The Text and Grammar of Ps 16:2

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Introduction

The Hebrew text of Psalm 16:2, according to the Masoretic Text, reads as follows:[1]

אָמַ֣רְתְּ לַֽ֭יהוָה אֲדֹנָ֣י אָ֑תָּה
ט֝וֹבָתִ֗י בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ׃

Consider the following three English translations of this verse:

  • O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee (KJV)
  • I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you” (ESV)
  • I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord, my benefactor; there is none above You” (NJPS)

The translations differ at two main points in the verse, one in the first half and the other in the second half.

  1. The first difference concerns the verb "I say" (ESV, NJPS) vs "thou hast said" (KJV). According to the ESV and NJPS, the verb is first-person singular, while, according to the KJV, the verb is feminine, second-person singular. Accordingly, the KJV adds the words "O my soul" to clarify the subject of the feminine singular verb.
  2. The second difference concerns the interpretation of the second line. The ESV and KJV read this line as a single, complete clause with "my goodness" (טוֹבָתִי) as the subject. The NJPS, by contrast, interprets the phrase "my goodness" (טוֹבָתִי, translated "my benefactor") as appositional to "my Lord" in the previous line. Accordingly, the last two words בַּל־עָלֶיךָ constitute their own clause: "there is none above you."

Argument Maps

"I say" vs "You say"

The first major point of contention in this verse is whether we should read "I say" (so ESV, NJPS, et al.) or "you say" (cf. KJV, RVR95). The issue is text-critical. The KJV follows the vocalization tradition of the Masoretic Text, which reads אָמַ֣רְתְּ, a second-person feminine singular verb: "you say." The ESV and NJPS, however, are following a different vocalization tradition, represented by some mediaeval Hebrew manuscripts and most of the ancient versions.

"I say" (preferred)

Most modern European translations vocalize אמרת as a first-person verb: אָמַרְתִּי / אָמַרְתִּ. The ESV, for example, has "I say to the LORD, 'You are my Lord... '" 


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["I say"]: The verb אמרת is a first-person singular verb: "I say" (GKC §44i :G:; Barthélemey et al. 2005, 59–62 :C:).
 + <Context>: A first-person verb makes the most sense in the context.
  + [vv. 1–2]: "for *I* have sought refuge (חָסִיתִי) in you. *I* say to the Lord, 'You are *my* Lord (אֲדֹנָי); *my* good (טוֹבָתִי)...'"
 + <Textual witnesses>: Many Hebrew manuscripts and most of the ancient versions support a first-person interpretation of the verb.
  + [Hebrew manuscripts]: אמרתי, c. 20 Kennicott manuscripts (see Kennicott 1776, 316 :M:).
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX: εἶπα; Jerome (iuxta Hebr): \[speravi...\] dicens; Peshitta: ܘܐܡܪܬ (vocalized as 1cs in the Mosul edition).
 - <Consonantal text>: The consonantal text of MT (אמרת) cannot be read as a first-person verb ("I say"). #dispreferred
  - <Defective spelling>: The consonantal text can be interpreted as a defectively written first-person verb form: אָמַרְתִּ.
   + <Biblical analogies 1>: There are other cases of first-person singular verbs written defectively and yet vocalized by the Masoretes as first-person singular verbs (see GKC §44i :G:).
    + [Biblical analogies 1]: יָדַ֗עְתִּ in Ps 140:13 (qere: ידעתי); וְעָשִׂ֥יתִ in Ezek 16:59 (qere: ועשיתי).
    <_ <No discrepancy here>: In this case (Ps 16:2), there is no discrepancy between the consonantal text and the Masoretic vocalization (no ketiv-qere).#dispreferred
   + <Biblical analogies 2>: There are other cases of first-person singular verbs without a final *yod* which are (mis)vocalized as second person singular verbs in the MT (see GKC §44i :G:).
    + [Biblical analogies 2]: E.g., אָמַרְתָּ in 2 Kgs 18:20, which is written as אָמַרְתִּי in the parallel passage, Isa 36:5. See also אָמַרְתְּ in Isa 47:10, which is written in 1QIsa-a as אמרתי.
   + <Phoenician influence>: "The dropping *yod* ... is because of a Phoenician language influence... The standard Phoenician language has the first person singular with a dropped *yod* (Chia 2024, 3 :A:; cf. Dahood 1965, 87 :C:; see Krahmalkov 2001, 159–170 :G:)
    + <Northern influence>: Phoenician influence on this verb in Psalm 16 is plausible, because the psalm shows other traces of northern influence (Rendsburg 2003 :A:).
     + <מְנָת and נַחֲלָת>: The nouns מְנָת (v. 5) נַחֲלָת (v. 6) have the "feminine singular nominal ending -at..., as in Phoenician, Moabite, and Aramaic" (Rendsburg 2003, 13–14 :A:).
     + <נָעִים>: The adjective נָעִים, which occurs twice in Psalm 16 (v. 6 \[בַּנְּעִמִים\], v. 11 \[נְעִמוֹת\]) is characteristic of northern texts – "22 of 30 attestations in \[Israelian Hebrew\]" (Rendsburg 2003, 27 :A:).
     + <שָׁפְרָה>: The verb שָׁפְרָה, which occurs in Ps 16:6, is part of the northern, Israelian lexicon (Rendsburg 2003, 28 :A:; cf. Gen 49:21, of Naphtali).
 + <Parallels in the Psalter>: There are clear parallels in the Psalter of first-person אמר followed by a *lamed* prepositional phrase and direct speech (see van Peursen 2018, 181 :A:).
  + [Parallels in the Psalter]: E.g., "I say to the Lord (אָמַרְתִּי לַיהוָה), You are my God" (Ps 140:7, ESV; cf. Ps 91:2; also Pss 42:10; 75:5).


Argument Mapn0"I say"The verb אמרת is a first-person singular verb: "I say" (GKC §44i 🄶; Barthélemey et al. 2005, 59–62 🄲).n1vv. 1–2"for I  have sought refuge (חָסִיתִי) in you. I  say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord (אֲדֹנָי); my  good (טוֹבָתִי)...'"n7ContextA first-person verb makes the most sense in the context.n1->n7n2Hebrew manuscriptsאמרתי, c. 20 Kennicott manuscripts (see Kennicott 1776, 316 🄼).n8Textual witnessesMany Hebrew manuscripts and most of the ancient versions support a first-person interpretation of the verb.n2->n8n3Ancient versionsLXX: εἶπα; Jerome (iuxta Hebr): [speravi...] dicens; Peshitta: ܘܐܡܪܬ (vocalized as 1cs in the Mosul edition).n3->n8n4Biblical analogies 1יָדַ֗עְתִּ in Ps 140:13 (qere: ידעתי); וְעָשִׂ֥יתִ in Ezek 16:59 (qere: ועשיתי).n11Biblical analogies 1There are other cases of first-person singular verbs written defectively and yet vocalized by the Masoretes as first-person singular verbs (see GKC §44i 🄶).n4->n11n5Biblical analogies 2E.g., אָמַרְתָּ in 2 Kgs 18:20, which is written as אָמַרְתִּי in the parallel passage, Isa 36:5. See also אָמַרְתְּ in Isa 47:10, which is written in 1QIsa-a as אמרתי.n13Biblical analogies 2There are other cases of first-person singular verbs without a final yod which are (mis)vocalized as second person singular verbs in the MT (see GKC §44i 🄶).n5->n13n6Parallels in the PsalterE.g., "I say to the Lord (אָמַרְתִּי לַיהוָה), You are my God" (Ps 140:7, ESV; cf. Ps 91:2; also Pss 42:10; 75:5). n19Parallels in the PsalterThere are clear parallels in the Psalter of first-person אמר followed by a lamed  prepositional phrase and direct speech (see van Peursen 2018, 181 🄰).n6->n19n7->n0n8->n0n9Consonantal textThe consonantal text of MT (אמרת) cannot be read as a first-person verb ("I say"). n9->n0n10Defective spellingThe consonantal text can be interpreted as a defectively written first-person verb form: אָמַרְתִּ.n10->n9n11->n10n12No discrepancy hereIn this case (Ps 16:2), there is no discrepancy between the consonantal text and the Masoretic vocalization (no ketiv-qere).n12->n11n13->n10n14Phoenician influence"The dropping yod  ... is because of a Phoenician language influence... The standard Phoenician language has the first person singular with a dropped yod  (Chia 2024, 3 🄰; cf. Dahood 1965, 87 🄲; see Krahmalkov 2001, 159–170 🄶)n14->n10n15Northern influencePhoenician influence on this verb in Psalm 16 is plausible, because the psalm shows other traces of northern influence (Rendsburg 2003 🄰).n15->n14n16מְנָת and נַחֲלָתThe nouns מְנָת (v. 5) נַחֲלָת (v. 6) have the "feminine singular nominal ending -at..., as in Phoenician, Moabite, and Aramaic" (Rendsburg 2003, 13–14 🄰).n16->n15n17נָעִיםThe adjective נָעִים, which occurs twice in Psalm 16 (v. 6 [בַּנְּעִמִים], v. 11 [נְעִמוֹת]) is characteristic of northern texts – "22 of 30 attestations in [Israelian Hebrew]" (Rendsburg 2003, 27 🄰).n17->n15n18שָׁפְרָהThe verb שָׁפְרָה, which occurs in Ps 16:6, is part of the northern, Israelian lexicon (Rendsburg 2003, 28 🄰; cf. Gen 49:21, of Naphtali).n18->n15n19->n0


"You say"

Some of the classic European translations follow the Masoretic Text and have a second-person feminine singular verb: אָמַרְתְּ. The KJV, for example, has, "O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord..." Notice that this interpretation of the verb form has led the KJV translators to supply an appropriate feminine singular subject: "O my soul" (see also RVR95). 


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["You say"]: The verb אמרת is a second-person singular verb: "you say" #dispreferred
 + <Textual witnesses>: Important witnesses to the text, including MT, have a second-person singular verb form: "you say." In the MT, the form is even guarded by multiple notes in the Masorah Parva.#dispreferred
  + [MT]: אָמַ֣רְתְּ; cf. the note on Ps 16:2 in L: ל' לש' זכר ("only here in a masculine sense") and the note on אָמַ֔רְתְּ in 2 Sam 6:22 in L: 'ז ("seven times," which would include Ps 16:2) (see Barthélemy et al. 2005, 61 :C:).
#dispreferred
   <_ <Interpretation>: "Although the reading אָמַרְתְּ is well rooted in the Masoretic tradition, it is likely to have been stabilized thanks to \[an\] interpretation (similar to that of the Targum) of the defective spelling" (Barthélemy et al. 2005, 61 :C:, own translation; cf. Baethgen 1904, 40–41 :C:).
 + <Plausible interpretations>: A second-person verb is plausible in the context. David is speaking to his own soul (Targum; Ibn Ezra :C:, Radak :C:) or to "the congregation of Israel" (כנסת ישראל) (Rashi :C:).#dispreferred
  + [Targum]: מלילת אנת נפשי = "You have spoken, O my soul" (Stec 2004, 46). #dispreferred
  - <Abrupt>: The second-person verb "you said" is abrupt. Neither the "soul" nor the "congregation of Israel" is ever mentioned in the psalm (cf. Baethgen 1904, 41 :C:; Barthélemy et al. 2005, 59–62 :C:).


Argument Mapn0"You say"The verb אמרת is a second-person singular verb: "you say" n1MTאָמַ֣רְתְּ; cf. the note on Ps 16:2 in L: ל' לש' זכר ("only here in a masculine sense") and the note on אָמַ֔רְתְּ in 2 Sam 6:22 in L: 'ז ("seven times," which would include Ps 16:2) (see Barthélemy et al. 2005, 61 🄲). n3Textual witnessesImportant witnesses to the text, including MT, have a second-person singular verb form: "you say." In the MT, the form is even guarded by multiple notes in the Masorah Parva.n1->n3n2Targumמלילת אנת נפשי = "You have spoken, O my soul" (Stec 2004, 46). n5Plausible interpretationsA second-person verb is plausible in the context. David is speaking to his own soul (Targum; Ibn Ezra 🄲, Radak 🄲) or to "the congregation of Israel" (כנסת ישראל) (Rashi 🄲).n2->n5n3->n0n4Interpretation"Although the reading אָמַרְתְּ is well rooted in the Masoretic tradition, it is likely to have been stabilized thanks to [an] interpretation (similar to that of the Targum) of the defective spelling" (Barthélemy et al. 2005, 61 🄲, own translation; cf. Baethgen 1904, 40–41 🄲).n4->n1n5->n0n6AbruptThe second-person verb "you said" is abrupt. Neither the "soul" nor the "congregation of Israel" is ever mentioned in the psalm (cf. Baethgen 1904, 41 🄲; Barthélemy et al. 2005, 59–62 🄲).n6->n5


טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶיךָ

The second issue concerns the interpretation of the second line: טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶיךָ. The two interpretations considered below are represented by the ESV/KJV and the NJPS.[2]

"I have no good apart from you"

The ESV translates this line as "I have no good apart from you." The CSB says essentially the same thing, using a different preposition: "I have nothing good besides you." Both translations interpret the noun phrase "my good" (translated as a verbal clause: "I have nothing good") as the subject of the clause.[3] 


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["I have no good apart from you"]: The words טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶיךָ should be understood to mean "I have no good apart from you" (lit.: "my good is not more than you"). The phrase טוֹבָתִי is the grammatical subject.#dispreferred
 + <עַל as "besides/beyond">: The prepositional phrase עָלֶיךָ can mean "more than you > besides/beyond you" (Mena 2012, §5.4.1.1: "The More Sense" :M:).#dispreferred
   + [עַל as "besides/beyond"]: "and if you take wives besides (עַל) my daughters" (Gen 31:50; cf. Gen 48:22; Exod 35:22; 1 Judges 15:8; Amos 3:15).#dispreferred
   <_ <Rare usage>: This use of the preposition עַל is "rare" (BHRG §39.20.2.c :G:).
 + <Ancient versions>: Several ancient versions interpreted the clause to mean: "I have no good besides/without you."#dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: Symmachus:  ἀγαθόν μοι οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνευ σου; Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): bene mihi non est sine te; Targum: ברם טיבתי לא מתיהיבא בר מינך.#dispreferred
 - <Awkward expression>: The Hebrew טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶיךָ (lit.: "my good is not more than you") would be an awkward way of saying "I have no good apart from you" (cf. Bratcher and Reyburn 1991, 141 :C:). If this were the poet's intent, then we might have expected a more suitable expression, e.g., the preposition בַּלְעֲדֵי or זוּלָה, and the phrase אֵין לִי טוֹבָה ("I have no good") instead of טוֹבָתִי בַּל ("my good is not," which implies that the psalmist does indeed possess "good").
  + [More suitable expressions]: "For who is God besides (מִבַּלְעֲדֵי) the Lord? And who is the Rock except (זוּלָתִי) our God?" (Psalm 18:32, NIV); "Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than (מִבַּלְעֲדֵי) the altar of the LORD our God" (Josh 22:19, ESV); "There is nothing better for me (אֵין־לִי טוֹב) than to escape to the land of the Philistines" (1 Sam 27:1, NET).


Argument Mapn0"I have no good apart from you"The words טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶיךָ should be understood to mean "I have no good apart from you" (lit.: "my good is not more than you"). The phrase טוֹבָתִי is the grammatical subject.n1עַל as "besides/beyond""and if you take wives besides (עַל) my daughters" (Gen 31:50; cf. Gen 48:22; Exod 35:22; 1 Judges 15:8; Amos 3:15).n4עַל as "besides/beyond"The prepositional phrase עָלֶיךָ can mean "more than you > besides/beyond you" (Mena 2012, §5.4.1.1: "The More Sense" 🄼).n1->n4n2Ancient versionsSymmachus: ἀγαθόν μοι οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνευ σου; Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): bene mihi non est sine te; Targum: ברם טיבתי לא מתיהיבא בר מינך.n6Ancient versionsSeveral ancient versions interpreted the clause to mean: "I have no good besides/without you."n2->n6n3More suitable expressions"For who is God besides (מִבַּלְעֲדֵי) the Lord? And who is the Rock except (זוּלָתִי) our God?" (Psalm 18:32, NIV); "Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than (מִבַּלְעֲדֵי) the altar of the LORD our God" (Josh 22:19, ESV); "There is nothing better for me (אֵין־לִי טוֹב) than to escape to the land of the Philistines" (1 Sam 27:1, NET). n7Awkward expressionThe Hebrew טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶיךָ (lit.: "my good is not more than you") would be an awkward way of saying "I have no good apart from you" (cf. Bratcher and Reyburn 1991, 141 🄲). If this were the poet's intent, then we might have expected a more suitable expression, e.g., the preposition בַּלְעֲדֵי or זוּלָה, and the phrase אֵין לִי טוֹבָה ("I have no good") instead of טוֹבָתִי בַּל ("my good is not," which implies that the psalmist does indeed possess "good").n3->n7n4->n0n5Rare usageThis use of the preposition עַל is "rare" (BHRG §39.20.2.c 🄶).n5->n4n6->n0n7->n0


"My good; there is no one above you" (preferred)

Other translations interpret the phrase "my good," either as appositional to "my Lord" in the previous clause – "You are my Lord, my benefactor" (NJPS, cf. NVS78P, DHH94I) – or as the predicate complement in a new clause, with an elided subject – "You are my Lord; [you are] my good" (cf. NBS). According to both of these interpretations, the words בַּל־עָלֶיךָ at the end of the verse constitute their own clause: "There is no one above you." 


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["My good; there is no one above you"]: The words טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶיךָ should be understood to mean "\[You are\] my good; there is no one above you" (Dahood 1965, 86 :C:).
 + <עַל as "above">: The prepositional phrase עָלֶיךָ can mean "above you > superior to you" (Mena 2012 §5.4.1.2: "The Superior Sense" :M:, which is more common than the "More Sense" \[see BHRG §39.20.2.a :G:: "often"\]).
  + [עַל as "above"]: "For the Lord is the great God, the great King above (עַל) all gods" (Ps 95:3, NIV); "\[He is\] a god who is terrifying in the council of holy ones, great and fearful above (עַל) everyone around him" (Ps 89:8, own translation).
 + <v. 5>: This interpretation of the verse is consistent with what the psalmist says later in the psalm, in v. 5. He says that YHWH is his portion and cup, i.e., his "good."
  + [v. 5]: "LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure" (Ps 16:5, NIV).
 + <Syntactic parallel>: This interpretation of v. 2b has a syntactic parallel in Ps 92:16. In this verse, the b-line begins with a noun that is in apposition to the predicate complement in the a-line, and then the b-line continues with an independent clause.
  + [Ps 92:16]: "to declare that YHWH is fair, / my rock, and there is no injustice in him" — לְ֭הַגִּיד כִּֽי־יָשָׁ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה צ֝וּרִ֗י וְֽלֹא־עֹלָתָה בּֽוֹ (Ps 92:16; for other examples of apposition across line boundaries, see Pss 18:3; 91:2).
 + <Ugaritic parallel>: "This ancient formula \[בַּל־עָלֶיךָ\] sounds like the Canaanite profession of faith found in UT, 51:IV:43–44" (Dahood 1965, 87 :C:; = KTU 1.4).
  + [KTU 1.4]: "Our king is Victor Baal, our ruler; there is none above him (*w in . d ʿlnh*)."
   <_ <in vs bl>: This passage uses the negator *in* (cf. Hebrew אֵין), not the negator *bl* (cf. Hebrew בַּל). #dispreferred
 - <Existential negator>: The negative particle בַּל usually negates finite verbal clauses (qatal or yiqtol). For a clause like "there is no one above you," we would expect the negator אֵין, which indicates non-existence ("there is no") (see BHRG §41.2 :G:).#dispreferred
  + [אֵין]: “There is none (אֵין) holy like the LORD: for there is none (אֵין) besides you; there is no (אֵין) rock like our God" (1 Sam 2:2, ESV).#dispreferred
  + [בַּל in finite verbal clauses]: E.g., with yiqtol: Pss 10:4, 6, 15, 18; 16:4b, 4c, 8; 17:3b, 3c; 21:8, 12; 30:7; 46:6; 49:13; 78:44; 93:1; 96:10; 104:5, 9a, 9b; 119:121; 140:11, 12; 141:4; with qatal: Pss 10:11; 21:3; 58:9; 147:20. #dispreferred
  <_ <בַּל with nominal clauses>: בַּל has a variety of functions, including a negator of nominal clauses: "1.1. Equivalent to אַל; followed by yiqtol. 1.2. Equivalent to לֹא; followed by yiqtol. 1.3. 'Non esse'; in nominal sentences (rare)" (Tromp 1981, 287 :A:).
   + [בַּל in nominal clauses]: "but his heart is not with you (וְלִבּוֹ בַּל־עִמָּךְ)" (Prov 23:7, ESV; cf. Prov 24:13).
  <_ <Ugaritic bl>: In Ugaritic, where *bl* (= בַּל) has a similar function as it does in Hebrew, *bl* can function as an existential negator.
   + [Ugaritic bl]: "here was neither dew nor drizzle, nor flow (?) of the two oceans, nor sweetness of DN's voice" = *bl ṭl bl rbb šrʕ thmt bl ṭbn ql bʕl* (cited in Hoftijzer and Jongeling 1995, 218 :L:).
  <_ <Phoenician bl>: In Phoenician, *bl* (= בַּל) is the normal negative particle (similar to לֹא in Hebrew), and it also functions "as a negation of existence" (similar to אֵין in Hebrew) (Krahmalkov 2001, 277 :G:).


Argument Mapn0"My good; there is no one above you"The words טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶיךָ should be understood to mean "[You are] my good; there is no one above you" (Dahood 1965, 86 🄲).n1עַל as "above""For the Lord is the great God, the great King above (עַל) all gods" (Ps 95:3, NIV); "[He is] a god who is terrifying in the council of holy ones, great and fearful above (עַל) everyone around him" (Ps 89:8, own translation).n9עַל as "above"The prepositional phrase עָלֶיךָ can mean "above you > superior to you" (Mena 2012 §5.4.1.2: "The Superior Sense" 🄼, which is more common than the "More Sense" [see BHRG §39.20.2.a 🄶: "often"]).n1->n9n2v. 5"LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure" (Ps 16:5, NIV).n10v. 5This interpretation of the verse is consistent with what the psalmist says later in the psalm, in v. 5. He says that YHWH is his portion and cup, i.e., his "good."n2->n10n3Ps 92:16"to declare that YHWH is fair, / my rock, and there is no injustice in him" — לְ֭הַגִּיד כִּֽי־יָשָׁ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה צ֝וּרִ֗י וְֽלֹא־עֹלָתָה בּֽוֹ (Ps 92:16; for other examples of apposition across line boundaries, see Pss 18:3; 91:2).n11Syntactic parallelThis interpretation of v. 2b has a syntactic parallel in Ps 92:16. In this verse, the b-line begins with a noun that is in apposition to the predicate complement in the a-line, and then the b-line continues with an independent clause.n3->n11n4KTU 1.4"Our king is Victor Baal, our ruler; there is none above him (w in . d ʿlnh )."n12Ugaritic parallel"This ancient formula [בַּל־עָלֶיךָ] sounds like the Canaanite profession of faith found in UT, 51:IV:43–44" (Dahood 1965, 87 🄲; = KTU 1.4).n4->n12n5אֵין“There is none (אֵין) holy like the LORD: for there is none (אֵין) besides you; there is no (אֵין) rock like our God" (1 Sam 2:2, ESV).n14Existential negatorThe negative particle בַּל usually negates finite verbal clauses (qatal or yiqtol). For a clause like "there is no one above you," we would expect the negator אֵין, which indicates non-existence ("there is no") (see BHRG §41.2 🄶).n5->n14n6בַּל in finite verbal clausesE.g., with yiqtol: Pss 10:4, 6, 15, 18; 16:4b, 4c, 8; 17:3b, 3c; 21:8, 12; 30:7; 46:6; 49:13; 78:44; 93:1; 96:10; 104:5, 9a, 9b; 119:121; 140:11, 12; 141:4; with qatal: Pss 10:11; 21:3; 58:9; 147:20. n6->n14n7בַּל in nominal clauses"but his heart is not with you (וְלִבּוֹ בַּל־עִמָּךְ)" (Prov 23:7, ESV; cf. Prov 24:13).n15בַּל with nominal clausesבַּל has a variety of functions, including a negator of nominal clauses: "1.1. Equivalent to אַל; followed by yiqtol. 1.2. Equivalent to לֹא; followed by yiqtol. 1.3. 'Non esse'; in nominal sentences (rare)" (Tromp 1981, 287 🄰).n7->n15n8Ugaritic bl"here was neither dew nor drizzle, nor flow (?) of the two oceans, nor sweetness of DN's voice" = bl ṭl bl rbb šrʕ thmt bl ṭbn ql bʕl  (cited in Hoftijzer and Jongeling 1995, 218 🄻).n16Ugaritic blIn Ugaritic, where bl  (= בַּל) has a similar function as it does in Hebrew, bl  can function as an existential negator.n8->n16n9->n0n10->n0n11->n0n12->n0n13in vs blThis passage uses the negator in  (cf. Hebrew אֵין), not the negator bl  (cf. Hebrew בַּל). n13->n4n14->n0n15->n14n16->n14n17Phoenician blIn Phoenician, bl  (= בַּל) is the normal negative particle (similar to לֹא in Hebrew), and it also functions "as a negation of existence" (similar to אֵין in Hebrew) (Krahmalkov 2001, 277 🄶).n17->n14


Conclusion (A, B)

In conclusion, we interpret the text to say: "I say to YHWH, 'You are my Lord, my good; there is no one above you'" (cf. NJPS, NBS, NVS78P, DHH94I). This interpretation reflects the following two conclusions:

  1. The verb אמרת should be vocalized as a (defective) first-person singular verb: "I say." This interpretation makes the most sense in the context, and it is supported by most of the ancient versions. The defective spelling might be due to northern/Phoenician influence on the psalm. We give this first conclusion an A rating.
  2. The phrase "my good" (טוֹבָתִי) is in apposition to the phrase "my Lord" (אֲדֹנָי) in the preceding line.[4] This interpretation is more satisfying than the traditional interpretation, "I have no good apart from you." It rests on a better-attested sense of the preposition עַל, it has a clear syntactic parallel elsewhere (Ps 92:16), and it fits better in the context of the psalm (see esp. v. 5: "YHWH is my portion and my cup" // v. 2b: "You are... my good"). We give this second conclusion a B rating.


On the relation of this issue to the following verses, see the other exegetical issues The Text and Grammar of Ps 16:3 and The Text and Grammar of Ps 16:4.

Research

Translations

Ancient

  • LXX: 2 εἶπα τῷ κυρίῳ Κύριός μου εἶ σύ, ὅτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις.[5]
    • "I said to the Lord, 'My Lord you are, because you have no need of my goods."[6]
  • Symmachus: ... ἀγαθόν μοι οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνευ σου[7]
  • Aquila: ... ἁγαθοσύνη μου οὐ μὴ ἐπὶ σέ[8]
  • Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): dicens Deo Dominus meus es tu / bene mihi non est sine te[9]
    • "saying to God, 'You are my Lord. It does not go well for me without you."
  • Peshitta: ܘܐܡܪܬ ܠܡܪܝܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܐܢܬ܂ ܘܛܒܬܝ ܡܢ ܠܘܬܟ ܗܝ܂[10]
    • "I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; my prosperity is from you.'"[11]
  • Targum: מלילת אנת נפשי קדם ייי אלהי אנת ברם טיבתי לא מתיהיבא בר מינך׃[12]
    • "You have spoken, O my soul, before the LORD, 'You are my God; truly my good is not granted except by you.'"[13]

Modern

"You say"

  • O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; (KJV)
  • Alma mía, dijiste a Jehová: «Tú eres mi Señor; no hay para mí bien fuera de ti.»

"I say"

טוֹבָתִי as subject
עָלֶיךָ as "besides you"/"apart from you"
  • I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” (ESV)
  • I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” (NIV)
  • I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord. Apart from you, I have nothing good.” (CEB)
  • I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”[14] (NRSVUE)
  • I said to the Lord, “You[15] are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.”[16] (CSB)
  • Ich habe gesagt zu dem HERRN: Du bist ja der Herr! Ich weiß von keinem Gut außer dir. (LUT)
  • Ich habe zum HERRN gesagt:[17] »Du bist mein Herr; es gibt kein Glück für mich außer dir.«
  • Yo le he dicho al Señor: «Mi Señor eres tú. Fuera de ti, no poseo bien alguno». (NVI)
  • Dije a YHVH: Tú eres mi Señor, No hay para mí bien fuera de Ti. (BTX4)

The following translations reflect the same interpretation as the preceding translations, but they reframe the sentence as a positive statement rather than a negative statement.

  • I said to the LORD, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.” (NLT)
  • and I have said, “Only you are my Lord! Every good thing I have is a gift from you.” (CEV)
  • I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; all the good things I have come from you.” (GNT)
  • I have said to the LORD, 'You are my Lord; from you alone comes the good I enjoy.[18] (REB)
  • Ich sage zu dir:[19] »Du bist mein Herr. Mein Glück finde ich allein bei dir!« (GNB)
  • Ich spreche zum HERRN: Du bist Herr, mein Glück ist nur bei dir. (ZÜR)
  • Ich sagte zum HERRN: Mein Herr bist du, mein ganzes Glück bist du allein. (EÜ)
  • Ich bekenne: Du bist mein Herr und mein ganzes Glück! (HFA)
  • Ich sage[20] zum HERRN: »Du bist mein Herr. Nur bei dir finde ich mein ganzes Glück!«[21]
  • Je dis à l’Eternel : ╵« Toi, tu es mon Seigneur, et mon bonheur est en toi seul. » (BDS)
עָלֶיךָ as "above you"
  • Je dis au Seigneur : « C'est toi le Seigneur ! Je n'ai pas de plus grand bonheur que toi ! »[22] (TOB)
  • Je dis au Seigneur : « Tu es mon maître souverain ; je n'ai pas de bonheur plus grand que toi ! »[23] (NFC)

The following translations appear to reflect the "above you" interpretation, but they reframe the sentence as a positive statement rather than a negative one.

  • Je dis à l'Eternel: «Tu es mon Seigneur, tu es mon bien suprême.» (S21)
  • Je dis au Seigneur : « Tu es mon plus grand bonheur. » (PDV2017)
טוֹבָתִי in apposition to predicate complement
  • I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord, my benefactor; there is none above You.”[24] (NJPS)
  • Je dis au Seigneur : Tu es le Seigneur, tu es mon bien, il n'y a rien au-dessus de toi ![25] (NBS)
  • Je dis[26] à l'Éternel : Tu es mon Seigneur, Mon Bien, il n'y a rien au-dessus de toi ![27] (NVS78P)
  • Yo te he dicho: «Tú eres mi Señor, mi bien; nada es comparable a ti.» (DHH94I)
Emendations
  • (v. 2) I have said to the Lord, 'Thou, Lord, art my felicity.' (v. 3) The gods whom earth holds sacred are all worthless, and cursed are all who make them their delight;[28] (NEB)[29]
  • (v. 2) To Yahweh I say, 'You are my Lord, my happiness is in none (v. 3) of the sacred spirits of the earth.' They only take advantage of all who love them.[30] (NJB)

Secondary Literature

Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
Barthélemy, Dominique, Norbert Lohfink, Alexander R. Hulst, William D. McHardy, H. Peter Rüger, and James A. Sanders. 2005. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament 4: Psaumes. Edited by Stephen Desmond Ryan and Adrian Schenker. Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis, 50,4. Academic Press.
Bratcher, Robert G., and William D. Reyburn. 1991. A Handbook on Psalms. UBS Handbook Series. United Bible Societies.
Calvin, John. 1847. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Translated by James Anderson. Vol. 1. Calvin Translation Society.
Chia, Philip S. 2024. “Another Proposal to the Unknown Female Identity of אמרת in Psalm 16:2.” Verbum et Ecclesia 45 (1), pp. 1–4.
Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1–50. WBC 19. Word.
Dahood, Mitchell. 1965. Psalms. Vol. 1. Anchor Bible Commentary. Doubleday.
Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms: Psalms 1–41. Vol. 1. BCOT. Baker Academic.
Hoftijzer, Jacob, and Karel Jongeling. 1995. Dictionary of the North-West Semitic Inscriptions. Handbuch der Orientalistik Abt. 1, Der Nahe und Mittlere Osten, 21. Brill.
Ibn Ezra. Ibn Ezra on Psalms.
Krahmalkov, Charles R. 2001. A Phoenician-Punic Grammar. Handbook of Oriental Studies 54. Brill.
Mena, Andrea K. 2012. “The Semantic Potential of עַל in Genesis, Psalms, and Chronicles.” MA Thesis, Stellenbosch University.
van Peursen, W.T. 2018. “Patterns and Pleasure: Participants in Psalm 16.” In Reading and Listening. Meeting One God in Many Texts: Festschrift for Eric Peels on the Occasion of His 25th Jubilee as Professor of Old Testament Studies, pp. 179–187. Amsterdamse Cahiers Voor Exegese van de Bijbel En Zijn Tradities, Supplement Series 16.
Radak. Radak on Psalms.
Rashi. 2007. Rashi’s Commentary on Psalms. Translated by Mayer Irwin Gruber. Brill Reference Library of Judaism 18. The Jewish Publication Society.
Rendsburg, Gary. 2003. “A Comprehensive Guide to Israelian Hebrew: Grammar and Lexicon.” Orient 38: 5–35.
Spieckermann, Hermann. 2023. Psalmen. 1: Psalm 1 - 49. Das Alte Testament Deutsch, 14,1. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
Tromp, N.J. 1981. “The Hebrew Particle בַּל.” In Remembering All the Way...: A Collection of Old Testament Studies Published on the Occasion of the Fortieth Anniversary of the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap in Nederland, edited by Bertil Albrektson and Ornan Rotem, pp. 277–287. Brill.

References

Choose a PsalmNavigate Psalm 19

16:2

  1. ↑ Text from OSHB.
  2. ↑ Not all of the options are discussed here, but only the two options represented in the modern translation consulted. One option is to emend the text. BHS, for example, proposes the emendation בל בִּלָעָדֶיךָ based on the readings of Symmachus, Jerome, and the Targum. But these translations are probably not reading a different text. Instead, they are more likely following an exegetical tradition based on the Masoretic Text (so Barthélemy et al. 2005, 62–68; Spieckermann 2023, 209). Another option is to interpret בַּל as an affirmative particle ("yes, indeed") instead of a negative adverb (see, e.g., Craigie 1983, 153–155).
  3. ↑ There are several other ways to interpret the meaning of the prepositional phrase עַל. Rashi claimed, for example, that it means "'my good is not incumbent upon You,' i.e., the favors, which You do for me are not incumbent upon You to reward me, for it is not because of my virtue that You favor me" (2007, 226). Calvin, by contrast, thinks the clause is about God's self-sufficiency: "Our goodness extendeth not to him, not only because, having in himself alone an all-sufficiency, he stands in need of nothing." So LXX: "you have no need of my goods (τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις)" (trans. NETS). It is also possible, under this interpretation of the syntax, that the עַל preposition indicates superiority: "my good is not greater than you," i.e., "you are my highest good" (see e.g., several of the French translations: S21, TOB, NFC, PDV 2017; cf. Baethgen 1904, 41).
  4. ↑ Alternatively, טוֹבָתִי could be the predicate complement of a new clause, with an implied "you" as the subject. In the end, the resultant meaning is the same.
  5. ↑ Rahlfs 1931.
  6. ↑ NETS.
  7. ↑ Göttingen Hexapla Database. See Syro-Hexapla: Screenshot 2025-08-21 at 10.03.32 AM.png
  8. ↑ Göttingen Hexapla Database.
  9. ↑ Weber-Gryson 5th edition.
  10. ↑ Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon. Variant: ܐܚܪ̈ܢܐ instead of ܐܚܪ̈ܝܐ (see CAL).
  11. ↑ Taylor 2020, 45.
  12. ↑ Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon.
  13. ↑ Stec 2004, 46.
  14. ↑ Translation footnote: Jerome Tg: Meaning of Heb uncertain.
  15. ↑ Translation footnote: Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Jer; other Hb mss read You.
  16. ↑ Translation footnote: Or “Lord, my good; there is none besides you.”
  17. ↑ Translation footnote: so mit anderen Handschr. und Üs.; Mas. T.: Du hast gesagt ⟨, meine Seele⟩.
  18. ↑ In this translation, the quotation that begins in v. 2 does not close until the end of v. 6.
  19. ↑ Translation footnote: "Ich sage (zu dir):" mit zahlreichen Handschriften und mit alten Übersetzungen; H "Du sagst (zum HERRN)."
  20. ↑ Translation footnote: So lautet der Text in vielen hebräischen Handschriften und in der Septuaginta. Der Masoretische Text lautet: "Du sagst". Mit "du" ist wohl die eigene Seele gemeint.
  21. ↑ Translation footnote: Oder: "Außer dir gibt es für mich kein wahres Gut".
  22. ↑ Translation footnote: Avec gr., Jérôme et quelques mss hêbr.; mais le texte hebr. reçu et aram. ont la 2e personne du féminin singulier tu, qui désigne soit l'âme, soit Israël. — Gr. : tu n'as pas besoin de mes biens.
  23. ↑ Je dis: d'après un certain nombre de manuscrits hébreux, soutenus par les anciennes versions grecque et syriaque; texte hébreu traditionnel Tu dis.
  24. ↑ Translation footnote: Others “I have no good but in You.”
  25. ↑ Translation footnote: 16.2 Je dis : cf. 31.15 ; 140.7 ; la plupart des mss hébreux portent tu dis (au féminin, se rapportant à l’ être ou à l’ âme du psalmiste ? Cf. Gn 1.20n). – Tu es le Seigneur : autre traduction tu es mon Seigneur. – tu es mon bien… : traduction incertaine ; quelques-uns modifient le texte hébreu traditionnel, passablement obscur, pour lire tout mon bonheur dépend de toi ou mon bonheur n'est rien sans toi ; LXX tu n'as pas besoin de mes biens.
  26. ↑ Translation footnote: Je dis. Beaucoup de manuscrits ont : Tu dis... (au féminin).
  27. ↑ Translation footnote: toi. Traduction difficile. Certains lisent : mon bien n'est pas en dehors de toi, ou : mon bien n'est rien sans toi, ce qui exige une légère modification du texte.
  28. ↑ Translation footnote: prob. rdg.; Heb. obscure.
  29. ↑ For the underlying Hebrew text, see Brockington 1973, 123: בְּלִיַּעַל כָּל-קְדוֹשִׁים … אֹרֲרוּ כָל-חֲפֵצֵי.
  30. ↑ Translation footnote: "The very obscure text of vv. 2–3 is translated conjecturally with some vowel changes. The Hebr. reads literally: 'My Lord, you are my happiness, none above you. To the holy ones, those who are in the earth, these and those who take advantage(?), all my pleasure is in them.' These vv. could be addressed to those who claimed to combine the worship of God with that of local deities; this syncretism was Israel's great and persistent temptation, see Is 57:6; 65:5; 66:3seq.