The Text and Grammar of Psalm 22:30

Back to Psalm 22

Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Psalm 22:30 reads as follows:

אָכְל֬וּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֨וּ ׀ כָּֽל־דִּשְׁנֵי־אֶ֗רֶץ

לְפָנָ֣יו יִ֭כְרְעוּ כָּל־יוֹרְדֵ֣י עָפָ֑ר

וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ לֹ֣א חִיָּֽה׃

Concerning the third lines, scholars have noted that "this sentence is complicated in its context and not that understandable in itself." It has been understood in different different ways, as illustrated by the following translations:

• "All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive" (ESV)
• "How can those who sleep in the earth do him homage, how can those who go down to the grave do obeisance? But I shall live for his sake" (REB)

There are two textual of issues affecting the interpretation of the third line:

1. Whether to read נַפְשִׁי "my life" or נַפְשׁוֹ "his life"
2. Whether to read לוֹ "for him" or לֹא "not"
3. Whether to read qal חָיָה "live" or piel חִיָּה "keep alive"

We explore these three textual issues in the following argument maps.

Argument Maps

נַפְשִׁי

Some translations reflect נַפְשִׁי for the MT's נַפְשׁוֹ, such as the REB: "But I shall live for his sake."

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[נַפְשִׁי]: The correct pronominal suffix on נֶפֶשׁ is first-person (Alonso Schökel 1992, 381 :C:; Bar 2009, 172 :A:; Brueggemann & Bellinger 2014, 113 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Ancient versions>: The LXX, Quinta, Sexta, and Peshitta have first person singular suffixes. #dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX, Quinta, Sexta: ἡ ψυχή μου; Peshitta: ܢܦܫܝ. #dispreferred
 + <Textual support>: Some medieval manuscripts read נפשי (see Kennicott 373 and possibly 235; de-Rossi 864). #dispreferred
 - <Immediate discourse context>: The individual "I" is absent from the global perspective of the entire section of vv. 28–32 (Lyons 2015, 640 :A:)
  <_ <Larger discourse context>: The psalmist is contrasting his deliverance (v. 22b-26) with those who do not enjoy the same end to their suffering. #dispreferred

נַפְשׁוֹ (preferred)

Some translations follow the MT's נַפְשׁוֹ, such as the ESV: "even the one who could not keep himself alive."

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[נַפְשׁוֹ]: The correct pronominal suffix on נֶפֶשׁ is the third-person masculine singular (Böhler 2021, 385 :C:).
 + <Ancient versions>: Jerome and Theodotion have a 3ms pronominal suffix; the Targum and Symmachus' syntax indicate the same.
  + [Ancient versions]: Jerome: anima eius; Theodotion: ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ; Targum: וּנְפַשׁ רַשִׁיעָא; Symmachus: οὗ ἡ ψυχὴ.
 + <Textual support>: This is the text of the MT (וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ), as attested in the major Tiberian codices and the Cairo Geniza materials, including all of the extant Babylonian manuscripts.
 <_ <Antecedent unclear>: It is not clear who the נֶפֶשׁ would belong to. #dispreferred
  - <Previous discourse participants>: Both God and the psalmist have been extensively active throughout the psalm and could provide anaphoric sense. 
   <_ <Discourse position>: Theologically, it is unlikely that God's life has not been preserved, while the psalmist has not been an active participant since v. 26. #dispreferred
  - <Syntactic continuity>: The referent of נַפְשׁוֹ most naturally points to כָּל־יוֹרְדֵ֣י עָפָ֑ר.
   - <Number shift>: The grammatical number of כָּל־יוֹרְדֵ֣י עָפָ֑ר is plural, whereas נַפְשׁוֹ is singular. #dispreferred
    <_ <Distributive third person>: The third singular provides a distributive reading of the same entity as the preceding phrase, כָּל־יוֹרְדֵ֣י עָפָ֑ר, headed by the distributive quantifier כֹּל (Rashi :C:, Saadia :C:; Andersen 1974, 45 :M:; Ḥakham 1979, 123 :C:).
     + [Distributive third person]: See, e.g., Gen 41:12b, וַיִּפְתָּר־לָ֖נוּ אֶת־חֲלֹמֹתֵ֑ינוּ '''אִ֥ישׁ כַּחֲלֹמ֖וֹ פָּתָֽר'''׃; Exod 1:1, וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְרָ֑יְמָה אֵ֣ת יַעֲקֹ֔ב '''אִ֥ישׁ וּבֵית֖וֹ''' בָּֽאוּ׃; Micah 2:9a, נְשֵׁ֤י עַמִּי֙ תְּגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּן מִבֵּ֖ית תַּֽעֲנֻגֶ֑יהָ (cf. Exod 12:4; 16:16, 18; 28:21).

לוֹ

Some translations reflect לוֹ "for him" for the MT's לֹא "not," such as the REB: "But I shall live for his sake."

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[לוֹ]: The second word of the clause should be read לוֹ (Alonso Schökel 1992, 381 :C:; Bar 2009, 172 :A:; Brueggemann & Bellinger 2014, 113 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Ancient versions>: The LXX, Peshitta, Jerome and Aquila reflect לוֹ. #dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX, Aquila: αὐτῷ; Peshitta: ܠܗܘ; Jerome: ipsi. #dispreferred
 + <Textual support>: Some medieval manuscripts read לו (see Kennicott 328; de-Rossi 645). #dispreferred
 - <Theological emendation>: The change from the negator לֹא to the prepositional phrase לוֹ seems to involve a "pietistic motivation" (Barthélemy 2005: 139 :M:), in that, a scribe has emended a difficult text to say something positive about the psalmist's spiritual survival, that he will live for God's name and purposes.
 - <Co-text>: In any combination of נפשׁו/נפשׁי and either qal or piel חיה, it is unclear what "for him" לוֹ would mean immediately following "all those going down to the dust" and preceding "future generations will serve him."
 <_ <Participant ambiguity>: If נפשׁו is preferred, the succession of two third-person masculine singular suffixed constituents, נפשׁו לו, significantly complicates the identity of their referents.

לֹא (preferred)

Some translations follow the MT's לֹא, such as the ESV: "even the one who could not keep himself alive."

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[לֹא]: The second word of the clause should be read לֹא (Saadia :C:; Böhler 2021, 385 :C:).
 + <Ancient versions>: Targum Psalms contains the negator, לָא.
 + <Textual support>: This is the text of the MT (לֹ֣א), as attested in the major Tiberian codices and the Cairo Geniza materials, including all of the extant Babylonian manuscripts.
 + <Co-text>: The negator "not" followed by (either the qal or piel of) חיה "live/keep alive" naturally follows "all those going down to dust."

Qal חָיָה

Some translations reflect qal חָיָה for the MT's piel חִיָּה, such as the REB: "But I shall live for his sake."

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[Qal חָיָה]: The verb should be read in the qal binyan, חָיָה (DCH 206 :D:; HALOT, 309 :D:). #dispreferred
 + <Ancient versions>: The LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, Peshitta, and Jerome reflect the qal חָיָה. #dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX, Aquila, Theodotion: ζῇ; Symmachus: ζήσει; Peshitta: ܚܝܐ; Jerome: vivet. #dispreferred 
 - <Co-text>: In any combination of נפשׁו/נפשׁי and לוֹ/לֹא, it is unclear what "lives" would mean immediately following "all those going down to the dust" and preceding "future generations will serve him," such that Symmachus and Jerome are forced to render the qatal verb in the future (ζήσει, vivet).
  <_ <Textual support>: Kennicott 328 might read the yiqtol לו יחיה. #dispreferred

Piel חִיָּה (preferred)

Some translations follow the MT's piel חִיָּה, such as the ESV: "even the one who could not keep himself alive."

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[Piel חִיָּה]: The verb should be read in the piel binyan, חִיָּה (Saadia :C:; Böhler 2021, 385 :C:).
 + <Ancient versions>: Targum Psalms contains D-stem יְחַיֵי.
 + <Textual support>: This is the text of the MT (חִיָּֽה), as attested in the major Tiberian codices and the Cairo Geniza materials, including all of the extant Babylonian manuscripts (some even containing two yods in חייה to represent the gemination of the piel—see, e.g., Strasbourg ms 4083.11). 
 + <Co-text>: In any combination of נפשׁו/נפשׁי and לוֹ/לֹא, the piel חִיָּה naturally follows discussion of "all those going down to dust."
 <_ <Participant ambiguity>: The piel חִיָּה complicates the identification of the verbs agency, whether the possessor of the נֶפֶשׁ or YHWH. #dispreferred

Conclusion (C)

Barthélemy et al. (2005, 136) offer a {C} rating for the MT of Psalm 22:30c. In light of the strong evidence of variation among the ancient versions and revisers, we consider a {C} rating also fair for our conclusions in the present exegetical issue. Nevertheless, the textual confusion is easy to explain, involve only the difference between a waw and yod in the נפשׁו/נפשׁי question, identical pronunciation of לֹא/לוֹ, and simple revocalization between הִיָּה and חָיָה. We find the MT to make much more sense in context, despite the difficulties concerning the referent of the suffix on נַפְשׁוֹ and the participant ambiguity concerning the agent of piel חיה. It is perhaps for these reasons that ancient versions sought an alternative reading of the text without significant damage to the consonantal tradition.

Research

Ancient Translations

• LXX: καὶ ἡ ψυχή μου αὐτῷ ζῇ.
  • "And my soul lives for him."
• Quinta: ...ἡ ψυχή μου...
  • "...my soul..."
• Sexta: ...ἡ ψυχή μου...
  • "...my soul..."
• Aquila: ....αὐτῷ ζῇ
  • "... lives for him."
• Symmachus: ....οὗ ἡ ψυχὴ ζήσει
  • "... whose soul will live."
• Theodotion: ... καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ζῇ.
  • "... and his soul lives."
• Gallican Psalter: et anima mea illi vivet
  • "and my soul will live for that one."
• Jerome (Iuxta Hebraeos): et anima eius ipsi vivet
  • "and his soul will live for him."
• Peshitta: ܢܦܫܝ ܠܗܘ ܚܝܐ
  • "My soul is alive to him."
• Targum: וּנְפַשׁ רַשִׁיעָא לָא יְחַיֵי
  • "and the soul of the wicked he will not keep alive."

Modern Translations

Following the MT

• All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. (KJV)
• All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. (ESV ≈ NASB, CSB)
• Yea, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down; before hum shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who cannot keep himself alive. (RSV; cf. ISV, NET, NIV)
• Ihn allein werden anbeten alle Großen auf Erden; vor ihm werden die Knie beugen alle, / die zum Staube hinabfuhren und ihr Leben nicht konnten erhalten. (LUT; cf. ELB, EÜ)
• Comerán y adorarán todos los poderosos de la tierra; se postrarán delante de él todos los que descienden al polvo, aun el que no puede conservar la vida a su propia alma (RVR 95)
• Tous les grands de la terre mangeront et se prosterneront; devant lui s’inclineront tous ceux qui retournent à la poussière, ceux qui ne peuvent pas conserver leur vie. (SG21; cf. NBS, NFC, PDV)

YHWH as agent

• Tous les heureux de la terre ont mangé: les voici prosternés! Devant sa face, se courbent tous les moribonds: il ne les a pas laissé vivre (TOB)

Following the LXX (or similar)

• How can those who sleep in the earth do him homage, how can those who go down to the grave do obeisance? But I shall live for his sake (REB)
• All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage. 31 And I will live for the Lord (NABRE)

Secondary Literature

Alonso Schökel, Luis. 1992. Salmos I (Salmos 1–72): Traducción, Introducciones y Comentario. Navarra: Verbo Divino.

Andersen, Francis I. 1974. The Sentence in Biblical Hebrew. The Hague: Mouton.

Bar, Shaul. 2009. "Critical Notes on Psalm 22:30," Jewish Bible Quarterly 37.3: 169–174.

Barthélemy, Dominique. 2005. Critique Textuelle de l'Ancien Testament: Tome 4. Psaumes. Fribourg/Göttingen: Vandenhoeck Ruprecht.

Böhler, Dieter. 2021. Psalmen 1–50. Freiburg, Basel, Wien: Herder Verlag.

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

Brueggemann, Walter and Bellinger, William H. 2014. Psalms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ḥakham, Amos. 1979. The Book of Psalms: Books 1–2 (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.

Krahlmakov, Charles. 1969. "Psalm 22,28–32," in Biblica 50(3): 389–392.

Lyons, Michael A. 2015. "Psalm 22 and the "Servants" of Isaiah 54; 56–66," The Catholic Bible Quarterly 77.4: 640–656.

Malul, Meir. 1996. "Chapter 22." Pages 94–105 in Psalms: Volume 1. Olam HaTaNaKh (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv: דודזון–עתי.

Rashi. Rashi on Psalms.

Saadia = Qafaḥ, Yosef. 1965. The Psalms with Translation and Commentary of Saadia Gaon (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: The American Academy for Jewish Research (האקדימיה האמריקאנית למדעי היהדות).

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22:30 Approved