Our subject is a word that appears only six
times in Tanach, only in the book of Psalms, and only in the first verse each
time. Our word appears in chapter 16, and in chapters 56 through 60. Two times
we have: “michtam Le-David.” Four times we have: “Le-David michtam.”
This word is part of our liturgy, as Psalm 16 can
be recited at a funeral and in a house of mourning. Also, in the Sephardic
ritual, it is recited before Maariv on motzaei Shabbat.
It is such a
difficult word that several etymological works (e.g., Brown-Driver-Briggs and E.
Klein, A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language) are
not willing to make any suggestion. Also, the King James Bible (1611) did not
translate it and merely wrote “Michtam,” as do many of our sources (e.g., Koren
Tanach).
The
root would seem to be Caf-Tav-Mem. This root appears 9 times in Tanach with the
meaning “gold.” It also appears at Jer. 2:22, which we will discuss below.
Does the “gold”
meaning get us anywhere? Some suggest
that the meaning is: a psalm as honored or beloved as gold. See e.g., Ibn Ezra
to 16:1, first suggestion, and Metzudat Tziyyon. At 56:1, Ibn Ezra goes even further:
the initial “mem” teaches that the psalm is more honored than gold. Rashi (in one of his approaches at 16:1)
suggests that the gold meaning implies that the psalm was worn as an “atarah”
(=crown or wreath). The implication is that the psalm was one that David
regularly recited. Rav S.R. Hirsch
suggests that gold is an allusion to the everlasting nature of the Psalm:
“David has recorded for himself an everlasting memorial, a tenet to which he
would adhere forever.”
Several of our
Rishonim give “michtam” a melodical or musical meaning. For example, Rashi (in
one of his approaches) suggests that it denotes a type of melody or
rhythm.
The introductory verses to the psalms
often use liturgical and musical terms that are difficult for us moderns to
understand. A survey of these terms is
found in the Encyclopaedia Judaica at 13:1319-1321. Another such survey is found in the
introduction to the Daat Mikra edition of Psalms. In this survey (pp. 5-6), the
author distinguishes between two types of terms: 1) those that describe the
different types of psalms, and 2) those that are melodical and musical
instructions. (The survey in the EJ had lumped them all together.) The
Daat Mikra commentary takes the position that “michtam” is of the first
category. It puts it in the same
category as: mizmor (this appears 57 times in the book of Psalms), shir (30
times), maskil (13 times), tefilah (5 times), shigayon (1 time), shirah (1
time), and tehilah (1 time).
I am
going to agree with Daat Mikra that “michtam” is not a melodical or musical
instruction. For example, the melodical and musical instructions often have the
word “al” preceding them (e.g., al ha-gitit, al ha-sheminit, al machalat, and
many more). Moreover, one can see from 56:1 that “al yonat eilem rechokim” is
the musical instruction there. (It is undoubtedly the title of a song to whose
melody the psalm was song.) “Le-David michtam” there (and presumably in all six
of its occurrences) must be something else, of a more general nature.
There is an
Akkadian root “katamu” that means “to cover.” Based on this, some suggest that
a “michtam” was a psalm of atonement. See, e.g., EJ 13:1320. But “katamu”
does not have the connotation of atonement. (This is in contrast to the Hebrew
root C-P-R, which has both connotations.) See H. Tawil, An Akkadian Lexical
Companion for Biblical Hebrew, p. 211.
Based on this
“cover” meaning, another view is that a “michtam” was a prayer that, when David
originally composed it, was said silently (=secretly). I.e., David’s lips were
covered. Four out of the six times where “michtam” is used, it is used with a
historical background and some of these backgrounds imply that a silent prayer
was necessary. See, e.g., 57:1, “when he
fled from Saul in the cave,” and 59:1: “they watched the house to kill him.” See
B.D. Eerdmans, The Hebrew Book of Psalms, pp. 75-76. (In this view, one can interpret the “nichtam”
of Jer. 2:22, as “covered by a blot.”)
There is another direction that some take. The
suggestion is that the root Caf-Tav-Mem meant “write” in Biblical Hebrew.
Jeremiah 2:22 has the following language: “Even if you wash yourself with nitre
and take much soap, your sin is ‘nichtam’ before Me.” Now let us look at 17:1
“The sin of Judah is written (=”ketuvah”) with a pen of iron…” Although these
verses are from different chapters (and the Hebrew word used for “sin” differs
in each), one can suggest based on the parallel that the root C-T-M at Jer.
2:22 means “written.” (It is typically translated as “stained,” consistent with
the later meaning of the root in Rabbinic Hebrew.)
Accordingly, perhaps “michtam” means a psalm
that is “written.” One who makes this suggestion is S. Mandelkern.
There
is another basis for a claim that “michtam” means something that was written.
At Tosefta Shab. 18:4, we are told not to read certain “michtavim.” There are
at least two manuscripts that read “michtamim” here.
What could be the implication of a psalm
being “written”? It seems unlikely that all the other psalms were oral. Could
the implication be that it was to be recited silently? The fact that there is a
musical instruction at 56:1 and 60:1 immediately preceding the “michtam” phrase
refutes this. (The obscure phrase at 57:1, 58:1 and 59:1 also probably reflects
a musical instruction.)
Perhaps
the implication of “written” is that it was written on a stone as a way of
publicizing it. See Louis Ginzberg Jubilee Volume, vol. 1, pp. 169-171. Support for this translation of “michtam” is
found in the Greek translation of the Torah (3rd century BCE, Egypt).
Here the translation for “michtam” is “stelographia”= an inscription upon a
slab. See also the Targum to Psalms 16:1. (But we have to be cautious in
relying on the Greek translation. My experience tells me that those translators
living in Egypt only had a limited understanding of Biblical Hebrew. The fact
that their interpretation bears some resemblance to our suggestion may only be
fortuitous.)
At
Isa. 38:9, a prayer of Hizkiyahu is referred to as a “michtav.” Also, it would
be very reasonable to interpret C-T-M as being related to C-T-B (=write). The
letters “mem” and “bet” are both bilabial consonants, sharing a place of
articulation.
In modern
times, the Koehler-Baumgartner lexicon adopts “inscription” as its main
definition, but also mentions the “secret prayer” definition.
-----
For another
approach to “michtam,” interpreting it in light of “maskil,” “mizmor,” and “shigayon,”
see Tawil, p. 211 (bottom). (In the approach suggested there, all these terms
are musical terms, unlike my assumptions above).
-----------------------------
Mitchell First is a personal injury attorney. When he is not
working, he likes to ponder those difficult terms in the introductions to the
psalms. He can be reached at
MFirstAtty@aol.com.
