The Text and Meaning of Ps 35:15b

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Introduction

The MT of Ps 35:15b reads as follows:

נֶאֶסְפ֬וּ עָלַ֣י נֵ֭כִים וְלֹ֣א יָדַ֑עְתִּי
"Stricken ones gathered against me, and I did not know"

It has been noted that נֵכִים "stricken ones" would be a poor fit for the context, since vv. 11–12 and 15–17 deal with those who are actively attacking David.[1] In place of the MT's נֵכִים, a number of alternative readings have been proposed.

  • Some ancient witnesses support the reading of תכים, "those who oppress," or "those who trample underfoot.[2]
  • Some have proposed emending נֵכִים to כְּנָכְרִים "like foreigners."[3]
  • Others have suggested emending נֵכִים to the hiphil participle מַכִּים "strikers."[4]

Argument Maps

"Those who oppress"

In place of the MT's נֵכִים "stricken ones," the Qumran scroll 4Q98 reads תכים, "those who oppress," or "those who trample underfoot.[5] It is possible that this term lies behind the LXX's μάστιγες "whips" or Symmachus' πλῆκται "strikers."[6] Thus, for example, the LXX reads συνήχθησαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ μάστιγες καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων, "scourges gathered together against me, and I did not know" (NETS). 


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["Those who oppress"]: Ps 35:15b should read תכים, "those who oppress," or "those who trample underfoot" (Craigie 2004, 283 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Contextual fit>: The context suggests enemies who are actively opposed to the psalmist, since vv. 11–12 and 15–17 depict those who are maliciously attacking David. #dispreferred
  <_ <Lack of subjection theme>: The root תכה denotes a sense of subjection (HALOT :D:), which is not reflected elsewhere in Ps 35. The nature of the enemies' attack appears to involve trickery and falsehood (vv. 7, 11, 19–21), rather than oppression.
 + <Ancient witnesses>: This reading is supported by 4Q98, and appears to be reflected in LXX and Symmachus. #dispreferred
  + [Ancient witnesses]: 4Q98 - [נספו עלי תכים ו[לוא ידעתי; LXX - συνήχθησαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ μάστιγες καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων; Symmachus - συνήγοντο κατ’ ἐμοῦ πλῆκται καὶ οὐκ ᾔδειν. #dispreferred


Argument Mapn0"Those who oppress"Ps 35:15b should read תכים, "those who oppress," or "those who trample underfoot" (Craigie 2004, 283 🄲). n1Ancient witnesses4Q98 - [נספו עלי תכים ו[לוא ידעתי; LXX - συνήχθησαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ μάστιγες καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων; Symmachus - συνήγοντο κατ’ ἐμοῦ πλῆκται καὶ οὐκ ᾔδειν. n4Ancient witnessesThis reading is supported by 4Q98, and appears to be reflected in LXX and Symmachus. n1->n4n2Contextual fitThe context suggests enemies who are actively opposed to the psalmist, since vv. 11–12 and 15–17 depict those who are maliciously attacking David. n2->n0n3Lack of subjection themeThe root תכה denotes a sense of subjection (HALOT 🄳), which is not reflected elsewhere in Ps 35. The nature of the enemies' attack appears to involve trickery and falsehood (vv. 7, 11, 19–21), rather than oppression.n3->n2n4->n0


"Like foreigners"

BHS proposes emending MT's נֵכִים to כְּנָכְרִים "like foreigners." This reading is adopted by ZÜR, NFC, and DHH. 


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["Like foreigners"]: Ps 35:15b should read כְּנָכְרִים "like foreigners" (BHS; Kraus 1993, 390 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Co-text fit>: V. 15b ends with וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי "and I did not know," which would fit the sense of foreign strangers (Kraus 1993, 394 :C:). #dispreferred
 - <Lack of ancient support>: No extant ancient witnesses support the reading of כְּנָכְרִים.


Argument Mapn0"Like foreigners"Ps 35:15b should read כְּנָכְרִים "like foreigners" (BHS; Kraus 1993, 390 🄲). n1Co-text fitV. 15b ends with וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי "and I did not know," which would fit the sense of foreign strangers (Kraus 1993, 394 🄲). n1->n0n2Lack of ancient supportNo extant ancient witnesses support the reading of כְּנָכְרִים.n2->n0


"Strikers"

Some have suggested emending MT's נֵכִים to the hiphil participle מַכִּים "strikers."[7] This reading is reflected in NIV, NASB95, CSB. 


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["Strikers"]: The ''hiphil'' participle מַכִּים "strikers" should be read in place of MT's נֵכִים (Thomas 1961, 50 :A:; deClaissé-Walford et al. 2014, 333 :C:; Goldingay 2006, 488 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Contextual fit>: The context suggests enemies who are actively attacking David (מַכִּים), rather than those who have been stricken (נֵכִים); vv. 11–12 and 15–17 depict those who are maliciously assailing him. #dispreferred
 - <Lack of ancient support>: No extant ancient witnesses support the reading of מַכִּים.


Argument Mapn0"Strikers"The ''hiphil'' participle מַכִּים "strikers" should be read in place of MT's נֵכִים (Thomas 1961, 50 🄰; deClaissé-Walford et al. 2014, 333 🄲; Goldingay 2006, 488 🄲). n1Contextual fitThe context suggests enemies who are actively attacking David (מַכִּים), rather than those who have been stricken (נֵכִים); vv. 11–12 and 15–17 depict those who are maliciously assailing him. n1->n0n2Lack of ancient supportNo extant ancient witnesses support the reading of מַכִּים.n2->n0


"Stricken ones" (preferred)

While seemingly difficult, it is possible to read v. 15b according to the MT's נֵכִים "stricken ones." This reading is adopted by ESV, KJV, NASB 2020. 


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["Stricken ones"]: The MT's נֵכִים "stricken ones" represents the best available reading for v. 15b.
 - <Poor contextual fit>: The context suggests enemies who are actively striking David, rather than being the recipients of striking (נֵכִים); vv. 11–12 and 15–17 depict those who are maliciously assailing David (Goldingay 2006, 488 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <Phenomenological language>
  <_ <Ironic twist>
 + <Phenomenological language>: The use of נֵכִים "stricken ones" refers to those who were *presumably* stricken with illness (v. 13).
  + <Usage elsewhere>: The use of phenomenological language for misleading appearances occurs in Ps 39:6, with כָּל־אָדָם נִצָּב "every person \[seemingly\] 'standing firm.'"
   + [Ps 39:6]: אַ֥ךְ כָּֽל־הֶ֥בֶל כָּל־אָ֝דָ֗ם נִצָּ֥ב סֶֽלָה׃, "Truly, everyone is a breath, every person 'standing firm.' Selah" (CBC).
 + <Ironic twist>: David has fasted and prayed for his (presumed) friends in their illnesses (v. 13), and yet they have repaid his compassion with evil (v. 12). Rendering נֵכִים as "stricken ones" underscores the ironic twist; the supposedly incapacitated friends have been secretly gathering against David.


Argument Mapn0"Stricken ones"The MT's נֵכִים "stricken ones" represents the best available reading for v. 15b.n1Ps 39:6אַ֥ךְ כָּֽל־הֶ֥בֶל כָּל־אָ֝דָ֗ם נִצָּ֥ב סֶֽלָה׃, "Truly, everyone is a breath, every person 'standing firm.' Selah" (CBC).n5Usage elsewhereThe use of phenomenological language for misleading appearances occurs in Ps 39:6, with כָּל־אָדָם נִצָּב "every person [seemingly] 'standing firm.'"n1->n5n2Poor contextual fitThe context suggests enemies who are actively striking David, rather than being the recipients of striking (נֵכִים); vv. 11–12 and 15–17 depict those who are maliciously assailing David (Goldingay 2006, 488 🄲). n2->n0n3Phenomenological languageThe use of נֵכִים "stricken ones" refers to those who were presumably stricken with illness (v. 13).n3->n0n3->n2n4Ironic twistDavid has fasted and prayed for his (presumed) friends in their illnesses (v. 13), and yet they have repaid his compassion with evil (v. 12). Rendering נֵכִים as "stricken ones" underscores the ironic twist; the supposedly incapacitated friends have been secretly gathering against David.n4->n0n4->n2n5->n3


Conclusion (B)

While seemingly difficult on initial reading, the MT's נֵכִים "stricken ones" is by no means unintelligible.[8] In fact, it fits the broader sense of irony present in Ps 35:12–15. While David has afflicted himself in prayer and fasting on behalf of his sick friends (v. 13), these supposedly "stricken" individuals were actually plotting and gathering against him.

Admittedly, the divergence of ancient witnesses from the MT results in CTAT (206) assigning the MT reading a {C} grade. That being said, even if our analysis is correct, the initial sense of incongruity in the MT reading remains, and it is plausible that this difficulty resulted in later attempts to smooth out the meaning.

Research

Translations

Ancient

  • 4Q98: [נספו עלי תכים ו[לוא ידעתי
    • "Oppressors gathered against me, and [I did not know]"
  • LXX: συνήχθησαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ μάστιγες καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων
    • "Scourges gathered together against me, and I did not know"[9]
  • Symmachus: συνήγοντο κατ’ ἐμοῦ πλῆκται καὶ οὐκ ᾔδειν
    • "Strikers gathered against me, and I did not know"
  • Targum: מתכנשין עלי רשיעיא דמככין לי במיל<י>הון ולא חכימית[10]
    • "Wicked ones who were humiliating me with their words were gathering against me, and I did not know"[11]
  • Peshitta: ܐܬܟܢܫܘ ܥܠܝ ܢܘܓܪܐ ܘܠܐ ܝܕܥܬ[12]
    • "They came together against me for a long time, but I was not aware of it"[13]
  • Jerome (Hebr.): collecti sunt adversum me percutientes et nesciebam
    • "Strikers were assembled against me and I did not know"

Modern

"Like foreigners"

  • "Fremde, die ich nicht kenne, lästerten ohne Unterlass" (ZÜR)
  • "Des étrangers, des individus que je ne connais pas, ne cessent de me calomnier" (NFC)
  • "Como si fueran gente extraña y desconocida, me maltrataron sin cesar" (DHH)
  • "Strangers beat me and kept striking me" (GNT)

"Strikers"

  • "Assailants gathered against me without my knowledge" (NIV)
  • "Attackers gathered against me, And I did not know it" (NKJV)
  • "The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me" (NASB95)
  • "They gathered against me. Assailants I did not know tore at me and did not stop" (CSB)

"Stricken ones"

  • "They gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing" (ESV)
  • "The abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not" (KJV)
  • "The afflicted people whom I did not know gathered together against me" (NASB 2020)

Secondary Literature

Craigie, Peter. 2004. Psalms 1–50. 2nd ed. WBC 19. Nashville: Nelson.
deClaissé-Walford, Nancy, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth LaNeel Tanner. 2014. The Book of Psalms. NICOT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms: Psalms 1–41. Vol. 1. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1993. A Continental Commentary: Psalms 1–59. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
Thomas, D. Winton. 1961. “Psalm xxxv. 15f.” JTS 12: 50–51.

References

35:15

  1. ↑ Goldingay 2006, 488nd.
  2. ↑ CTAT 205; Milik 1957, 252.
  3. ↑ BHS.
  4. ↑ Thomas 1961, 50.
  5. ↑ CTAT 205; Milik 1957, 252.
  6. ↑ CTAT 206.
  7. ↑ Thomas 1961, 50.
  8. ↑ Contra Kraus 1993, 390.
  9. ↑ NETS
  10. ↑ CAL.
  11. ↑ Stec 2004, 77.
  12. ↑ CAL.
  13. ↑ Taylor et al. 2020, 129.