Biblica_1_Layout 1 20/01/12 11:44 Pagina 485 485 THE INTERPRETATION OF PS 144,14 Qoh 12,5, however, the sense “loaded with fat” (~ylbsm), ends up in the same category as “heavy with young” — possible but undocu- mented. Even so, Ziegler’s objection that fattening was limited to calves and is, therefore, not applicable to the ~ypwla is misdirected 15; it in- sists on too narrow a context — i.e., humanly engineered fattening — ignoring the cows that were “fat of flesh/fat” in Gen 41,2.4.18.20 16. Their contrast with the unsightly and emaciated cows in Gen 41,3- 4.19-21.27 signals that those that were fat were simply well nour- ished and healthy 17, rather than deliberately fattened or otherwise corpulent. Consequently, if ~ylbsm does mean “loaded with fat”, it need entail no more than well nourished cattle. Ziegler also opposes the last option (“laden with produce”), this time because of the universally negative connotations of this root in the OT 18. But it can be argued that what is onerous to human beings may be perfectly manageable and normal for the powerful ox 19. The negative associations would be especially irrelevant if the psalmist was assuming the perspective of the owners rather than the animals. O. Loretz, likewise, perceives nothing burdensome or unnatural if the reference is to yoked-oxen bearing a burden, that is, pulling a cart (Isa 9,3; 10,27; 14,25) 20; it could, in his opinion, accentuate their strength 21. 15 ZIEGLER, “Ps 144”, 196. If rwv in Prov 15,17 refers to a mature animal (“ox”), as it ordinarily does (see Prov 14,4), Ziegler’s assessment is also fac- tually incorrect. 16 See Jerome’s comment on Ps 144,14, “‘Their oxen fat.’ Pharao in a dream saw fat Egyptian oxen”. M.L. EWALD (trans.), The Homilies of Saint Je- rome. (Washington, DC 1964) I, 388. 17 So JPSV, “handsome and sturdy”. See the description of the ears of grain as twayrb (41,5), which can hardly be considered fat in any literal sense. 18 ZIEGLER, “Ps 144”, 195. 19 G. PHILLIPS, The Psalms in Hebrew. With a Critical, Exegetical, and Philological Commentary (London 1846) II, 578; cfr., KIMCHI, Psalms CXX- CL, 127. 20 O. LORETZ, Die Königspsalmen. Die altorientalisch-kanaanäische Kö- nigstradition in jüdischer Sicht (UBL 6; Münster 1988) 204-205; cfr., D.E. BAU- MANN, “Struktur-Untersuchungen im Psalter II”, ZAW 62 (1949-1950) 151. 21 LORETZ, Die Königspsalmen, 205. So H. Grimme, but on the additional basis of changing #r,P,-!yae to Wcr"P' !Aa, “strotzen von Kraft”. GRIMME, Psalmen- probleme, 129. His reading is adopted by GUNKEL, Die Psalmen, 607, 608.