Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Bob:

Yes, I translated the verse.

Looking at the context, we find that the author recounts all the
promises given to David for the good. However, in verse 31 (all verse
numbers according to Hebrew) we find a change, namely if the sons of
David (his descendants) do not follow God, then what? Verse 33 gives
an answer, namely there will be negative results because verses 34–36
God will be faithful to his promises. In verses 37–38 the psalmist
again recounts what he understood was the promise given to David.

But now in verse 39–46 he points to the destruction of Israel, that
there is no longer a king on the throne, the land is desolate. Verses
47–49 the psalmist recognizes that God is angry, and asks for how
long? For a man lives for only a short time. Verses 50–52 he asks
where are the good promises, for the enemies reproach the "crooked
dealings of your anointed". Then verse 53 ends in a praise to God.

With this as the context, back to verse 39. There is no question about
the first part of the verse, "And you, you have pushed away (as an act
of spurning) and rejected..." Those are verbs asking for an object,
what is it? HT(BRT can either be a hitpael of (BR, used when God has
become exasperated, or a noun T(BRH with a prefixed H- from the
meaning of going over the line, i.e. transgression. As a hitpael verb,
the object is denoted by a prefixed B-, e.g. Deuteronomy 3:26. (M can
either mean "with" or "people". "Your anointed" has no questions. It
was these thoughts that I considered when making my translation.

How did you come to your translation?

Karl W. Randolph.