My Cup Runneth Over
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23:5)
Even people who may not be too familiar with the biblical text will recognize the phrase “my cup runneth over” as coming from the Bible (and some might even guess it is from a psalm or Psalm 23). But, what does that really mean… my cup runneth over/overflows? Yalkut Shemoni (A haggadic compilation on the books of the Old Testament) has, in my view, an unexpected interpretation:
Said R. Abbaye, “from here we learn that the cup of David in the times to come [Messianic Age] will hold 221 logs [133 liters].”
Now that’s a big cup.
Although here we get no explanation of why David will have such a big eschatological cup in the Messianic Age, we know where the number 221 comes from. Gematria is the calculation of numerical equivalence of letters, words or phrases. For example David in Hebrew is דוד (sometimes also spelled דויד), since each letter has a numerical value we get ד = 4) + (ו = 6) + (ד = 4) = 14). New Testament commentators point out that Matthews’ genealogy revolves around the number 14 which, as we just saw, is David’s number.
The Hebrew word translated as “runneth over” (more literally translated as “satiation” as in JPS’s translation “my cup is full”) is רויה, (ר=200; ו=6; י=10; ה=5) = 221. Therefore, according to this interpretation, the phrase כוסי רויה stands for “my cup is 221″ which is then attributed to David in the future.
This type of interpretation does not seem very promising if we are interested in understanding what it is meant by “my cup is full” without the dubious aid of gematria. But it does put the focus on the very interesting word רויה (satiation).
This word is used only in another verse in the Bible:
Thou didst let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet thou hast brought us forth to a spacious place. (Psalm 66:12, RSV)
In this context, modern translations take רויה to be “a place of abundance” (NAS, ESV), “prosperity” (JPS) and “a wealthy place” (KJV), to mention a few examples. According to HALOT, the root of רויה is רוה whose meaning in Qal is “to extend, spread oneself out.” Perhaps the RSV’s translation comes closest to the idea of the root. Having this in mind, see how John Goldingay translates Psalm 23:5b:
My cup amply satisfies.
This translation seems to take the idea of “spaciousness” of the root in the adverb “amply” and combines it with “satisfy” which seems to be the way the LXX interprets it:
καὶ τὸ ποτήριόν σου μεθύσκον ὡς κράτιστον
And your cup intoxicates like the best (wine?)
It is hard not to notice the positive assessment of the effects of the drink. Also in this translation, it is not “my cup” but “your [YHWH’s] cup” that intoxicates/cheers/satisfies.
I wonder if this simple verbless clause in Hebrew כוסי רויה can indeed contain this nuanced idea or if this is just an interpretation of what it could mean. With traditional translations like “runneth over” or “overflows”, you get a sense of affluence, of having far more than you need. Goldingay’s translation “my cup amply satisfies” (along with the LXX) seems to convey the idea of being able to enjoy to the fullest the best there is. Peter Craig takes the former:
“My cup is full (or “overflowing”)”: the immediate reference is to the banquet cup from which the psalmist drank, but the symbolism is deeper. The banquet was a celebration of God’s provision and protection; the psalmist’s experience of life (viz. his cup) had been so bountiful, that it was life itself which was full of blessing, overflowing with thanksgiving.” (Psalms, WBC, 272).
Whether the cup is full, overflowing, amply satisfying or 221 logs, it is part of a banquet, a celebration of the Shepherd’s provision and protection. In this sense, as Calvin said, YHWH’s abundance “goes beyond the mere supply of the common necessaries of life.” And it is amply satisfying.
Craig, Peter C. Psalms, Vol. 19, WBC. Dallas, Texas: Word Books, 1983.
Goldinggay, John. Psalms, Vol. 1, Baker Commentary of the OT Wisdom and Psalms. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2006.
Yarchin, William. History of Biblical Interpretation: A Reader. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Pub., 2004.
Tags: John Goldingay, LXX, Psalm 23, Yalkut Shemoni
