Past Is Present

And I shall answer a word to those who disgrace me, for I trusted in Your word.  Psalm 119:42  Chabad

Shall answer a word – Are you ready to reread the text in vav-conversive?  As you can see in the translation of Chabad, this verb (ʿānâ) is treated as a future tense, that is, “I will/shall answer.”  But in Hebrew, the construction would be אֶעֱנֶה, “I will answer.”  Unfortunately, the actual Hebrew text here is וֽאֶֽעֱנֶ֣ה, which with the vav prefix must be translated “I answered,” past tense.  Here’s the conjugation series:

עוֹנֶה   I answer (present).  Note the position of the vav as a vowel.

אֶעֱנֶה  I will answer (future) without the vav prefix.

וְאֶֽעֱנֶ֣ה  I answered (past), the vav prefix changes the consonant structure from future to past.

Here’s our verse in Hebrew:

וְאֶֽעֱנֶ֣ה חֹֽרְפִ֣י דָבָ֑ר כִּֽי־בָ֜טַחְתִּי בִּדְבָרֶֽךָ

You can immediately see that the word ve’ĕ’ĕnĕ(h), the highlighted word in the Hebrew text, is a future form conjugation with a prefixed vav.  Therefore, it must be translated as past—“I answered.”  The poet is not saying that after God gives him spiritual favors (from the previous verse) then he will answer his critics.  Instead, he is saying that because God has already given him display of ḥâsādĕ, he answered his detractors.  The event is not thrown into the future.  It has already occurred as another example of God’s faithfulness—worthy of praise.

We should have realized that this had to be the case given the second part of the verse.  “I trusted in Your debarĕ’ (word).”  That is also a past act.  He trusted so he answered.  And what sort of circumstance required this answer?  The Hebrew is ḥārap, that is, “to reproach, blaspheme, defy, jeopardize, rail, reproach, upbraid.”^[1]  We should notice that this is also a verb, not a noun, but a participle, that is, “the blaspheming (one), the reproaching (one).”  This is Qal, present tense, happening now.  God’s faithfulness has been demonstrated in the past.  The poet has answered the challenge, but the blaspheming hasn’t stopped.  Scorn continues, blame is cast upon him, even though the response has been given.

There’s something important here, more than the interesting grammatical challenge.  If we translate this verse properly, we find an insight into human behavior.  God’s past grace and the appropriate response to shame and blame does not abate the vindictive disgrace.  Those who intend to do harm don’t change their behavior even if they receive a godly answer.  They continue (the participle).  The poet confirms what we have experienced.  We might be aligned with God and have the confidence of His past relationship.  We might offer a righteous reply to those who seek to ruin our reputations.  But that doesn’t mean they will stop.  Malice has no term limit.

Topical Index: ana’, answer, vav-conversive, ḥārap, cast blame, scorn, Psalm 119:42

^[1] Mccomiskey, T. E. (1999). 749 חָרַף. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament(electronic ed., p. 325). Moody Press.