Psa 89:35-37 | NETfull | STEP | Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness, I will never deceive David.

Psalms 89:35-37

35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive ^{▼▼ Or “lie to.”} David.
36 His dynasty will last forever. ^{▼▼ Heb “his offspring forever will be.”}
His throne will endure before me, like the sun, ^{▼▼ Heb “and his throne like the sun before me.”}
37 it will remain stable, like the moon, ^{▼▼ Heb “like the moon it will be established forever.”}
his throne will endure like the skies.” ^{▼▼ Heb “and a witness in the sky, secure.” Scholars have offered a variety of opinions as to the identity of the “witness” referred to here, none of which is very convincing. It is preferable to join וְעֵד (v^e’ed) to עוֹלָם (’olam) in the preceding line and translate the commonly attested phrase עוֹלָם וְעֵד (“forever”). In this case one may translate the second line, “[it] will be secure like the skies.” Another option (the one reflected in the present translation) is to take עד as a rare noun meaning “throne” or “dais.” This noun is attested in Ugaritic; see, for example, CTA 16 vi 22–23, where ksi (= כִּסֵּא, kisse’, “throne”) and ’d (= עד, “dais”) appear as synonyms in the poetic parallelism (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). Emending בַּשַּׁחַק (bashakhaq, “in the heavens”) to כַּשַׁחַק (kashakhaq, “like the heavens”) – bet/kaf (כ/ב) confusion is widely attested – one can then read “[his] throne like the heavens [is] firm/stable.” Verse 29 refers to the enduring nature of the heavens, while Job 37:18 speaks of God spreading out the heavens (שְׁחָקִים, sh^ekhaqim) and compares their strength to a bronze mirror. Ps 89:29 uses the term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim, “skies”) which frequently appears in parallelism to שְׁחָקִים.} (Selah)