A Motivated Heart

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.  Psalm 119:98  NASB

Than – We need to pay close attention to the Hebrew text here.

מֵאֹֽיְבַי תְּחַכְּמֵ֣נִי מִצְו‍ֹתֶ֑ךָ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם הִיא־לִֽי

The opening word is from the root ʾāyab (to be an enemy), but it is the preposition (the prefixed min) that is the most interesting.  Why?  Because it has all of the following translation possibilities: away from, out of, from, since, after, because, with, on account of, than, above, beyond.  Lots of choices.  The English NASB uses “than,” but I would like to suggest another approach.  Notice that the syntax places מֵאֹֽיְבַי at the beginning of the verse, in the place of emphasis.  The English syntax doesn’t follow this Hebrew construction.  It places “Your commandments” first, followed by the verb “make me wiser.”  This approach suggests that the verse is about the commandments, but I’m suggesting the verse is about the enemies.  I would translate this as:

Because of my enemies, Your commandments make me wise.

There is yet another alternative:

Because of my enemies, make me wise [through] Your commandments.

You will notice that my translations place the emphasis on “my enemies” as the motivation for clinging to the commandments.  It is not a comparison (“I’m better than you”) but rather a declaration of need.  There are people who would harm me, therefore show me how to live according to Your commandments so that I will be protected.

This means that the rest of the verse provides the reason why God will meet this need, that is, His instructions belong to me, they constitute who I am (from the previous verse) and therefore I can call on Him to reveal how they should operate in this situation.  I belong to God; He will protect me.  Such a translation removes any possible hint of superiority.  I am not better because of His commandments.  I am in need of His commandments, and the reason for this need is that I have enemies.  If I translate the verse like the NASB, I walk a tightrope between arrogance and servitude.  Do the commandments give me an advantage over my enemies so that I can proclaim I have better understanding?  The verb, ḥākam, is a synonym of bîn, bînâ, and tĕbûnâ, all suggesting practical savvy.  “In the well-known verse Prov 4:7, ‘understanding’ is not a higher stage than ‘wisdom,’ but a poetic synonym used for emphasis. The root śākal is also widely used for ordinary intelligence and skill. It is often used for that wisdom which brings success—even prosperity.”^[1]  Goldberg continues:

The essential idea of ḥākam represents a manner of thinking and attitude concerning life’s experiences; including matters of general interest and basic morality. These concerns relate to prudence in secular affairs, skills in the arts, moral sensitivity, and experience in the ways of the Lord^[2]

Is the poet claiming that his relationship with the commandments makes him a superior person, or is he facing enemies and asking for the necessary prudence to escape their intentions?  You will have to decide.  I’m just suggesting that the character of the psalmist seems to embrace a deep sense of humility, gratitude, and submission, not ascendancy, advantage, or supremacy.

Topical Index: ḥākam, wisdom, ʾāyab, enemy, prudence, commandment, Psalm 119:98

^[1] Goldberg, L. (1999). 647 חָכַם. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 282). Moody Press.

^[2] Ibid.