Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Reinhard G. Lehmann wrote:

> > Kenneth: Why is Psalm 45:6 always translated "Your arrows are sharp, 
> > peoples below You fall, they (the arrows) are in the heart  of the 
> > king's enemies"?
> >
> > Why isn't it translated, "Your arrows are sharp, peoples are below 
> > You, they (the arrows ) will fall into the heart of the king's 
> > enemies" ?
> >   
>
>
> good question! Following the massoretic accentuation, there is no 
> other choice than the traditional rendering.
>
> But I made a quick look in my own notes on Ps 45, and as a matter of 
> fact I also proposed your rendering in a seminary I hold two years ago.
> Indeed it seems possible to say so:
>
> "Was deine Rechte betrifft: deine Pfeile sind geschärft
> (nämlich:) Völker sind unter dir,
> sie (die Pfeile) fallen ins Herz der Feinde des Königs."
>
> The remaining problem is: do arrows really fall (NPL)? they rather do 
> sink (NXT) into one's flesh (Ps 38:3).


HH: I think we should follow the accents, viewing the second half of the 
first line as an interjection:

Ps. 45:6: Your arrows are sharp (peoples fall under you!) in the heart 
of the king's enemies.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard