The Text and Meaning of Psalm 30:8a

Introduction

The Masoretic Text of Psalm 30:8 reads as follows:

יְֽהוָ֗ה בִּרְצוֹנְךָ֮  הֶעֱמַ֪דְתָּה לְֽהַרְרִ֫י עֹ֥ז

הִסְתַּ֥רְתָּ פָנֶ֗יךָ הָיִ֥יתִי נִבְהָֽל׃

One scholar has recently noted that "the first line found in this verse is extremely difficult." This difficulty is illustrated by the distinction found in the following two translations:

• for You, O ETERNAL One, when You were pleased, made [me] firm as a mighty mountain (RJPS)
• LORD, by your favour you made my mountain strong (REB)

The issues are syntactic (concerning the grammatical object of the verb הֶעֱמַ֪דְתָּה), morphological (concerning the correct interpretation of לְֽהַרְרִ֫י), and textual (with some following the vocalization לְהַרְרֵי—see below). The RJPS provides the object (in brackets) "me," which is not present in the Hebrew text, and translates the MT's לְֽהַרְרִ֫י עֹ֥ז "as a mighty mountain." The REB, on the other hand, understands "strength" (עֹז) as the grammatical object and reflects the interpretation of the MT's לְֽהַרְרִ֫י עֹ֥ז as "strength for my mountain."

We consider these two possibilities in the following argument maps.

Argument Maps

Object drop

A number of translations and commentators supply the expected object "me," such as the RJPS: "for You, O ETERNAL One, when You were pleased, made [me] firm as a mighty mountain." This view also requires various solutions for the MT's לְֽהַרְרִ֫י.

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[Object drop]: The object "me" should be supplied, and the consonants להררי עז should be read as "mountain(s) of strength" (Saadia :C:; Moshe Giqatilah :C:;  GKC §90n :G:; Kraus 1993, 352 :C:; Craigie 2004, 251 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Babylonian vocalization>: This interpretation is compatible with the Babylonian manuscripts BL Or 2373 and JTS 611, which contain the vocalization לְהַרְרֵי "mountains of." #dispreferred
  <_ <Ancient witnesses>: Most vocalized manuscripts, as well as ancient witnesses such as the Secunda, attest to the î suffix, not the ê plural construct ending.
   + [Ancient witnesses]: See, e.g., λααραρι in the Secunda.
  <_ <Plural mountains>: The suggested revocalization following the Babyloian manuscripts BL Or 2373 and JTS 611 suggests a plurality of mountains, which makes little sense of the metaphor for the singular psalmist (Hitzig 1863, 170 :C:).
   <_ <Another emendation>: The final yod should be removed to read (singular) "strong mountain" (Jacobson & Tanner 2014, 291 :C:). #dispreferred
    - <Morphology>: If the final *yod* of הררי were removed, the consonants הרר would still remain. This form never never appears as a singular construct form of *qal* >> *qall* noun forms in the Bible without a pronominal suffix (cf. singular עַם and only plural עֲמָמִים and עַמְמֵי), so הרר עז is ungrammatical in Biblical Hebrew.
   <_ <Old genitive>: The yod in the MT's לְֽהַרְרִ֫י עֹ֥ז should be read as the old genitive ending, and therefore a singular "mountain of strength" (Malul 1996, 141 :C:).#dispreferred
    + [Old genitive]: See, e.g., בְּנִ֣י אֲתֹנ֑וֹ "his donkey’s colt" (ESV) in Genesis 49:11; שֹׁכְנִ֖י סְנֶ֑ה "him who dwells in the bush" (ESV) in Deuteronomy 33:16.#dispreferred
 + <Object drop>: Object drop occurs frequently in Biblical Hebrew (Atkinson 2026 :G:).#dispreferred
  + [Object drop examples]: See, e.g., וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃ "and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (Gen 3:6, NIV); וַיִּשְׂא֖וּ וַיָּבִ֣אוּ "and carried and brought it" (2 Sam 23:16; ESV); יִשָּׂ֑א "lift up his voice" (Isa 42:2, ESV); אֶֽעֱרָךְ־לְ֝ךָ֗ "I arrange my case before you" (Ps 5:4, CBC); cf. Judg 3:23; 2 Kgs 4:39–41; Ezek 12:6; 2 Chr 34:4.#dispreferred
  <_ <Other syntax>: Other examples of object drop are unambiguous and do not have another possible interpretation; where there is a possible explicit object, that interpretation is preferable.
 + <Similar syntax>: Elsewhere we find similar ideas communicated with the grammatical object as the undergoer of the action.#dispreferred
  + [Similar syntax]: See, e.g., Psalm 18:34 וְעַ֥ל בָּ֝מֹתַ֗י יַעֲמִידֵֽנִי "and upon my heights he established me."#dispreferred
   <_ <Suffix>: Psalm 18:34 has an explicit pronominal suffix on the verb יַעֲמִידֵֽנִי "he established me."

"Strength" as Object (preferred)

Other translations do not need to supply an object because they understand "strength" (עֹז) as the object and read the MT's לְֽהַרְרִ֫י simply as the recipient, "for my mountain," such as the REB: "LORD, by your favour you made my mountain strong."

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["Strength for my mountain"]: The MT's לְֽהַרְרִ֫י should be maintained and read as "for my mountain" and "strength" (עֹז) as the grammatical object (Meiri :C:; Delitzsch 1871, 374 :C:; Goldingay 2006, 424 :C:; Böhler 2021, 535 :C:).
 + <MT>: This is the simple reading of the MT.
 + <Ancient versions>: This interpretation is reflected in Aquila, Quinta, Sexta and Jerome: "you established strength for my mountain" (see the ancient versions below).
 + <Identity of "my mountain">: "My mountain" can be identified with the "city of David" (2 Sam 5:7–9), which is elsewhere equated with Mount Zion—if the "great king" (מֶלֶךְ רָֽב) in Psalm 48 is to be identified with David (see, e.g., Radak :C:).
  + [Psalm 48:3]: "beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King" (ESV).
 + <Syntax>: The verb עמד and related verbs of provision (*bereitstellen*, Jenni 2000, 98), e.g., כון or שׁפת, use lamed prepositions to mark the recipient (Jenni 2000, Rubrik 3).
  + [Similar syntax]: See, e.g., כון in Psalm 147:8: הַמֵּכִ֣ין לָאָ֣רֶץ מָטָ֑ר "he supplies the earth with rain" (NIV); Job 38:41: מִ֤י יָכִ֥ין לָעֹרֵ֗ב צֵ֫יד֥וֹ "Who provides food for the raven...?" (NIV); שׁפת in Isaiah 26:12: תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ת שָׁל֖וֹם לָ֑נוּ "you establish peace for us" (NIV); and עמד in Nehemiah 13:30: וָאַעֲמִ֧ידָה מִשְׁמָר֛וֹת לַכֹּהֲנִ֥ים וְלַלְוִיִּ֖ם "and (I) established the services of the priests and Levites" (CEB); 2 Chronicles 11:15: וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־לוֹ֙ כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים לַבָּמ֖וֹת "he appointed for himself priests for the high places" (NJKV); 2 Chronicles 33:8: הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶֽעֱמַ֖דְתִּי לַאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם "the land I assigned to your ancestors" (NIV).
 - <Unclear sense>: It is not clear what "establishing strength for a mountain" could mean.#dispreferred
  - <Strength>: "Strength" is found as the grammatical object elsewhere with similar verbs.
   + [Strength]: Psalm 8:3: "you have established strength (יִסַּ֪דְתָּ֫ עֹ֥ז)" (ESV); Psalm 29:11: "YHWH gives strength to his people"; Psalm 68:36: "he gives strength and might to his people"; Psalm 86:16: "give your strength to your servant" (ESV).
   <_ <Verb>: None of these examples employ *hiphil* עמד.#dispreferred
  - <Abstract objects>: Verbs of provision are elsewhere modified by an abstract object.
   + [Abstract objects]: See, e.g., Isaiah 26:12: תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ת שָׁל֖וֹם לָ֑נוּ "you establish peace for us" (NIV).
  - <Context>: The sense of "you established strength for my hill >> you make my hill/place of reign strong" is placed in contrast to the self-confidence of v. 7, which contains the verb מוט, often collocated with mountains (see, e.g., Isa 54:10; Pss 46:3; 125:1).
   + [v. 7]: "But I had said in my ease, 'I will never waver (אֶמּ֥וֹט)'" (CBC). 

Conclusion (B)

The claims that "the first line found in this verse is extremely difficult" has led much of modern scholarship (though also medieval commentators and translators as early as Saadia and Moshe Giqatilah) to search for various solutions for this line's text and syntax. These primarily involve supplying an elided object ("me") and understanding the consonants להררי עז as a plural construct ("as mountains of strength") or as reflecting the old genitive suffix ("as a mountain of strength") (in addition to a number of proposed emendations). Nevertheless, the pursuit of such solutions is unnecessary, since the MT text, as reflected in most of the ancient versions, is not problematic. The issue seems to be with the intended sense of the line, rather than its syntax. Although the psalmist as a possessor of a mountain may sound strange, in a psalm dedicated to the establishing of his house, i.e., royal dynasty, which was established on Mount Zion, it follows that he would not rely on his own strength (v. 7), but rather trust in God to provide strength to his house/mountain. Thus, we prefer to follow the MT and translate "YHWH, in your favor you had established strength for my mountain."

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: κύριε, ἐν τῷ θελήματί σου παρέσχου τῷ κάλλει μου δύναμιν· 
  • "O Lord, by your will, you furnished my beauty with power"
• Secunda: יהוה βαρσωναχ̣ εεμε̣δεθ λααραρι οζ (reflecting the MT's לְהַרְרִי)
• Aquila: יהוה ἐν τῇ εὐδοκίᾳ σου ἔστησας τῷ ὄρει μου κράτος.
  • "YHWH, in your pleasure you established for my mountain strength."
• Symmachus: יהוה ἐν τῇ εὐδοκίᾳ σου ἔστησας τῷ προπάτορί μου κράτος.
  • "YHWH, in your pleasure you established for my progenitors strength."
• Quinta: יהוה ἐν τῇ εὐδοκίᾳ σου ἔστησας τῷ ὄρει μου δύναμιν.
  • "YHWH, in your pleasure you established for my mountain strength."
• Sexta: ... ἔστησ(ας) τῷ ὄρ‹ει› μου δύναμιν
  • "... you established for my mountain strength."
• Iuxta Hebraeos: Domine in voluntate tua posuisti monti meo fortitudinem
  • "Lord, in your will you set strength for my mountain."
• Peshitta: ܐܠܗܐ ܒܨܒܝܢܟ ܐܩܝܡܬ ܥܠ ܫܘܒܚܝ ܚܝܠܐ
  • "O God, by your desire you have established strength on my glory."
• Targum: יהוה ברעותך איתעתדתא לטוריא עושינא
  • "O Lord, by your will you established the mighty mountains."

Modern

Object drop

• for You, O ETERNAL One, when You were pleased, made [me] firm as a mighty mountain (RJPS; cf. CEB, CSB, GNT, NABRE)
• Pero tú, Señor, en tu bondad me habías afirmado en lugar seguro (DHH)
• Denn, HERR, durch dein Wohlgefallen hattest du mich auf einen starken Fels gestellt (LUT; cf. ELB, ZÜR)

"strength" as object

• LORD, by your favour you made my mountain strong (REB; cf. ESV, KJV, NASB, NIV)
• Eternel, par ta grâce tu avais affermi ma montagne (SG21; cf. TOB)
• HERR, in deiner Güte hast du meinen Berg gefestigt (EÜ)

Secondary Literature

Atkinson, Ian. 2026. "Post-verbal word order," in Geoffrey Khan et al. (eds.) The Cambridge Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Cambridge: Open Book Publishers and University of Cambridge.

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

Briggs, Charles A. & Briggs, Emilie G. 1906. 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.

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.

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

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.

Malul, Meir. 1996. "Chapter 30" (in Hebrew). Pages 138–142 in Psalms: Volume 1. Olam HaTaNaKh. Tel Aviv: דודזון–עתי.

Meiri, Menachem. Meiri on Psalms.

Müller, Hans-Peter. 1999. "Formsgeschichtliche und sprachliche Beobachtungen zu Psalm 30," Zeitschrift für Althebraistik 12.2: 192–201.

Radak. Radak on Psalms.

Saadia = Qafaḥ, Yosef. 1965. The Psalms with Translation and Commentary of Saadia Gaon (in Hebrew: תהלים עם תרגום פוירוש הגאון). 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

30:8