Psa 4:1 | KD | STEP | The Davidic morning hymn is now followed by a Davidic evening hymn. It is evident that they belong together from the mutual relation of with , and with Ps 4:9. They are the only two Psalms in which the direct words of others are taken up into a prayer with the formula “many say,” רבים אמרים. The history and chronological position of the one is explained from the inscription of the other. From the quousque , and the words of the feeble-faiths , it follows that is the later of the two. It is at the head of this Psalm that we are first met by למנצּח (or למנצּח with Gaja , ), which still calls for investigation. It is found fifty five times in the Psalter, not 54 as is usually reckoned: viz., 19 times in book 1, 25 times in book 2, 8 times in book 3, 3 times in book 4. Only two of the Psalms, at the head of which it is found, are anonymous: viz., Ps 66, -7. All the others bear the names of David and of the psalmists celebrated from David’s time, viz., 39 of David, 9 of the Korahites, 5 of Asaph. No fewer than 30 of these Psalms are Elohimic. למנצח is always the first word of the inscription; only in Ps 88, which is easily liable to be overlooked in reckoning, is it otherwise, because there two different inscriptions are put together. The meaning of the verb נצּח is evident from the Chronicles and the Book of Ezra, which belongs to them. The predilection of the chronicler for the history of religious worship and antiquarian lore is also of use in reference to this word. He uses it in the history of the time of David, of Solomon, of Josiah, of Zerubbabel and Joshua, and always in connection with the accounts of the Temple-service and the building of single parts of the Temple. To discharge the official duties of the Temple-service is called נצּח על־מלאכת בּית־ה (comp. ), and the expression is used in Ezr 3:8. of the oversight of the work and workmen for the building of the Temple. The same 3300 (3600) overseers, who are called הרדים בּעם העשׂים בּמּלאכה in 1Ki 5:5 are described by the chronicler ( ) as מנצּחים עליהם. In connection with the repair of the Temple under Josiah we read that Levites were appointed לנצּח ( ), namely לכל עשׂה מלאכה ( ), instead of which we find it said in להעביד, to keep the people at their work. The primary notion of נצח is that of shining, and in fact of the purest and most dazzling brightness; this then passes over to the notion of shining over to outshining, and in fact both of uninterrupted continuance and of excellence and superiority (vid., Ithpa . , and cf. with ; with ). Thus, therefore, מנצּח is one who shows eminent ability in any department, and then it gains the general signification of master, director, chief overseer. At the head of the Psalms it is commonly understood of the direct of the Temple-music. מנצּח est dux cantus - Luther says in one place - quem nos dicimus den Kappellenmeister the band-master, qui orditur et gubernat cantum , ἔξαρχος ( Opp. lat . xvii. 134 ed. Erl .). But 1st, even the Psalms of Asaph have this למנצח at the beginning, and he was himself a director of the Temple-music, and in fact the chief-director (חראשׁ) , or at any rate he was one of the three (Heman, Asaph, Ethan), to whom the 24 classes of the 4000 Levite singers under the Davidico-Salomonic sanctuary were subordinate; 2ndly, the passage of the chronicler ( ) which is most prominent in reference to this question, does not accord with this explanation. According to this passage the three directors of the Temple-music managed the cymbals להשׁמיע, to sound aloud; eight other musicians of high rank the nablas and six others the citherns לנצּח. This expression cannot mean “to direct,” for the direction belonged to the three, and the cymbals were also better adapted to it than the citherns. It means “to take the lead in the playing”: the cymbals directed and the citherns, better adapted to take the lead in the playing, were related to them, somewhat as the violins to the clarinets now-a-days. Hence מנצּח is not the director of the Temple-music but in general the master of song, and למנצח addresses the Psalm to him whose duty it is to arrange it and to train the Levite choristers; it therefore defines the Psalm as belonging to the songs of the Temple worship that require musical accompaniment. The translation of the Targum (Luther) also corresponds to this general sense of the expression: לשׁבּחא “to be sung liturgically,” and the lxx: εἰς τὸ τέλος, if this signifies “to the execution” and does not on the contrary ascribe an eschatological meaning to the Psalm. The בּנגינות which is added is not governed by it. This can be seen at once from : to the chief singer, with an accompaniment of my stringed instruments (vid., my Commentary ), which Hitzig renders: to the chief singer of my musical pieces; but נצּח בּ is not a phrase that can be supported, and נגינה does not mean a piece of music. The Piel , נגּן, complete with בּיר, signifies to touch the strings (cogn. נגע), to play a stringed instrument. Whence comes נגיות ( ; ) which is almost always used as a pluralet .: the play of the stringed instruments, and the superscribed בּנגינות ; ; ; ; : with an accompaniment of the stringed instruments; and b is used as in , , Isa 30:32. The hymn is to be sung in company with, probably with the sole accompaniment of, the stringed instruments. The fact of the inscribed words למנצח בנגינות preceding מזמור לדוד probably arises from the fact of their being written originally at the top over the chief title which gave the generic name of the hymn and the author.

‏ Psalms 4:1

Evening Hymn of One Who Is Unmoved before Backbiters and Men of Little Faith

The Davidic morning hymn is now followed by a Davidic evening hymn. It is evident that they belong together from the mutual relation of Psa 4:7 with Psa 3:3, and Psa 3:6 with Ps 4:9. They are the only two Psalms in which the direct words of others are taken up into a prayer with the formula “many say,” רבים אמרים. The history and chronological position of the one is explained from the inscription of the other. From the quousque Psa 4:3, and the words of the feeble-faiths Psa 4:7, it follows that Psa 4:1-8 is the later of the two.

It is at the head of this Psalm that we are first met by למנצּח (or למנצּח with Gaja, Hab 3:19), which still calls for investigation. It is found fifty five times in the Psalter, not 54 as is usually reckoned: viz., 19 times in book 1, 25 times in book 2, 8 times in book 3, 3 times in book 4. Only two of the Psalms, at the head of which it is found, are anonymous: viz., Ps 66, Psa 67:1-7. All the others bear the names of David and of the psalmists celebrated from David’s time, viz., 39 of David, 9 of the Korahites, 5 of Asaph. No fewer than 30 of these Psalms are Elohimic. למנצח is always the first word of the inscription; only in Ps 88, which is easily liable to be overlooked in reckoning, is it otherwise, because there two different inscriptions are put together.

The meaning of the verb נצּח is evident from the Chronicles and the Book of Ezra, which belongs to them. The predilection of the chronicler for the history of religious worship and antiquarian lore is also of use in reference to this word. He uses it in the history of the time of David, of Solomon, of Josiah, of Zerubbabel and Joshua, and always in connection with the accounts of the Temple-service and the building of single parts of the Temple. To discharge the official duties of the Temple-service is called נצּח על־מלאכת בּית־ה 1Ch 23:4 (comp. Psa 28:1), and the expression is used in Ezr 3:8. of the oversight of the work and workmen for the building of the Temple. The same 3300 (3600) overseers, who are called הרדים בּעם העשׂים בּמּלאכה in 1Ki 5:5 are described by the chronicler (2Ch 2:1) as מנצּחים עליהם. In connection with the repair of the Temple under Josiah we read that Levites were appointed לנצּח (2Ch 34:12), namely לכל עשׂה מלאכה (2Ch 34:13), instead of which we find it said in 2Ch 2:17 להעביד, to keep the people at their work. The primary notion of נצח is that of shining, and in fact of the purest and most dazzling brightness; this then passes over to the notion of shining over to outshining, and in fact both of uninterrupted continuance and of excellence and superiority (vid., Ithpa. Dan 6:4, and cf. 1Ch 23:4 with Psa 9:13; 1Co 15:54 with Isa 25:8). Thus, therefore, מנצּח is one who shows eminent ability in any department, and then it gains the general signification of master, director, chief overseer. At the head of the Psalms it is commonly understood of the direct of the Temple-music. מנצּח est dux cantus - Luther says in one place - quem nos dicimus den Kappellenmeister the band-master, qui orditur et gubernat cantum, ἔξαρχος (Opp. lat. xvii. 134 ed. Erl.). But 1st, even the Psalms of Asaph have this למנצח at the beginning, and he was himself a director of the Temple-music, and in fact the chief-director (חראשׁ) 1Ch 16:5, or at any rate he was one of the three (Heman, Asaph, Ethan), to whom the 24 classes of the 4000 Levite singers under the Davidico-Salomonic sanctuary were subordinate; 2ndly, the passage of the chronicler (1Ch 15:17-21) which is most prominent in reference to this question, does not accord with this explanation. According to this passage the three directors of the Temple-music managed the cymbals להשׁמיע, to sound aloud; eight other musicians of high rank the nablas and six others the citherns לנצּח. This expression cannot mean “to direct,” for the direction belonged to the three, and the cymbals were also better adapted to it than the citherns. It means “to take the lead in the playing”: the cymbals directed and the citherns, better adapted to take the lead in the playing, were related to them, somewhat as the violins to the clarinets now-a-days. Hence מנצּח is not the director of the Temple-music but in general the master of song, and למנצח addresses the Psalm to him whose duty it is to arrange it and to train the Levite choristers; it therefore defines the Psalm as belonging to the songs of the Temple worship that require musical accompaniment. The translation of the Targum (Luther) also corresponds to this general sense of the expression: לשׁבּחא “to be sung liturgically,” and the lxx: εἰς τὸ τέλος, if this signifies “to the execution” and does not on the contrary ascribe an eschatological meaning to the Psalm. ^{▼▼Thus e.g., Eusebius: εἰς τὸ τέλος ὡς ἂν μακροῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος μελλόντων πληροῦαθαι, and Theodoret: σημαίνει τὸ εἰς τὸ τέλος ὅτι μακροῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις πληρωθήσεται τὰ προφητευόμενα, with which accords Pesachim 117 a ניצוח ונגון לעתיד לבא, i.e., Psalms with למנצח and בנגינות refer to the last days. Gregory of Nyssa combines the different translations by rendering: εἰς τέλος ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ νἰκη. Ewald’s view, that τέλος in this formula means consecration, celebration, worship, is improbable; in this signification it is not a Septuagint word.}

The בּנגינות which is added is not governed by it. This can be seen at once from Hab 3:19 : to the chief singer, with an accompaniment of my stringed instruments (vid., my Commentary), which Hitzig renders: to the chief singer of my musical pieces; but נצּח בּ is not a phrase that can be supported, and נגינה does not mean a piece of music. The Piel, נגּן, complete with בּיר, signifies to touch the strings (cogn. נגע), to play a stringed instrument. Whence comes נגיות (Psa 77:7; Isa 38:20) which is almost always used as a pluralet.: the play of the stringed instruments, and the superscribed בּנגינות Psa 4:1; Psa 6:1; Psa 54:1; Psa 67:1; Psa 76:1 : with an accompaniment of the stringed instruments; and b is used as in Psa 49:5, Isa 30:29, Isa 30:32. The hymn is to be sung in company with, probably with the sole accompaniment of, the stringed instruments. The fact of the inscribed words למנצח בנגינות preceding מזמור לדוד probably arises from the fact of their being written originally at the top over the chief title which gave the generic name of the hymn and the author.