Meaning
Pate pat (qodhqodh): The word usually translated "crown," "crown of the head" (Gen 49:26, Deu 28:35, Deu 33:16, Deu 33:20, 2Sa 14:25, Job 2:7, Isa 3:17, Jer 2:16, Jer 48:45) and "scalp" (Ps 68:21) is rendered "pate" in Ps 7:16 in agreement with earlier English translators since Coverdale: "His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violence shall come down upon his own pate." The reason for the choice of the word lies evidently in the desire to make the Hebrew parallelism with "head" (ro'sh) apparent. The same object has, however, been achieved differently in another poetical passage (Ge 49:26 parallel De 33:16), namely, by the juxtaposition of "head" and "crown of the head."
H. L. E. Luering
