John Makujina, «The Interpretation of Ps 144,14: Applying a Pluralistic Approach to a Manifold Difficulty», Vol. 92 (2011) 481-502
The interpretation of Ps 144,14 remains unsettled, due primarily to the difficulty of identifying an overall context for the colon. Of the two major positions dominating the debate, one contends that the topic of the entire verse is bovine fecundity, whereas the other considers part of the colon (v. 14b-c) to be about national security. The author finds both views to be problematic and proposes another solution, which retains attractive elements from each position: Ps 144,14 promises the prosperity of livestock, by assuring that they will not become the spoils of war.
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490 JOHN MAKUJINA
II. Pastoral and Martial Orientation
A common alternative has been to consider Ps 144,14b-c as a
shift in topic from agricultural prosperity to national security 38.
Ergo, v. 14a, ~ylbsm wnypwla, ends the agricultural orientation and
v. 14b-c, wnytbxrb hxwc !yaw tacwy !yaw #rp-!ya, returns, in the words
of J. Goldingay, to “the circumstances presupposed by the psalm,
with the king, and therefore the people, under pressure from foes†39.
Accordingly, v. 14b-c speaks of an absence of armies breaking
through walls (#rp-!ya) and people surrendering or departing the
city into captivity (tacwy !ya). The subsequent lamentation in the
plazas (wnytbxrb hxwc) will also never be heard. None of the inter-
pretations for these expressions is strained, having impressive par-
allels elsewhere: acy, 1 Sam 11,3.10; 2 Sam 12,31; Jer 21,9;
29,2.16; 38,2.17.18.21; 48,7; Ezek 12,4-5.7.12; 26,18?; Amos 4,3;
Mic 4,10; Zech 14,2; #rp, 2 Kgs 14,13 (= 2 Chr 25,23); Amos 4,3;
Ps 89,41; Qoh 3,3; Neh 1,3; 2,13; 3,35; 4,1; 6,1; 2 Chr 26,6; hxwc,
Isa 24,11; Jer 14,2; 46,12; bxr, Isa 15,3; Jer 5,1; 9,20; Amos 5,16;
Nah 2,5; Prov 1,20; 5,16; 7,12; 22,13 40.
Most persuasive is the merger of acy and #rp in Amos 4,3, where
they describe the initial ordeal of exile: “You will go out (hnac,Te)
through the breaches (~ycir"p.) [in the walls], each one, straight ahead
38
E.g., J. CALVIN, Commentary on the Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids, MI
1949) V, 270; CHEYNE, Psalms, 359, 360; PLUMER, Psalms, 1184-1185; LEU-
POLD, The Psalms, 972, 973; E. KALT, Herder’s Commentary on the Psalms
(Westminster, MD 1961) 539; A.A. ANDERSON, The Book of Psalms. Psalms 73-
150 (NCB; Grand Rapids, MI 1972) 935; DAHOOD, Psalms 101-150, 333; TOUR-
NAY, “Le Psaume CXLIVâ€, 520-530; G. RAVASI, Il libro dei salmi (101-150).
Commento e attualizzazione (Bologna 31986) 906, 908; D. KIDNER, Psalms 73-
150. A Commentary on Books III-V of the Psalms (TOTC; London 1975) 479-
480; MAYS, Psalms, 435; C.C. BROYLES, Psalms (NIBCOT; Peabody, MA 1999)
503; ALONSO SCHÖKEL ‒ CARNITI, Salmos 73-150, 1628, 1633; BOOIJ, “Psalm
144â€, 178; W.A. VANGEMEREN, “Psalmsâ€, Psalms-Song of Songs (ed. F.E. GAE-
BELEIN) (Grand Rapids, MI 1991) 859; COHEN, The Psalms, 466; BAUMANN,
“Struktur-Untersuchungen im Psalter IIâ€, 151; BAETHGEN, Die Psalmen, 438;
BDB 423; PEROWNE, Psalms 73-150, 467; AV, RV, NIV, NAB, NJB, NJV, NJB,
TOB, JPSV, Die Bibel in heutigen Deutsch.
39
GOLDINGAY, Psalms 90-150, 690.
40
So ZIEGLER, “Ps 144â€, 191-194; GOLDINGAY, Psalms 90-150, 690;
BROYLES, Psalms, 503; DAHOOD, Psalms 101-150, 333; LORETZ, Die Kö-
nigspsalmen, 194-195, 203, 205; W.E. BARNES, The Psalms with Introduction
and Notes (WC; London 1931) 658; BIRD, Psalms, 398.
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