I wrote this take-home exam on Psalm 29 for Advanced Old Testament Exegesis (OT 801) on October 22, 2001.
Analyze the poetry of the Psalm by scanning it (e.g., 3-3). What do Old Testament scholars usually mean by the terminology “hemistich” and “distich”? Illustrate your answer to the latter. See The Jerome Biblical Commentary, I, 240–41.
The scansion of the Psalm is as follows: (3-4), (3-3), (3-2-3), (3-3), (4-4), (3-4), (4), (4-4), (4-3-3), (3-4), (4-4).
מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד הָב֣וּ לַ֭יהֹוָה בְּנֵ֣י אֵלִ֑ים הָב֥וּ לַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה כָּב֥וֹד וָעֹֽז׃
הָב֣וּ לַ֭יהֹוָה כְּב֣וֹד שְׁמ֑וֹ הִשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ לַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה בְּהַדְרַת־קֹֽדֶשׁ׃
ק֥וֹל יְהֹוָ֗ה עַל־הַ֫מָּ֥יִם אֵֽל־הַכָּב֥וֹד הִרְעִ֑ים יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה עַל־מַ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃
קוֹל־יְהֹוָ֥ה בַּכֹּ֑חַ ק֥וֹל יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה בֶּהָדָֽר׃
ק֣וֹל יְ֭הֹוָה שֹׁבֵ֣ר אֲרָזִ֑ים וַיְשַׁבֵּ֥ר יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה אֶת־אַרְזֵ֥י הַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃
וַיַּרְקִידֵ֥ם כְּמוֹ־עֵ֑גֶל לְבָנ֥וֹן וְ֝שִׂרְיֹ֗ן כְּמ֣וֹ בֶן־רְאֵמִֽים׃
קוֹל־יְהֹוָ֥ה חֹצֵ֗ב לַהֲב֥וֹת אֵֽשׁ׃
ק֣וֹל יְ֭הֹוָה יָחִ֣יל מִדְבָּ֑ר יָחִ֥יל יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה מִדְבַּ֥ר קָדֵֽשׁ׃
ק֤וֹל יְהֹוָ֨ה׀ יְחוֹלֵ֣ל אַיָּלוֹת֮ וַֽיֶּחֱשֹׂ֢ף יְעָ֫ר֥וֹת וּבְהֵיכָל֑וֹ כֻּ֝לּ֗וֹ אֹמֵ֥ר כָּבֽוֹד׃
יְ֭הֹוָה לַמַּבּ֣וּל יָשָׁ֑ב וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה מֶ֣לֶךְ לְעוֹלָֽם׃
יְֽהֹוָ֗ה עֹ֭ז לְעַמּ֣וֹ יִתֵּ֑ן יְהֹוָ֓ה׀ יְבָרֵ֖ךְ אֶת־עַמּ֣וֹ בַשָּׁלֽוֹם׃ {פ}
A stich is simply a line of poetry or a verse unit. A hemistich is literally half of a stich, but it commonly refers to the individual parts into which a line of poetry may be divided.1 So there may be two, three, four, or more hemistichs in one stich.A distich is a line of poetry (a stich) with two hemistichs.2 The following Hebrew stich is a distich because it is divided into two hemistichs.
הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים כְּבֽוֹד־אֵ֑ל וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דָ֗יו מַגִּ֥יד הָרָקִֽיעַ׃
This stich, Psalm 19:2 (in the Hebrew), is divided into two hemistichs, “The heavens are enumerating the glory of God,” is the first hemistich, and, “The expanse is reporting the work of His hands,” is the second hemistich. Since there are two hemistichs, they form a distich.
Analyze the parallelism of the Psalm, using lower case letters [a b] for each element and capitals [B] for any ballast variants that might appear. Label the different types of parallelism.
- 1: [ab + ac] — Synonymous (staircase and chiastic)
- 2: [ac’ + a’b’] — Synonymous
- 3: [ab + a’c + a’b] — Synonymous (staircase)
- 4: [ab + ab’] — Synonymous
- 5: [abc + b’a’c’] — Synonymous
- 6: [abc + c’b’] — Synonymous/chiastic
- 7: [abc] — None
- 8: [abc + bac’] — Synonymous
- 9: [abc + b’c’ + B] — Synonymous
- 10: [abc + cab] — Synonymous
- 11: [abcd + ad’cb’] — Synonymous
Translate the Psalm 29 into verse form without consulting any other translations.
1 A Psalm belonging to David. Give to Yahweh, O sons of gods, give to Yahweh glory and strength. 2 Give to Yahweh the glory of His name; bow down to Yahweh in glory of holiness. 3 The voice of Yahweh (is) on the waters; the God of the glory caused thunder; Yahweh (is) on the great waters. 4 The voice of Yahweh (is) in the strength; the voice of Yahweh (is) in the majesty. 5 The voice of Yahweh is breaking the cedars, and Yahweh is shattering the cedars of Lebanon. 6 And He caused them to skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a son of wild oxen. 7 The voice of Yahweh is hewing out flames of fire. 8 The voice of Yahweh is causing the wilderness to be in anguish; Yahweh is causing the wilderness of Kadesh to be in anguish. 9 The voice of Yahweh is bringing forth does, and He is bringing kids to premature birth, and in His temple His all is saying glory. 10 Yahweh sat at the flood, and Yahweh sat (as) king for a long time. 11 Yahweh is giving strength to His people; Yahweh will bless His people with the peace.
Where is the well-known occurrence of enclitic mem in the Psalm? Contrast the philological method in this instance with the suggested emendation. See Barr, Comparative Philology, 31–33.
The supposed enclitic mem appears in verse 6 on the word וַיַּרְקִידֵם. There are basically three ways to understand this passage. The first takes the mem as the object of the verb as it appears to be, willing to allow for a lack of symmetry in the poetic parallelism. The second approach is to emend the text to וַיַּרְקֵד, taking off the sere mem ending. The final approach is the philological method, which recognizes the possibility of the enclitic mem.3 Basically, the latter approach argues that the mem really has no semantic value. They propose this solution from an analysis of Semitic languages, especially of Ugaritic poetry, which frequently takes an m at the end of a word. Also, Akkadian notably has a similar phenomenon, taking a ma at the end of certain words. The philological method suggests that the existence of this trend in Ugaritic and Akkadian is good evidence for its early existence in Hebrew as well—a trend which had stopped at some point leaving only remnants of its prior existence. These latter two approaches have the advantage of maintaining the poetical balance. But there is no ground for emending the text. The philological treatment, recognizing the enclitic mem, if valid, is to be preferred.4
The difference in translation of these would be (ignoring the athnach of the Masoretes),
“And He caused them to skip like calves, Lebanon and Sirion like the son of wild oxen,”
or
“And He caused Lebanon to skip like calves, and [He caused] Sirion [to skip] like the son of wild oxen.”
In this latter approach, Lebanon and Sirion become the objects of the verb רקד (the second occurrence being implied). Thus the symmetry is preserved, having two equal hemistichs.
How do we know the meaning of the word בְּהַדְרַת in verse 2? How can one be sure of the meaning of the verb רקד in verse 6?
The word הֲדָרָה means either “beauty” (KJV) or “attire” (NASB). The two translations resulting are respectively, “Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness,” and, “Worship the LORD in holy array.”5 These are two significantly different meanings. The word הֲדָרָה only occurs 5 times in the Hebrew.6 Some modern scholars have translated the word “vision,” taking into account the Ugaritic hdrt.7 But Craigie argues that because hdrt is a hapax legomenon and because it is possibly a scribal error for d(h)rt, the basis for viewing the word in this way is very weak.8 It should probably just be understood like its cognate הָדָר, which all agree means “glory” or “majesty.”Kidner argues that either translation will work in most of its occurrences, but 2 Chronicles 20:21 seems to decisively argue against “in holy array” because of its parallelism with verse 19 where praise is “to the Lord.” Kidner says that “giving praise to the splendour of holiness” better parallels this earlier expression.9
The word רקד occurs 9 times in the Hebrew,10 and its meaning can be established by considering the contexts in which it is used. In 1 Chronicles 15:29 David is dancing and celebrating (וּמְשַׂחֵק) when the ark is recovered. It is something that children do in Job 21:11. In Psalm 29:6 calf and wild oxen are said to do this. In Psalm 114:4–6 it is something that rams and lambs do. In Ecclesiastes 3:4 it is contrasted with mourning (סְפוֹד).In Isaiah 13:21 it is used of goats. And in Nahum 3:2 it is used to describe chariots with galloping horses. Its meaning can also be further established by looking at the way the LXX translators dealt with it. It is translated in the following ways: ὀρχέομαι (“to dance”) twice, προσπαίζω (“to play or sport”), σκιρτάω (“to leap about, jump for joy, show that one is very happy”) twice, γελάω (“to laugh, be merry”), and ἐξάλλομαι (“to leap or jump up, spring up”).11 On this basis, the meaning is relatively certain.
Explain or interpret the following phrases:
- בְּנֵי אֵלִים – GK explains this phrase saying, “When a substantive is followed by a genitive, and the compound idea thus formed is to be expressed in the plural, this is done…by using the plural of both nouns.”12 This expression is basically taken four different ways. Most of the versions have taken אֵלִים as referring to mighty men.13 Others have thought that it refers to angels or heavenly beings.14 A few refer to אֵלִים as God.15 And the Bible in Basic English translates it as gods. It is difficult to determine what the best way to understand this is. The plural form אֵלִים occurs only three other times in the Hebrew.16 The essential meaning of the word is “power” or “might.”Whether it refers to sons of mighty men, heavenly beings, supposed gods, or sons of God, the essential meaning is still the same. All mighty beings are nothing in comparison to the God of heaven, and they must bow and worship before Him.
- עַל־מַיִם – This phrase, “upon the waters,” most naturally refers to God’s power over the storms of the sea, but due to the recent trend of Ugaritic studies, it has been suggested that ‘am refers, on another level, to Yahweh’s power over the “god of the mighty waters.”17
- בַּכֹּחַ – GK notes in reference to noun clauses the frequency of substantives occurring as predicates “when no corresponding adjective exists…or when the attribute is intended to receive a certain emphasis.”18 So to say that the voice of the Lord is with power is really to say the voice of the Lord is powerful with an emphasis on His power.
- יְחוֹלֵל אַיָּלוֹת – This phrase has been rendered two different ways. Taking the pointing at the MT has it would make it, “The voice of Yahweh brings forth does.” Some have suggested that this makes no sense, especially in the context. The following phrase says, “He strips the forest bare.”For this reason, some have emended the reading to אֵילוֹת (which means trees), thus maintaining the parallelism with the next phrase. The NET follows this, translating it, “The Lord’s shout bends the large trees.”But there is no basis for this change. The word אַיָּלוֹת is used one other time in Job 39:1. And there is it used with the same verb חיל (polel infinitive construct) in parallelism with the bearing of the mountain goat.19 The only apparent problem is the meaning of the word חיל in the polel. If it does have a causative sense, which seems to be necessary, this is the only time it occurs.
- לַמַּבּוּל – Most likely this word refers to great storms of rain in a general sense. The word occurs only twelve other times—all in Genesis—with reference to the worldwide flood of Noah’s day.20 Sometimes it refers to the water prior to its coming down on the earth, and sometimes it refers to the water after it had flooded the world. In this passage, it refers to God’s sovereign control and rulership over the rains and storms, He being their source and cause. Some suggest again the Canaanite traditions of Baal’s power over the flood, showing that it is Yahweh not Baal who controls these powerful forces.21
Where are Sirion and Kadesh?
According to Deuteronomy 3:9, Sirion is the name given to Hermon by the Sidonians. In Psalm 29:6 Sirion is in synonymous parallelism with Lebanon, which may occur in some Ugaritic texts as well.22 Delitzsch asserts, “Side by side with Lebanon it represents Anti-Lebanon.”23 Schenk suggests, “Sirion…probably did not denote a particular part of the Hermon Range, as did Senir, but may have been suggested by the conformation of the range itself, as seen from the heights above the Phoen coast.”24
According to The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Kadesh, which is referred to in Psalm 29:8, is the same as Kadesh-Barnea. It was located, according to Numbers 20:1 and 33:36–37, “in the wilderness of Zin…in the hill country of the Amorites” (Deut 1:19). It was near Mt. Seir, according to Deut. 1:2, and took about eleven days to travel there from Horeb. Numbers 20:16 describes Kadesh as a town on the edge of Edom’s territory, and Ezekiel 47:19 places it in the southern part of Judah.25 According to Delitzsch, “However we may define its position, [the wilderness region of Kadesh] must certainly have lain near the steep western slope of the mountains of Edom toward the Arabah.”26 On the map, it is located about 50 miles southwest of Beersheba.27
What phrase does the LXX add to the title? What does this phrase imply? See Delitzsch, I, 367.
The phrase ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ ἐξοδίου σκηνῆς is the title given in the LXX.The phrase literally means “the final (day) of a tent.”28 Delitzsch suggest that the Jews would sing it “on the Shemini Azereth, the last day of the feast of tabernacles.”29 The word ἐξόδιος is cognate to the more common ἔξοδος, which literally means “a going out.”30 Ἐξόδιος occurs 6 times in the LXX,31 each time (except for the title of Psalm 29) as a translation of the Hebrew word עֲצֶרֶת,32 which means “assembly.”33 The reason that this particular word was used appears from the contexts of each of the passages. They all reference the final solemn assembly “on the eighth day” (except for Deut. 16:8, which refers to the solemn assembly “on the seventh day”). All of these passages indicate the consummation of a series of feasts or festivals.
What is the natural outline of the Psalm?
- 1–2 The Praise of Yahweh
- 3–9 The Power of Yahweh
- 10–11 The Providence of Yahweh
As a separate item, revise your translation by comparing it with several other translations. Be sure the English is clear. List the translations consulted.
1 A Psalm belonging to David. Ascribe to Yahweh, O sons of mighty ones, Ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; bow down to Yahweh in the glory of His holiness. 3 The voice of Yahweh is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; Yahweh is above the great waters. 4 The voice of Yahweh sounds forth in strength; the voice of Yahweh sounds forth in majesty. 5 The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars, and Yahweh shatters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 And He causes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of Yahweh strikes with flames of fire. 8 The voice of Yahweh shakes the wilderness; Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of Yahweh brings forth does, and He brings kids to premature birth, and in his temple all are saying, “Glory!” 10 Yahweh sits above the flood, and Yahweh is sitting as King for ever. 11 Yahweh gives strength to His people; Yahweh blesses His people with well-being.34
Check the comments on the origin of this Psalm in The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary on the Bible and in PCB (Peake). What impression does the general reader get from these statements as far as the discovery of Ugaritic documents is concerned? What are some of the more detailed arguments concerning Canaanite influence? See W. F. Albright, ARI; Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 2, 45–47; and Cross in BASOR, 117 (1950), 19–21. Evaluate these claims by using O. T. Allis, The Old Testament: Its Claims and Critics, 333–37.
It appears from reading the scholarly works regarding the Semitic studies of Ugarit that Psalm 29 was “only slightly modified [from an ancient Canaanite Baal hymn] for use in the cultus of Yahweh.”35 The poetic parallelism and meter are supposed to resemble closely that of Canaanite poetry in Ugaritic documents. Therefore, most critics conclude that it must have been taken from the Canaanite religion and been changed by removing Baal and inserting Yahweh.36 This idea is quite commonly accepted, with most commentators recognizing it in some form.
One of the primary arguments is the similar description of Yahweh and Baal. Both groups of people saw their God as “a storm god riding in a cloud-enveloped chariot, uttering peals of thunder and sending out darts of lightning.”37 But Ginsberg argues that while the Canaanites viewed these descriptions literally, the Israelites saw them only as symbolic, poetical expressions.38 Also, the climatic parallelism is pointed out as being frequent in Ugaritic poetry.39 Along with this unique parallelism are the metrical patterns—“the use of the metrical units 3:3 and 2:2 as building blocks in alternating rhythms.”40 There is as well the recognition of certain Ugaritic vocabulary, which they claim shows its Canaanite origin. One example is the difficult phrase בְּהַדְרַת־קֹדֶשׁ, which allegedly comes from Ugaritic.41 On another note, Ginsberg argues for Canaanite origin based upon the names of places referred to in the Psalm. According to Deuteronomy 11:24 and Joshua 1:4, Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon were never part of Israel’s territory. Sirion as well is not a common name in the Hebrew, and according to Deuteronomy 3:9 it is the Phoenician name for Mount Hermon, which also “is the name employed by Ugaritians.”42 Finally, “the wilderness of Kadesh” is only found in Ugaritic and not in the Hebrew, which as well would seem to imply a borrowing from the Canaanites.43
O. T. Allis points out however, that there are many features of this Psalm which are not found in Hebrew poetry or in Ugaritic, but rather belong to Hebrew prose. He points out the seven times the article occurs (with the inseparable preposition four times and without three times).44 The sign of the direct object also appears twice, something unusual in poetry. One example he mentions is in verse 5 where -ta, occurs on “cedars” and h occurs on “Lebanon,” claiming that this is unknown in Canaanite.45 He also points out the use of the word יהב, which is used three times in the Psalm, noting that it does not occur in Ugaritic, and therefore “cannot be called a ‘Canaanitism.’”46Cross comments on the importance of Psalm 29 “for the analysis of Canaanite prosodic cannons and their influence on Israelite psalmody.”47 But he also admits that they “do not have from Ugarit a clear cut example of the Canaanite cultic psalm.”48 He then asserts that this Psalm is the missing example in Canaanite literature.49 But Allis refers to this as ridiculous, drawing attention to the fact that there is no cultic psalm extant in Ugarit of the Canaanites, but somehow they are drawing from the Hebrew this very psalm, of which they claim the Ugaritic psalm is the source.50 So in essence, the Hebrew becomes the source for itself.
Write a one-paragraph exposition of this Psalm.
This Psalm of David is a Psalm of the greatness of God revealed in nature, particularly as He is revealed in a storm. In the opening two verses, David calls men to recognize and respond to the glory and greatness of Yahweh, giving four imperatives with Yahweh as the object of their action. Men are to acknowledge God’s glory and majesty and praise Him for His greatness. The Psalmist then goes on to describe the revelation of God in the thunderstorm, making reference to the voice of Yahweh. This phrase is repeated seven times in these seven verses. He describes His voice as being powerful and majestic, as being upon the waters and thundering, and as shaking the wilderness and stripping bare the forests. In the closing verses Yahweh is shown as the ruling King with absolute sovereign power and control, yet as the covenant God of His people who gives them strength and prosperity. The God who is to be feared and reverenced because of His incredible power over creation is to be loved and adored for His covenant love to His people.
Notes
1. Each hemistich will express a complete thought. ↩
2. Jerome Biblical Commentary, I, 240–41. ↩
3. IBHS defines enclitic as “a word or element that carries no stress of its own and depends on the preceding word; in Hebrew, [it is] an element written together with the preceding word” (IBHS, 690). The word comes from the Greek word meaning “leaning on.” ↩
4. Barr, 31–32. ↩
5. The majority of versions apparently go with the KJV—NIV, NRS, NKJV, WEB, RWB, DBY, YLT, NAB, NLT, and NJB. In support of the NASB are NAU, ASV, RSV, and BBE.The LXX demonstrates a third way of dealing with this word by translating it ἐν αὐλῇ ἁγίᾳ αὐτοῦ (“in His holy court”). The Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition follows this reading as well (“in his holy court”). ↩
6. These occurrences in the Hebrew text are 1 Chron. 16:29; 2 Chron. 20:21; Ps. 29:2; 96:9; and Prov. 14:28. Three out of these five the LXX translates as αὐλή (court). ↩
7. Craigie, 242–43. Dahood follows this approach in his commentary on the Psalms, translating the phrase, “Bow down to Yahweh when the Holy One appears” (p. 174, 76). ↩
8. Ibid. ↩
9. Kidner, 125. ↩
10. These occurrences are 1 Chron. 15:29; Job 21:11; Ps. 29:6; 114:4, 6; Ecc. 3:4; Isa. 13:21; Joel 2:5; and Nah. 3:2. ↩
11. However, the LXX uses the word λεπτύνω (“to make small or fine; to thresh out, winnow”) in Psalm 29:6. ↩
12. GK §124p-q. ↩
13. These include YLT, DBY, RWB, WEB, NKJV, NAU, NIV, ASV, and KJV. ↩
14. These include NLT, NAB, NRS, and RSV. ↩
15. These include LXX, NJB, and DRA. GK translates it this way as well (§124q). ↩
16. It occurs in Job 41:25; Ps. 89:6; and Dan 11:36. And the versions are divided in all of these occurrences as well, except for the Daniel passage, where they all agree in translating it “gods.” ↩
17. Craigie, 247. ↩
18. GK §141c. He says in footnote 2, “The same naturally applies…where a preposition precedes the substantival predicate.” ↩
19. The synonymous parallelism in the Hebrew is חֹלֵל אַיָּלוֹת לֵדֶת יַעֲלֵי־סָלַע. ↩
20. Genesis 6:17; 7:6, 7, 10, 17; 9:11, 15, 28; 10:1, 32; and 11:10. ↩
21. Craigie, 248–49. ↩
22. Craigie, 248. ↩
23. Delitzsch, 236. ↩
24. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, IV, 2812. ↩
25. ISBE, “Kadesh-Barnea,” III, 1788–89. ↩
26. Delitzsch, 237. ↩
27. The Interpreter’s One Volume Commentary on the Bible, 271. ↩
28. Liddell & Scott 9th Edition, p. 596. ↩
29. Delitzsch, 145–46. He continues discussion in the footnotes and says, “We only know, that Ps. 29 belongs to the Psalm-portions for the intervening days of the feast of tabernacles, which are comprehended in the vox memorialis….The only confirmation of the statement of the LXX is to be found in the Sohar; for there Ps. 29 is referred to the pouring forth of the water on the seventh day of the feast of the tabernacles (Hosianna rabba), since it is said that by means of the seven קולות (corresponding to the seven compassings of the altar) seven of the Sephiroth open the flood-gates of heaven.” ↩
30. Liddell & Scott, p. 596. ↩
31. They are Leviticus 23:36; Numbers 29:35; Deuteronomy 16:8; 2 Chronicles 7:9; Nehemiah 8:18; and Psalms 28:1. ↩
32. The only other time that עֲצֶרֶת occurs (the form ending in t,) when it is not translated by ἐξόδιος is in Jeremiah 9:1, where it is translated by the cognate σύνοδος, which as well means “assembly.” ↩
33. BDB, 783. ↩
34. Translation compared and revised with KJV, ASV, NIV, NAS, RSV, NRS, NKJ, WEB, DRA, RWB, DBY, BBE, YLT, LXX, LXE, NAB, NLT, NJB, and NEB. ↩
35. Cross, 19. ↩
36. Peake, 419. ↩
37. H. L. Ginsberg, Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 45. ↩
38. Ibid, 47. ↩
39. Ibid, 46. ↩
40. Cross, 20. ↩
41. Ibid, 21. ↩
42. Ginsberg, 46. ↩
43. Ibid. ↩
44. O.T. Allis, 333. The article appears in vv. 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 10, and 11. ↩
45. Ibid, 334. ↩
46. Ibid, 335. ↩
47. Cross, 19. ↩
48. Ibid. ↩
49. Ibid. ↩
50. Allis, 335–36. ↩