John Makujina, «The Interpretation of Ps 144,14: Applying a Pluralistic Approach to a Manifold Difficulty», Vol. 92 (2011) 481-502
The interpretation of Ps 144,14 remains unsettled, due primarily to the difficulty of identifying an overall context for the colon. Of the two major positions dominating the debate, one contends that the topic of the entire verse is bovine fecundity, whereas the other considers part of the colon (v. 14b-c) to be about national security. The author finds both views to be problematic and proposes another solution, which retains attractive elements from each position: Ps 144,14 promises the prosperity of livestock, by assuring that they will not become the spoils of war.
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484 JOHN MAKUJINA
a) alternative meanings for ~ylbsm
Other suggestions include “well cared forâ€, “well fedâ€, and “laden
with produce†12. “Well fed†follows the ancient versions, which ren-
der ~ylbsm as “stoutâ€, “fattenedâ€, or “strong†13. Unfortunately, the
only witness for this reading is itself uncertain: hgx'h, lBeT;s.yI (Qoh
12,5). The LXX, Peshitta, and Targum understand the expression as
a grasshopper swelling or growing fat (e.g., LXX, pacunqh|/), but it
can be translated in other ways as well, and a number of manuscripts
have lktsy, “confusedâ€, instead of lbtsy 14. Without the assistance of
11
Cfr., M. HELD, “The Root Zbl/Sbl in Akkadian, Ugaritic and Biblical
Hebrewâ€, JAOS 88 (1968) 90-96; HALOT 741; BDB 687-688; DNWSI 774-
775; M. JASTROW, A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli, and Ye-
rushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (New York 1992) 950-951.
12
“Well cared for†‒ HELD, “The Root Zbl/Sblâ€, 92. n. 49. “Plantureux†‒ R.J.
TOURNAY, “Le Psaume CXLIV: Structure et Interprétationâ€, RB 4 (1984) 522,
523. “Well fed†‒ KRAUS, Psalmen, II, 940, 944; M. DAHOOD, Psalms III, 101-
150 (AB 17A; New York, NY 1970) 333; ALLEN, Psalms 101-150, 359, 360; T.
BOOIJ, “Psalm 144: Hope of Davidic Welfareâ€, VT 59 (2009) 177-178; D. KIM-
CHI, The Commentary of Rabbi David Kimḥi on Psalms CXX-CL 8 (University
of Cambridge Oriental Publications 22; Cambridge 1973) 127; W.S. PLUMER,
Studies in the Book of Psalms (Philadelphia, PA 1872) 1184. “Laden with pro-
duce†‒ J. GOLDINGAY, Psalms, (Grand Rapids, MI 2008) III, 689; L. ALONSO
SCHÖKEL ‒ C. CARNITI, Salmos II (Salmos 73-150). Traducción, introducciones
y comentario (Navarra 42004) 1628, 1633; M. CIMOSA, Lampada ai miei passi
è la Tua Parola (Salmi 101-150) (Città del Vaticano 2002) 333; M. GIRARD, Les
Psaumes Redécouverts. 101-150 (Quebec 1994) 487, 490; BDB 687; H.C. LEU-
POLD, Exposition of the Psalms (Grand Rapids, MI 1959) 973; GUNKEL, Die
Psalmen, 607, 608; A. COHEN, The Psalms. Hebrew Text and English Transla-
tion with an Introduction and Commentary (London 1945) 466; T.E. BIRD, A
Commentary on the Psalms (London 1927) II, 398; E.W. HENGSTENBERG, Com-
mentary on the Psalms (vol. III; Cherry Hill, NJ n.d.) 533; BAETHGEN, Die Psal-
men, 438; NIV, RV, JPSV, ASV; Ibn Ezra.
13
LXX (pacei/j), Aquila (siteutoi,), Symmachus (sitistoi,), Jerome (pin-
gues), Vulgate (crassi), Peshitta (oNY*$(). Tg. Pss. has lwjm yrm, lit., “pos-
sessors of weightâ€, but idiomatically as a trait description, “characterized by
weight/heavinessâ€. Cfr., HALOT 143; Dan 8,20. Unless otherwise indicated,
all translations are the author’s.
14
C.L. SEOW, Ecclesiastes. A New Translation with Introduction and Com-
mentary (AB 18C; New York 1997) 362-363; T. LONGMAN, The Book of Ec-
clesiastes (NICOT; Grand Rapids, MI 1998) 266; R.E. MURPHY, Ecclesiastes
(WBC 23A; Waco, TX 1992) 119; J.L. CRENSHAW, Ecclesiastes. A Commen-
tary (OTL; Philadelphia, PA 1987) 187; G.A. BARTON, A Critical and Exegeti-
cal Commentary of the Book of Ecclesiastes (ICC; Edinburgh 1908) 196.
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