B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

Dear All:

Psalm 76:3, ויהי בשלם סוכו ומעונתו בציון

In this verse, is בשלם a noun שלם with a prefixed ב?

Or is it a prefixed ב on a prefixed של on a suffixed ם similar to its use in Jonah 1:7?

If the latter, the verse would read, “on their behalf are in Zion his place of overshadowing (place of care and protection) and haunts (where he lives and works).”

This reading fits the context, but it is only a possibility among other possibilities? Why would a different reading be better?

Karl W. Randolph.

Karl,
I lean to translating בשׁלם as in Salem. I checked the Targum and for the Aramaic they have בירושלם, in Jerusalem. The Septuagint translated it as ἐν εἰρήνῃ, in peace.
I guess I need to read more Hebrew because Jonah 1:7 seems like a rather awkward construction. Keil and Delitzch sees it as a contraction of בַּאֲשֶׁר לְמִי but it looks more like it should be broken down like בְּ • שַׁ • לְ • מִי.
Michael Abernathy

Thanks, Michael, I had considered that too.

You’re right that של as a prefix is a contraction of אשר ל, used in Song of Songs 1:6 and 8:12.

I didn’t mention it, but you’re right that שלם can be a poetic reference to Jerusalem, seeing as that is its original name that the Psalmist would have known from Genesis. That is a possibility, but I didn’t mention it because I wanted to see what others say.

From the context, I don’t think the LXX reading fits, namely “in peace” or more accurately “in fullness”.

Right now I still haven’t made up my mind, whether “on their behalf” or “in Salem”, though to be honest I’m leaning towards “in Salem”.

Any other thoughts?

Karl W. Randolph.

After thinking about it a bit more, I conclude that ”in Salem” is the correct translation of the term.

This was an interesting question. Thanks for the responses.

Karl W. Randolph.