H.F. van Rooy, «The Headings of the Psalms in the East Syriac Tradition Reconsidered», Vol. 89 (2008) 505-525
In the first half of the previous century the headings of the Psalms in the East Syriac tradition received a lot of attention, with important contributions by scholars such as Devreesse and Vosté. In 1960 Bloemendaal published an edition of these headings. Since 1960 a number of important new manuscripts became available, as well as a translation of the commentary of Theodore and a translation of the commentary of Diodore on the first fifty Psalms. This paper deals with the light shed on the history of the East Syrian headings particularly by two manuscripts not available to Bloemendaal. The examples discussed lead one to the conclusion that 6t1, used by Bloemendaal, must not be regarded as the paradigmatic witness in all instances.
The Headings of the Psalms 519
With a few minor variations, the following headings occur in the
majority of the other witnesses:
oMw )YQSwMr*d oM wBzwt$)d )YQzX tYBdw zX) l(
mYrP) tYBd
About Ahaz and those of the house of Hezekiah that were delivered
from the Damascenes and from those of the house of Ephraim.
In this instance the introduction of Theodore to this Psalm refers
to Ahaz, and not to Hezekiah at all. In the commentary on this Psalm
no reference is made to Hezekiah as well (60).
6. 6t1 has a shorter heading than the other manuscripts
In Psalm 20, 6t1 starts with )twLc while the other manuscripts
have )M(d )twLc. In Psalm 41, 6t1 omits dYwdL. In Psalm 44, 6t1
does not have the phrase )r*KtPL nwXBdNd at the end of the
heading (Request of the Maccabees when they were compelled by
Antiochus to sacrifice to the idols). This is the case in the edition
from Mosul as well.
In Psalm 68, 6t1 omits the word “the Gattiteâ€, as do 12t1, 13t1,
13t2, 13t3 and 13t4 (Spoken by David when he brought the ark of the
Lord up from the house of Obed Edom the Gattite and he was
dancing before it and he was jumping while he was using the words
of Moses and Joshua when they were telling the miracles that were
done in their days).
In Psalm 82, 6t1, 18>8dt1 and 12t4 (with some other witnesses
as well) have a much shorter heading than a number of younger
witnesses:
6t1, 18>8dt1, 12t4, 13t1, 13t2, 13t3, 17t1, 17t3, U, UP
oYLY)L oYNYd )P*)B bSMBd )M(d yhwN$r*B ld(tM
.oYLw(Md
He condemns the rulers of the people that with partiality they acquitted
those who did wrong.
16t2, 17t2, M25, M507, M have, without the minor variants:
)P)B bSMBd )M(d yhwN$r*B ld(tM dYwd oM rYM)
*
)YBN nwhL m=zM dK oYLw(Md oYLY)L oYNYd
Spoken by David when he condemned the rulers of the people, that with
partiality they acquitted those who did wrong when the prophet accused
them.
(60) Cf. HILL, Theodore, 600-613.
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