{"id":82916,"date":"2020-11-07T19:35:27","date_gmt":"2020-11-07T17:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=82916"},"modified":"2020-11-07T19:35:27","modified_gmt":"2020-11-07T17:35:27","slug":"for-the-conductor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/for-the-conductor\/","title":{"rendered":"For The Conductor"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"82916","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":64450,"related_cahpter":"606","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"With additional thoughts on the nature of eternity\r\n\r\n","content":"

Like many psalms, Psalm 39 begins with the word <\/span>lamenatzeach<\/span><\/em>. The JPS Tanakh translates it as \u201cfor the leader.\u201d Other translations have \u201cfor the conductor.\u201d Who is this <\/span>menatzeach<\/span><\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Talmud (Pesachim 119a) says that it denotes God. Later scholars offer different opinions. The first occurrence of <\/span>lamenatzeach<\/span><\/em>\u00a0in the book of Psalms is in Psalms 4. Rashi comments on the opening word there that it refers to all of the Levites, who sang in the Temple. Ibn Ezra and Radak disagree, and say that it means a musical conductor. This would appear to be the plain meaning of the word as it is used in the book of Psalms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Menatzeach<\/span><\/em>\u00a0derives from the root <\/span>n-tz-ch<\/span><\/em>, which means \u201cto oversee, to command.\u201d From here it developed into the sense of conducting music. The verb is related to the noun <\/span>netzach<\/span><\/em>. Today <\/span>netzach<\/span><\/em>\u00a0is always used to mean \u201ceternity.\u201d But it also had the meaning \u201cstrength, endurance\u201d in biblical Hebrew. Some scholars say this is how it came to mean \u201cto command.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Others point to a cognate Aramaic root, and say that the verb originally meant \u201cto make brilliant, to shine,\u201d and the noun meant \u201cglory.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the post-biblical period, the verb <\/span>nitzeach<\/span><\/em>\u00a0came to also mean \u201cto conquer.\u201d For those that say that <\/span>netzach<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>meant \u201cstrength\u201d the connection to \u201cconquest\u201d or \u201cvictory\u201d <\/span>nitzachon<\/span><\/em>\u00a0is clear. The connection between \u201ceternity\u201d and \u201cvictory\u201d is explained as an issue of \u201cendurance in time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But what is the connection between \u201cto conquer\u201d and \u201cto shine\u201d? Apparently, there is a similar sense development found in English, where \u201cto shine\u201d (or \u201cto outshine\u201d) is a sign of excellence and superiority. So if a <\/span>menatzeach<\/em> <\/span>is one who shines, who has mastery, then we can understand how it refers to both a musical conductor and a victorious conqueror.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the same can be said of \u201ceternity\u201d \u2013 that is, uninterrupted and permanent mastery. This provides an interesting contrast to the word <\/span>olam<\/span><\/em>, which we discussed<\/span> here<\/span><\/a> (on Jeremiah 20:17). There we pointed out that <\/span>olam<\/span><\/em>\u00a0meaning \u201ceternity\u201d is related to <\/span>ne\u2019elam<\/span><\/em>, hidden \u2013 because the future is unknown.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But\u00a0<\/span>netazch<\/span><\/em>\u00a0may have the opposite origin \u2013 it derives from a root emphasizing visibility and brightness.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":82917,"id":82917,"title":"ps39-conductor","filename":"ps39-conductor.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ps39-conductor.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/for-the-conductor\/ps39-conductor\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ps39-conductor","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":82916,"date":"2020-11-07 17:32:59","modified":"2020-11-07 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