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  • From: Alviero Niccacci <sbfnet AT netvision.net.il>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Psalm 134 grammatical questions
  • Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 12:48:28 +0300

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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