The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Part 73

The orthography shows common phonetic errors (eta/iota twice, delta/zeta as well as epsilon-iota/iota). All this suits an amulet homemade on recycled papyrus.

The scribe marks the division between two stichoi lines of verse with an oblique stroke in the upper writing space (for such reading marks, see G. Bastianini, WS 97 (1984) 198, with examples).

The text has been collated with the standard edition by A. Rahlfs, Psalmi cum Odis (Göttingen 1979³), which takes into account three other papyrological witnesses (Rahlfs–Fraenkel nos. 2063, 2039, and 2149). A point of textual interest in 4932 is the agreement with a group of witnesses—among them Rahlfs–Fraenkel 2039—in transmitting a variant (4932 has a minimal spelling difference; see 1 n.). In 3 the slight variation in the word order from the other witnesses seems to be a simple slip.

My heart was gladdened original: "εὐφρανθη οἱ καρδιμ α μου" [and] my kidneys original: "νεφρη μου" were changed, and I was reduced to nothing 21–2
and I did not know original: "ενων", I became like a beast original: "κτηνωζης" before you, and I am with you always 22–3
You have held my right hand original: "της χιρος μου της δεξιας"

1 Note that in the standard text stichos 21 begins with because original: "ὅτι", here omitted because the stichos has been excerpted for an amulet.

gladdened: was burned Rahlfs (with witnesses). For the loss of the augment, see Gignac, Grammar ii 240 with n. 1.
After my, 4932 omits and.
my heart: read my heart original: "ἡ" instead of "οἱ".
The mu added in the space above the second a of heart, apparently by the same hand in smaller size (perhaps later: the ink appears to be lighter), is difficult to explain. If it is meant as my heart, it should be interpreted as assimilation of nu before mu in word-junction from an original accusative heart (see Gignac, Grammar i 166–7); but in any case in this context the accusative would be wrong.
kidneys: read kidneys original: "νεφροί".

2 know original: "ἔγνων". For the aorist indicative of the form I know original: "γινώσκω", with loss of gamma before nu, see Gignac, Grammar i 176.
beast-like original: "κτηνώδης".
I became: with Rahlfs. In restoring the text in lacuna I have followed Rahlfs, but only as an example; in fact, the alternative reading—also supported by a papyrological witness—could alternatively be restored, since it is only a letter longer. On the two readings cf. A. Pietersma, Two Manuscripts of the Greek Psalter in the Chester Beatty Library Dublin (Rome 1978) 44–5.

3 hand original: "χειρός" of my right hand original: "τῆς δεξιᾶς μου".

D. COLOMO