Smith DTh Thesis (final).pdf - South African Theological Seminary

Chapter 4: Analysis of Psalms 3-8Variantmediate in your heart אִ‏ מְ‏ שּו בִִ֭‏ לְ‏ בַ‏ בְ‏ כֶ‏ םand be still on your bed וְ‏ ףַ‏ ל־מִ‏ שְ‏ כַ‏ בְ‏ כֶ‏ ם דֹמּוSyriac reads “your joy” instead of simply “joy” מְ‏ חָ‏ ה)‏ ‏,שִ‏ v. 8). This is likely to bea scribal insertion to parallel “your countenance” (v. 7). It is easy to envisagehow שִ‏ מְ‏ חָ‏ ה could have become מְ‏ חָ‏ תְ‏ ‏ָך ‏,שִ‏ but not easy to envisage how thereverse could have occurred.In verse 8b, Greek and Syriac adds “their oil” (Hebrew, יִקְ‏ הָ‏ שָ‏ ם ‏(וְ‏ to “their grainand wine”. However, “grain and wine” was a common idiom for expressingprosperity (see Gen 27:28 and 37, Deut 33:28, 2 Kgs 18:32, Isa 36:17 andHos 7:14), and I see no reason to prefer the longer reading here.4.2.2 Historical reconstructionThere is no basis on which to reconstruct the original historical setting of thepsalm. Several scholars (e.g., Lussier 1947:324; Scroggie 1948:56; Leupold1961:66; Kidner 1973:55; Phillips 1988:36; Richards 1990:322; Motyer 1994;Wilcock 2001:21; Lane 2006:37) consider it closely related to the historicalcircumstances described in the superscription to Psalm 3 (i.e., David’s flightfrom Absalom).107