נָצַח

Niph`al Participle active feminine נִצַּ֫חַת Jer 8,5 enduring (מְשֻׁבָה apostasy).

1. in building temple 2 Kron 2,1; 2 Kron 2,17; Ezr 3,8; Ezr 3,9, compare 2 Kron 34,12; 2 Kron 34,13.

2. in ministry of house of ׳י 1 Kron 23,4.

3. in liturgical service of song, עלהֿשׁמינית, over the bass voices, leading them with כִּנֹּרוֺת 1 Kron 15,21 לַמְנַצֵּחַ in titles Psalms has probably simile meaning, = musical director or choirmaster; Greek Vrss. of 2nd cent. A.D., Aq Theod Sym, and so Jerome, think of Aramaic victorious, but no clear explanation; ᵐ5 εἰς τὸ τέλος (probably לַמִּנְצָח) follows ordinary meaning of noun נֵצַח, which may be explained in eschatological sense as referring to end of age of world after Euseb Theod; or for full rendering after De; neither satisfactory. Chronicles, near in date, gives the clue which is intrinsically probably: לְ indicates, not assignment (nothing special in these Psalms to suggest it, and assignment of Psalms for such use a matter of course), but that these Psalms were taken by final editor from an older major Psalter known as the Director's Collection, compare the still earlier collections known as (ל)דוד, (ל)אסף, (ל)בני קרח. The 55 Psalms with למנצח were taken 39 from Davidic, 9 from Korahite, and 5 from Asaphic Psalters; only 2 anonymous. Hab 3,1–200 originally belonged to Director's Psalter. This and other Director's Psalms have musical directions in titles. The Director's Psalter was probably the prayer-book of synagogue of Greek period, presupposed by our Hab., the collection of the twelve Minor Prophets, the prophetic canon, and Daniel (see Br^{Gen. Intr. 123}).