The “Psalm” of the Liturgy today in the lectionary of the Coptic Orthodox Church is Psalm 37:30-31.
פי־צדיק יהגה חכמה ולשונו תדבר משפט
תורת אלהיו בלבו לא תמעד אשריו
The mouth of the righteous repeats wisdom,
his tongue deliberates justice.
The teaching of his God is in his heart,
it does not confound his steps.
הגה 1. פלט קול מהדהד או קול מונופוני, נאמר על
אריה׃ = שאג, ועל יונה׃ = המה, וכן על האדם מקונן׃ = ילל. 2. סיפר, דיבר, שיח, שוחח
מעד נעוה, התכפף, העוה, עיקם
אשרים פעמים, רגלים
Commentary
הגה is thought to have a specialized sense in some contexts, for which the post-biblical Hebrew gloss הרהר is considered appropriate = ‘muse, meditate’ in English (e.g., Prov 24:2; Ps 1:2; Ps 77:13). Insofar as rumination is a repetitive action, the gloss does not mislead. הגה is a verb used of sounds and speech that have a harmonic and monophonic aspect, for example, the roaring of a lion (Isa 31:4), the cooing of a dove (Isa 38:14), the wailing of a mourner (Isa 16:7), and the internal speech of the heart rehearsing an answer (Prov 15:28).
That iterative sound or speech is implied by הגה is supported by its use in reference to recitation of texts (Ps 1:2; Josh 1:8). Extant examples of הגה ב ‘repeat the contents of’ in Ben Sira are worth citing:
והתבוננת ביראת עליון ובמצותיו ֯הגה תמיד׃
והוא יבין לבך ואשר אוי֯תה יחמכך׃
And take to mind the fear of Elyon,
repeat his commandments always,
and he will make your mind to understand,
the object of your care will make you wise.
[Ben Sira 6:37 (ms A slightly emended)]
אשרי אנוש בחכמה יהגה ובתבונה ישעה׃
השם על דרכיה לבו ובתבונתיה יתבונן׃
Happy the one who repeats the contents of wisdom,
and pays regard to understanding;
who puts his mind to her ways,
and reflects on her understandings.
[Ben Sira 14:20-21 (ms A)]
אשרי איש באלה יהגה ונותן על לבו יחכם׃
Happy the one who repeats them,
who learns them by heart will become wise.
[Ben Sira 50:28 (ms B)]
Greek Ben Sira 50:28 correctly and idiomatically translates יהגה with ἀναστραφήσεται ‘repeats.’
Re תמעד, the comment of Menahem Zvi Kaddari (מילון העברית המקראית, ad loc) is appropriate:
אולי׃ התורה תביא לידי כך שלא מעדו אשוריו
Perhaps: Torah brings to a state such that his steps do not waver.
From the LXX to the present, however, it has been more common to construe תמעד as if אשוריו were its subject.
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