Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Alviero Niccacci <sbfnet AT netvision.net.il>]

Title: Re: Psalm 134 grammatical questions

On  4/17/00 (Psalm 134 grammatical questions) Joseph Brian Tucker wrote:

> Greetings
>
> 1. Does 134 contain a valid inclusio or is it a minor inclusio since
> it
> does not go the length on the poem?
>
> 2. Is HINNEH an interjection or an adverb here? "Behold or
> come"
>
> 3. How does the third BRK relate to the inclusio?
>
> 4. Some see a stair-like parallelism here, what type of parallelism
> do you
> see?
>
> 5. Is there anything significant about the use of the imperatives
> here?
>
> 6. Is the third BRK (Pi Prefix 3ms 2ms obj suf) a jussive?
>
> 7. I don't have access to Habel, JBL 91, (1971) 321-37 article
> which
> discusses the connection between "the maker of heaven and
> earth" with
> "Zion." Does anyone have insight concerning the
> connection?
>
> 8. Is it best to construe "he who made" (Q act ptc in Cstr)
> as an
> adjectival use of the participle used as an equivalent of a
> relative
> clause?

Dear Joseph Brian Tucker,

I will address some of the points yo raised.
- The grammatical and semantic structure of the Psalm seems as follows:

    a) hinneh barakû 'et-'adonay
            b) kol-`abdê 'adonay
            b) ha`omedîm bebêt-'adonay ballêlôt
     a) &e'û-yedkem qode$ / ûbarakû 'et-'adonay
      c) yebarekka 'adonay micciyyôn / `ô&eh $amayim wa'arec
 
The root BRK is of course pivotal (as is the Divine Name). Verses 1-2 (after *$îr hamma`alôt*) has a chiastic a-b-b-a structure. I would not call this structure inclusio because the latter requires a certain development between an initial and final keyword or phrase.

- As elsewhere in direct speech, *hinneh* serves to introduce a piece of information that is relevant for the addressee in the moment of communication. (*Hinneh* is also used in historical narrative to introduce an important, sudden event.) See beginning of the previous Psalm.

- Yebarekka is definitely jussive, or volitive, here as in the priestly blessing in Num 6:24. By the way Num 6:24-26 is one of the clearest examples showing that first-place-in-the-sentence yiqtol is indeed jussive (not simply predictive as is usually second-place yiqtol). Also jussive (not simply predictive as is weqatal) is weyiqtol that continues first-place yiqtol in Num 6:24-26:

      yebarekka 'adonay / wi$merekka
  ya'er 'adonay paneyka 'eleyka / wixunnekka
      yi&&a'  'adonay panayw 'eleyka / weya&em leka $alom.

- The imperatives in verse 1-2 are likely to be addressed to the nocturnal ministers (or residents, like boy Samuel or old Hannah in the Gospel of Luke) of the Temple, who respond in verse 3 by invoking God's blessing on the suppliant(s).

Best wishes for the coming Easter and Pesah to the Christian and Jewish friends.

Alviero Niccacci

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