
  • "Light has shined in the darkness for the upright; he is merciful toward the righteous."
• Jerome: ortum est in tenebris lumen iustis, Clemens et misericord et iustus
• Targum: דנח בחשוכא נהור לתריציא חיננא ורחמנא וצדיקא
  • "Light shines in the darkness for the upright; (he is) gracious and compassionate and righteous."

Modern

The person is gracious and merciful and righteous

v. 4b as independent verbless clause

• Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. (ESV)
• Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. (NLT)
• A light shines for the upright in the darkness; he is gracious, compassionate, and beneficent. (JPS85)
• Selbst in dunklen Stunden leuchtet ihm ein Licht, er ist voll Erbarmen, großmütig und gerecht. (HFA)
• Den Aufrichtigen strahlt Licht auf in der Finsternis. Er ist gnädig und barmherzig und gerecht. (ELB)
• Dans l'obscurité se lève une lumière pour les hommes droits. Il est juste, bienveillant et miséricordieux. (TOB)
• Dans la nuit, une lumière se lève pour l’homme au cœur pur. Il est juste et bon, il aime les autres avec tendresse. (PDV2017)

v. 4b adjectives in apposition to לישׁרים

• Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. (NIV)
• Light shines in the darkness for good people, for those who are merciful, kind, and just. (GNT)
• In the darkness a light shines for the godly, for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. (NET)
• Para los justos la luz brilla en las tinieblas; para los que son misericordiosos, compasivos y justos. (NVI)
• Brilla una luz en la oscuridad para los hombres honrados, para el que es compasivo, clemente y justo. (DHH94I)
• La lumière se lève dans les ténèbres pour les gens droits, pour celui qui est clément, compatissant et juste. (NBS)
• La lumière se lève dans les ténèbres pour les (hommes) droits, (Pour celui qui) fait grâce, qui est compatissant et juste (NVS78P)
• Une lumière luit dans les ténèbres, pour les gens droits, ceux qui font grâce, qui sont compatissants et justes (BDS)
• La lumière se lève dans les ténèbres pour les hommes droits, pour celui qui fait preuve de grâce, de compassion et de justice (S21)

צדיק as subject of v. 4b

• Quand tout est obscur, une lumière se lève pour celui qui a le cœur droit. Le juste est bienveillant et plein de tendresse (NFC)
• Im Finstern erstrahlt er als Licht den Redlichen: Gnädig und barmherzig ist der Gerechte. (EÜ)

Person as subject of זרח (v. 4a)

• He is gracious, compassionate, good, a beacon in darkness for honest men. (NEB)
• A beacon in darkness for the upright. He is gracious, compassionate, good. (REB)
• They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous. (NRSV)
• They will be so kind and merciful and good, that they will be a light in the dark for others who do the right thing. (CEV)
• For the honest he shines as a lamp in the dark, generous, tender-hearted, and upright. (NJB)
• Resplandeció en las tinieblas luz para los rectos; es clemente, misericordioso y justo. (RVR95)

God as gracious and merciful and righteous

• Aufrichtigen Menschen strahlt in der Finsternis ein helles Licht auf, gnädig, barmherzig und gerecht ist Gott (NGÜ)

Ambiguous

• Den Frommen geht das Licht auf in der Finsternis, gnädig, barmherzig und gerecht. (LUT)
• In der Finsternis erstrahlt den Aufrichtigen ein Licht, gnädig, barmherzig und gerecht. (ZÜR)
• Sogar in dunklen Stunden strahlt ein Licht für alle, die redlich und rechtschaffen sind; denn er ist gütig, barmherzig und gerecht. (GNB)

Secondary Literature

Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.

Futato, Mark. 2009. Psalms, Proverbs (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary). Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers.

Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm. 1849. Commentar über die Psalmen. Vol. 4. Berlin: Verlag von Ludwig Oehmigke.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 2011. Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101-150. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.

Goldingay, John. 2008. Psalms: Psalms 90-150. Vol. 3. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Gunkel, Hermann. 1926. Die Psalmen. HKAT. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Prinsloo, Gert T. M. 2019. “Reading Psalm 112 as a ‘Midrash’ on Psalm 111.” Old Testament Essays 32, no. 2: 636–68.

Sherwood, Stephen K. 1989. “Psalm 112—A Royal Wisdom Psalm?” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 51, no. 1: 50–64.

References

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112:4 Approved