1 Psalm 68 (68:1) (superscription) (of, belonging to). The ל Grammatical note = Possessive למנצח... לדוד preposition ל can indicate that its object is owned or possessed by someone. The idea of possession is not necessarily literal; it may indicate a relationship other than possession This is also called periphrastic ל or the genitive.ל When the object of ל is someone who wrote something, it is sometimes referred to as the ל of author or the ל auctoris. See Williams, 270. So it is unclear that the superscription is attempting to express that David (or the director) is the author or if the psalm is associated with David (or the director). now. song under BDB 1010a. Common noun. Learn it = שׁ יר 274b. melody, psalm under BDB = מ ז מוֹר (68:2) (68:1 English) 806b. be dispersed, scattered under BDB = פוץ 630b. = Hiphil put to flight; hide under BDB נוס.ס נ א foe. Arb š-n-ʾ. Arm שנאם "hate" under BDB 971a. Sab = שׂנא (68:3) drive, drive asunder under BDB 623b. Compare Psalm 1. 1 = נדף 2 תנדף 798b. smoke under BDB = ע שׁ ן dissolve, melt, Niphal melt under BDB 587b. Note form! Final geminate = מסס verbs can be difficult. (unknown). = דנג wax under BDB 200a. Root = דוֹנ ג 1 Read. כהנּ דף Okay maybe? 2 Read ינּ ד פו compare versions.
2 1a. perish under BDB = אבד (68:4) joys. מעלץ rejoice, exult under BDB 763a. Akk elēṣu exult. Sab = עלץ exult, rejoice under BDB 965a. Perhaps from interjection Arb šāʾšāʾ an = שׂושׂ enticing call? (68:5) = Piel (only) "make music in praise of God" under BDB 274a. Arb zamara זמר.ז מּ ר "pipe, play (on a reed)". Arm 3 שׁמו or exalt under BDB 699b. Imperative,(ברוך לעולם (verb) lift up (voices on = ס ל ה of סלל I = lift up, cast up? It probably came into use in late Persian period in connexion with psalms used with musical accompaniment in public worship, to indicate place of benedictions. It was not added by later editors to other psalms; but was revived in first century BC, and continued in use for some time (BDB 700a)..סלל Note form of difficult final geminate verb 938b. mount and ride, ride under BDB = רכב sterile. 4 IV = be arid, ערב desert-plain, steppe under BDB 787a. Root = ע ר ב ה 759b. exult under BDB = עלז syntax. 5 Odd ביהּ שׁמו (68:6) 3 A few manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac. לשׁמו Fair enough. 4 Propose ב עבות or בערפות compare Ugaritic rkb (rpt. Interesting! And plausible if scribes did not know what to do with this. 5 Sure enough Septuagint, Syriac omit ;ב read frt י) כי יהּ haplography).
3 pupil, Arb yatiymu(n).יתם Ph.י ת מ א orphan under BDB 450b. Arm = י תוֹם orphan. judge. = דין "judge" under BDB 193a. Very rare. Root = ד יּ ן 48a. widow under BDB = אַל מ נ ה dwell. 6 = עון I = dwelling, habitation under BDB 732b. Root מ עוֹן (68:7) 402b. only, only one, solitary under BDB = י ח יד.ב י ת Note original form?ה + locative ב י ת Hunh. This is ב י ת ה 63b. bondsman, prisoner under BDB = אָס יר prosperity under BDB 507a. Hapax? And only plural intensive. Root = כוֹשׁ ר ה be advantageous, prosper, suitable, succeed (late Aramaic!). There = כשׁר are indications that Psalm 68 either is late or northern or both. 7 be stubborn, rebellious under BDB 710b. Akk sarāru. Note form with = סרר patah hatuph (?) under first.ר Resh sometimes attracts A class vowels. dazzling. 8 be = צחח scorched land under BDB 850a. Hapax. Root = צ ח יח ה 9 א ך (68:8) step, march under BDB 857b. Arb ṣa(ida ascend. Note form of infinitive = צעד.צ ע ד ך but צ ע ד construct with pronominal suffix. Not. ממעון A few manuscripts 6 7 Septuagint εν ανδρεια.?צר יח ם = ταφοις Septuagint (Syriac) εν 8 9 A few manuscripts,אף Septuagint οµοιως, Syriac copula, Hieronymous autem. Not sure what to make of this.
4 be desolate (compare = ישׁם waste, wilderness under BDB 445a. Root = י שׁ ימוֹן.(שׁמם (68:9) 10 מפני אלהים fsa. quaking, shaking under BDB 950a. Note form = ר ע שׁ expression. = Hiphil drip; speak, prophesy under BDB 642b. Interesting נטף Note use of demonstrative as substantive(?). He of Sinai = the One of זה סיני Sinai. 11 מפני אלהים 12 (68:10) 177b. rain, shower under BDB = ג שׁ ם 621b. voluntariness, freewill-offering under BDB = נ ד ב ה (of) Not sure what to make of this expression. Literally rain/shower גשׁם נדבות offering. move to and fro, wave, besprinkle, Hiphil swing, wield, wave under BDB = נוף 631b. 635a. possession, property, inheritance under BDB = נ ח ל ה hesitating. "be weary, impatient under BDB 521a. Arb laʾa(y) be slow, = לאה Arm.ל א י Note Niphal form. be firm, Niphal be set up, established, fixed under BDB 465b. Akk kānu = כון כון be firm, right. Akk kāna exist, occur, be. Except note Polel form. Note form Polel 2ms + 3fs suffix. Unusual. 13 10 Two manuscripts omit, delete. Does seem strangely repetitive. 11 A few manuscripts omit, perhaps delete. Well maybe. 12 Septuagint omits, delete.
5 (68:11) 312b. living thing, animal under BDB = ח יּ ה Syntax seems a little odd. Literally your animal (they?) dwell in חי ת ך ישׁבו בהּ it. 14 776b. poor, afflicted, humble under BDB = ע נ י Theologically interesting stych. God prepares these things תכין בטובת ך לעני אלהים for the poor/needy out of his goodness. (68:33) (68:32 English) Hebrew. Can be indicator of Late Biblical Hebrew. Or perhaps northern ממלכה See Richard Wright, Further Evidence for North Israelite Contributions to Late Biblical Hebrew, in Biblical Hebrew: Chronology and Typology, ed. Ian Young (Sheffield, 2004): 129-148. 15.יהוה Interesting. Rather than אדני (68:34) precede. front, former, = קדם front, east, aforetime under BDB 869b. Root = ק ד ם כקדם begin. Ph קדם Akk qudmu front, former time. Arb qadama precede. Sab as formerly (?). OArm קדם before. So another example of northern Hebrew? 16 בשׁמי 17 בקולו heavens? Odd expression. The ancient שׁמי קדם 13 A few manuscripts כוננת without the pronominal suffix. 14 Manuscript,י compare Septuagint, a few manuscripts. ישׁובו As often is the case it is unclear which form to use and how to translate..זמרו so preposition after לאדני Two manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, Hieronymous 15 16 Propose בשׁמים which would be more expected. 17 Compare 2:2 b.
6 strong. be = עזז strength, might under BDB 738b. Root = ע ז (68:35) up. rise = גאה majesty, pride under BDB 144b. Root = ג א ו ה pulverize. rub away, beat fine, = שׁחק dust, cloud under BDB 1007a. Root = שׁ ח ק clouds? His strength is in the ועזּו בשׁחקים (68:36) apart, = be set קדשׁ sacred place, sanctuary under BDB 874a. Root = מ ק ד שׁ consecrated. 18 vast, be = עצם might under BDB 783a. Plural instensive. Hapax? Root = ת ע צוּמ ה mighty, numerous. 19 לעם appear? Hunh. Where else does this expression ברו ך אלהים 18 Several manuscripts, Symmachus, Syriac, Targumim שׁ ך, Septaugint εν τοις αγιοις αυτου = sanctuaries??? Yeah why. שׁוּ Hieronymous de sanctuario suo, read ;בקדּ שׁיו 19 Septuagint -S, Syriac, Targumim add 3s suffix. So to/for his people. Why specify that?