Strata: The Meanings of “Daughter of Zion”

Nomen rectum is not a surgical procedure but a grammatical term. A nomen rectum is at the end and a nomen regens is at the beginning of a phrase consisting of two nouns, as in the Hebrew phrase “bat tsion” (בת-עיון). Bat is the nomen regens, the first noun, and tsion is the nomen rectum, the latter noun, in the construct state (a phrase formed by nouns). The phrase has been translated in the Bible as “Daughter of Zion” or “Daughter Zion.”

“Zion” has many meanings in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. It can refer to a Jebusite stronghold in the small hillock known as the City of David, or it can refer to the entire City of David or to the Temple Mount or to the whole city of Jerusalem. It can also stand for the destroyed city. Or it can be the abode of Yahweh. Or it can have a host of metaphorical meanings, for example, to the people of Zion. It can also be a symbol for longing and belonging. Zion is the place of peace and understanding, the Promised Land. Zion is where divinity is present and where theology is shaped and transmitted. Bat tsion, Kartveit suggests, should be translated not as “Daughter of Zion,” but as “dear Zion” or “poor Zion,” which more accurately evoke the metaphorical and compassionate aspects of the phrase.

One wonders whether Kartveit would apply the same nomen regens/nomen rectum analysis in the case of a male. Could a phrase like ben David, usually taken to mean “son of David,” really mean “dear David”?

Employing a methodical discussion of linguistic nuances as well as a thorough review of recent scholarship, Kartveit’s book is not an easy read, as you may suspect from its technical title.—R.N.