Bible Commentaries

Two Elohimic Fragments Brought Together

The אודך in Psalm 108:4 and the whole contents of this Psalm is theecho to the הודוּ of the preceding Psalm. It is inscribed a Psalm-song by David, but only because it is compiled out of ancient Davidicmaterials. The fact of the absence of the למנצח makes it natural tosuppose that it is of later origin. Two Davidic Psalm-pieces in theElohimic style are here, with trifling variations, just put together, not soldered together, and taken out of their original historical connection.

That a poet like David would thus compile a third out of two of his own songs (Hengstenberg) is not conceivable.

This first half is taken from Ps. 57:8-12. The repetition of confident is myheart in Psalm 57:1-11 is here omitted; and in place of it the “my glory” of theexclamation, awake my glory, is taken up to “I will sing and will harp” as amore minute definition of the subject (vid., on Psalm 3:5): He will do it, yea,hissoul with all its godlike powers shall do it. Jahve in Psalm 108:4 is transformed outof the (Adonaj); and Waw copul. is inserted both before Psalm 108:4 and Psalm 108:6 ,contrary to Psalm 57:1-11. מעל, Psalm 108:5 (as in Esther 3:1), would be a pleasingchange for עד if Psalm 108:5 followed Psalm 108:5 and the definition of magnitudedid not retrograde instead of heightening. Moreover Psalm 36:6; Jeremiah 51:9 (cf. על in Psalm 113:4; Psalm 148:13) favour עד in opposition to מעל.

Ps. 60:7-14 forms this second half. The clause expressing thepurpose with למען, as in its original, has the followingהושׁיעה for its principal clause upon which it depends. Instead of ועננוּ, which one might have expected, theexpression used here is וענני without any interchange of themode of writing and of reading it; many printed copies have ועננו here also; Baer, following Norzi, correctly has וענני. Instead of ולי … לי, Psalm 60:9, we here read לי … לי, which is less soaring. And instead of Cry aloud concerning me, OPhilistia do I shout for joy (the triumphant cry of the victor); inaccordance with which Hupfeld wishes to take התרועעי in theformer as infinitive: “over (עלי instead of עלי) Philistiais my shouting for joy” (התרועעי instead of התרועעי, since the infinitive does not admit of this pausal form of theimperative). For עיר מצור we have here the more usualform of expression עיר מבצר. Psalm 108:12 is weakened by the omission of the אתּה (הלא).