The Text and Grammar of Ps 16:3

Introduction

The Hebrew text of Psalm 16:3, according to the Masoretic Text, reads as follows:

לִ֭קְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֣רֶץ הֵ֑מָּה

וְ֝אַדִּירֵ֗י כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָֽם׃

This verse is one of the most difficult verses in the entire Psalter. Modern translators have described it as "uncertain" (CEB, NJPS, NET), "obscure" (NEB, cf. TOB, NFC), "very obscure" (NJB, cf. DHH94I), and "difficult" (cf. GNB, NBS). It is no surprise, then, that, as one translation explains, "This sentence... has given rise to several different translations" (NVS78P). The following modern translations provide only a small sampling of the range of possibilities:

• (v. 3) I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” (NIV)
• (v. 3) As for God’s chosen people who are in the land, and the leading officials I admired so much – (v. 4) their troubles multiply; they desire other gods (NET)
• (v. 3) As to the holy and mighty ones that are in the land, my whole desire concerning them is that (v. 4) those who espouse another [god] may have many sorrows! (NJPS)
• (v. 3) The gods whom earth holds sacred are all worthless, and cursed are all who make them their delight (NEB)

The first three translations above (NIV, NET, NJPS) are attempts to interpret the Masoretic Text. The fourth translation above (NEB) reflects an emendation of the Masoretic Text. Interpretations of the Masoretic Text differ at numerous points, but two points are especially determinative:

1. The syntactic function of the lamed preposition on לִקְדוֹשִׁים
   1. Option 1: modifying "I say" (indirect object, addressee) (so NIV)
   2. Option 2: introducing a left-dislocated constituent (specification) ("as for the holy ones..." cf. NET, NJPS)
   3. Option 3: introducing the predicate complement of a verbless clause: "they are on the side of the holy ones" (see below)
   4. Option 4: emend the text to בְּלִיַּעַל כָּל-קְדוֹשִׁים – "all the holy ones are worthless" (see NEB)
2. The identity of the "holy ones" (קְדוֹשִׁים)
   1. Option 1: Holy people in whom the psalmist delights (see NIV)
   2. Option 2: Other gods (see NJPS and NEB)

Argument Maps

The Syntactic Function of the Lamed Preposition on לִקְדוֹשִׁים

One of the main points of disagreement in this verse is the interpretation of the lamed preposition on לִקְדוֹשִׁים.

Introducing a left-dislocated constituent

Most of the modern European translations consulted translate the phrase לִקְדוֹשִׁים as a left-dislocated constituent, which is resumed as the subject in the following clause. The ESV, for example, says, "As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight" (ESV).

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Introducing a left-disclocated constituent]: The preposition (לְ) introduces "the holy ones" as a left-dislocated constituent: "As for the holy ones..." (Waltke 2010, 321 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Usage (לְ)>: "Sometimes a substantive introduced by לְ ... serves the same purpose as the *casus pendens* \[left dislocation\] beginning the sentence" (GKC §143e :G:).#dispreferred
  + [Usage (לְ)]: "As for all the holy offerings of the Israelites (לְכָל־קָדְשֵׁי בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל), I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute" (Num 18:8, CSB); "for a living dog (לְכֶלֶב חַי) is better (הוּא טוֹב) than a dead lion" (Eccl 9:4, ESV); "and princes (וּלְשָׂרִים) will rule in justice" (Isa 32:1, ESV) (cited in GKC §143e :G:; see also 1 Sam 9:20).#dispreferred
   <_ <Eccl 9:4>: In Eccl 9:4, the preposition (לְ) marks the beneficiary, and the subject of the clause is impersonal (הוּא): "It is better for a living dog (לְכֶלֶב חַי) than for a dead lion" (Jenni 2000, 107 :M:). 
    - <Impersonal constructions>: The pronoun הוּא is never used in impersonal constructions. For this interpretation, one would expect simply טוֹב לְ (cf. Exod 14:12; 1 Sam 16:23; Job 10:3) (see also LXX: κύων ὁ ζῶν, αὐτὸς ἀγαθὸς \[Eccl 9:4\]).#dispreferred
   <_ <Num 18:8>: The usage in Num 18:8 represents a distinct usage of the phrase לְכָל, specifying the extent to which some statement applies (cf. Jenni 2000, 46 :M:).
   <_ <Isa 32:1>: In Isa 32:1, "וְשָׂרִים should probably be read" (GKC §143d :G:; cf. Jenni 2000, 34 :M:)
    - [1QIsa-a]: The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a) reads ולשרים.#dispreferred
 - <Syntactically problematic>: This interpretation of the phrase (לִקְדוֹשִׁים) makes it impossible to explain the syntax of the verse as a whole. Specifically, the second half of the verse cannot fit with this interpretation (cf. Peels 2000, 243 :A:).
  - <Interpretation 1>: The verse can be interpreted as follows: "As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight" (ESV; cf. NRSVUE).#dispreferred
   - <Waw conjunction>: This interpretation does not account for the *waw* conjunction on וְאַדִּירֵי: "and the excellent ones" (Peels 2000, 243 :A:).
    <_ <Emendation (waw)>: The *waw* before וְאַדִּירֵי should either be deleted (Driver 1915, 189–91 :C:; Behler 1940 :A:; Mannati 1972 :A:; Lindblom 1974, 191 :A:; Craigie 1983, 153 :C:) or transposed to the beginning of the verse, before לִקְדוֹשִׁים (Delitzsch 1996, 137–138 :C:).#dispreferred
  - <Interpretation 2>: The verse can be interpreted as follows: "As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them" (CSB; cf. NASB).#dispreferred
   - <Waw conjunction>
   - <Construct chain>: This interpretation does not account for the fact that וְאַדִּירֵי is in construct with כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם (Peels 2000, 243 :A:; cf. GKC §130d :G:).
  - <Interpretation 3>: The verse can be interpreted as follows: "To the saints who are on earth, ⟨in⟩ them and in the glorious ones, ⟨I have⟩ all my delight" (cf. ELB). #dispreferred
   - <Construct chain>
  - <Interpretation 4>: The verse can be interpreted as follows: "As for God’s chosen people who are in the land, and the leading officials I admired so much - (v. 4) their troubles multiply..." (NET, cf. CEB)#dispreferred
   - <Past tense construct>: This interpretation requires that the clause כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם refer to the past, which would be unusual: "in whom *was* all my delight" (cf. NET, CEB).
    <_ <v. 4b>: "The commitment that will be made in v. 4b removes any ambiguity about the temporal character of חפצי בם" (Barthélemy et al. 2005, 68 :C:, own translation).#dispreferred
    - <Connecting Yod>: The yod in כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם is not a 1cs suffix, but a connecting *yod* (the so-called *yod compaginis*): "the mighty ones, in whom is all that is desirable" (cf. Peels 2000, 248 :A:; see GKC §90l :G:; JM §93m :G:; IBHS §8.2e :G:). #dispreferred
     + [Connecting Yod]: E.g., "colt of a donkey" (בְּנִי אֲתֹנוֹ) (Gen 49:11). #dispreferred
    - <Present tense>: The clause כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם could be interpreted as present – "all my delight *is* in them – if it represents what *other* people say about the "majestic ones." "They are idols which are called, so to speak, חפציבם (cf. 2 Kgs 21:\[1\] and Isa 62:4): the »favorite idols« of the country. In translation: »the mighty ones, of whom people say: all my delight is in them«" (Peels 2000, 247–248 :A:; cf. Ḥakham 1979, 68 :C:; Ridderbos 1972, 157 :C:).#dispreferred
   - <Retrospective subject pronoun>: This interpretation requires analyzing הֵמָּה as a retrospective subject pronoun within the relative clause ("who \[they\] are in the land"), but in this kind of construction, i.e., with a prepositional phrase, "the pronoun is usually omitted: 1 Kgs 16.22... except when there is a negation: Gn 17:12... Dt 17.15; 20.15" (JM §158g :G:).
    + [E.g., 1 Kgs 16:22]: E.g., הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אַחֲרֵי עָמְרִי (I Kgs 16:22).
    <_ <Copula>: The pronoun functions as a copula within the relative clause, as in Aramaic (Baethgen 1904, 41 :C:).#dispreferred

Modifying "I say"

One of the modern translations consulted (NIV) interprets the phrase לִקְדוֹשִׁים as modifying the verb "I say" (cf. v. 2): "I say of the holy people who are in the land, 'They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight'" (NIV). A significant number of commentators have adopted this position as well.

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Modifying "I say"]: The preposition (לְ) introduces "the holy ones" as the second indirect object of the verb "I say" (אָמַרְתִּ): "\[I say\] of/about the holy ones..." (Jenni 2000, Rubrik 6912 :M:; Peels 2000, 245 :A:; Barthélemy et al. 2005, 67 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Parallel to ליהוה ('to the Lord')>: "לקדושׁים 'to the holy ones' is parallel to ליהוה 'to the Lord,' and therefore implies the preceding verb of speech" (Craigie 1983, 155 :C:; Böhler 2021, 267 :C:).#dispreferred
  + [vv. 2–3]: "I say (אָמַרְתִּ) to the Lord (לַיהוָה)... of/about the holy ones..." (לִקְדֹושִׁים).#dispreferred
  <_ <Different senses of lamed>: The meaning of the *lamed* in each case would be different: "I say *to* the Lord" (addressee) vs "\[I say\] *about* the holy ones..." (topic). "There are no examples where the verb אמר governs both a complement with *Lamad* indicating the addressee and a second complement with *Lamad* designating the topic" (van Peursen 2018, 182 :A:).
 + <Usage>: The preposition לְ frequently indicates the topic of speech: "I say *about* X..." (see Jenni 2000, Rubrik 69 :M:).#dispreferred
  + [Usage]: "Everywhere we go, say of me (אִמְרִי־לִי), 'He is my brother'" (Gen 20:13, NIV; cf. Pss 3:3; 41:6; 71:10; see Jenni 2000, Rubrik 69 :M: for many more examples).#dispreferred
 - <Normally waw conjoined>: When the verb "say" (אמר) has multiple indirect objects, they are usually *waw* conjoined (see van Peursen 2018, 183 :A:).
  + [Normally waw conjoined]: E.g., Isa 30:10; 45:10; Jer 2:27; Hos 2:3; 10:8 (from van Peursen 2018, 183 :A:).
  <_ <Hab 2:19>: There is an exception in Hab 2:19 (cf. van Peursen 2018, 183 :A:).#dispreferred
   + [Hab 2:19]: "Woe to him who says (אֹמֵר) to a wooden thing (לָעֵץ), Awake; to a silent stone (לְאֶבֶן), Arise!" (Hab 2:19, ESV).#dispreferred
 - <Syntactically problematic>: This interpretation of the phrase (לִקְדוֹשִׁים) makes it impossible to explain the syntax of the verse as a whole.
  - <Interpretation 5>: The verse can be interpreted as follows: "I say of the holy people who are in the land, 'They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight'" (NIV).#dispreferred
   - <Waw conjunction>: This interpretation does not account for the *waw* conjunction on וְאַדִּירֵי: "and the noble ones" (Peels 2000, 243 :A:).
    <_ <Emendation (waw)>: The *waw* before וְאַדִּירֵי should either be deleted (Driver 1915, 189–91 :C:; Behler 1940 :A:; Mannati 1972 :A:; Lindblom 1974, 191 :A:; Craigie 1983, 153 :C:) or transposed to the beginning of the verse, before לִקְדוֹשִׁים (Delitzsch 1996, 137–138 :C:).#dispreferred
  - <Interpretation 6>: The verse can be interpreted as follows: "(2) I said... (3) about the holy ones who are in the land, the mighty ones with whom I was so infatuated: (4) 'May the punishment of those who acquire a foreign god with gifts be multiplied; I will no longer pour out their blood libations...'" (Barthélemy et al. 2005, 71 :C:, own translation). #dispreferred
   - <Past tense construct>: This interpretation requires that the clause כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם refer to the past, which would be unusual: "in whom *was* all my delight" (cf. NET, CEB).
    <_ <v. 4b>: "The commitment that will be made in v. 4b removes any ambiguity about the temporal character of חפצי בם" (Barthélemy et al. 2005, 68 :C:, own translation).#dispreferred
    - <Connecting Yod>: The yod in כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם is not a 1cs suffix, but a connecting *yod* (the so-called *yod compaginis*): "the mighty ones, in whom is all that is desirable" (cf. Peels 2000, 248 :A:; see GKC §90l :G:; JM §93m :G:; IBHS §8.2e :G:). #dispreferred
     + [Connecting Yod]: E.g., "colt of a donkey" (בְּנִי אֲתֹנוֹ) (Gen 49:11). #dispreferred
    - <Present tense>: The clause כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם could be interpreted as present – "all my delight *is* in them – if it represents what *other* people say about the "majestic ones." "They are idols which are called, so to speak, חפציבם (cf. 2 Kgs 21:\[1\] and Isa 62:4): the »favorite idols« of the country. In translation: »the mighty ones, of whom people say: all my delight is in them«" (Peels 2000, 247–248 :A:; cf. Ḥakham 1979, 68 :C:; Ridderbos 1972, 157 :C:).#dispreferred
   - <Retrospective subject pronoun>: This interpretation requires analyzing הֵמָּה as a retrospective subject pronoun within the relative clause ("who \[they\] are in the land"), but in this kind of construction, i.e., with a prepositional phrase, "the pronoun is usually omitted: 1 Kgs 16.22... except when there is a negation: Gn 17:12... Dt 17.15; 20.15" (JM §158g :G:).
    + [E.g., 1 Kgs 16:22]: E.g., הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אַחֲרֵי עָמְרִי (I Kgs 16:22).
    - <Copula>: The pronoun functions as a copula in the relative clause, as in Aramaic (Baethgen 1904, 41 :C:; see e.g., Ezra 5:11 — אֲנַחְנָא הִמּוֹ עַבְדוֹהִי).#dispreferred
    <_ <Interpretation 6 modified>: It would be possible to adopt a variation of this interpretation, in which the pronoun הֵמָּה is not part of the relative clause, but is in apposition to "the holy ones" (cf. Exod 35:4): "(2) I said... (3) about the holy ones who are in the land – they and the mighty ones with whom I was so infatuated – (4) 'May the punishment of those who acquire a foreign god with gifts be multiplied; I will no longer pour out their blood libations...'" #dispreferred
     - <Accents>: This view does not follow the Masoretic accentuation, which has a strong disjunctive accent on הֵ֑מָּה (*atnach*).
   - <Long quotative frame>: According to this view, all of v. 3 is a quotative frame ("to the holy ones who are in the land, and \[to\] the glorious ones in whom was all my delight"), and the actual speech does not begin until v. 4. This would be an exceptionally long quotative frame

Predicate complement (preferred)

It is also possible to interpret the phrase לִקְדוֹשִׁים as the predicate complement of a verbless clause, with the pronoun "they" (הֵמָּה) as the subject: "They are for the holy ones who are in the land, and the mighty ones in whom is all delight."

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Predicate complement]: The preposition (לְ) introduces "the holy ones" as the predicate complement of the clause: "they are for \[= on the side of\] the holy ones who are in the land."
 + <Usage>: The preposition lamed often introduces a predicate complement, and it can mean "belonging to the side of" something/someone or "being a proponent of" something/someone.
  + [Usage]: "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, 'Who is on the LORD’s side (מִי לַיהוָה)? Come to me'" (Exod 32:26, ESV); "Joshua went up to him and asked, 'Are you for us or for our enemies (הֲלָנוּ אַתָּה אִם־לְצָרֵינוּ)?'" (Josh 5:13, NIV); "I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war (הֵמָּה לַמִּלְחָמָה)!" (Ps 120:7, ESV).
 + <Context>: This interpretation makes sense in the context. In the previous verse (v. 2), the psalmist commits to serving and trusting in YHWH alone, and in the following verse (v. 4), he renounces other gods and describes the activity of those who worship them. It makes sense that, in between these two verses, he would introduce other gods and those who are committed to them.
  + [v. 2]: "I say to YHWH, 'You are my Lord, my good; there is no one above you" (v. 2).
  + [v. 4]: "Their idols increase; they have acquired another. I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood; I will not take up their names on my lips" (v. 4).
 + <Syntactically viable>: This interpretation is syntactically viable. It avoids the syntactic issues involved in the previous interpretations and allows us to make sense of the whole verse without emendation.
  + <Interpretation 7>: The verse can be understood as follows: "They are on the side of the holy ones who are in the land; that is, \[they=\] the mighty ones in whom is all delight."
   - <No antecedent>: According to this interpretation, the pronoun "they" (הֵמָּה) has no antecedent. #dispreferred
    <_ <Cataphoric>: The pronoun is cataphoric, pointing forward to the phrase "mighty ones in whom is all delight" (אַדִּירֵי כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם) in the next line.
     + <Cataphoric pronouns in biblical Hebrew>: In biblical Hebrew, cataphoric pronouns are sometimes used to introduce a new topic into the discourse or to mark a contrast (see Garr 2022, §3.2; §5.2.1; §5.2.6 :A:).
      + [Cataphoric]: "His deliberate sins capture him, the wicked one (עַווֹנוֹתָיו יִלְכְּדֻנוֹ אֶת־הָרָשָׁע); and he will be held by the ropes of his sin" (Prov 5:22, translation by Garr 2022, 10 :A:); "He (lit. his life) loathes it, bread (וְזִֽהֲמַתּוּ חַיָּתוֹ לָחֶם); his throat, desirable food" (Job 33:20, translation by Garr 2022, 10 :A:; cf. 2 Kgs 19:13; Esther 3:8; Eccl 4:10, 12; Job 29:3).
      <_ <Waw>: In cataphoric constructions, the pronoun and noun phrase are usually linked as though in apposition, without any waw conjunction. Thus, if the pronoun (הֵמָּה) were cataphoric, pointing forward to the phrase "mighty ones...", then we would not expect a waw before "mighty ones" (וְאַדִּירֵי).#dispreferred
       <_ <Explanatory waw>: The *waw* is "explanatory" (see GKC §154a, footnote b :G:).
        + [Explanatory waw]: "and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions (וּמֵחֶלְבֵהֶן)" (Gen 4:4, ESV); "The LORD said to Moses, 'Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment (וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה), which I have written for their instruction'" (Exod 24:12, ESV); "for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints (אֶל־עַמּוֹ וְאֶל־חֲסִידָיו)" (Ps 85:9, ESV); "But now listen, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל), whom I have chosen" (Isa 44:1, NASB95).
       <_ <Emendation (waw)>: The *waw* before וְאַדִּירֵי should either be deleted (Driver 1915, 189–91 :C:; Behler 1940 :A:; Mannati 1972 :A:; Lindblom 1974, 191 :A:; Craigie 1983, 153 :C:) or transposed to the beginning of the verse, before לִקְדוֹשִׁים (Delitzsch 1996, 137–138 :C:).
      <_ <Independent subject pronoun>: There is no clear example of an *independent subject* pronoun functioning cataphorically. Cataphoric pronouns are usually suffix pronouns (see examples in Garr 2022 :A:). #dispreferred
   - <Word order>: In a verbless clause with a pronoun as the subject, we would typically expect the subject to precede the predicate complement – הֵמָּה לִקְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָרֶץ – especially when it coincides with a topic shift, as it does here. #dispreferred
    <_ <Contrast>: The predicate לִקְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָרֶץ is fronted to mark a strong contrast with the previous verse. "They are (not on the side of YHWH, who is in heaven, but are) on the side of the holy ones who are on the earth (below)."
    <_ <Poetic pattern>: The word order creates a poetic pattern (AB/A'B'). The nominal adjective קְדוֹשִׁים in the a-line corresponds poetically to the nominal adjective וְאַדִּירֵי in the b-line, and the 3mp suffix at the end of the a-line (הֵמָּה) corresponds to the 3mp suffix at the end of the b-line (בָם).

Emendation: בְּלִיַּעַל כָּל קְדוֹשִׁים

Some scholars propose emending the text to read בְּלִיַּעַל כָּל קְדוֹשִׁים ("all of the holy ones are worthless") instead of בַּל־עָלֶיךָ׃ לִקְדוֹשִׁים ("there is no one above you; to the holy ones..."). This emendation is reflected in the NEB: "The gods whom earth holds sacred are all worthless..." According to this emendation, there is no lamed preposition on קְדוֹשִׁים. Instead, the lamed is part of the word כָּל ("all").

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[בְּלִיַּעַל כָּל קְדוֹשִׁים]: The text should be emended to read בְּלִיַּעַל כָּל קְדוֹשִׁים, "all of the holy ones are worthless" (Wellhausen 1895 :M:; Gunkel 1926 :C:; Mowinckel 1957 :A:; Brockington 1973 :M:).#dispreferred
 - <No textual support>: This reading is not supported by any extant witness.
  <_ <Same consonants>: If matres lectiones are excluded, then this reading involves the same consonants as the traditional Hebrew reading: בלעלכלקדשם. It is easy to see, therefore, how בְּלִיַּעַל כָּל קְדוֹשִׁים could have been misread as בַּל עָלֶיךָ לְקְדוֹשִׁים.#dispreferred
   <_ <Requires further emendation>: This particular emendation might involve minimal change, and it might make sense of v. 3a in isolation, but it does not solve the most serious problems in the verse. Therefore, in order for it to work, it requires further, potentially more drastic emendations for the rest of the verse.
    _> <Makes sense>
    + [Further emendation]: E.g., NEB: וְאֹרֲירוּ כָל-חֲפֵצֵי-בָם; Wellhausen 1895: וְאַדִּירִים כֻּלָּם חָפְצוּ בָם; Gunkel 1926: וְאַדִּירִים בַּל חֶפְצִי בָם; Mowinckel 1957: וְאַדִּירֵי בַשָּׁמַיִם בַּל חֶפְצִי בָם.
 - <Syntax of בְּלִיַּעַל>: In the Old Testament, the noun בְּלִיַּעַל ("worthlessness") is never used as a predicate complement. Rather, it is almost always used as the absolute noun in construct phrases, and most of these phrases appear to be fixed expressions (e.g., בֶּן בְּלִיַּעַל and אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל).
  + [Use of בְּלִיַּעַל]: E.g., בְּנֵי־בְלִיַּעַל (Deut 13:14; Judg 19:22; 20:13; 1 Sam 10:27; 1 Kgs 21:10, 13; 2 Chr 13:7); בֶּן־בְּלִיַּעַל (I Sam 25:17); בַּת־בְּלִיָּעַל (I Sam 1:16); אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל (II Sam 20:1; Prov 16:27); אִישׁ הַבְּלִיַּעַל (I Sam 25:25; 2 Sam 16:7; cf. 1 Sam 30:22; 1 Kgs 21:13); other construct relationships: 2 Sam 22:5; Nah 1:11; Pss 18:5; 41:9; 101:3; Prov 19:28; cf. Deut 15:9. (Elsewhere, the word appears to mean "a worthless one," e.g., 2 Sam 23:6; Nah 2:1; Prov 6:12; Job 34:18.)
  <_ <1QH 15.3>: In 1QHodayot-a column XV, line 3, the word בליעל is used as a predicate complement (DCH :L:). #dispreferred
   + [1QH 15.3]: כי בליעל עם הופע יצר; "for it is worthlessness" (DCH :L:). #dispreferred
    <_ <Proper noun, subject>: In this passage, בליעל is probably a proper noun that functions as the subject: "for Belial is present..." (García-Martínez and Tigchelaar 1997, 177 :M:).
 - <Semantics of בְּלִיַּעַל>: In the Old Testament, the noun בְּלִיַּעַל ("worthlessness") is never elsewhere used to describe divine beings or idols.
  + [Use of בְּלִיַּעַל]
 + <Makes sense>: This emendation results in a text that make sense: "all of the holy ones (i.e., other gods) are worthless" (lit.: "are worthlessness"). It makes sense that the psalmist, after declaring YHWH to be his "Lord" and his "good" (v. 2), would renounce all other gods as "worthless."#dispreferred

The Identity of the "Holy Ones" (קְדוֹשִׁים)

Another issue has to do with the identity of the "holy ones" (קְדוֹשִׁים) in this verse. Does this term refer to people or divine beings?

Godly people

According to some scholars, the "holy ones" (קְדוֹשִׁים) in v. 3 are godly people. The GNT, for example, says, "How excellent are the LORD's faithful people! My greatest pleasure is to be with them."

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Godly people]: The word "holy ones" (קְדֹשִׁים) refers to YHWH's holy people (Waltke 2010, 329 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Usage>: The word קְדֹשִׁים is used elsewhere to refer to YHWH's holy people. #dispreferred
  + [Usage]: "Fear the LORD, you his holy people (קְדֹשָׁיו), for those who fear him lack nothing" (Ps 34:10, NIV).#dispreferred
  <_ <"Majestic ones">: The parallel term "majestic ones" (וְאַדִּירֵי), which probably has the same referent as "holy ones," is never used to refer to YHWH's faithful people. Elsewhere, the term refers to "prominent people" (HALOT), e.g., kings (Ps 136:18; 2 Chr 23:20).
   <_ <Polemical>: The poet "deliberately chose this expression as a dig at the people who were otherwise regarded as the 'powerful' among the people, landowning rulers, among whom were also idolaters" (Lindblom 1974, 191 :A:, translation by Deep-L). #dispreferred
 - <"In the land">: "If fellow-believers are the subject, this addition \[of 'in the land'\] would be pleonastic; for it is evident that fellow-believers are in the land... \[T\]he surplus value of the addition remains obscure" (Peels 2000, 243 :A:).
  - <Buried in the earth>: The verse refers to the holy men of old who are now "buried in the earth" (קבורים בארץ, Rashi :C:).#dispreferred
  - <Higher affection>: With the phrase "in the earth/land," the psalmist "distinguishes the object of his affection here below from the One above, who is incomparably the highest" (Delitzsch 1996, 138 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Early interpretation>: Some of the earliest interpretations of this passage (e.g., Septuagint, Mishnah) understood the "holy ones" to refer to YHWH's faithful people. #dispreferred
  + <Septuagint>: In the Septuagint, "the saints are clearly the faithful of the Lord" (Dorival 2021, 315 :C:, own translation).#dispreferred
   + [Septuagint]: "As for the holy ones who are in his land—he made marvelous all his wants among them" (LXX, trans. NETS).#dispreferred
  + [m. Avot 6.1]: "Five possessions did the Holy Blessed One set aside as his own in this world... Israel is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written: 'Till your people cross over, O Lord, Till your people whom You have possessed' (Exod 15:16). And it says לִקְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ הֵמָּה וְאַדִּירֵי כָּל חֶפְצִי בָם (Ps 16:3)" (m. Avot 6.1; see Sefaria, Pirkei Avot 6). #dispreferred

Divine beings (preferred)

Other scholars argue that the "holy ones" in v. 3 are divine beings whom other people worship. The GNB, for example, says, "Many gods are worshipped in the land, and I too delighted in them" (own translation).

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[Divine beings]: The word "holy ones" (קְדֹשִׁים) refers to divine beings whom people worship (idols) (Mowinckel 1957, 651–652 :A:; Barthélemy et al. 2005, 67 :C:).
 + <Usage (קְדֹשִׁים)>: The word קְדֹשִׁים is elsewhere used to refer to divine beings.
  + [קְדֹשִׁים as divine beings]: "Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones (קְדֹשִׁים)! For who...  among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones (קְדֹשִׁים)..." (Ps 89:6–8, ESV; cf. Zech 14:5; Job 5:1; 15:15 \[qere\]).
 + <Usage (אַדִּירֵי)>: The word "majestic ones" (אַדִּירֵי), which is parallel to "holy ones," is elsewhere used to describe divine beings.
  + [אַדִּירִים as divine beings]: "Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods (הָאֱלֹהִים הָאַדִּירִים הָאֵלֶּה)?" (I Sam 4:8, ESV; cf. the use of the Phoenician adjective אדר to describe gods in KAI 48.2; 58; 162.1; see Hoftijzer and Jongeling 1995 :L:).
 + <"Their names" (שְׁמוֹתָם, v. 4)>: "The third person pluralis masculinum suffix in שְׁמֹותָם (»I will not ... take up *their* names on my lips«) undoubtedly refers to the idols, who cannot be mentioned anywhere else except for v. 3" (Peels 2010, 244 :A:).
  + [v. 4]: "I will not take up their names (שְׁמֹותָם) on my lips" (v. 4c).
  - <"Another god">: The antecedent of the 3mp pronoun "their" could be "another" (אַחֵר) in v. 4a, which probably refers to "another \[god\]" (cf. Isa 42:8; 48:11). #dispreferred
  - <"Their idols">: The antecedent of the 3mp pronoun "their" could be עַצְּבוֹתָם in v. 4a, which probably means "their idols." #dispreferred
 <"No one above you">: The statement at the end of the previous verse – "there is no one above you" (בַּל־עָלֶיךָ) – implies a contrast with other divine beings, or idols.
 + <Context (v. 2)>: The previous verse ended with the declaration "There is no one above you" (בַּל־עָלֶיךָ), which implies a contrast between YHWH and other gods. The implicit reference to other gods in v. 2 makes an explicit reference to them in v. 3 more likely.
  + [v. 2]: "I say to YHWH, 'You are my Lord. \[You are\] my good. There is no one above you'" (see exegetical issue "The Text and Grammar of Ps 16:2"; cf. NJPS, NBS, NVS78P, DHH94I).
 - <"Delight in them">: According to this view, the psalmist would be saying that his delight is in other gods: "the glorious ones in whom is all my delight" (וְאַדִּירֵי כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם). "That the poet has ‘delight’ in other gods contradicts the rest of the psalm" (van Peursen 2018, 184 :A:).#dispreferred
  - <Past tense>: The construct chain כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם should be understood as referring to a past state: "in whom *was* all my delight" (cf. NET, CEB, TOB; Barthélemy et al. 2005, 68 :C:).
  - <"The favorite idols">: The phrase כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם gives "a further qualification for the mighty ones: they are idols which are called, so to speak, חפציבם (cf. 2 Kgs 21:\[1\] and Isa 62:4): the »favorite idols« of the country. In translation: »the mighty ones, of whom people say: all my delight is in them«" (Peels 2000, 247–248 :A:; cf. Ḥakham 1979, 68 :C:; Ridderbos 1972, 157 :C:).
  - <Connecting Yod>: The yod in כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם is not a 1cs suffix, but a connecting *yod* (the so-called *yod compaginis*): "the mighty ones, in whom is all that is desirable" (cf. Peels 2000, 248 :A:; see GKC §90l :G:; JM §93m :G:; IBHS §8.2e :G:).
    + [Connecting Yod]: E.g., "colt of a donkey" (בְּנִי אֲתֹנוֹ) (Gen 49:11).
  - <Emendation (בַּל)>: The כָּל ("all") in v. 3 should be emended to בַּל ("not"): "my delight is not in them" (Gunkel 1926, 50–51 :C:; Mowinckel 1957 :A:; Hubman 1983 :A:).
 - <"On the earth">: This view does not account for the phrase "on the earth," which "shows earthly, not heavenly, beings are in view" (Waltke 2010, 329 :C:). #dispreferred
  - <Local deities in the land>: "The attributive clause אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָרֶץ הֵמָּה indicates that the »saints« \[i.e., false gods\] on earth are at stake (not those in heaven, as members of God's council before his throne), those who are honoured in the land, in local sanctuaries" (Peels 2000, 247 :A:).
  - <Netherworld>: "ארץ denotes in this context the netherworld" (Spronk 1986, 336 :M:).
  - <Inferiority>: In this context, the phrase "on the earth" implies inferiority to YHWH, who is in heaven (cf. Ps 2:1–4). There is no one above YHWH (see v. 2); all of his rivals are below him, "on the earth" (cf. Ridderbos 1972, 157 :C:).
   + [v. 2]

The Text of Ps 16:3

In light of the difficulties with the Masoretic Text and the Hebrew text underlying the ancient versions, many scholars have concluded that the text preserved in all of our witnesses is corrupt. There have been numerous attempts to conjecture an earlier reading – too many to include on this exegetical issue page. Most of the modern European translations consulted, however, appear to be following the Masoretic Text, though many of them note that the text is obscure or uncertain. The following argument map shows some of the main arguments for and against the reading of the Masoretic Text.

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings:
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
=== 
[MT]: The earliest recoverable form of the text is: לִקְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָרֶץ הֵמָּה וְאַדִּירֵי כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם (Barthélemy et al. 2005, 62–68 :C:).
 + <Hebrew witnesses>: This reading is preserved completely in the Masoretic Text and, insofar as it is preserved, in 4Q177.
  + [MT reading]: לִ֭קְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֣רֶץ הֵ֑מָּה וְ֝אַדִּירֵ֗י כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָֽם׃
  + [4Q177]:  לקדושים אשר \]בא\[רץ ה\]מה ואדי֯ר֯י כול חפצ֯י \[בם --\]
 + <Ancient translations>: The ancient translations of this verse assume a text that is similar, if not identical to MT.
  + [LXX]: τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ ἐθαυμάστωσεν πάντα τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτοῖς (see Rahlfs 1931).
   <_ <Differences (LXX)>: The Septuagint differs from the MT's reading in significant ways.#dispreferred
    + <Possessive pronoun (ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ)>: The LXX, unlike MT, has a possessive personal pronoun (αὐτοῦ) modifying ἐν τῇ γῇ (= בְּאַרְצוֹ?).#dispreferred
     <_ <הֵמָּה>: "The possessive may be intended to represent הֵמָּה, if only quantitatively" (Pietersma :A:).
    + <Verb>: Instead of וְאַדִּירֵי (a plural construct noun with a waw conjunction) the LXX has a verb: ἐθαυμάστωσεν (= יאדיר or האדיר?).#dispreferred
    + <חֶפְצוֹ>: Instead of a first-person pronoun (חֶפְצִי), the Septuagint has a third-person pronoun: τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ (= חֶפְצוֹ?)#dispreferred
  + [Symmachus]: εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους ἐν τῇ γῇ εἰς αὐτούς καὶ εἰς τοὺς μεγάλους πᾶν τὸ θέλημά μου ἐν αὐτοῖς
  + [Jerome (iuxta Hebr.)]: sanctis qui in terra sunt et magnificis omnis voluntas mea in eis
  + [Peshitta]: ܐܦ ܠܩܕܝ̈ܫܐ ܕܒܐܪܥܐ ܘܡܫܒ̈ܚܐ ܕܟܠܗ ܨܒܝܢܝ ܒܗܘܢ܂
  + [Theodotion]: ... καὶ θαυμαστόν μοι πάντα τὰ θελήματά μου ἐν αὐτοῖς
   <_ <אַדִּירִי>: Instead of the plural construct noun אַדִּירֵי, Theodotion has καὶ θαυμαστόν μοι (=אַדִּירִי?)#dispreferred
  + [Aquila]: ... ὑπερμεγέθεσί μου πᾶν θέλημα ἐν αὐτοῖς
   <_ <חֵפֶץ>: Aquila, unlike MT, does not have a first-person suffix (=כָּל חֵפֶץ בָּם?).#dispreferred
 - <Differences>: Several of the ancient witnesses differ from this reading in significant ways.#dispreferred
  + <Differences (LXX)>
  + <אַדִּירִי>
  + <חֵפֶץ>
  <_ <More difficult reading>: In each case, the MT has the more difficult reading, and it can explain how the other readings arose (see Barthélemy et al. 2005, 62–68 :C:).
 - <Corruption>: The MT, even if it represents the earliest form of the text among the ancient manuscript witnesses, is itself corrupt in this case. Therefore, we can (and should) try to conjecture an even earlier form of the text.#dispreferred
  + <Not understandable>: "The traditional text cannot be translated and understood without intervention" (Hossfeld and Zenger 1993, 110 :C:; cf. Lindblom 1974, 191 :A:).#dispreferred

Conclusion (D)

In conclusion, we interpret the reading of the Masoretic Text as follows: "They are on the side of (lit.: for) the holy ones who are on earth, that is (lit.: and), the prominent ones in whom is all delight." We could diagram this sentence as follows:

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 3]
  Fragment
    Clause
      Subject
        Nominal
          pronoun: הֵמָּה they
      Predicate
        verb: are
        Complement
          Adjectival
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: לִ for >> on the side of
              Object
                Nominal
                  adjective: קְדוֹשִׁים holy ones
                  RelativeClause
                    RelativeParticle
                      particle: אֲשֶׁר who
                    Clause
                      Subject
                      Predicate
                        verb: are
                        Complement
                          PrepositionalPhrase
                            Preposition
                              preposition: בָּ in
                            Object
                              Nominal
                                noun: אָרֶץ earth
                                article: הָ the <status="elided">
                Conjunction
                  conjunction: וְ and
                Nominal <gloss="the 'all-my-pleasure-is-in-them' mighty ones">
                  ConstructChain 
                    Nominal
                      adjective: אַדִּירֵי the mighty ones
                    Nominal
                      Clause
                        Subject
                          Nominal
                            ConstructChain
                              noun: חֶפְצ pleasure
                              suffix-pronoun: ִי me
                            quantifier: כָּל all
                        Predicate
                          verb: is
                          Complement
                            PrepositionalPhrase
                              Preposition
                                preposition: ב in
                              Object
                                suffix-pronoun: ָם them 
  

This interpretation implies the following claims:

• The lamed prepositional phrase ("on the side of the holy ones," לִקְדוֹשִׁים) introduces the predicate complement of a verbless clause, with the pronoun "they" (הֵמָּה) as the subject (cf. Exod 32:26; Josh 5:13; Ps 120:7).
• The word "holy ones" (קְדוֹשִׁים) refers to divine beings, i.e., gods other than YHWH.
• The relative clause "which are on the earth" (אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָרֶץ) implies that these divine beings are lower than, or inferior to YHWH, who is in heaven (cf. v. 2: "there is no one above you").
• The pronoun "they" (הֵמָּה) is cataphoric, pointing forward to "the prominent ones" in the b-line.
• The waw in the phrase "and the prominent ones..." (וְאַדִּירֵי) is explanatory, introducing the phrase that explains who "they" are.
• The phrase "all my delight is in them" (כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָם) does not represent the psalmist's personal feelings towards the "prominent ones," but the general sentiment that other people have towards them. They are "the mighty ones, of whom people say: all my delight is in them." The phrase חֶפְצִי־בָם might even be a fixed expression (cf. 2 Kgs 21:1; Isa 62:4).

This interpretation of the verse has the unique advantage of being syntactically viable. It avoids the syntactic issues involved in all of the other proposed interpretations, and it does so without resorting to conjectural emendation. This interpretation also makes sense in the context. In the previous verse (v. 2), the psalmist commits to serving and trusting in YHWH alone, and in the following verse (v. 4), he renounces other gods and describes the activity of those who worship them. It makes sense that, in between these two verses, he would introduce other gods and those who are committed to them.

The strongest argument against this interpretation is the difficult word order. In a verbless clause with a pronoun as the subject, we would typically expect the subject to precede the predicate complement – הֵמָּה לִקְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָרֶץ – especially when it coincides with a topic shift, as it does here. In response, we note that the predicate לִקְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָרֶץ could fronted to mark a strong contrast with the previous verse. "They are (not on the side of YHWH, who is in heaven, but are) on the side of the holy ones who are on the earth (below)." The word order also creates a poetic pattern (AB/A'B'). The nominal adjective קְדוֹשִׁים in the a-line corresponds poetically to the nominal adjective וְאַדִּירֵי in the b-line, and the 3mp suffix at the end of the a-line (הֵמָּה) corresponds to the 3mp suffix at the end of the b-line (בָם).

Research

Hebrew Manuscripts

• 4Q177 (frg. 14, 2): לקדושים אשר ]בא[רץ ה]מה ואדי֯ר֯י כול חפצ֯י [בם --]

Translations

Ancient

• LXX (vv. 2–4a): 2 εἶπα τῷ κυρίῳ Κύριός μου εἶ σύ, ὅτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις. 3 τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ ἐθαυμάστωσεν πάντα τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτοῖς. 4 ἐπληθύνθησαν αἱ ἀσθένειαι αὐτῶν, μετὰ ταῦτα ἐτάχυναν ...
  • "I said to the Lord, 'My Lord you are, because you have no need of my goods. As for the holy ones who are in his land—he made marvelous all his wants among them. Their infirmities were multiplied; after that, they were quick;"
• Symmachus: 2 ... ἀγαθόν μοι οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνευ σου 3 εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους ἐν τῇ γῇ εἰς αὐτούς καὶ εἰς τοὺς μεγάλους πᾶν τὸ θέλημά μου ἐν αὐτοῖς 4 πολλαὶ αἱ κακοπάθειαι αὐτῶν ἀκολουθοῦσαι ταχέως ...
• Aquila: 2 ... ἁγαθοσύνη μου οὐ μὴ ἐπὶ σέ 3 ... (καὶ) ὑπερμεγέθεσί μου πᾶν θέλημα ἐν αὐτοῖς 4 πληθυνθήσοντα διαπονήματα αὐτῶν οἳ ἄλλους ἐκάκωσαν ...
• Theodotion: 3 ... καὶ θαυμαστόν μοι πάντα τὰ θελήματά μου ἐν αὐτοῖς 4 ἐπληθύνθησαν τὰ εἴδωλα αὐτῶν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἐτάχυναν ...
• Quinta: 4 ... τὰ εἴδωλα αὐτῶν ἄλλοι ἐξελέξαντο ...
• Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): 2 ... bene mihi non est sine te 3 sanctis qui in terra sunt et magnificis omnis voluntas mea in eis 4 multiplicabuntur idola eorum post tergum sequentium ...
  • ... It does not go well for me without you. In the holy ones who are in the land and in the magnificent ones – all my desire is for them. Their idols will multiply behind the back of the followers (?)
• Peshitta: ܘܛܒܬܝ ܡܢ ܠܘܬܟ ܗܝ܂ ܐܦ ܠܩܕܝ̈ܫܐ ܕܒܐܪܥܐ ܘܡܫܒ̈ܚܐ ܕܟܠܗ ܨܒܝܢܝ ܒܗܘܢ܂ ܢܣܓܘܢ ܟܐ̈ܒܝܗܘܢ ܐܚܪ̈ܝܐ ܒܥܓܠ܂
  • "' 2 ... my prosperity is from you.' 3 I said also to the holy ones who are in the land and the nobles, that all my delight is in them. 4 May the latter pains increase quickly ..."
• Targum: ברם טיבתי לא מתיהיבא בר מינך׃ לקדישיא די בארעא הינון הודעו כח גבורתי מן שירויא וגוותנין בעובדיהון טביא כל רעותי טבא בהון׃ מסגן צלמניהון מן בתר כן מוחן לקרבא קורבניהון
  • "' 2 ... truly my good is not granted except by you.' 3 As for the holy ones who are in the land, they have made known the strength of my might from the beginning, and they are exalted in their good deeds; all my good pleasure is in them. 4 Those who increase their images afterwards hasten to offer sacrifices ..."

Modern

MT

Lamed modifying "I say"

• I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” (NIV)

"Holy ones" as godly people

• As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. (ESV)
• As for the saints who are on the earth, They are the majestic ones; all my delight is in them. (NASB)
• As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them. (CSB)
• As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble ones in whom is all my delight. (NRSVUE)
• The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them! (NLT)
• All my delight is in the noble ones, the godly in the land. (REB)
• How excellent are the LORD's faithful people! My greatest pleasure is to be with them. (GNT)
• Your people are wonderful, and they make me happy, (CEV)
• An den Heiligen, die auf Erden sind, an den Herrlichen hab ich all mein Gefallen. (LUT2017)
• An den Heiligen, die auf Erden sind, ⟨an⟩ ihnen und an den Herrlichen ⟨habe ich⟩ meine ganze Lust. (ELB)
• An den Heiligen, die im Land sind, an den Herrlichen habe ich all mein Gefallen: (EÜ)
• An den Heiligen, die im Lande sind, an den Herrlichen habe ich grosses Gefallen. (ZÜR)
• Darum freue ich mich über alle, die zu dir gehören. Sie bedeuten mir mehr als alle anderen in diesem Land! (HFA)
• Ich freue mich über alle, die zu Gottes heiligem Volk gehören. An ihnen zeigt sich Gottes Herrlichkeit. (NGÜ)
• Les saints qui sont dans le pays, eux-mêmes et les braves, tout mon plaisir est en eux. (NBS)
• Les saints qui sont dans le pays, eux-mêmes, Et les puissants sont l'objet de toute mon affection. (NVS78P)
• Je suis plein d’affection pour tous ceux qui sont saints dans le pays : ce sont eux qui sont vraiment grands. (BDS)
• Dans ce pays, ceux qui appartiennent à Dieu sont des gens de valeur, ils me plaisent beaucoup. (PDV2017)
• Ce sont les personnes qui te sont fidèles, celles qui vivent dans le pays, qui ont la vraie grandeur, celle que j'apprécie tant (NFC)
• Les saints qui sont dans le pays, les hommes pieux, sont l'objet de toute mon affection. (S21)
• Para los santos que están en la tierra y para los íntegros es toda mi complacencia. (RVR95)
• Para los santos y para los íntegros que están en la tierra, Es toda mi complacencia. (BTX4)
• En cuanto a los santos que están en la tierra, son los nobles en quienes está toda mi delicia. (NVI)

"Holy ones" as idol-worshipping people

• (v. 3) As for God’s chosen people who are in the land, and the leading officials I admired so much – (v. 4) their troubles multiply; they desire other gods (NET)
• (v. 3) Now as for the “holy ones” in the land, the “magnificent ones” that I was so happy about; (v. 4) let their suffering increase because they hurried after a different god. (CEB)

"Holy ones" as divine beings

• (v. 3) As to the holy and mighty ones that are in the land, my whole desire concerning them is that (v. 4) those who espouse another [god] may have many sorrows! (NJPS)
• (v. 3) Im Land werden viele Götter verehrt, an denen auch ich meine Freude hatte. Jetzt aber sage ich: (v. 4) Wer anderen Göttern nachläuft, muss seine volle Strafe tragen. (GNB)
• (v. 3) Les divinités de cette terre, ces puissances qui me plaisaient tant, (v. 4) augmentent leurs ravages ; on se rue à leur suite (TOB)
• (v. 3) Los dioses del país son poderosos, según dicen los que en ellos se complacen, (v. 4) los que aumentan el número de sus ídolos y los siguen con gran devoción.

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; (NEB)
• (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. (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.

Behler, G. 1940. “Une conjecture critique sur Ps. XVI, 3-4a.” Revue Biblique 49 (2): 240–43.

Böhler, Dieter. 2021. Psalmen 1-50. Edited by Erich Zenger, Ulrich Berges, Christoph Dohmen, and Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger. Herders theologischer Kommentar zum Alten Testament. Herder.

Brockington, L.H. 1973. The Hebrew Text of the Old Testament: The Readings Adopted by the Translators of the New English Bible.

Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1–50. WBC 19. Word.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1894. Biblischer Kommentar über die Psalmen. Dörffling und Franke.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1996. “The Psalter.” In Commentary on the Old Testament. Hendrickson.

Dorival, Gilles. 2021. Les Psaumes. Edited by Monique Alexandre. 1. Psaumes 1-40. La Bible d’Alexandrie 16. Cerf.

Driver, S.R. 1915. Studies in the Psalms. Hodder and Stoughton.

García Martínez, Florentino, and Eibert J.C. Tigchelaar. 1997. The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition. Vol. 1. Brill.

Garr, W. Randall. 2022. “The Cataphoric Pronoun in Biblical Hebrew.” Journal of Semitic Studies 67 (2): 353–93.

Gunkel, Hermann. 1926. Die Psalmen. 4th ed. Göttinger Handkommentar zum Alten Testament 2. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Ḥakham, Amos. 1979. ספר תהלים: ספרים א–ב (in Hebrew; The Book of Psalms: Books 1-2). Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.

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.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 1993. Die Psalmen I: Psalm 1–50. Neue Echter Bibel. Echter.

Hupfeld, Hermann. 1855. Die Psalmen. Vol. 1. Friedrich Andreas Perthes.

Hubmann, Franz D. 1983. “Textgraphik und Psalm XVI 2-3.” Vetus Testamentum 33 (1): 101–6.

Jenni, Ernst. 2000. Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 3: Die Präposition Lamed. Verlag W. Kohlhammer.

Lindblom, Johannes. 1974. “Erwagungen zu Psalm XVI.” Vetus Testamentum 24 (2): 187.

Mannati, M. 1972. “Remarques sur Ps. Xvi 1-3.” Vetus Testamentum 22 (3): 359–61.

Mowinckel, Sigmund. 1957. “Zu Psalm 16, 2–4.” Theologische Literaturzeitung 82: 649–54.

Origen. 2015. Die neuen Psalmenhomilien: eine kritische Edition des Codex monacensis graecus 314. Edited by Lorenzo Perrone, Marina Molin Pradel, Emanuela Prinzivalli, and Antonio Cacciari. Origenes Werke 13. De Gruyter.

Peels, H.G.L. 2000. “Sanctorum communio vel idolorum repudiatio? A Reconsideration of Psalm 16,3.” ZAW 112 (2): 239–51.

Peursen, W.T. van. 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. Amsterdamse Cahiers Voor Exegese van de Bijbel En Zijn Tradities, Supplement Series 16.

Pietersma, Albert. “Psalm 15: A Commentary on the Text-as-Produced.” Preprint.

Rashi. Rashi on Psalms.

Ridderbos, Nicolaas Herman. 1972. Die Psalmen: stilistische Verfahren und Aufbau, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung von Ps 1-41. Beiheft zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 117. De Gruyter.

Schedl, Claus. 1964. “»Die Heiligen« und die »Herrlichen« in Psalm 16 1-4.” ZAW 76 (2): 171–75.

Spronk, Klaas. 1986. Beatific Afterlife in Ancient Israel and in the Ancient Near East. Verlag Butzon & Bercker.

Waltke, Bruce K., J.M. Houston, and Erika Moore. 2010. The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary. William B. Eerdmans.

Wellhausen, Julius. 1895. The Book of Psalms: Critical Edition of the Hebrew Text. Translated by J.D. Prince. J.C. Hinrichs.

References

Choose a PsalmNavigate Psalm 19

Bible Text

Hebrew & English

Structural Overlay

Expanded Paraphrase

Participant Tracking

Translation

Overview

Verse by Verse

Academic

Overview

Layer by Layer ▸

View All Layers

Grammar & Semantics

Story Behind

Discourse

Poetry

Verse by Verse

Exegetical Issues

Book 1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

Book 2

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

Book 3

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

Book 4

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

Book 5

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

16:3