101 A CIRCUMSTANTIAL CLAUSE IN PSALM 99,4 In its different forms this interpretation, while trying to do justice to the introductory w, runs counter to the structure of the poem. Psalm 99 is logi- cally divided into two stanzas. The first stanza honours YHWH as the uni- versal king (vv. 1-3), who brings about justice and righteousness in Israel (v. 4). The second stanza mentions YHWH’s goodness and severity toward those of his servants who were granted close communication with him (vv. 6-8). In vv. 5 and 9 the stanzas are concluded by a varying refrain. The call awh vwdq (v. 3b) announces this refrain, thereby concluding the first of two strophes. So v. 4a must be the opening of a unit. Some authors, taking bha jpvm as a relative clause to $lm, consider $lm z[ to be the object of tnnwk in the second stich. The noun ~yrvym may now be understood as an adjunct (cf. Ps 58,2; 75,3; Cant 1,4): Und eines Königs Gewalt, der das Recht liebt, Hast Du festgestellt in Geradsinnigkeit; […] 5. Or ~yrvym is taken as an object of tyf[: Thou doest establish the strength of a king, who loveth judgement, Thou executest equity, judgement and righteousness in Jacob 6. This type of interpretation can hardly be right. It is doubtful whether z[ (‘strength’) may be an object of !wk pol. (‘establish’). In the proposed read- ing, moreover, the mention of ‘a king’ is problematic. If the $lm were the Judean ruler 7, the first line of v. 4 would be, in this song for YHWH as a king, a somewhat isolated element. If the reference were to YHWH 8, the phrasing “the strength of a king...” would be curious by its indirectness. It has been suggested that v. 4a is in apposition to the statement of the following clause: Und die Stärke eines Königs, der das Recht liebt: befestigt hast du gerechte Ordnung […] 9. From a syntactic point of view, this reading seems rather strained. In addition, z[ characterizing an action would be unusual. F. DELITZSCH, Biblischer Commentar über die Psalmen (Leipzig 41883) 5 662; also J. RIDDERBOS, De Psalmen. Vertaald en verklaard (COT; Kampen 1955-1958) II, 454. B.D. EERDMANS, The Hebrew Book of Psalms (OTS IV; Leiden 1947) 452. 6 DELITZSCH, Psalmen, 663: “Es ist das theokratische Königtum gemeint”. 7 Thus RIDDERBOS, Psalmen II, 456. 8 F. HITZIG, Die Psalmen. Uebersetzt und ausgelegt (Leipzig 1863-1865) 9 II, 265. © Gregorian Biblical Press 2012 - Tutti i diritti riservati