The Text of Ps. 26:12

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Introduction

Ps. 26:12 according to the MT:

רַ֭גְלִי עָֽמְדָ֣ה בְמִישׁ֑וֹר בְּ֝מַקְהֵלִ֗ים אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה

There is a textual question in Psalm 26:12b: Should we read אברכך ("I will bless you") or אברך ("I will bless")?

  • Option 1: "I will bless you, YHWH" (cf. CEV, DRB, CPDV, BDS, HFA).
  • Option 2: "I will bless YHWH" (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT, ESV, GNT, ISV, NET, KJV, ASV, DBT, ERV, JPS, TOJB, NEB, REB, NRSV).

If the original reading is אברכך ("I will bless you"), then the secondary reading אברך can be explained as a case of haplography—a scribe accidentally skipped one of the כ letters. If, however, the original reading is אברך ("I will bless"), the secondary reading אברכך can be explained as an instance of dittography—a scribe added an additional כ letter.

Argument Map(s)

אברך ('I will bless')


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[אברך]: The earlier of reading of the text is אברך ('I shall bless') (cf. Barthelemy, Craigie, Diewert).
 + <Poetic structure: inclusio>: Verse 1 and vv. 11, 12 form a poetic inclusio. Verse 1 contains the only other third person reference to YHWH in the psalm. An additional third person reference to YHWH in v. 12 would fit well within the inclusio pattern.
  + [Poetic structure: inclusio]: V. 1 and vv. 11-12 use similar language: אֲ֭נִי בְּתֻמִּ֣י הָלַ֑כְתִּי (v. 1) / וַ֭אֲנִי בְּתֻמִּ֥י אֵלֵ֗ךְ (v. 11); both have similar sounds and images: אֶמְעָֽד (v. 1) / עָֽמְדָ֣ה (v. 12); etc. Cf. Mosca 1985 :A:).
 + <Ancient support for אברך>: Most early witnesses read the phrase as אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה.
  + [Ancient support for אברך]: MT: אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה; Jerome: benedicam Domino; TgPss: אבריך ייי Syriac: ܘܒܥܕܬܐ ܐܒܪܟ ܠܡܪܝܐ
 - <Person shift>: The reading אברך requires that "YHWH" be third person, yet YHWH has been second-person throughout most of the psalm, including the previous verse (v. 11) (cf. Justiss 2011: 6-7 :A:).#dispreferred
  <_ <Shifts between second and third person in the Psalms>: 'A similar transition from the second to the third person occurs in several psalms' with prayers (Kwakkel 2021:115 :M:).
  <_ <Shifts to 3ms apostrophe>: The psalmist uses literary apostrophe in this shift to 3ms. He 'turns from addressing the Lord to declare his vow of praise (statement of confidence) to those around him' (Diewert, 81-82).
 - <Haplography>: The MT reading can be explained as an instance of haplography. A scribe accidentally omitted a 'כ' from אברך. #dispreferred


Argument Mapn0אברךThe earlier of reading of the text is אברך ('I shall bless') (cf. Barthelemy, Craigie, Diewert).n1Poetic structure: inclusioV. 1 and vv. 11-12 use similar language: אֲ֭נִי בְּתֻמִּ֣י הָלַ֑כְתִּי (v. 1) / וַ֭אֲנִי בְּתֻמִּ֥י אֵלֵ֗ךְ (v. 11); both have similar sounds and images: אֶמְעָֽד (v. 1) / עָֽמְדָ֣ה (v. 12); etc. Cf. Mosca 1985 🄰).n3Poetic structure: inclusioVerse 1 and vv. 11, 12 form a poetic inclusio. Verse 1 contains the only other third person reference to YHWH in the psalm. An additional third person reference to YHWH in v. 12 would fit well within the inclusio pattern.n1->n3n2Ancient support for אברךMT: אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה; Jerome: benedicam Domino; TgPss: אבריך ייי Syriac: ܘܒܥܕܬܐ ܐܒܪܟ ܠܡܪܝܐn4Ancient support for אברךMost early witnesses read the phrase as אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה.n2->n4n3->n0n4->n0n5Person shiftThe reading אברך requires that "YHWH" be third person, yet YHWH has been second-person throughout most of the psalm, including the previous verse (v. 11) (cf. Justiss 2011: 6-7 🄰).n5->n0n6Shifts between second and third person in the Psalms'A similar transition from the second to the third person occurs in several psalms' with prayers (Kwakkel 2021:115 🄼).n6->n5n7Shifts to 3ms apostropheThe psalmist uses literary apostrophe in this shift to 3ms. He 'turns from addressing the Lord to declare his vow of praise (statement of confidence) to those around him' (Diewert, 81-82).n7->n5n8HaplographyThe MT reading can be explained as an instance of haplography. A scribe accidentally omitted a 'כ' from אברך. n8->n0


אברכך ('I shall bless you')


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[אברכך]: The earlier of reading of the text is אברכך ('I shall bless you') (cf. Justiss, König). #dispreferred
 + <Ancient support for אברכך>: The LXX probably read the text as אברכך יהוה, in which ברך has a 2ms object-suffix. #dispreferred
  + [Ancient support for אברכך]: LXX: εὐλογήσω σε, κύριε #dispreferred
 - <Dittography>: The reading אברכך can be explained as an instance of dittography. A scribe accidentally wrote the final כ twice instead of once.
 + <Divine name in direct address>: In this psalm YHWH is mostly addressed in the second person, and the divine name is mostly in the vocative (cf. Justiss 2011:6-7 :A:). #dispreferred
 + <Prayer as direct address>: Prayer is a direct address to God, Ps. 26 is a prayer therefore this is direct address (Justiss 2011:6-7 :A:). #dispreferred
 + <Form-critical category: lament>: 'V. 12 occurs in the praise section of a lament, which typically contains a direct promise to praise God as the consequence of being delivered or helped' (Justiss 2011:6-7 :A:). #dispreferred
  - <Form-critical category: disputed>: Scholars dispute the form-critical category of this psalm (Mowinckel considers this a 'protective psalm', Vogt, as an 'entrance liturgy' psalm – cf. Craigie 1983:224 :C:).


Argument Mapn0אברכךThe earlier of reading of the text is אברכך ('I shall bless you') (cf. Justiss, König). n1Ancient support for אברכךLXX: εὐλογήσω σε, κύριε n2Ancient support for אברכךThe LXX probably read the text as אברכך יהוה, in which ברך has a 2ms object-suffix. n1->n2n2->n0n3DittographyThe reading אברכך can be explained as an instance of dittography. A scribe accidentally wrote the final כ twice instead of once.n3->n0n4Divine name in direct addressIn this psalm YHWH is mostly addressed in the second person, and the divine name is mostly in the vocative (cf. Justiss 2011:6-7 🄰). n4->n0n5Prayer as direct addressPrayer is a direct address to God, Ps. 26 is a prayer therefore this is direct address (Justiss 2011:6-7 🄰). n5->n0n6Form-critical category: lament'V. 12 occurs in the praise section of a lament, which typically contains a direct promise to praise God as the consequence of being delivered or helped' (Justiss 2011:6-7 🄰). n6->n0n7Form-critical category: disputedScholars dispute the form-critical category of this psalm (Mowinckel considers this a 'protective psalm', Vogt, as an 'entrance liturgy' psalm – cf. Craigie 1983:224 🄲).n7->n6


Conclusion

It is not clear based on textual evidence alone whether a second kaph (ך) was mistakenly omitted from ברך in the MT of Ps. 26:12b or whether it was mistakenly added in another text, as reflected in translations like the LXX; ‘the distinction between dittography and haplography is difficult’ (Tov, 240).

However, other aspects of the psalm make the MT text preferable.

  • Verse 12 in the MT most completely mirrors its counterpart in the psalm’s inclusio in v. 1, with statements of confidence which include verbs without a second person object suffix; 'I have trusted in YHWH' is most closely parallel to 'In assemblies I shall bless YHWH'.
  • Most ancient versions read the clause like the MT, without a second kaph (ך), rather than with a second kaph (ך) reflecting the 2ms object suffix marker (ךׇ).

For these reasons it seems more likely that the LXX (25:12) of this verse, ὁ γὰρ πούς μου ἔστη ἐν εὐθύτητι· ἐν ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογήσω σε, κύριε reflects an instance of dittography in which the final letter is mistakenly duplicated. As in other psalms, the MT text of Psalm 26 has a movement from direct address (ending in v. 11) to a statement without direct address in 26:12. In Ps. 26:7b the psalmist’s prayer expresses a desire 'to make thanksgiving heard with a voice, and to tell all of your wonders', presumably to others. In Ps. 26:12 the psalmist makes a statement of confidence that YHWH will indeed hear his prayer, and rather than being taken away with the wicked, he SHALL stand secure and bless YHWH in assemblies.

Research

Translations

Ancient

  • MT: רַ֭גְלִי עָֽמְדָ֣ה בְמִישׁ֑וֹר בְּ֝מַקְהֵלִ֗ים אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה׃
  • DSS 4Q98a / 4QPS(r): [רגלי עמדה במישור במקהלים אברך יהוה]
  • LXX: ὁ γὰρ πούς μου ἔστη ἐν εὐθύτητι· ἐν ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογήσω σε, κύριε.
  • NETS: My foot stood in uprightness; in assemblies I will bless you, O Lord.
  • Peshitta: ܘܪܓܠܝ ܩܡܬ ܒܬܪܝܨܘܬܐ܂ ܘܒܥܕܬܐ ܐܒܪܟ ܠܡܪܝܐ܂
  • TAYLOR: My foot stands in uprightness; in the assembly I will bless the Lord.
  • Targum: ריגלי קם/קמת בתריצא / בתריצותא בכינשת צדיקין אבריך ייי׃
  • STEC: My feet stand in uprightness, in the assembly of the righteous I will bless the LORD.
  • Iuxta LXX: es meus stetit in directo in ecclesiis benedicam ÷ te: Domine ( 12 pes + enim RL)
  • Iuxta Hebr: pes meus stetit in recto in ecclesiis benedicam Domino (dominum C)

Modern

  • NIV: My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the LORD.
  • NLT: Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise the LORD.
  • ESV: My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.
  • NASB: My foot stands on level ground; In the congregations I will bless the LORD.
  • NASB (1995): My foot stands on a level place; In the congregations I shall bless the LORD.
  • NASB (1977): My foot stands on a level place; In the congregations I shall bless the LORD.
  • CSB: My foot stands on level ground; I will bless the LORD in the assemblies.
  • CEV: Now I stand on solid ground! And when your people meet, I will praise you, LORD.
  • GNT: I am safe from all dangers; in the assembly of his people I praise the LORD.
  • GWT: My feet stand on level ground. I will praise the LORD with the choirs in worship.
  • ISV: My feet stand on level ground; among the worshiping congregations I will bless the LORD.
  • NET: I am safe, and among the worshipers I will praise the LORD.
  • KJV: My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
  • NKJV: My foot stands in an even place; In the congregations I will bless the LORD.
  • ASV: My foot standeth in an even place: In the congregations will I bless Jehovah.
  • DBT: My foot standeth in an even place; in the congregations will I bless Jehovah.
  • ERV: My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
  • DRB: My foot hath stood in the direct way: in the churches I will bless thee, O Lord.
  • CPDV: My foot has stood firm in the straight path. In the churches, I will bless you, O Lord.
  • NEB: When once my feet are planted on firm ground, I will bless the LORD in the full assembly.
  • REB: My feet are planted on firm ground; I shall bless the LORD in the full assembly.
  • NRSV: My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.
  • JPS (1917): My foot standeth in an even place; In the congregations will I bless the LORD.
  • NJPS: My feet are on level ground. In assemblies I will bless the LORD.
  • TOJB (2011): My regel standeth on level ground; in the great assemblies unto Hashem will I render brocha.

FRENCH

  • TOB: Mon pied se tient sur du solide, et dans les assemblées, je bénirai le Seigneur.
  • NBS: Je me tiens droit sur mes jambes : je bénirai le Seigneur dans les assemblées.
  • NRVS: Mon pied se tient dans la droiture : Je bénirai l'Éternel dans les assemblées.
  • BDS: Je marche sur le droit chemin. Oui, je veux te bénir, ô Eternel, au sein de l’assemblée.
  • PDV: Je marche sur un chemin sûr, et dans les assemblées, je dirai merci au Seigneur.
  • NFC: Je me tiens sur un terrain sûr, et dans les assemblées je bénirai le Seigneur.
  • S21: Mon pied tient ferme dans la droiture; je bénirai l’Eternel dans les assemblées.

SPANISH

  • RVR95: Mi pie ha estado en rectitud; en las congregaciones bendeciré a Jehová.
  • NVR: Tengo los pies en terreno firme y en la gran asamblea bendeciré al Señor.
  • DHH: Mis pies están en terreno firme; ¡bendeciré al Señor en presencia de su pueblo!
  • BTX4: Mis pies están en suelo firme; en las congregaciones bendeciré a YHVH

GERMAN

  • LutherBibel (1984): Mein Fuß steht fest auf rechtem Grund. Ich will den HERRN loben in den Versammlungen.
  • HFA: Jetzt stehe ich wieder auf sicherem Grund. HERR, vor deiner Gemeinde will ich dich dafür preisen!

Secondary Literature

  • BARTHELEMY: "Ps 26,12 אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ {B} M Hebr Syriac Targum / / assim-synt: LXX clav אברכך. Options de nos traductions: Le M porte: רַ֭גְלִי עָֽמְדָ֣ה בְמִישׁ֑וֹר בְּ֝מַקְהֵלִ֗ים אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה׃ Jl-4 a diagnostiqué une haplographie du 'kaf' final de 'avarach (Vorlage du LXX qu'elle restitue): "mon pied se tient (J1: s'est tenu) en droit chemin, je te bénis (J1: bénirai), Yahvé, dans les assemblées". J56 renonce à cette correction et offre: "mon pied se tient en droit chemin, je bénirai Yahvé dans les assemblées". [N]RSV: "My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the LORD", RL: "Mein Fuß steht fest auf rechtem Grund. Ich will den HERRN loben in den Versammlungen", [R]NEB: "When once (REB om.) my feet are planted on firm ground, I will (REB: shall) bless the LORD in the füll assembly", TOB: "Mon pied se tient sur du solide, et dans les assemblées, je bénirai le SEIGNEUR" et NV: “Pes meus stetit in directo, in eclesiis benidicam Domino”. Correcteurs antérieurs: La leçon du LXX est signalée par BH3 et par BHS. Déjà Luther avait traduit: "Ich wil dich loben HERR in den Versammlungen". Les temoins anciens: Le LXX porte: ὁ γὰρ πούς μου ἔστη ἐν εὐθύτητι· ἐν ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογήσω σε, κύριε. GAL offre: "pes meus stetit in directo fin ecclesiis benedicam ÷ te' Domine", HEBR: "pes meus stetit in recto in ecclesiis benedicam Domino". La Syriac a: ܘܪܓܠܝ ܩܡܬ ܒܬܪܝܨܘܬܐ܂ ܘܒܥܕܬܐ ܐܒܪܟ ܠܡܪܝܐ܂ et le Targum: ריגלי קם/קמת בתריצא / בתריצותא בכינשת צדיקין אבריך ייי ׃. Choix textuel: Une haplographie ou une dittographie sont aussi possibles l'une que l'autre. A moins qu'il ne s'agisse tout simplement d'une assimilation a 1a syntaxe précédente. En effet, du vs 2 au vs 11, ce psaume s'est adressé au Seigneur à la 2e personne. On peut donc être surpris de finir ici sur un verset ou il est parlé du Seigneur à la 3e personne. En réalité cela forme une 'inclusio' avec 1b que suivaient deux impératifs (2a) ouvrant tout ce psaume a la 2e personne, de même que deux impératifs (11b) ont clos cette supplique. On comprend cependant que, par une certaine inertie, un copiste hebreu de 1a Vorlage du LXX ait maintenu ici la 2e personne à laquelle il s'était habitué pendant 10 versets, cette intention facilitante ayant guidé sa dittographie du 'kaf’. Le comité a attribué ici au M la note {B}. Interprétation proposée: On peut traduire: "Mon pied s'est tenu sur un droit chemin; dans les assemblées, je bénirai le SEIGNEUR" (Barthelemy, 157-9).
  • BROTZMAN: "Haplography – “Haplography refers to the inadvertent failure to write a letter(s) or word(s) that should appear in the text. In its simplest form, haplography is the copying once of a letter that was written twice in the text from which the scribe copied. A possible example of this mechanism is illustrated by the text of Deut. 20:6–7 in fragments from the Cairo Genizah. Deuteronomy 20:5 (BHS, 322) ends with the imperfect verb ַיַחְנְכֶֽנּוּ, and verse 6 begins with וּמִֽי. However, a Cairo Genizah fragment omits the connective ו at the start of verse 6. Remembering that verse numbers are a recent innovation, it is easy to postulate a haplography in the Cairo Genizah fragment. The end of verse 6 and the beginning of verse 7 offer an identical case. An example of haplography of two words may be observed in Num. 14:34 (BHS, 238), although the loss of the two words could also be explained as a case of homoioteleuton (or even homoioarkton). The MT has a four-word sequence יוֹם֒ י֣וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֞ה י֣וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֗ה (a day for a year, a day for a year), but some medieval manuscripts contain י֣וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֞ה only once instead of twice. Dittography – “If haplography is writing once what should have been written twice, dittography is its exact opposite. The anomalous form in 2 Kings 15:16, a noun with both the definite article and a suffix; BHS, 648), is( ֶהָהרוֶֹתיָה probably to be explained as a dittograph of the initial ה of the word.18 A more extensive possible dittograph is found in Lev. 20:10 (BHS, 192). It is possible that the words וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִנְאַף֙ אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת אִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִנְאַ֖ף אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת הַנֹּאֵ֖ף וְהַנֹּאָֽפֶת׃ (a man who commits adultery with a woman; bracketed by a–a in BHS) were not in the original form of the text but may have been added by a dittograph of all but the initial ו of the first five words of the verse. Of course, it is also possible that the repeated words were primary and serve to express emphasis” (Brotzman, Old Testament Textual Criticism, 131-32)
  • CRAIGIE: "My foot has stood on level ground; in the assemblies of worship, I will bless the Lord. “12.a. G (“I will bless you, O Lord”) implies אברכך, which is possible (MT representing haplography); but equally, G’s text may have suffered through dittography in the original” (Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1–50, 2nd ed., vol. 19, Word Biblical Commentary 223-224).
  • DIEWERT: "In the second line of v. 12, the psalmist vows to praise Yahweh within the cultic congregation.(146) The focal point of this line centres on the expression ‘ǎbārēk. The root brk occurs 415 times in the OT, 233 of which are in the Piel stem. In the Psalter alone, brk (Piel) appears 52 times. According to John N. Oswalt, brk means "to endue with power for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc." and that "its major function seems to have been to confer abundant and effective life upon something... or someone.” Usually a superior would bless an inferior (Gen. 27(13x); 49:28; Exod. 39:43; Lev. 9:23; Deut. 33:1; Josh. 22:6; 1 Sam. 2:20; 2 Sam. 6:18; 1 Kgs. 8:14,55; etc.), or someone would bless another who stands as his equal (Gen. 12:3; 27:29; Num. 24:9; 1 Sam. 13:10; 2 Sam. 8:10; 2 Kgs. 4:29). Occasionally, an inferior would bless a superior (Gen. 47:7,10; 2 Sam. 14:22; 1 Kgs. 1:47; 8:66; Prov. 30:11). Here the blessing usually took the form of a prayer on the part of the inferior that God would bless the superior. The underlying truth in each case, however, was the realization that "the one who possesses and dispenses all blessings is God the Lord." 8. (FOOTNOTE 146: The textual variant found in the LXX adds a second person masculine singular object suffix to the verb. By doing so, the direct address to Yahweh is maintained. If we read with the MT, this final verse may be taken as an apostrophe, whereby the psalmist turns from addressing Yahweh to declare his vow of praise to those around him. I prefer the latter suggestion)" (David Allen Diewert, "Psalm 26: Its Content, Structure, and Setting", 81-82).
  • FREEDMAN & MIANO: “We have recently begun a systematic study of the most malignant of all mechanical errors haplography and we wish to share some of our preliminary findings to illustrate our point about the causes of textual divergence. Strictly defined, haplography ("single writing") refers to writing only once some- thing that occurs two or more times in the original. Repeated sequences that instigate haplography may range from one character to a whole string of characters. When a cluster of letters is repeated in a text, the tendency is for a copyist's eye to skip ahead from one of these incidences (what we call the "trigger sequence") to a later one. This phenomenon is known as parablepsis ("looking aside"). We prefer to use this term strictly for horizontal shifts, and a coordinate term-katablepsis ("looking down")-for vertical shifts. Both sorts of visual error are quite common in the handwritten duplication of manuscripts. Parablepsis results in the loss of letters and words; katablepsis results in the loss of one or more lines. Sometimes parablepsis may occur across a column, in which case an entire section may be omitted. We thus can see the potential in haplography for serious damage to the text. The most basic form of haplography is the omission of a single letter instigated by homoiogrammaton ("similar character"), a situation in which a letter occurs two or more times in a row; we call this type of misduplication "simple haplography.” It may be illustrated by an error made during the copying of the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaª) at Isaiah 1:2. In the Masoretic Text, the word (“and I have raised up") appears; however, the copyist of the Dead Sea Scroll accidentally wrote ", omitting one of the mems. We know this happened, because either he or someone else later caught the error and wrote a mem just above the word to correct the mistake. Because Hebrew words do not often contain two identical consonants in a row, simple haplography is relatively rare. Most cases of omission, unfortunately, are more serious. Whole-word haplography may occur when a word in the master text is written twice in a row (homoiologon "similar word"). Such a sequence may trigger parablepsis, and the result is that only one of the words gets copied. An example of this sort of mistake can also be found in the Qumran Isaiah scroll at Isaiah 57:19, where the word D, written twice in the Masoretic Text, appears only once. The reading of the former witness is probably the result of parablepsis caused by homoiologon” (David Noel Freedman and David Miano, "Slip of the Eye: Accidental Omission in the Masoretic Tradition", in The Challenge of Bible Translation, 274).
  • JUSTISS: "The... final textual problem to resolve involves v.12 where LXX contains a second person pronoun as the object of the verb “to bless” which would require the Hebrew text to have originally read אברכך. The LXX most likely preserves the original here for two internal reasons. First, the use of the divine name throughout this psalm has been in direct address, or the vocative use, in keeping with the nature of prayer as a lament and direct address to the LORD. The LXX reading requires a vocative reading of יהוה here. The MT would make the divine name the direct object of the verb “to bless” and render the statement a third person reference to God instead of a direct address to him in prayer. Secondly, this verse occurs in the praise section of a lament which typically contains a direct promise to praise God as the consequence of being delivered or helped. By allowing the form critical category of lament to guide the expectation, the LXX reading is preferred. The MT reading is to be understood as a case of haplography of the pronominal suffix. Thus, among all the text critical problems in this psalm the MT is preserved in every case but this last one” (Joseph L. Justiss, "The Idealized David of Psalm 26: an Exegetical and Theological Analysis", 2011, 6-7).
  • KÖNIG: "Kaph Hat Haplographie... LXX: σε, κύριε; Vulg.: te, Domine" ("The kaph suffered haplography... LXX: σε, κύριε; Vulg.: te, Domine") (Eduard König, Die Psalmen, 615).
  • KWAKKEL: "εὐλογήσω in LXX could point to haplography in MT (thus König, 615). But MT (with which Jr., S and Targ. agree) also makes sense, for the third person is also used for YHWH in v. 1b; moreover, it must be realized that a similar transition from the second to the third person occurs in several psalms" (cf., e.g., Pss. 7; 23; 25)” (Kwakkel, According to My Righteousness, 115).
  • TOV: "It should be emphasized that while the phenomena described below, such as haplography, dittography, and doublets, are generally accepted in textual studies, they are illustrated here by subjective examples. This subjectivity is natural, since many of the examples can often be explained with alternative explanations. Although each textual phenomenon is illustrated by examples which are hopefully sound, some of the readers may consider this or that example unconvincing. However, since most of the textual phenomena described here are also known from other texts, the textual category may be correct even if an example is considered unconvincing... Haplography, "writing once"... is the erroneous omission of one of two adjacent letters or words which are identical or similar. In many cases, it is difficult to know whether we are dealing with haplography or with dittography (see below), since only by means of an examination of the context can one determine the nature of the phenomenon (on p. 235 examples are given of such uncertain cases). In the following instances haplography is assumed, so that by definition the non-haplographic text is preferable” “Dittography, "writing twice"... is the erroneous doubling of a letter, letters, word, or words. The components which are written twice are not always identical, since at a later stage one of the two words was sometimes adapted to the context… the distinction between dittography and haplography is difficult. By definition, texts in which no dittography is detected, are preferable at the level of evaluation” (Emanuel Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, 235-36, 240).
  • WO’C: “Problems with the MT as recorded. All text critics agree that the MT contains errors in all its composite layers." True textual variants rarely involve matters of direct concern to the grammarian, and discriminating among such variants is a critical rather than a purely linguistic task. Errors of this sort are either visual or auricular. They are well known to anyone who has done much hand copying. A scribe may omit a word or group of words, sometimes for no reason and sometimes for visual reasons. A repeated sequence of letters (identical or nearly identical) may prompt the eye to jump from the first occurrence to the second (haplography); often in Hebrew the triggering repetitions involve words with similar final letters (homoioteleuton), though similar initial letters may have the same effect (homoioarkhton). Similarly, a scribe may repeat a word or group of words (dittography), another sort of visual error. Auricular errors are also of linguistic interest because they may reveal phonological changes, leading to, for example, the formation of homonyms within the language. Such lapses of the ear are, however, difficult to study” (Bruce K. Waltke and Michael P. O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, §1.6.2.c, 23).

References

26:12