The Text and Meaning of Psalm 30:13a

Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Psalm 30:13 reads as follows:

לְמַ֤עַן ׀ יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד וְלֹ֣א יִדֹּ֑ם

יְהוָ֥ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י לְעוֹלָ֥ם אוֹדֶֽךָּ׃

The first line of this verse has been interpreted in various ways, as illustrated by the following translations:

• "that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent" (ESV)
• "Therefore, I will sing to you, my glory, and I will not be silent" (RVR 95)
• "Therefore, with all my heart I will not stop celebrating your glory with my songs" (NFC)

These translations reflect different understandings of the syntactic function of the word כָּבוֹד. The ESV understands the word כָּבוֹד as the grammatical subject and supplies the possessive modifier "my glory." The RVR 95 understands כָּבוֹד as a vocative and also supplies the possessive modifier. The NFC understands כָּבוֹד as the grammatical object and supplies the possessive modifier "your glory."

We evaluate these different possibilities in the following argument maps.

Argument Maps

Most ancient and modern translations interpret כָּבוֹד as the grammatical subject, illustrated by the ESV: "that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent."

כָּבוֹד as the grammatical subject

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[Grammatical subject]: The word כָּבוֹד should be understood as the grammatical subject of the clause לְמַ֤עַן ׀ יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד (Giqatilah :C:; Saadia :C:; Delitzsch 1871, 379 :C:; Briggs & Briggs 1906, 257 :C:; Krinetzki 1961, 436 :A:; Kraus 1993, 353 :C:; Craigie 2004, 251 :C:; Goldingay 2006, 424 :C:; Jacobson & Tanner 2014, 292 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Ancient versions>: This reading is reflected in the LXX, (some manuscripts of) Aquila, Symmachus, Quinta, Theodotion, Jerome, and Targum Psalms.#dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX: "so that my glory may make music to you and I shall not be stunned" (NETS); (some mss of) Aquila, Symmachus, Quinta, Theodotion: "so that glory will sing to you and it will not be silent"; Jerome (Hebr.): "so that glory might praise you and not be silent"; Targum Psalms: "that the honored ones of the world may praise you and not be silent" (Stec 2004, 69).#dispreferred
 - <Suffix>: The grammatical subject would necessarily be human, but without a suffix (i.e., "my honor") the sense of the noun כבוד meaning “substance, being" (TDOT :L:) never has a human referent.
  + [Suffixed forms]: See, e.g., Psalm 7:6: "let the enemy pursue my soul (נַפְשִׁ֡י) and overtake it, and let him trample my life (חַיָּ֑י) to the ground and lay my glory (כְבוֹדִ֓י) in the dust" (ESV); Psalm 57:9: Awake, my soul (כְבוֹדִ֗י)!" (NIV); Psalm 62:8: "My salvation and my honor (כְבוֹדִ֑י) depend on God" (NIV); Psalm 108:2: "I will sing and make music with all my soul (כְּבוֹדִֽי)" (NIV).
  - <Haplography>: It is probable that the *yod* suffix was lost, due to haplography (writing one letter in place of two) with the following waw (Krinetzki 1961, 436 :A:). #dispreferred
  - <LXX>: The text of the LXX contains "my," so the pronoun should be "supplied from the context" (Goldingay 2006, 424 :C:). #dispreferred
   - <Translation technique>: This is a common practice of the LXX translator(s) of Psalms (see, e.g., Pss 16:6; 17:1; 17:9; 18:31; 19:13; 22:31; 27:5; 42:10; 43:2), so does not support a Hebrew base text with a suffix (see also the other ancient witness, which lack the suffix).
 + <Literary structure>: The word כָּבוֹד is essentially נֶפֶשׁ (see the parallelism in Ps 7:6), such that its praise should be contrasted with the inability for dust (עָפָר) to praise (cf. v. 10; Radak :C:; cf. Ibn Ezra :C:; Malbim :C:). #dispreferred
  - <Suffix>: The grammatical subject would necessarily be human, but without a suffix (i.e., "my honor") the sense of the noun כָּבוֹד meaning “substance, being" (TDOT :L:) never has a human referent.
   + [Suffixed forms]: See, e.g., Psalm 7:6: "let the enemy pursue my soul (נַפְשִׁ֡י) and overtake it, and let him trample my life (חַיָּ֑י) to the ground and lay my glory (כְבוֹדִ֓י) in the dust" (ESV); Psalm 57:9: Awake, my soul (כְבוֹדִ֗י)!" (NIV); Psalm 62:8: "My salvation and my honor (כְבוֹדִ֑י) depend on God" (NIV); Psalm 108:2: "I will sing and make music with all my soul (כְּבוֹדִֽי)" (NIV).
   - <Haplography>: It is probable that the *yod* suffix was lost, due to haplography (writing one letter in place of two) with the following waw (Krinetzki 1961, 436 :A:). #dispreferred
   - <LXX>: The text of the LXX contains "my," so the pronoun should be "supplied from the context" (Goldingay 2006, 424 :C:). #dispreferred
    - <Translation technique>: This is a common practice of the LXX translator(s) of Psalms (see, e.g., Pss 16:6; 17:1; 17:9; 18:31; 19:13; 22:31; 27:5; 42:10; 43:2), so does not support a Hebrew base text with a suffix (see also the other ancient witness, which lack the suffix).

כָּבוֹד as a vocative

Some understand כָּבוֹד as a vocative, such as the RVR 95: "Therefore, I will sing to you, my glory, and I will not be silent."

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[Vocative]: The word כָּבוֹד should be understood as a vocative in the clause לְמַ֤עַן ׀ יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד. #dispreferred
 <_ <Ancient versions>: None of the ancient versions represent this interpretation.
 + <Lexical semantics>: The noun כָּבוֹד may function as an appellation for YHWH in a number of other texts.#dispreferred
  <_ <Syntactic function>: None of the other examples of כָּבוֹד as an appellation for YHWH function as vocatives.
  + [כָּבוֹד as God]: See, e.g., Isaiah 24:23: וְנֶ֥גֶד זְקֵנָ֖יו כָּבֽוֹד "And the Presence will be revealed to God’s elders" (RJPS); Zechariah 2:12: אַחַ֣ר כָּב֔וֹד שְׁלָחַ֕נִי אֶל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם "After the Glorious One has sent me" (NIV); Psalm 106:20: וַיָּמִ֥ירוּ אֶת־כְּבוֹדָ֑ם "they exchanged their God" (REB).#dispreferred
  + [כָּבוֹד possibly as God]: See, e.g., Psalm 73:24: וְ֝אַחַ֗ר כָּב֥וֹד תִּקָּחֵֽנִי "and you will take me behind Glory" ("tu me prendras derrière la Gloire," TOB); Psalm 85:10: לִשְׁכֹּ֖ן כָּב֣וֹד בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ "that glory may dwell in our land" (ESV); Psalm 149:5: יַעְלְז֣וּ חֲסִידִ֣ים בְּכָב֑וֹד "Let the faithful exult in glory" (ESV). #dispreferred

כָּבוֹד as grammatical object (preferred)

Some interpret כָּבוֹד as the grammatical object, such as the NFC: "Therefore, with all my heart I will not stop celebrating your glory with my songs."

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[Grammatical object]: The word כָּבוֹד should be understood as the grammatical object of the clause לְמַ֤עַן ׀ יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד (Hitzig 1863, 171 :C:; Ḥakham 1979, 164 :C:; Loader 2003, 300 :A:; Böhler 2021, 537 :C:; Sommer 2022, 174 :A:).
 - <Different argument structure>: No other זמר verb phrase contains a double object argument structure including both the recipient and the content of the praise.#dispreferred
  <_ <Extrapolation>: We have examples in which the recipient is suffixed (Pss 108:4; 138:1) and in which כָּבוֹד is the content of what is praised (Ps 66:2), so both could conceivably be combined.
   + [Suffixed recipient]: See, e.g., Psalm 108:4: וַ֝אֲזַמֶּרְךָ֗ "I will sing praises to you" (ESV); Psalm 138:1: אֲזַמְּרֶֽךָּ "I shall sing psalms to you" (REB).
 + <Ancient versions>: Some of the ancient versions represent this interpretation.
  + [Ancient versions]: Some evidence of Aquila (see Field): "so that I will sing to you glory"; Peshitta: "Therefore I will sing praise to you."
  <_ <Paraphrase>: The Peshitta is simply a paraphrase (see the first-person verb). #dispreferred
   - <Translation pattern>: The Peshitta translator(s) throughout the psalms render זמר verb phrases very isomorphically according to the Hebrew text. It is unambiguous that ܫܘܒܚܐ here serves as the grammatical object, since elsewhere the translator flags this constituent with a preposition (see, e.g., ܙܡܪܘ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܒܫܘܒܚܐ in Ps 47:7).
 + <Lexical semantics>: The noun כָּבוֹד may function as an appellation for YHWH in a number of other texts.
  + [כבוד as God]: See, e.g., Isaiah 24:23: וְנֶ֥גֶד זְקֵנָ֖יו כָּבֽוֹד "And the Presence will be revealed to God’s elders" (RJPS); Zechariah 2:12: אַחַ֣ר כָּב֔וֹד שְׁלָחַ֕נִי אֶל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם "After the Glorious One has sent me" (NIV); Psalm 106:20: וַיָּמִ֥ירוּ אֶת־כְּבוֹדָ֑ם "they exchanged their God" (REB).
  + [כבוד possibly as God]: See, e.g., Psalm 73:24: וְ֝אַחַ֗ר כָּב֥וֹד תִּקָּחֵֽנִי "and you will take me behind Glory" ("tu me prendras derrière la Gloire," TOB); Psalm 85:10: לִשְׁכֹּ֖ן כָּב֣וֹד בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ "that glory may dwell in our land" (ESV); Psalm 149:5: יַעְלְז֣וּ חֲסִידִ֣ים בְּכָב֑וֹד "Let the faithful exult in glory" (ESV).
 + <Psalm 30 co-text>: This syntactic interpretation requires an impersonal third-person singular agent of the verb, which is consistent in the call to praise (זמר) YHWH in v. 5.
  + [Psalm 30:5]: "Sing praise (זַמְּר֣וּ) to YHWH, his faithful ones!" (CBC).
 + <Psalm 30 context>: There is a very similar expression at the conclusion of the preceding psalm.
  + [Psalm 29:9]: וּבְהֵיכָל֑וֹ כֻּ֝לּ֗וֹ אֹמֵ֥ר כָּבֽוֹד "And in his temple everyone is saying, 'Glory!'" (CBC). 
 + <Psalms context>: There are similar instances in which כָּבוֹד is the object of a verb of speech or singing.
  + [Psalms context]: See, e.g., Psalm 66:2 זַמְּר֥וּ כְבֽוֹד־שְׁמ֑וֹ "Sing the glory of his name" (NIV); Psalm 96:3: סַפְּר֣וּ בַגּוֹיִ֣ם כְּבוֹד֑וֹ "Declare his glory among the nations" (NIV).
  <_ <Different argument structure>: No other זמר verb phrase contains a double object argument structure including both the recipient and the content of the praise.#dispreferred
   <_ <Extrapolation>: We have examples in which the recipient is suffixed (Pss 108:4; 138:1) and in which כָּבוֹד is the content of what is praised (Ps 66:2), so both could conceivably be combined.
    + [Suffixed recipient]: See, e.g., Psalm 108:4: וַ֝אֲזַמֶּרְךָ֗ "I will sing praises to you" (ESV); Psalm 138:1: אֲזַמְּרֶֽךָּ "I shall sing psalms to you" (REB).

Conclusion (C)

Most ancient and modern translations of Psalm 30:13a tend to interpret כָּבוֹד as the grammatical subject and are thus forced to provide a pronominal suffix "my." This is also the case with the LXX, though it is most plausible that the "my" in "my glory" is an interpretive measure, as apparent in many other passages, rather than representing the LXX translator's Hebrew text. Since every use of כָּבוֹד with a human referent is suffixed in the MT, it is unlikely to be intended here. The conclusion that כָּבוֹד be read as the grammatical subject is, therefore, excluded.

Both the vocative and grammatical object interpretations of כָּבוֹד are much more satisfying, since כָּבוֹד may serve as an appellation for YHWH on a number occasions in the Bible. It never functions in the role of a vocative, however, The same identification of YHWH with כָּבוֹד could apply to the grammatical object interpretation, which also finds parallel instances in other psalms (most notably, right before our psalm, in Psalm 29:9). While the parallel זַמְּר֥וּ כְבֽוֹד in Psalm 66:2 is also enlightening, it should be noted that in no other instance beside the present clause do we find a זמר verb phrase with a double object of both the recipient and the content of the praising. Despite these idiosyncrasies, it appears to be the best interpretation of Psalm 30:13a, as reflected in our CBC: "so that people will sing to you 'Glory!'"

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ὅπως ἂν ψάλῃ σοι ἡ δόξα μου καὶ οὐ μὴ κατανυγῶ·
  • "so that my glory may make music to you and I shall not be stunned."
• Secunda: λα̣μαν ιζαμ̇με̇ρεχ χαβωδ οὐλω ιαδομ
  • למען יזמרך כבוד ולא ידם
• Aquila: ὅπως μελῳδήσηι σοι δόξα καὶ οὐ σιωπήσει.
  • "so that glory will sing to you and it will not be silent."
• Aquila: ὅπως μελῳδήσω σοι δόξαν καὶ οὐ σιωπήσει.
  • "so that I will sing to you glory and it will not be silent."
• Symmachus: ἵνα ᾄδῃ σε δόξα καὶ μὴ ἀποσιωπήσῃ.
  • "so that glory will sing to you and will not be silent."
• Quinta: ὅπως ψάλη σοι δόξα καὶ οὐ μὴ σιωπήσει.
  • "so that glory will sing to you and will not be silent."
• Theodotion: ἵνα ᾄδῃ σε δόξα καὶ μὴ ἀποσιωπήσῃ.
  • "so that glory will sing to you and will not be silent."
• Iuxta Hebraeos: ut laudet te gloria et non taceat
  • "so that glory might praise you and not be silent"
• Peshitta: ܡܛܠ ܗܢܐ ܐܙܡܪ ܠܟ ܫܘܒܚܐ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܬܘܩ
  • "Therefore I will sing praise to you and not be silent."
• Targum: מן בגלל דישבחון יקירי עלמא ולא ישתקון
  • "that the honored ones of the world may praise you and not be silent."

Modern

כָּבוֹד as the grammatical subject

"glory" with suffix supplied

• that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent (ESV; cf. KJV, NABRE)
• afin que ma gloire te chante, que je ne sois pas muet. (NBS)

כָּבוֹד as "being"

• that [my] whole being might sing hymns to You endlessly (RJPS; cf. CEB)
• That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent (NASB)
• So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent (NET; cf. NIV)
• Ainsi mon cœur chante tes louanges et ne reste pas muet (SG21)
• so that my well-being can praise you and not be silent (CJB)
• damit meine Seele dich besingt und nicht schweigt (ELB)
• damit mein Herz dir singe und nicht verstumme (ZÜR)
• Aussi, l'âme te chante sans répit (TOB)

כָּבוֹד as interchangeable with personal pronoun

• that I may sing psalms to you without ceasing (REB; cf. CSB)
• dass ich dir lobsinge und nicht stille werde (LUT)
• Alors je chanterai pour toi et je ne me tairai pas (PDV)

כָּבוֹד as a vocative

• Por tanto, a ti cantaré, gloria mía, y no estaré callado (RVR 95)

כָּבוֹד as grammatical object

• damit man dir Herrlichkeit singt und nicht verstummt (EÜ)
• Alors, de tout mon cœur je n'en finirai pas de célébrer ta gloire par mes chants (NFC)

Secondary Literature

Alter, Robert. 1985. The Art of Biblical Poetry. New York, NY: Basic Books.

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

Briggs, Charles A. & Briggs, Emilie G. 1906-1907. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. New York, NY: C. Scribner’s Sons.

Craigie, Peter C. 2004. Psalms 1–50. Second edition. Nashville, TN: Nelson.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1871. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Giqatilah, Moshe. Commentary on the Psalms. Cited in Ibn Ezra on Psalms.

Goldingay John. 2006. Psalms 1–41. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

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

Hitzig, Ferdinand. 1863. Die Psalmen: übersetzt und ausgelegt. Leipzig und Heidelberg: C. F. Winterische Verlagshandlung.

Ibn Ezra. Ibn Ezra on Psalms.

Jacobson, Rolf A. & Tanner, Beth. 2014. “Book One of the Psalter: Psalms 1–41,” in The Book of Psalms (NICOT). Grand Rapids, MI; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim, 1993. A Continental Commentary: Psalms 1–59. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Krinetzki, Leo. "Psalm 30 (29): in stilistisch-exegetischer Betrachtung," Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie 83.3: 345–360.

Loader, James A. 2003. "Psalm 30 read twice and understood two times," OTE 16.2: 291–308.

Malbim. Malbim on Psalms.

Radak. Radak 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).

Sommer, Benjamin D. 2022. "Form and Flexibility: A Commentary on Psalm 30." Pages 150–180 in David gavra tava. Festschrift in honor of David Marcus. Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society: Special Supplement. New York, NY: Jewish Theological Seminary.

References

30:13