Page:04.BCOT.KD.PoeticalBooks.vol.4.Writings.djvu/375

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in the poetic style (Psa 76:3; Lam 2:6), though it does not do so by itself, but always with a suffix.[1]

Verse 6


With ועתּה the poet predicts inferentially (cf. Psa 2:10) the fulfilment of what he fervently desires, the guarantee of which lies in his very longing itself. זבחי תּרוּעה do not mean sacrifices in connection with which the trumpets are blown by the priests; for this was only the case in connection with the sacrifices of the whole congregation (Num 10:10), not with those of individuals. תּרוּעה is a synonym of תּודה, Psa 26:7; and זבחי תּרוּעה is a stronger form of expression for זבחי תודה (Psa 107:22), i.e., (cf. זבחי צדק, Psa 4:6; 51:21) sacrifices of jubilant thanksgiving: he will offer sacrifices in which his gratitude plays a prominent part, and will sing songs of thanksgiving, accompanied by the playing of stringed instruments, to his Deliverer, who has again and so gloriously verified His promises.

Verses 7-8


Vows of thanksgiving on the assumption of the answering of the prayer and the fulfilment of the thing supplicated, are very common at the close of Psalms. But in this Psalm the prayer is only just beginning at this stage. The transition is brought about by the preceding conception of the danger that threatens him from the side of his foes who are round about him. The reality, which, in the first part, is overcome and surmounted by his faith, makes itself consciously felt here. It is not to be rendered, as has been done by the Vulgate, Exaudi Domine vocem qua clamavi (rather, clamo) ad te (the introit of the Dominica exspectationis in the interval of preparation between Ascension and Pentecost). שׁמע has Dechî, and accordingly קולי אקרא, voce mea (as in Psa 3:5) clamo, is an adverbial clause equivalent to voce mea clamante me. In Psa 27:8 לך cannot

  1. Just in like manner they say in poetic style צידהּ, Psa 132:15; פּנּהּ, Pro 7:8; מדּה, Job 11:9; גּלּהּ, Zec 4:2; and perhaps even נצּהּ, Gen 40:10; for צידתהּ, פּנּתהּ, מדּתהּ, גּלּתהּ, and נצּתהּ; as, in general, shorter forms are sometimes found in the inflexion, which do not occur in the corresponding principal form, e.g., צוּרם, Psa 49:15, for צוּרתם; מגוּרם, Psa 55:16, for מגוּרתם; בּערמם, Job 5:13, for בּערמתם; בּתבוּנם, Hos 13:2, for בּתבוּנתם; פּחם; Neh 5:14, for פּחתם; cf. Hitzig on Hos 13:2, and Böttcher's Neue Aehrenlese, No. 693.