ducky wrote:Hi Steve,
The root מגן comes only in Pi'el form, and so, first, we had to see a Dagesh in the letter G.
the passive form should be with the prefix M (the M that in the word is the root letter).
Thanks very much, David. That is very helpful.
I see my translating it as passive is wrong.
It seems like active would work: for to God are the offerers of the earth
I don't care about the missing dagesh, as the vowels are commentary.
ducky wrote:the מגן as ruler (or a king, or the Great of the people) comes for example, in Ho. 4:18.
or in Psalms 84:10 (comes as parallel to משיחך).
or in Psalms 89:19 (comes as parallel to מלכנו).
Halot probably brings this meaning (as a figurative), can you check again?.
Thanks again. I see most translate
מָגִנֶּֽיהָ in Hos 4:18 as "rulers".
HALOT references Hos 4:18 as meaning "shameless", which seems to be how LXX translated it.
or as meaning "gift", which is how Goldingay and JPS 1985 translate it there.
You are right, HALOT does give a possible metaphorical meaning (indicated by a ?) of "those in power" in Ps 47:10, referencing LXX and Peshita.
BHS footnote says that LXX probably saw
סגני(rulers) as in Isa 41:25. Apparently BHS does not think
magan can mean "ruler".
ducky wrote:grammatically, you can link the נעלה for the people, but I think that according to the context and order of things in this psalms, it should be linked to God.
In the same way of 97:9 מאד נעלית על כל אלהים.
That is a very good point referencing ps 97:9 using the passive form.
I see the psalm prophesying about the willing gentiles becoming a part of Israel. (v1,4 and especially v9).
v9 tells us that the willing among the peoples (both Israel and the gentiles) have been gathered together as the people of the God of Abraham. The word
נֶאֱסָ֗פוּ is a verb that I think refers to the rapture in Isa 11:12 & Ps 50:5. It refers to one's spirit being taken away in death Gen 25:8,17.
עלה also refers to burnt offerings, which these willing peoples are to God.
ducky wrote:Another think
I saw a suggestion that says that the combination of מגני ארץ is some sort of misspelling.
and he says that the letter ץ(of ארץ) was actually two letters נ=N) that wrongfully it was seen as the letter ץ.
And so, he read it as:
לאלהים מגני ארנן מאד נעלה
(מגני as Maginni)
Saying: I will sing to God my protector (leader): "מאד נעלה"
That is pretty neat. Thanks for bringing it up. I think it shows the unsatisfaction with the last sentence common rendering.
This emendation would refer back to
רִנָּֽה in v1.
I don't believe the emendation is correct or necessary. There are no 1st person singular pronouns in this psalm. It is entirely corporate. It would not fit to end it with"I will sing".