Syntactical Rearrangement
Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor discipline me in Your wrath. Psalm 6:1 NASB
In Your Anger – Quite often Hebrew syntax is radically different than the translations provided in English. We shouldn’t be surprised. The arrangement of words according to linguistic rules differs from one language to another, even in languages with common roots. For example, I can say “This is my car,” in English, but the same meaning in Italian employs the definite article, rearranging the possessive idea to read, literally, “This is the of me car” (la mia macchina). As we know, Hebrew syntax is not neutral. The arrangement of words often conveys the emphasis of the thought. The repetition of ideas in conjoined synonyms does the same thing. So, when we read this verse in Hebrew, it is literally, “Lord [YHVH] in Your anger not do rebuke me.” The emphasis is placed on God’s anger, not on the plea to avoid rebuke. This shift in syntax tells us that the focus of the thought is not about the speaker but about the recipient. The English translation, although grammatically correct, moves the thought to the speaker’s perspective while the Hebrew focuses on God’s point of view. The Hebrew syntax reminds us that it is God who decides, not the human supplicant.
Why do we care about this tiny modification? We care because the author implicitly recognizes that it is not his appeal that will change his circumstances. In fact, he may be deserving of rebuke and discipline. But the attribution of blame is not what’s important either. What matters—and perhaps the only thing that really matters—is God’s decision to turn from His anger and wrath, and the psalmist knows that no amount of pleading can truly make any difference here. God alone decides—to be merciful or judicial. All the psalmist can hope for is that God’s mercy outweighs His justice.
English syntax puts “me” at the center as is normally the case in pleadings. Hebrew syntax puts God at the center. The poet’s supplication is tangent to the real issue—and that real issue is simply this: is God merciful? If He is, then there is hope. If He is not, if He chooses justified discipline, the judicial option, then hope is lost for the sentence itself betrays that fact that mercy is undeserved. What matters here is the character of the Most High. Our appeal can never be about our innocence. We are not innocent. The appeal can only be “for Your sake,” that is, for God’s own reputation. Perhaps that’s worth remembering when we are confronted by our sins.
Topical Index: syntax, mercy, justice, Psalm 6:1
