גָּמַר

From the study of Psalm 57:2

Range of meaning

Biblical Hebrew uses it only a few times, all in poetry. The basic sense is 'come to an end, be finished,' and when someone acts, 'bring to completion.' Psalm 7:9: 'let the evil of the wicked come to an end.' Psalm 12:1: 'the godly one is gone (has ceased).' Psalm 77:8: 'has his promise come to an end?' Psalm 138:8: 'YHWH will complete [it] for me (yigmōr baʿădî).' The Aramaic form gəmar means 'completed, perfect' (Ezra 7:12). The word cuts both ways: something can end (be finished off) or be completed (brought to its goal).

Against the English

KJV 'performeth [all things]' and NASB 'accomplishes all things' add an object. BSB, ESV and NLT add 'His purpose.' WEB has 'accomplishes my requests.' YLT keeps the bare 'is perfecting.' NIV's 'vindicates' reads it as a legal or rescue word. Every one of these fills a gap the Hebrew leaves open.

How it drifted

Translators have to give an English verb an object, and Psalm 138:8 ('will fulfill his purpose for me' in several versions) makes 'purpose' an obvious choice. The result reads like a lifelong personal plan, which this verse does not spell out.

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 138:8 is the closest parallel: another David psalm, with the same verb and the same idea of God finishing something 'for me.' The Septuagint here has 'who did me good' (euergetēsanta). Jerome's translation from the Hebrew has 'God my avenger' (Deum ultorem meum). The supplied gloss 'avenges' probably goes back to that tradition. The two old renderings show that even early translators were unsure of the exact sense.

From the study of Psalm 138:8

Range of meaning

A rare verb (five times in the Hebrew Bible, all in the Psalms) meaning to come to an end, cease (Ps 12:1; 77:8), and in the active sense to bring to an end, finish, accomplish (Ps 7:9, 'let the evil of the wicked come to an end'; Ps 57:2, 'to God who accomplishes [it] for me'). Its basic idea is completion: something reaching its end point.

Against the English

KJV and YLT 'perfect' meant 'complete, finish' in 1611; most modern readers hear 'make flawless'. BSB/ESV 'fulfill his purpose', NASB 'accomplish what concerns me' and NLT 'work out his plans' all add an object the Hebrew leaves unstated. NIV (2011) 'vindicate me' follows a different interpretation, close to the Greek tradition of 'repay/requite'.

How it drifted

In early modern English 'perfect' (from Latin perficere, 'to carry through') meant 'to finish or complete'. The moral sense of 'flawless' later became dominant, so the KJV line now sounds like a promise of personal sanctification. The noun 'purpose' in several modern versions is a translators' attempt to supply the missing object.

Used elsewhere in the period

The closest parallel is Psalm 57:2 (Heb. 57:3), 'to God who completes [it] for me' (gōmēr ʿālāy), also a cry from danger. The Aramaic cognate gĕmar means to complete; in Ezra 7:12 gĕmîr ('complete, perfect') appears in an Aramaic letter, and later Jewish usage gives 'Gemara' (the 'completion/study' of the Mishnah). The Septuagint translates gamar inconsistently (here antapodōsei 'will repay'; in Ps 57 'who benefited me'), which suggests ancient translators found the rare verb difficult or read the similar verb gamal ('to deal out, repay').

From the study of Psalm 7:9

Range of meaning

To come to an end, cease, fail (Psalms 12:1; 77:8). Transitively, to bring to completion or accomplish (Psalms 57:2; 138:8, God 'completes' or 'fulfils' for the psalmist). In Biblical Hebrew it occurs only in the Psalms; the cognate in Aramaic and later Hebrew means 'complete'.

Against the English

'Come to an end' (KJV, WEB, ESV, NASB) and 'put an end to' (BSB) are accurate. 'Put an end to' turns the wish into a direct request to God, which the Hebrew form ('let it...') expresses more indirectly.

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 12:1 (Hebrew v. 2): 'the faithful have come to an end'. Psalm 77:8 (Hebrew v. 9): 'has his promise come to an end?' Psalm 138:8: 'YHWH will complete it for me'.