Back to Psalm 24

Introduction

Psalm 24:4 answers the questions in v. 3, Who may go up on the mountain of YHWH? And who may stand in his holy place? The verse gives the positive answer first, נְקִ֥י כַפַּ֗יִם וּֽבַר־לֵ֫בָ֥ב, the one with clean hands and a pure heart, yet continues to describe the negative counterpart. This is the person אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשִׁ֑י וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃.

There are a number of issues with the first of these two lines (אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשִׁ֑י), namely, the pronominal suffix on נֶפֶשׁ, the sense of the entire construction לָשֶׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֶל and the semantic construal of שָׁוְא. Compare, for example:

does not trust in an idol (NIV)
has not lifted up his soul to deceit (NASB)
does not lie (NET)
has not appealed to what is false (CSB)

Before considering the suffix on נֶפֶשׁ, the semantics of שָׁוְא and the entire construction of לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֵל needs to be considered.

The meaning of שָׁוְא

The semantics of שָׁוְא seem to range from ineffectiveness, vanity and emptiness (DCH, BDB), anything unsubstantial, unreal, (TWOT), to deceit and falsehood (DCH), and, therefore, to worthless or false idols (TWOT). The connection between unreal and therefore both false and useless is easily traced, while idols can provide a real-world substantiation of either of these two ideas. Which nuance, then, is being construed in this verse? Although there is much overlap in these English glosses, the idea of deceit, dishonesty, falsehood, lies (all DCH) seems preferable in light of the next line. Not only does this person not נָשָׂא נַפְשֹׁו לַשָּׁוְא, but he also does not swear deceitfully (וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃). The expanding parallelism contributes two different angles viewing the same conceptual idea across the two lines. Swearing deceitfully, i.e., agreeing to something and then doing the opposite, is the embodiment of delighting in falsehood in the previous line.



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<The semantics of שָׁוְא>: Although שָׁוְא has a wide semantic range, its sense here is "deceit".
 + <Ps 24:4bβ>: In view of the next line (וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה), the expanding parallelism contributes two different angles viewing the same conceptual idea across the two lines. ''Swearing deceitfully'', i.e., agreeing to something and then doing the opposite, is the embodiment of ''delighting in falsehood'' in the previous line.
 - <Use in the Decalogue>: 'vanity'' or 'in vain' are required by the Decalogue connection. #dispreferred
  + <Adverbial expression>: Both LXX and Jerome have the adverbial expression used in Ex. 20:7 & Deut. 5:11. #dispreferred
    + [Adverbial expression]: LXX: ἐπὶ ματαίῳ; Jerome: frustra (the Latin vacillates between in vanum / super re vana and frustra in Ex. 20:7 and Deut. 5:11). #dispreferred
     + [Ex. 20:7, Deut. 5:11]: לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא. #dispreferred

The construction לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֵל



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<The לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֶל construction>: The construction לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֶל with a co-referential agent and suffix on נֶפֶשׁ communicates "desire something" in Biblical Hebrew (DCH :L:, NIDOTTE :D:).
  + [The לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֶל construction]: E.g., Hos. 4:8; Prov. 19:18; Ps. 25:1, 86:4, 139:20, 143:8 (see Appendix).
  + <Discourse Connection>: The construction לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֶל occurs again shortly after Ps. 24:4, in the following Psalm (Ps. 25), where it has the sense of "desire."
   + [Ps. 25:1]: אֵלֶ֥יךָ יְ֝הוָ֗ה נַפְשִׁ֥י אֶשָּֽׂא.
 - <The לָשֵׂאת שֵׁם לְ/אֶל construction in the Decalogue>: The expression לָשֵׂאת שֵׁם לְ/אֶל occurs in the Decalogue, and this expression is very similar to the MT's לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשִׁ֑י in Ps 24:4., so YHWH must be speaking in the current context, meaning 'lift up my soul/name in vain'. #dispreferred
  - <The semantics of שָׁוְא>: The sense of שָׁוְא in the current context is more likely "deceit" than "vanity" or "in vain" as would be required by the Decalogue connection. 
  - <Active Participants>: YHWH does not speak in the first person at any point of Ps 24, so it is unlikely to be the case in this single clause in the midst of the description of the person who will stand in YHWH's holy place (v. 3).
  - <The Object of לָשֵׂאת>: The sense of the construction with שֵׁם rather than נֶפֶשׁ communicates "utter" or "mention".
   + [The לָשֵׂאת שֵׁם collocation]: E.g., Ps. 16:4, וּֽבַל־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁ֝מוֹתָ֗ם עַל־שְׂפָתָֽי׃.

The pronominal suffix נַפְשִׁי or נַפְשׁוֹ?

נַפְשׁוֹ



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<נַפְשׁוֹ>: The earliest form of the text probably read נַפְשׁוֹ.
 + <Ancient versions>: All the major ancient versions and several Cairo Genizah manuscripts read a 3ms suffix.
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX: τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ; Peshitta: ܒܢܦܫܗ; Jerome: animam suam; Targum: נַפְשֵׁיהּ.
 + <The לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֶל construction>: The construction לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֶל with a co-referential agent and suffix on נֶפֶשׁ communicating "desire something" is felicitous in this context.
 + <Poetic structure>: Just as v.3a and v.4a contain considerable assonance, the 3ms suffix at the end of v.4b would create a rhyming pattern with the last word of v. 3b, קָדְשׁוֹ.

נַפְשִׁי



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<נַפְשִֹׁי>: The earliest form of the text probably read נַפְשִׁי. #dispreferred
 + <The MT>: The Masoretic tradition reads נַפְשִׁי. #dispreferred
  + [Leningrad Codex]: L: נַפְשִׁי. #dispreferred
   _ <Harmonisation>: It is possible that an original 3ms suffix on נֶפֶשׁ was changed to a 1cs suffix as a harmonisation towards well-known text of the Decalogue.
 + <The לָשֵׂאת שֵׁם לְ/אֶל construction in the Decalogue>: The expression לָשֵׂאת שֵׁם לְ/אֶל occurs in the Decalogue, and this expression is very similar to the MT's לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשִׁ֑י in Ps 24:4., so YHWH must be speaking in the current context, meaning 'lift up my soul/name in vain'. #dispreferred
  - <The semantics of שָׁוְא>: In the current context שָׁוְא has the sense of "deceit".
  - <The Object of לָשֵׂאת>: The sense of the construction with שֵׁם rather than נֶפֶשׁ communicates "utter" or "mention".
   + [The לָשֵׂאת שֵׁם collocation]: E.g., Ps. 16:4, וּֽבַל־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁ֝מוֹתָ֗ם עַל־שְׂפָתָֽי׃.
 - <Active Participants>: YHWH does not speak in the first person at any point of Ps 24, so it is unlikely to be the case in this single clause in the midst of the description of the person who will stand in YHWH's holy place (v. 3).

Conclusion

The yod in the נַפְשִׁי of the Leningrad Codex might have come about by assimilation to the Decalogue or by confusion with the similarly-formed letter waw in נַפְשׁוֹ and perpetuated by assimilation to the Decalogue. In light of the evidence of ancient translations, the construction לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֶל in context and the flow of the Psalm’s discourse, the pronominal suffix on נֶפֶשׁ is best read as third person, while the sense of שָׁוְא is best understood as falsehood/deceit, resulting in the phrase he has not delighted in falsehood.

Research

Translations

Ancient Translations

LXX: ἀθῷος χερσὶν καὶ καθαρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ,

ὃς οὐκ ἔλαβεν ἐπὶ ματαίῳ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ

καὶ οὐκ ὤμοσεν ἐπὶ δόλῳ τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ.

Jerome: innocens manibus et mundo corde

qui non exaltavit frustra animam suam

et non iuravit dolose

Peshitta: ܐܝܢܐ ܕܕܟܝ̈ܢ ܐ̈ܝܕܘܗܝ ܘܓܒܐ ܒܠܒܗ܂

ܘܠܐ ܝܡܐ ܒܢܦܫܗ ܒܕܓܠܘܬܐ

ܘܠܐ ܝܡܐ ܒܢܟܠܐ܂

Targum: דְכֵי אַיְדַיָא וּבְרִיר רַעְיוֹנָא

דְלָא אוֹמֵי עַל שִׁקְרָא לְחַיָבָא נַפְשֵׁיהּ

וְלָא קָאֵם לְנִכְלָא:

Modern Translations

English

who does not trust in / worship idols (NIV, NLT)
who does not lift his soul to deceit (NASB) / vanity (KJV) / falsehood (ASV) / what is false (ESV)
who has not set his mind on what is false (HCSB)
who does not delight in what is false (ISV)
who does not lie (NET)
who has not taken a false oath by My life (JPS 1985)

German

wer night bedacht ist auf Lüge (Luther 2017)
Jeder, der keine fremden Götter anbetet (HFA) / der keine Götzen anbetet (NGÜ)
er, der seine Seele nicht auf Falsches gerichtet (ELB) / an Nichtiges hängt (EÜ)
wer night auf Nichtiges seinen Sinn richtet (ZÜR)
In ihren Herzen gibt es keine Falschheit (GNB)

French

qui ne tend pas vers le mal (TOB) / ne se tourne pas vers le mensonge (BDS, PDV) / ne sont pas attirés vers le mensonge (NFC)
qui ne livre pas sa vie à l'illusion (NBS) / son âme aux choses vaines (NSVR)
celui qui ne se livre pas au mensonge (SG21)

Spanish

el que no ha alzado su alma a la falsedad (LBLA)
el que no ha elevado su alma a cosas vanas (BTX 4ª) / a la vanidad (RVA-2015)

Commentaries

who do not take up my life falsely (deClaisse-Walford, N., Jacobson, R. and Tanner, B. L. (2014) The Book of Psalms. [edition unavailable]. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Available at: https://www.perlego.com/book/2015638/the-book-of-psalms-pdf (Accessed: 1 May 2023))
= לא נשבע בשמי ובנפשי לשוא, Who has not taken my name in vain (https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Psalms.24.4?lang=bi)
וכתוב נפשי – דרך כינוי, בעבור כבוד השם (https://www.sefaria.org/Ibn_Ezra_on_Psalms.24.4?lang=bi)

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ones who have not lifted myself/ their selves to emptiness and not sworn deception (J. Goldingay (2006) Psalms : Volume 1 (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms). [edition unavailable]. Baker Publishing Group. Available at: https://www.perlego.com/book/2039500/psalms-volume-1-baker-commentary-on-the-old-testament-wisdom-and-psalms-psalms-141-pdf (Accessed: 1 May 2023))

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וכתוב נפשו בוא"ו רצונו לומר: אפילו נפשו של הנשבע לא ישא לשוא ולא נשבע למרמה כי אם באמת ובצדקה, who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity (https://www.sefaria.org/Radak_on_Psalms.24.4?lang=bi)
The mention is here made of oaths, appears from the words which immediately follow, And hath sworn deceitfully, which are added as explanatory of what goes before. As, however, there is a twofold reading of the Hebrew word for soul, that is to say, as it may be read, my soul, or his soul, on account of the point hirek, some Jewish commentators read, Who hath not lifted up my soul to vanity, and understand the word my as spoken of God, an exposition which I reject as harsh and strained. It is a manner of speaking which carries in it great emphasis, for it means, that those who swear offer their souls as pledge to God. Some, however, may perhaps prefer the option, that to lift up the soul, is put for to apply it to lying, an interpretation to the adoption of which I have no great objection, for it makes little difference as to the sense. (Calvin 1571; https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom08/calcom08.xxx.i.html)
welcher nicht erhoben zum Nichtigen seine Seele (Hupfield 1868: 95)
that doth not lift up his soul to vanity (Delitzsch 1883: 408)
who has not lifted up his soul to vanity (Alexander 1864: 118)
who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity, i.e. who is true and faithful Jehovah. 'To lift up the soul' means to direct the mind towards (xxv. 1), to set the heart upon (Deut. xxiv. 31), to desire (Hos. iv. 8). 'Vanity denotes what is transitory (Job xv. 31), false and unreal (Ps. xii. 2), or sinful (Is. v. 18), and may even designate false gods (Ps. xxxi. 6). It includes all that is unlike or opposed to the nature of God. The traditional reading (Qrē) however is, my soul (so too Cod. Alex. of the lXX.). God speaks; and the words are an echo of Ex. xx. 7, with my soul (= my being) substituted for my name. But this explanation is forced, and cannot be defended even by Am. vi. 8, and Jer. li. 14, where God is said to swear 'by His soul' = by Himself. (Kirkpatrick 1897: 129)
wer seines Seele nicht erhebt zum Nichtigen (Duhm 1899: 76)
"die Seele ist nicht der Name, und zudem wird die Erwähnung dieser speziellen Sünde hier nicht erwartet" (Baethgen 1904: 69-70)
auf Falschheit sich nicht verlässt (Ehrlich 1905: 51)
who hath not lifted up his soul to a lie (Briggs 1906-7: 213)
who does not lift up his soul to an idol (Wilson, G. (2014) Psalms Volume 1. [edition unavailable]. Zondervan Academic. Available at: https://www.perlego.com/book/560337/psalms-volume-1-pdf (Accessed: 1 May 2023); VanGemeren, W. (2017) Psalms. [edition unavailable]. Zondervan Academic. Available at: https://www.perlego.com/book/560264/psalms-pdf (Accessed: 1 May 2023))
who has not raised his mind to what is false... The MS of the Cairo Geniza and the majority of the versions support נפשׁו, which is translated above. (Craigie, P. and Tate, M. (2018) Psalms 1-50, Volume 19. [edition unavailable]. Zondervan Academic. Available at: https://www.perlego.com/book/727793/psalms-150-volume-19-pdf (Accessed: 1 May 2023).)

Appendix: Other instances of לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֶל

חַטַּ֥את עַמִּ֖י יֹאכֵ֑לוּ וְאֶל־עֲוֺנָ֖ם יִשְׂא֥וּ נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ (Hos. 4:8)
יַסֵּ֣ר בִּ֭נְךָ כִּי־יֵ֣שׁ תִּקְוָ֑ה וְאֶל־הֲ֝מִית֗וֹ אַל־תִּשָּׂ֥א נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (Prov. 19:18)
לְדָוִ֡ד אֵלֶ֥יךָ יְ֝הוָ֗ה נַפְשִׁ֥י אֶשָּֽׂא׃ (Ps. 25:1)
שַׂ֭מֵּחַ נֶ֣פֶשׁ עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֥י אֵלֶ֥יךָ אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י נַפְשִׁ֥י אֶשָּֽׂא׃ (Ps. 86:4)
אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֹ֭אמְרֻךָ לִמְזִמָּ֑ה נָשֻׂ֖א לַשָּׁ֣וְא עָרֶֽיךָ׃ (Ps. 139:20)
הַשְׁמִ֘יעֵ֤נִי בַבֹּ֨קֶר׀ חַסְדֶּךָ֮ כִּֽי־בְךָ֪ בָ֫טָ֥חְתִּי הוֹדִיעֵ֗נִי דֶּֽרֶךְ־ז֥וּ אֵלֵ֑ךְ כִּֽי־אֵ֝לֶיךָ נָשָׂ֥אתִי נַפְשִֽׁי׃ (Ps. 143:8)

Reference

24:4 Approved

The Text and Meaning of Ps. 24:4b

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