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{{Verse-by-Verse Welcome|Chapter=3}}
{{Verse-by-Verse Welcome|Chapter=3}}
=Superscription (v. 1)=
=Superscription (v. 1)=
The superscription gives information about the genre ("psalm" [מִזְמוֹר]), the author ("David"), and the historical circumstances in which the psalm originated. The historical note alludes to the story of Absalom's rebellion in 2 Samuel 15:1–19:11. The following verse from the 2 Samuel story is especially relevant: "Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, 'Come! We must flee (וְנִבְרָחָה), or none of us will escape from Absalom (מִפְּנֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם). We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword'" (2 Sam 15:14, NIV).
The following story triangle summarizes the story of Absalom's rebellion according to the narrative in 2 Samuel.
[[File:Psalm 003 - v. 1 story.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
===v. 1===
===v. 1===
Watch the Overview video on v. 1.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
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| 1a || מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד || A psalm by David,
| 1a || מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד || A psalm. By David.
|-
|-
| 1b || בְּ֝בָרְח֗וֹ מִפְּנֵ֤י ׀ אַבְשָׁל֬וֹם בְּנֽוֹ׃ || when he fled from the presence of Absalom, his son.
| 1b || בְּ֝בָרְח֗וֹ מִפְּנֵ֤י ׀ אַבְשָׁל֬וֹם בְּנֽוֹ׃ || When he was fleeing from Absalom, his son.
|}
|}
====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
'''A psalm by David'''<span style="color:#808080">(, the anointed king of Israel, whose throne is in Jerusalem)</span>'''.''' <span style="color:#808080">(After David sinned against YHWH [see 2 Sam. 11]), (YHWH said that he would bring trouble upon David from David's own house [2 Sam. 12:11]). (One of the members of David's house is Absalom, his son). (Absalom plotted a rebellion), (gained a large following), (and was anointed as king in place of David). (If David stayed in Jerusalem, he and his men would be captured by Absalom and the city would be destroyed [2 Sam. 15:14]. Thus,)</span> <span style="color:#414BB2">(David fled from Absalom.)</span> <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(He prayed this psalm during the time)</span> '''when he fled from the presence of Absalom, his son.'''
'''A psalm. By David, the anointed king of Israel.''' ''After David sinned against YHWH (2 Sam 11), YHWH said that he would bring trouble upon David from David's own house (2 Sam. 12:11). One of the members of David's house is Absalom, his third-born son. Absalom plotted a rebellion, gained a large following, and was proclaimed king in place of David. If David had stayed in Jerusalem, he and his men would have been captured by Absalom and the city would have been destroyed. So David told his men, "Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword" (2 Sam 15:14, NIV). So David and his men left Jerusalem. He prayed this psalm during the time'' '''when he was fleeing from Absalom, his son.'''
====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====
[[File: Psalm 3 - grammar v. 1.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=3|DiagramID=v-1-None }}
====Notes====
====Notes====
* Analytical Summary: Ps. 3:1 gives information about the genre (''mizmor'' - "psalm"), the author ("David"), and the historical circumstances in which the psalm originated (cf. 2 Sam. 15ff).
* The phrase '''by David''' (לְדָוִד), literally "belonging to David" or "David's," is a designation of authorship.<ref>See [[Ledavid]] for a detailed discussion.</ref>
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* The preposition '''from''' (מִפְּנֵי) typically occurs in contexts of "hostility and/or threat," describing how "trajector x [here = David] moves away (e.g., flees or hides) from the presence of a landmark y [here = Absalom]."<ref>BHRG §39.15.M</ref>
==Watch out for==
* '''Absalom''' was David's third-born son, the first by his wife Ma'acha, daughter of Talmi, king of Geshur (a "small Aramaic state between Bashan and Hermon"<ref>HALOT.</ref>) (2 Sam 3:3). For the story of Absalom's rebellion, to which the superscription alludes, see 2 Sam 15-19:11.
*The '''phrase''' "by David." The phrase has been interpreted and translated in a number of ways.
* The phrase '''his son''' (בּנוֹ) is in apposition to "Absalom," highlighting Absalom's relationship to David. The addition of the phrase "his son" is not necessary for identifying Absalom. The text could have simply said, "When David was fleeing from Absalom," and readers would have been able to identify "Absalom" without the need for any further specification (cf. 2 Sam 13ff). The addition of the appositional phrase "his son" has two effects. First, it draws attention to the close relationship between David and Absalom and thus to the deep emotional pain of the conflict (2 Sam 13:39; 18:33); the fact that David is forced to flee from ''his son'' (as opposed to some other enemy) makes his situation especially distressing. Second, it creates a connection with the previous psalm (Ps 2), which uses the word "son" (v. 7, cf. v. 12).
**"By David."<ref>CEV, GNB</ref> This option is the [[Ledavid|most likely]].
**"For David"<ref>REB</ref>
**"Pertaining to David"<ref>Cf. LXX according to the ([http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/24-ps-nets.pdf NETS translation by Pietersma]. Pietersma translates τῷ Δαυιδ as "pertaining to David" and claims that, "in spite of the recognized intimate bond between Dauid and the Psalms, Greek exegetical tradition did not uniformly construe it as a ''nota auctoris'', and neither did the translator himself" ([http://homes.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm/ Psalm 3]).</ref>
**"Belonging to the Davidic collection"<ref>LBFC: "Psaume appartenant au recueil de David"</ref>
-->


=Attack (vv. 2-3)=
=Attack (vv. 2-3)=
In the first section of the psalm (vv. 2–3), David describes his dismaying situation to God. The key word in this section is "many" (רבב): "have become many (רָבּוּ)... many (רַבִּים)... many (רַבִּים)..." The repetition of this word (and its emphatic placement at the beginning of each of the first three clauses) stresses the overwhelming nature of the situation, as though the psalmist is surrounded on every side (cf. v. 7) by an ever-increasing horde of enemies. The following verses in the 2 Samuel story, alluded to in the superscription, also describe Absalom's forces as being "many" in number: "And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on ''increasing'' (וְהָעָ֛ם הוֹלֵ֥ךְ וָרָ֖ב אֶת־אַבְשָׁלֽוֹם)" (2 Sam 15:12, NIV); "So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba—as ''numerous'' as the sand on the seashore (כַּח֥וֹל אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב)—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle" (2 Sam 17:11, NIV).
The attack of the many enemies is not only physical, but also verbal. They declare, "There is no victory for him in God!" (v. 3). This triumphant taunt poses the key question of the psalm: Is there any hope of victory for David in God? Will God save him, or has God abandoned him? His enemies conclude that God has abandoned him, which means that God will not respond to his call for help (cf. 2 Sam 15:26; Pss 41:12; 22:9). Compare Ps 71:10–11—"For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, 'God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him'" (Ps 71:10-11, NIV).
The emotional tone of this section is one of dismay, i.e., "sudden loss of courage or resolution from alarm or fear."<ref>Merriam-Webster. In biblical Hebrew terms, we might use the word נבהל/בהלה to describe his emotional state: "state in which humans experience a great fear combined with severe distress" (SDBH).</ref> The narrative in 2 Samuel 15ff also implies sadness and mourning, at least upon leaving Jerusalem: "But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot..." (2 Sam 15:30, NIV).
===v. 2===
===v. 2===
Watch the Overview video on v. 2.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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| 2a || יְ֭הוָה מָֽה־רַבּ֣וּ צָרָ֑י || YHWH, how my adversaries have multiplied.
| 2a || יְ֭הוָה מָֽה־רַבּ֣וּ צָרָ֑י || YHWH, how my adversaries have become many!
|-
|-
| 2b || רַ֝בִּ֗ים קָמִ֥ים עָלָֽי׃ || Many are those opposing me.
| 2b || רַ֝בִּ֗ים קָמִ֥ים עָלָֽי׃ || Many are those rising against me.
|}
|}
====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
'''YHWH, how my adversaries''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(led by my son, Absalom,)</span> '''have multiplied. Many are those opposing me.'''
'''YHWH, how my adversaries''', ''led by my son Absalom,'' '''have become many!''' ''"The conspiracy has gained strength, and Absalom’s following has continually increased" (cf. 2 Sam 15:12).'' '''Many are those rising against me.'''
 
====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====
[[File: Psalm 3 - grammar v. 2.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=3|DiagramID=v-2-None }}
====Notes====
====Notes====
* Analytical Summary: Psalm 3:2 is a distressed presentation to YHWH of an increasingly threatening problem.
* The opening vocative, '''YHWH''', is clause-initial, as often at the beginning of psalms.<ref>Cf. Pss 6; 7; 8; 15; 21; 109; etc.; but see e.g., Pss 4; 5; 10; 13; 16; 17; 18; etc., though in several of these examples (e.g., Pss 4; 5; 10; 13) there are poetic and/or pragmatic explanations for the non-initial position of the vocative.</ref> The initial position of the vocative at the beginning of a psalm might reflect the discourse function of the clause-initial vocative to signal the beginning of a conversational turn.<ref>Cf. Kim 2023, 213-217.</ref>
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* The word '''how...!''' (מָה) "functions as an introduction to an exclamation in which a speaker usually expresses a value judgment about something."<ref>BHRG §42.3.6.</ref> Compare, for example, Ps 8:1—"how (מָה) majestic is your name...!" Thus, "instead of a straightforward account of the trouble, we have an exclamation which serves to emphasize the seriousness of the situation."<ref>Anderson 1972, 71.</ref>
==Watch out for==
* The root of the verb "many/become many" (רבב) is, next to the divine name YHWH, the most repeated root in the psalm (four times, vv. 2-3, 7). The first instance of this root is the verb '''become many''' (רַבּוּ) in v. 2, which SDBH defines simply as a "process by which people... increase in number..." The second and third instances of this root occur in the following two lines, with the adjective '''many''' (רַבִּים)—"state in which objects or events are numerous in quantity or frequency" (SDBH).
*The '''function''' of v. 2a as an ''exclamation'' expressing a value judgment.<ref>The interrogative "how" (מה) sometimes "functions as an introduction to an exclamation in which a speaker usually expresses a value judgment about something" (''BHRG'' §42.3.6.).</ref> "Instead of a straightforward account of the trouble, we have an exclamation which serves to emphasize the seriousness of the situation."<ref>Anderson 1972:71.</ref> It is possible that the scope of the interrogative in v. 2a extends to the following line (v. 2b), so that v. 2b is also an exclamation.<ref>NIV: "...how many... // How many..."</ref>
* The phrase translated '''those rising against me''' (קָמִים עָלָי) could either be the main verbal predication of the clause ("are rising against me")<ref>So LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Jerome (iuxta Hebr.), ESV, NRSV, NET, NEB</ref> or the subject of the clause ("those rising against me").<ref>So Peshitta, Targum, KJV, NJPS, REB.</ref> In context, the focus of the clause appears to be on the vast number of his enemies (cf. v. 2a, 3a): "those rising against me are (not few, but) ''many''." This emphasis is clearer if we interpret קָמִים עָלָי as the subject of the clause, with '''many''' (רִבִּים) as the predicate complement, fronted for marked focus.
*The '''repeated root''' "many" (רבב). The verb "have multiplied" (v. 2a) and the predicate adjective "many" (v. 2b) are from the same Hebrew root (רבב), which is repeated again in [[#v. 3|v. 3a]] ("many") and also in [[#v. 7|v. 7]] ("myriads"). The repetition underscores the rapid escalation of the threat, as though the number of enemies multiplies with each line.<ref>"The enemy is not only numerous but is constantly multiplying... The psalmist is not recounting a static circumstance of oppression but a dangerously escalating situation that threatens imminently to consume the psalmist" (Wilson 2002:129)</ref>
-->


===v. 3===
===v. 3===
Watch the Overview video on v. 3.
{| class="wikitable"
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| 3a || רַבִּים֮ אֹמְרִ֪ים לְנַ֫פְשִׁ֥י || Many are those saying about my soul,
| 3a || רַבִּים֮ אֹמְרִ֪ים לְנַ֫פְשִׁ֥י || Many are those saying about me,
|-
|-
| 3b || אֵ֤ין יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה לּ֬וֹ בֵֽאלֹהִ֬ים סֶֽלָה׃ || “There is no salvation for him in God.” ''Selah.''
| 3b || אֵ֤ין יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה לּ֬וֹ בֵֽאלֹהִ֬ים סֶֽלָה׃ || "There is no victory for him in God!" ''Selah.''
|}
|}
====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
'''Many are those''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(who assume that you no longer delight in me, that you have rejected me [cf. 2 Sam. 15:26; 16:8]. For this reason, they are)</span> '''saying about my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” ''Selah.'' '''
'''Many are those''' ''who think that you no longer delight in me and that you have rejected me (cf. 2 Sam. 15:26; 16:8). For this reason, they are'' '''saying about me, "'''''God won't save him!'' '''There is no''' ''hope of'' '''victory for him in God!"''' '''''Selah.'''''
 
====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====
[[File: Psalm 3 - grammar v. 3.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=3|DiagramID=v-3-None }}
====Notes====
====Notes====
* The '''key word''' "salvation,"<ref>"Salvation" (ESV, NASB); "Help" (KJV, RSV); "Deliverance" (NASB77); "Victory" (NEB)</ref> repeated in v. 8a ("save me") and v. 9a ("salvation"). In Hebrew, the occurrence of this noun in v. 3b is morphologically and prosodically marked.<ref>In terms of morphology, it has a unique ending (תָה- cf. Ps. 80:3; Jon. 2:10). This is a remain of an earlier case ending which is, according to ''GKC'', "used merely for the sake of poetical emphasis" (''GKC'' §90g.). In terms of prosody, this word has a relatively rare accent (''shalshelet qetannah''), which "occurs in only eight cases" (Yeivin 1980:272).</ref> The effect is to draw attention to it as "the key motif in the psalm."<ref>Goldingay 2006:114).</ref>
* The ''lamed'' preposition in the phrase לְנַפְשִׁי does not indicate the address of the speech ("saying to me," so NRSV) but the topic of the speech: "saying '''about me'''".<ref>Jenni 2000, rubric 69; cf. Pss 41:6; 71:1; so Rashi: על נפשי; Radak and Ibn Ezra: בעבור נפשי.</ref>
* The word נֶפֶשׁ frequently means "life" and occurs in contexts "where a life is in general peril; where a life desperately requires help (often from God)."<ref>Witthoff 2021, §4.2.3.3.</ref> It can also stand metonymically for a person, profiling the inner being or emotional center of that person.<ref>Witthoff 2021, 177-181.</ref> In Ps 3:3, the phrase נַפְשִׁי ('''my soul >> me''') is related to both of these meanings. As Witthoff writes regarding several examples, including Ps 3:3,  "the concept of LIFE in need may still be present in the contexts of these instances, but ׁנֶפֶש may be closer in these examples to representing a part of a person that feels, thinks, or chooses a course of action, than to a state of LIFE."<ref>Witthoff 2021, 171; cf. Pss 34:3; 35:9; 42:5; 57:7; 62:2, 6; 63:9; 69:11; 77:3; 107:5; 119:25; 130:5-6; 142:8.</ref>
* There is a minor textual issue in v. 3. The vast majority of modern translations follow the Masoretic Text of v. 3b: "There is no help for him in God" (CSB). By contrast, the NRSV, following the Syriac Peshitta (so NRSV footnote), says, "There is no help for ''you'' in God" (NRSV).<ref>Peshitta: ܕܠܝܬ ܠܟܝ ܦܘܪܩܢܐ ܒܐܠܗܟܝ.</ref> But the Peshitta Psalter characteristically "deviates from its Hebrew base text and accommodates the translation to the immediate context, following a certain logic or overcoming a certain difficulty."<ref>Carbajosa 2020, §10.3.4.5.</ref> In this case, the Peshitta is almost certainly giving a free translation of the same text as we have in the MT and all of our other witnesses. The translator probably used 2ms language ("for you... your God") because he interpreted the phrase לְנַפְשִׁי in v. 3a as indicating the addressee of the speech: "saying ''to'' me" instead of "saying ''about'' me."
* The noun '''victory''' (here: יְשׁוּעָתָה; in v. 9: יְשׁוּעָה) is the most important word in this psalm. It is highlighted, not only by its repetition throughout the psalm (vv. 3b, 9a; verbal form in 8b) but by its unique morphology in v. 3. The word here has a unique ending (תָה-).<ref>Cf. Ps 80:3; Jon 2:10.</ref> This ending appears to be the remains of an earlier case ending which is now, according to GKC, "used merely for the sake of poetical emphasis [= poetic foregrounding]."<ref>GKC §90g.</ref> The word is also prosodically foregrounded by the Masoretic accentuation (יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה); it has the rare accent ''shalshelet qetana'' (only 8 times in the Hebrew Bible).<ref>Cf. Yeivin 1980, 272.</ref> The foregrounding of the word is appropriate because "victory" is "the key motif in the psalm."<ref>Goldingay 2006, 114.</ref> The same word (יְשׁוּעָה) occurs again in the last verse of the psalm (v. 9) as the only word in the psalm to have the definite article (ה).
* The ''Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database'' has a series of thorough lexical studies on [https://sahd-online.com/miscellaneous/overview_deliverance/ 'Deliverance' Words], the verb [https://sahd-online.com/words/y-sh-3/ ישׁע], and the noun [https://sahd-online.com/words/yshu3ah/ יְשׁוּעָה]. For the noun יְשׁוּעָה, which occurs twice in Ps 3 (vv. 3, 9), they argue that it denotes "various kinds of ‘success’ secured by divine acts of power and faithfulness." They argue, contrary to many translations and dictionaries, that "‘salvation, deliverance’ is not central to the meaning of יְשׁוּעָה." They base this claim on the fact that, although יְשׁוּעָה occurs 74 times in poetry, it hardly ever occurs in parallel with other nouns in the 'deliverance' word group. Instead, it is usually parallel with words for success or blessing, power, loyalty and faithfulness, protection, praise, and righteousness. They claim that it refers to "a state of security" rather than "an action that brings it about." In prose, it occurs only four times (Exod 14:13; 1 Sam 14:45; 2 Sam 10:11; 2 Chr 20:17), "all in military contexts where ‘victory, success’ might be appropriate interpretations of the meaning." The military context of Ps 3 (cf. enemies surrounding [vv. 2-3, 7], shield [v. 4a]) makes '''victory''' an appropriate gloss here as well, though "protection" or "security" might also be good glosses. Most modern English translations gloss it as "salvation." The following Venn diagram compares and contrasts the Hebrew word יְשׁוּעָה with the English word "salvation."
[[File:Psalm 003 - Yeshua.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
* The second ''lamed'' preposition in v. 3, '''for him''' (לוֹ), indicates the psalmist as the ''experiencer'' or beneficiary of YHWH's victory/protection.<ref>Jenni 2000, rubric 44; cf. Exod 15:2; 2 Sam 10:11; Isa 12:2; Pss 118:14, 21.</ref>
* The ''bet'' preposition in the phrase '''in God''' (בֵאלֹהִים) indicates the "cause [or, reason] for a statement of existence."<ref>Jenni 1992, rubric 139.</ref> E.g., Isa 45:24—"The people will declare, 'The LORD is the source of all my righteousness and strength'" (NLT)<ref>Hebrew text: אַ֧ךְ בַּיהוָ֛ה לִ֥י אָמַ֖ר צְדָקֹ֣ות וָעֹ֑ז</ref>; Jer 3:23—"Help for Israel comes only from the LORD our God" (GNT).<ref>Hebrew text: בַּיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ תְּשׁוּעַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל</ref>
* Instead of '''in God''' (בֵאלֹהִים), the Septuagint has "in ''his'' God" (ἐν τῷ θεῷ αὐτοῦ = באלהיו?). There is a good chance that the variant reflects a different Hebrew text (באלהיו), since the Septuagint Psalter is typically literal in its attempt to represent pronominal suffixes, and since it is easy to see how באלהים and באלהיו might have been mistaken for one another.<ref>Cf. Delitzsch 1920, §132e on the scribal interchange of יו and מ/ם.</ref> It is difficult to determine which reading is the earlier reading. Both readings have early attestation, the MT reading being supported by Symmachus and Jerome. In the MT's reading, the ים ending of בֵאלֹהִים rhymes with other words in the context (cf. רבים and אמרים in this verse and מרים in the next verse), perhaps making this reading preferable on poetic grounds.
* When someone is abandoned by God, it is an opportune time for that person's enemies to attack him. See e.g., Ps 71—"For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, 'God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him'" (Ps 71:10-11, NIV).


=Defense (vv. 4-7)=
=Defense (vv. 4-7)=
In the next two sections of the psalm (vv. 4–5, vv. 6–7), David defends himself against the enemies' verbal attack by declaring his trust in YHWH. His response to their taunt in v. 3b represents a poetic undoing of their words. The first words of the second section (vv. 4-5) echo the last words of the first section (vv. 2-3). The words "saying about me" (אֹמְרִים לְנַפְשִׁי) in v. 3a are similar to "and the one who lifts my head" (וּמֵרִים רֹאשִׁי) in v. 4b, both in terms of sound (me + rim + shi) and morphology (participles). Similarly, the ending of "victory" (יְשׁוּעָתָה) in v. 3b sounds like "you" (אַתָּה) in v. 4a, and the words "God" (v. 3b) and (v. 4a) are semantically similar. There is also a subtle end-rhyme between the words "there is no" (אֵין) and "shield" (מָגֵן).
[[File:Psalm 003 - vv. 3-4.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
These repetitions create a chiasm (''abba''), which functions as a seam across the first two sections of the Psalm. Rhetorically, the repetition of sounds (in reverse order) represents an undoing of the enemies' words. "The enemies' taunt that there is no salvation for the psalmist in God (v. 3) is answered in chiastic form by the psalmist's confident assertion of Yahweh's power to protect him ( v. 4)."<ref>Kselman 1987, 573.</ref>
The central section of the psalm (vv. 4–7) divides into two subsections: vv. 4–5 and vv. 6–7. Each of these evenly-balanced sections (14 words // 14 words) begins with a personal pronoun: "you" (vv. 4–5) and "I" (vv. 6–7). The first of these sections is about YHWH ("you")—who he is and what he characteristically does. The second of these sections (vv. 6–7) then returns to the psalmist's circumstances ("I"), but now, in contrast to vv. 2–3, the psalmist has a new perspective on his situation.
[[File:Psalm 003 - vv. 4–7.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
==vv. 4-5==
==vv. 4-5==
In vv. 4–5, the psalm focuses on YHWH—who he is in relation to the psalmist (v. 4) and what he characteristically does in relation to the psalmist (v. 5). In this section, the emotional tone begins to shift from dismay (see vv. 2–3) to confidence.
===v. 4===
===v. 4===
Watch the Overview video on v. 4.
{| class="wikitable"
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! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
|-
|-
| 4a || וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֭הוָה מָגֵ֣ן בַּעֲדִ֑י || But you, YHWH, are a shield around me,
| 4a || וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֭הוָה מָגֵ֣ן בַּעֲדִ֑י || But you, YHWH, are a shield for me,
|-
|-
| 4b || כְּ֝בוֹדִ֗י וּמֵרִ֥ים רֹאשִֽׁי׃ || my honour and the one who lifts my head.
| 4b || כְּ֝בוֹדִ֗י וּמֵרִ֥ים רֹאשִֽׁי׃ || my honor, and the one who lifts my head.
|}
|}
====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
'''But''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(despite what they say, I do have salvation in God, because)</span> '''you, YHWH, are a shield around me,''' <span style="color:#808080">(and just as a shield protects a person in battle,)</span> <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(so you will protect me from my enemies.) (You will also restore)</span> '''my honour''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(which has been turned to shame) (ever since my own son usurped my throne,)</span> '''and the one who lifts my head''' <span style="color:#808080">(a gesture that symbolizes the restoration of confidence.)</span> <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(I had lost all confidence in my flight from Jersualem,) (but you have restored my confidence)</span>'''.'''
'''But''' ''they are wrong. You have not rejected me. You have promised that your covenant loyalty would never leave me. So I trust in you. Despite what they say, I know that you will give me victory, for'' '''you, YHWH, are a shield for me,''' ''to protect me from their attacks and give me victory in the battle. You will restore'' '''my honor''', ''which has been turned to shame ever since my own son usurped my throne,'' '''and''' ''you are'' '''the one who lifts my head''', ''who will confer honor upon me and restore me to my former position.''
 
====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====
[[File: Psalm 3 - grammar v. 4.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=3|DiagramID=v-4-None }}
====Notes====
====Notes====
* The '''sound play''' in v. 4ab. Several of the words in this verse [https://psalms.cdbr.org/w/Psalm_3_Poetics#2._Response_to_Taunts sound like words in the previous verse]. "The enemies' taunt that there is no salvation for the psalmist in God (v. 3) is answered... by the psalmist's confident assertion of Yahweh's power to protect him ( v. 4)."<ref>Kselman 1987</ref>
* The phrase '''but you''' (וְאַתָּה) marks a stong contrast wth the preceding section.
* When a vocative is the second constituent in a clause, the first constituent is focused.<ref>Miller 2010, 357.</ref> So, here, where the vocative '''YHWH''' occurs as the second constituent, after the pronoun "you" (אַתָּה), "you" is focused: "But ''you'' (and you alone) YHWH, are a shield for me."
* The word '''shield''' refers to "a flat, usually round, object; made of wood or metal; used in battle; held by a warrior in front of him as protection from the weapons of his opponent; relatively small and easy to maneuver; associated with protection and therefore often used as an epithet for God."<ref>SDBH.</ref> The following chart explores the significance of this image.
[[File:Psalm 003 - Shield image.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
* The prepositional phrase בַּעֲדִי in Ps 3:4 probably does not mean "around me" (NIV, NLT, NRSV) but "for me" (KJV, cf. LUT, EÜ, ZÜR) i.e., it "marks the intended recipient of the particular action. In English, this function is commonly conveyed by the preposition ''for''."<ref>Hardy 2022, 89-90.</ref>
* The phrase כְּבוֹדִי is, literally, '''my honor''' or "my glory."<ref>So NIV, NLT, ESV, NJPS, NET; German: meine Ehre, LUT, HFA, NGÜ, ELB, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR.</ref> The context suggests that "my honor" means "the ''source'' of my honor," i.e., "the one who makes me honorable [before others]": "you give me... honor" (CEV); "you restore my honor" (cf. HFA); "you rescue my honor" (GNB).<ref>Cf. NET note: "The psalmist affirms that the Lord is his source of honor, i.e., the one who gives him honor in the sight of others. According to BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 7, the phrase refers to God as the one to whom the psalmist gives honor. But the immediate context focuses on what God does for the psalmist, not vice-versa."</ref>
* In Hebrew, there is a conceptual connection between "victory" (see v. 3) and "honor" (v. 4). See, for example, Ps 21:6—"Your victory brings him great honor (גָּדוֹל כְּבוֹדוֹ בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ)" (NLT). By calling God his "honor," the psalmist implies that, despite what his enemies say (v. 3b) God will in fact give him victory, resulting in his honor.
* To '''lift''' someone's '''head''' is "to distinguish, confer honour upon someone."<ref>HALOT; cf. Baethgen 1904, 8.</ref> See, for example, the proverb in Ben Sira: "The physician's knowledge ''lifts up his head'' (תרים ראשו), that he may stand in the presence of noblemen" ([https://www.bensira.org/navigator.php?Manuscript=B&PageNum=15 Ben Sira 38:3]). This interpretation makes good sense in the context, where the phrase "one who lifts my head" is juxtaposed with the phrase "my honor >> the one who makes me honorable." Note also the contrast between lifting up the psalmist's ''head'' in v. 4 (= honoring him) and striking the enemies on the ''jaw'' in v. 8 (= dishonoring them).<ref>Alternatively, "lifting up the head" could be a figure of speech for a "causative process by which deities help humans to find new confidence" (SDBH). Thus, GNT: "You... restore my courage" (cf. Hossfeld and Zenger 1993, 58). It seems more likely, however, that the focus is on the social aspect (honor, vindication) of the psalmist's restoration and not the psychological aspect (confidence, courage), although the latter is probably implied. In Gen 40:13, "lifting the head" (although a different verb: יִשָּׂא...אֶת־רֹאשֶׁךָ) refers to the cup bearer's restoration to his former position. Thus, "if one takes the suggestion of the superscription that this is a Davidic psalm written during the revolt of Absalom, the phrase 'lift the head' could refer to the psalmist’s desire for restoration to his former position" (NET note).</ref>


===v. 5===
===v. 5===
Watch the Overview video on v. 5.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
|-
|-
| 5a || ק֭וֹלִי אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָ֑א || Whenever I cry out to YHWH with my voice,
| 5a || ק֭וֹלִי אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָ֑א || I call aloud to YHWH,
|-
|-
| 5b || וַיַּֽעֲנֵ֨נִי מֵהַ֖ר קָדְשׁ֣וֹ סֶֽלָה׃ || he responds to me from his holy mountain. ''Selah.''
| 5b || וַיַּֽעֲנֵ֨נִי מֵהַ֖ר קָדְשׁ֣וֹ סֶֽלָה׃ || and he answers me from his holy mountain. ''Selah.''
|}
|}
====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
<span style="color:#2D9BF0">(The reason I can claim that YHWH is the one who protects me is that, time and time again,)</span> '''Whenever I cry out to YHWH with my voice''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(during times of trouble like that which I am facing now)</span>''', he responds to me from his holy mountain''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(and rescues me from my enemies.)</span> '''''Selah.'''''
''I trust in YHWH, because he has shown himself to be faithful time and time again. This is how it always happens:'' '''I call aloud to YHWH''' ''during times of trouble like what I am facing now,'' '''and he answers me from''' ''Zion'', '''his holy mountain''', ''and rescues me from my enemies.'' '''''Selah.'''''


====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====
[[File: Psalm 3 - grammar v. 5.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=3|DiagramID=v-5-None }}
====Notes====
====Notes====
* The '''tense and aspect of the verbs'''. Some translations render both verbs as past perfective ("I cried... he answered"),<ref>KJV, NASB, ESV, NET. Cf. LXX (ἐκέκραξα... καὶ ἐπήκουσέν).</ref> but they are [https://psalms.cdbr.org/w/Psalm_3_Semantics#Notes more likely timeless/gnomic and imperfective] ("I cry... he answers")<ref>Cf. CSB, NIV, NEB, GNT, CEV. These translations might instead be interpreted as present tense. To remove any ambiguity, we have chosen to translate "whevenver I call... he answers."</ref>
* Here, as elsewhere in the psalm, the psalmist shifts from addressing YHWH in the second person (vv. 2-4, 8, 9b) to speaking about him in the third person (vv. 5-6, 9a). The clearest instance of such person shifting is in v. 9, where the first half mentions "YHWH" in the third person, and the second half addresses him in the second person ("your"). This kind of person shifting is common in Hebrew poetry and also occurs in prose, for example, when someone is speaking to a king.<ref>See e.g., Esth 3:8-9; Ps 45:2.</ref> When the psalmist says something about YHWH in the third person, it does not necessarily imply that he is no longer speaking to YHWH.<ref>Cf. Pss 7; 18. The superscriptions of these psalms say that they are addressed to "YHWH," even though there are many third-person references to YHWH in these psalms.</ref>
* The verbs '''call out''' (קרא) and '''answer''' (ענה) form a poetic pair. The former refers to an "action by which humans... speak with a loud voice, often to draw attention to themselves or to their situation and expecting someone to respond in one way or another."<ref>SDBH.</ref> The latter refers to an "action in which humans or deities respond to a question or situation, either by words or by actions."<ref>SDBH.</ref>
* The phrase "my voice >> '''aloud'''" (קוֹלִי) appears to be functioning adverbially.<ref>Alternatively, GKC analyzes קוֹלִי as a second subject: "my voice—I cry unto the Lord" (GKC §144l-m; so Hupfeld 1855, 41; Baethgen 1904, 8). According to GKC, "A peculiar idiom, and one always confined to poetic language, is the not infrequent occurrence of two subjects in a verbal sentence, one of the person and the other of the thing. The latter then serves—whether it precedes or follows—to state the instrument, organ, or member by which the action in question is performed, and may be most often rendered in English by an adverb, as a nearer definition of the manner of the action" (GKC §144l; examples with קול: Pss 27:7; 142:2; Isa 10:30; example with פה: Ps 66:17; example with נפשׁ: Isa 26:9; examples with יד or ימין: Pss 17:14; 60:7; 44:3). The debate on how best to analyze these syntactic constructions goes back centuries. See, for example, the different opinions presented by Radak in his [https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_HaShorashim%2C_אוה.1?lang=bi book on Hebrew roots].</ref> Thus, the Peshitta, for example, adds a ''bet'' preposition: "''with'' (ב) my voice (קלי)."<ref>Cf. LXX: φωνῇ μου ["with my voice"], Jerome [iuxta Hebr.]: voce mea ["with my voice"]; R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi: אקרא בקול רם.</ref> Similarly, modern European translations render the phrase adverbially, either as "[cry] with my voice"<ref>KJV, ESV, cf. LUT, ELB.</ref> or "[cry] aloud."<ref>NRSV, CSB, NJPS, NEB, REB, HFA, EÜ, ZÜR.</ref>
* The prepositional phrase '''to YHWH''' is fronted before the verb, probably for marked focus: "I call ''to YHWH'' (and to no one else).<ref>The first constituent of the clause, the noun phrase קוֹלִי ("aloud," lit.: "my voice"), is also fronted before the verb. But the pre-verbal position of this constituent might not be related to information structure but to some unique usage of the phrase קוֹלִי (see e.g., Ps 27:7; 142:2; cf. Ps 66:17, with פִּי; cf. GKC §144l-m). It also results in the poetic juxtaposition of "my voice" at the beginning of v. 5 and "my head" at the end of v. 4.</ref>
* The phrase הַר קָדְשׁוֹ is, literally, "mountain of holiness of him" >> '''his holy mountain,''' i.e., the mountain that is devoted to YHWH as holy.<ref>Cf. Joel 4:17; Obad 16; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; 48:2; 99:9; Dan 9:16; etc.</ref>


==vv. 6-7==
==vv. 6-7==
In vv. 6-7, having reoriented his perspective (vv. 4-5), David is able to re-evaluate his current situation. He looks back on the previous night and sees how YHWH has protected him (v. 6), and so he commits himself to courage in the face of the ongoing threat (v. 7). In this section, the emotional tone rises in intensity from growing confidence (vv. 4–5) to full-blown courage: "I will not be afraid! " (לֹֽא־אִירָא).
===v. 6===
===v. 6===
Watch the Overview video on v. 6.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
Line 112: Line 145:
| 6a || אֲנִ֥י שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי וָֽאִ֫ישָׁ֥נָה || I lay down and fell asleep.
| 6a || אֲנִ֥י שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי וָֽאִ֫ישָׁ֥נָה || I lay down and fell asleep.
|-
|-
| 6b || הֱקִיצ֑וֹתִי כִּ֖י יְהוָ֣ה יִסְמְכֵֽנִי׃ || I woke up, for YHWH supports me.
| 6b || הֱקִיצ֑וֹתִי כִּ֖י יְהוָ֣ה יִסְמְכֵֽנִי׃ || I woke up, because YHWH supports me.
|}
|}
====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
<span style="color:#2D9BF0">(After YHWH restored my confidence,)</span> '''I lay down and''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(as an expression of confidence and security)</span> '''fell asleep.''' <span style="color:#808080">(Sleeping puts one in a vulnerable position,)</span> <span style="color:#414BB2">(however, I was not harmed in my sleep. Instead,)</span> '''I woke up, for YHWH supports me.''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(He protected me throughout the night.)</span>
''Even last night, YHWH proved himself to be a faithful protector! Last night, even though my enemies are trying to kill me,'' '''I lay down''' ''in peace'' '''and fell asleep'''. ''I was able to fall asleep because I was confident in YHWH's protection. And, sure enough,'' '''I woke up''' ''without being harmed,'' '''because YHWH supports me.'''
====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====
[[File: Psalm 3 - grammar v. 6.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=3|DiagramID=v-6-None }}
====Notes====
====Notes====
* The previous clause describes YHWH's action, while this section (vv. 6-7) is now about the psalmist and his actions. The independent pronoun '''I''' (אֲנִי) marks this transition and activates "I" as the topic of the following clauses.<ref>Normally, however, we would typically expect וַאֲנִי for such a topic shift. (Note that one medieval Hebrew manuscript reads וַאֲנִי [see Kennicott 1776, 308]).</ref>
* The verbs '''lay down''' (שָׁכַבְתִּי) and '''slept''' (וָאִישָׁנָה) are "sometimes associated with security" (SDBH), as is the case in this verse (cf. Psalm 4:9). David can lie down and sleep because he trusts YHWH to support him and protect him throughout the night. Night sometimes offered an opportune time to strike an enemy, while the enemy was weak and resting. See, for example, the following verse in the 2 Samuel story: "I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight (הַלָּיְלָה) in pursuit of David. I would attack him while he is weary and weak" (2 Sam 17:1-2, NIV).
* The word '''because''' (כִּי) in v. 6 explains how it is that David was able to wake up safely, without having been killed in his sleep: because YHWH supports him (and YHWH was supporting him during the night).


===v. 7===
===v. 7===
Watch the Overview video on v. 7.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
|-
|-
| 7a || לֹֽא־אִ֭ירָא מֵרִבְב֥וֹת עָ֑ם || I will not be afraid of myriads of people
| 7a || לֹֽא־אִ֭ירָא מֵרִבְב֥וֹת עָ֑ם || I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people
|-
|-
| 7b || אֲשֶׁ֥ר סָ֝בִ֗יב שָׁ֣תוּ עָלָֽי׃ || who have taken position against me all around.
| 7b || אֲשֶׁ֥ר סָ֝בִ֗יב שָׁ֣תוּ עָלָֽי׃ || who have taken position against me all around.
|}
|}
====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
<span style="color:#2D9BF0">(With YHWH as my protector,)</span> '''I will not be afraid of myriads of people who have taken position against me all around''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(in order to harm me)</span>'''.'''
''With YHWH as my protector,'' '''I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of''' ''armed'' '''people who have taken position against me all around''' ''to harm me.''
====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====
[[File: Psalm 3 - grammar v. 7.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=3|DiagramID=v-7-None }}
====Notes====
====Notes====
* The clearest emotional statement in the psalm is '''I will not be afraid''' (לֹֽא־אִירָא). This implies that the emotional tone of this section is the opposite of fear, i.e., confidence. It further implies that the emotional tone of vv. 2-3 was one of fear or dismay.
* The word translated '''tens of thousands''' (רִבְבֹות) in v. 7 is the fourth instance of the root רבב in this psalm (see note on v. 2). The singular noun רְבָבָה means, literally, a "state in which a countable entity is ten thousand in number," but it is used imprecisely for "excessively high numbers by which the exact number is relatively unimportant" (SDBH).
* The construct chain רִבְבֹות עָם probably means '''ten thousands of people''' (KJV, NRSV), i.e., "ten thousands [consisting of] people." The phrase is unique in the Bible, but compare "ten thousands of Ephraim" (רִבְבוֹת אֶפְרַיִם) in Deut 33:17. The word עַם probably has the additional nuance of a military force (see note on v. 9): "ten thousands of fighting people" (cf. NJPS: "the myriad forces"). The following Venn diagram compares and contrasts the Hebrew word עַם (vv. 7, 9) and the English word "people."
[[File:Psalm 003 - Am.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
* The adverb '''all around''' (סָבִיב) is fronted, probably for marked focus. The enemies do not just take position against him on one side (which would allow him an escape route), but on ''every'' side, all around him.
* The verb translated '''have taken position''' (שָׁתוּ) usually means "put/place (something somewhere)" but in this verse it appears to be "internally transitive, = ''take one’s stand''".<ref>BDB; cf. Isa 22:7; so Ibn Ezra: "similar to שות שתו השערה [in Isa 22:7], similar to 'fight' [נלחמו];" see also 2 Kgs 20:12—וַיָּשִׂ֖ימוּ עַל־הָעִֽיר). It is also possible that an object, e.g., "battle," is implied (cf. Radak: שתו מלחמתם עלי).</ref>


=Victory (vv. 8-9)=
=Victory (vv. 8-9)=
In the final section of the psalm (vv. 8–9), David calls on YHWH to save him (v. 8), and declares in triumph that YHWH alone can save, i.e., can give "victory." This section strategically repeats several words from the first section of the psalm (vv. 2-3): "rise," "victory"/"save," "God."
[[File:Psalm 003 - PF1.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
The repetition of key words in this last section resolves the crisis and sets the record straight. The enemies may have been "rising" in v. 2, but they are no match for YHWH when, in v. 8, he is called to "rise." The enemies might say in v. 3 that “there is no victory/salvation for him in God,” but it is in vain: for David calls upon his “God” (v. 8) to “save” him, revealing the truth that, yes, there is indeed victory/salvation for him, because “victory/salvation belongs to ''YHWH''” (v. 9a), and YHWH is his God. Thus, the repetition sets up a contrast between the enemies' view of the situation and the reality of the situation. The enemies may act and speak as they like, but they are powerless when faced with YHWH. He will do as he pleases, and he will have the last word.
===v. 8===
===v. 8===
Watch the Overview video on v. 8.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
|-
|-
| 8a || ק֘וּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ הוֹשִׁ֘יעֵ֤נִי אֱלֹהַ֗י || Rise up, YHWH. Save me, my God.
| 8a || ק֘וּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ הוֹשִׁ֘יעֵ֤נִי אֱלֹהַ֗י || Rise up, YHWH! Save me, my God!
|-
|-
| 8b || כִּֽי־הִכִּ֣יתָ אֶת־כָּל־אֹיְבַ֣י לֶ֑חִי || For you have struck all of my enemies on the jaw.
| 8b || כִּֽי־הִכִּ֣יתָ אֶת־כָּל־אֹיְבַ֣י לֶ֑חִי || For you have struck all my enemies on the jaw.
|-
|-
| 8c || שִׁנֵּ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃ || You have broken the teeth of wicked people.
| 8c || שִׁנֵּ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃ || You have broken wicked people's teeth.
|}
|}
====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
'''Rise up, YHWH. Save me, my God.''' <span style="color:#414BB2">(You should do this)</span> '''For you have struck all of my enemies on the jaw''' <span style="color:#808080">(an expression of dominance and scorn, and)</span> '''You have broken the teeth of wicked people''' <span style="color:#808080">(thereby rendering them harmless.)</span> <span style="color:#414BB2">(Since you have done this to all of my enemies in the past,) (I am calling on you to do it again)</span>'''.'''
''Instead, I will call on my God to save me:'' '''Rise up, YHWH''', ''against those who are rising up against me!'' '''Save me, my God''', ''and give me the victory that they say you won't give! I know you will rise up and save me,'' '''for''' ''this is what you have always done! In the past,'' '''you have struck all my enemies on the jaw''', ''resulting in their public humiliation''. '''You have broken wicked people's teeth''', ''rendering them harmless, unable to devour me.''


====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====
[[File: Psalm 3 - grammar v. 8.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=3|DiagramID=v-8-None }}
====Notes====
====Notes====
* Verse 8 stands out in a number of ways: (1) poetic structure (the only three-line verse in the Psalm); graphic imagery (striking jaws and breaking teeth); dense alliteration (hard k in 8b [x3]; sh in 8c [x3]; both of which echo sounds in "rise" and "save" in 8a); clustering of imperatives (8a) (the only imperatives in the psalm); chiastic patterning of v. 8bc: A. "you have struck" B. "my enemies" C. "on the jaw" // C. "the teeth" B. "of wicked people" A. "you have broken." The effect of this clustering of poetic features is to draw attention to this climactic point in the psalm, where David calls on YHWH to take action against his enemies. The repetition of the hard k sound in 8b mimics the sound of striking (also the repetition of the t sound in this line, as well as the ח sound), while the repetition of sh in 8c mimics the silence experienced by the now toothless enemies.<ref>Cf. Kirtchuk 2011, 136–137.</ref> Just as YHWH has struck and silenced every one of David's enemies in the past, so David calls on him to do it again. Those who mock him and his God (cf. v. 3) will be shamed and silenced.
* To '''rise''' (קוּמָה) is to "rise for action, make a move and do something."<ref>DCH; cf. Pss 3:8; 7:7; 9:20; 10:12; 17:13; 35:2; etc.</ref> In this case, the action requested is "save me!"
* The verb '''save''' (הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי) "denotes the bringing of assistance to someone in need, whether in military, civil or judicial contexts. It may also denote the actual saving of someone in battle or in history in general" ([https://sahd-online.com/words/y-sh-3/ SAHD], so SDBH). It is the action that brings about a state of יְשׁוּעָה ("victory" or "protection," the key word used in vv. 3, 9).
* The כִּי in v. 8 is a speech-act causal כִּי: '''for'''.<ref>See Locatell 2017, 162; cf. Locatell 2019.</ref> The psalmist grounds his request for YHWH to save (v. 8a) in the recollection of YHWH's past acts of salvation (v. 8bc).
* The word '''jaw''' or "cheek bone" (לֶחִי) is an adverbial accusative, "indicating the part or member specially affected by the action, e.g., Ps 3:8 ''for thou hast smitten all mine enemies'' לֶחִי (as to) ''the cheek bone'', equivalent to ''upon the cheek bone.''"<ref>GKC §117ll.</ref> Striking someone on the jaw/cheek was offensive, an act of scornful contempt that brought shame upon the person struck. "People open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn (בְּחֶרְפָּה הִכּוּ לְחָיָי) and unite together against me" (Job 16:11, NIV; cf. 1 Kgs 22:24; Lam 3:3)
* "'''Teeth''' are an image of power... The breaking of teeth symbolizes defeat. The teeth of the wicked are broken; they are not allowed to use them to devour the weak/righteous who trust in God. Though they may roar and growl like lions, evil people will have their teeth broken by the Lord. For a lion to have its teeth broken was to be mortally wounded. It now 'perishes for lack of prey' (Job 4:11, NIV). Here teeth are a symbol of the power of evil people to consume the defenseless."<ref>Ryken et al. 1948, 847.</ref> "I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords" (Ps 57:5, NIV; cf. Pss 58:7; 124:6; Job 4:10).


===v. 9===
===v. 9===
Watch the Overview video on v. 9.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
! v. !! Hebrew !! Close-but-clear
|-
|-
| 9a || לַיהוָ֥ה הַיְשׁוּעָ֑ה || Salvation is YHWH’s.
| 9a || לַיהוָ֥ה הַיְשׁוּעָ֑ה || Victory is YHWH's!
|-
|-
| 9b || עַֽל־עַמְּךָ֖ בִרְכָתֶ֣ךָ סֶּֽלָה׃ || Your blessing is on your people. ''Selah.''
| 9b || עַֽל־עַמְּךָ֖ בִרְכָתֶ֣ךָ סֶּֽלָה׃ || Your blessing is on your people. ''Selah.''
|}
|}
====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
'''Salvation is YHWH’s''' <span style="color:#414BB2">(and YHWH is my God)</span>'''.''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(Therefore, despite what my enemies say, I ''do'' have salvation in God.)</span> '''Your blessing is on your people''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(on those who align themselves with your chosen king) (and not on those who rebel against you)</span>'''. ''Selah.'' '''
'''Victory is YHWH's!''' ''And YHWH is my God. And so, despite what my enemies are saying, I will have victory in God. For not only does YHWH determine who is victorious, but YHWH also shows favor to his people.'' '''Your blessing''', ''YHWH,'' '''is''' ''not on your enemies, but'' '''on your people''',
''your true people, those who have aligned themselves with your will and have supported me as your chosen king.'' '''''Selah.'''''
====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====
[[File: Psalm 3 - grammar v. 9.jpg|class=img-fluid|825px]]
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=3|DiagramID=v-9-None }}
====Notes====
====Notes====
* The ''lamed'' preposition in the phrase לַיהוָה indicates possession:<ref>Jenni 2000, rubric 227; cf. Jon 2:10.</ref> "victory is '''YHWH's'''" (cf. NJPS, NRSV), i.e, YHWH has the ability to grant victory to whomever he wants:<ref>Cf. Ibn Ezra: כי הוא יושיע מי שיחפוץ בו.</ref> "Victory comes [only] from the LORD" (GNT).<ref>Cf. NLT, HFA, NGÜ; Targum: מִן קֳדָם יְיָ פּוּרְקָנָא.</ref> The idea is captured nicely in a story from 1 Samuel: "Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, 'Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving (לְהוֹשִׁיעַ), whether by many or by few'" (1 Sam 14:6, NIV).
* The prepositional phrase "YHWH's" (לַיהוָה) is fronted for exclusive focus. Victory belongs to no one else but YHWH; he alone determines who wins and who loses.
* The word '''victory''' in v. 9 has the definite article (הַיְשׁוּעָה, lit., "''the'' victory"). The article "points back to v. 3"<ref>Baethgen 1904, 9.</ref> and, more generally, to the main theme of the psalm, which has, by this point, become identifiable to the reader/listener.
* The phrase '''on your people''' (עַֽל־עַמְּךָ) is fronted for exclusive focus: YHWH's blessing is not on the enemy "people" (see v. 7), but exclusively on his own "people."
* The '''people''' mentioned in this last line must be "those who are fighting for David."<ref>Ibn Ezra: הם הנלחמים בעבור דוד; cf. Radak: עמך במלחמה הזאת.</ref> This word for "people" (עַם) sometimes refers to an army.<ref>E.g., Josh 8:1—עַם הַמִּלְחָמָה; see BDB entry 2d for עַם I.</ref>
* YHWH's '''blessing''' is said to be '''on''' (עַל) his people, because the blessing comes to them from above (cf. Ps 133). E.g., "I will pour out... my blessing (בִרְכָתִי) on (עַל) your descendants" (Isa 44:3, NIV).<ref>Alternatively, some have argued that the clause "Your blessing [is] upon your people" means that the people have an obligation to bless YHWH (so e.g., Rashi: ועל עמו מוטל לברך ולהודות לו). According to this alternative interpretation, the phrase "your blessing" (בִרְכָתֶךָ) is not "the blessing that comes from you" but "the blessing that you deserve/receive."</ref>


=Legends=
=Legends=
'''Grammatical diagram'''
'''Grammatical diagram'''
{{Grammatical Legend}}
{{Grammatical Legend/Button}}
'''Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram'''
'''Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram'''
{{Phrasal Legend}}
{{Phrasal Legend}}
'''Expanded paraphrase'''
'''Expanded paraphrase'''
{{Story Behind}}
{{Story Behind}}
=Bibliography=
:Anderson, A. A. 1972. [https://archive.org/details/bookofpsalmsbase0001ande ''The Book of Psalms'']. Vol. 1. NCBC. Greenwood, SC: Attic.
:Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. [https://archive.org/details/diepsalmen00baet ''Die Psalmen'']. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.
:Carbajosa, Ignacio. 2020. “10.3.4 Peshitta.” ''Textual History of the Bible''. 2020.
:Delitzsch, Friedrich. 1920. [http://archive.org/details/gtu_32400005387547 ''Die lese- und schreibfehler im Alten Testament'']. Berlin ; Leipzig: De Gruyter.
:Goldingay, John. 2006. [https://archive.org/details/psalms0000gold ''Psalms: Psalms 1–41'']. Vol. 1. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
:Hardy, H. H. 2022. ''The Development of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions''. Ancient Near East Monographs 28. Atlanta, GA: SBL Press.
:Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 1993. ''Die Psalmen I: Psalm 1–50''. Neue Echter Bibel. Würzburg: Echter.
:Hupfeld, Hermann. 1855. ''Die Psalmen. Vol. 1''. Gotha: Friedrich Andreas Perthes.
:Ibn Ezra. [https://www.sefaria.org/Ibn_Ezra_on_Psalms?tab=contents Ibn Ezra on Psalms].
:Jenni, Ernst. 1992. ''Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 1: Die Präposition Beth.'' Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer.
:Jenni, Ernst. 2000. ''Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 3: Die Präposition Lamed''. Stuttgart: Verlag W. Kohlhammer.
:Kennicott, Benjamin. 1776. [https://archive.org/details/kennicott_vetus-testamentum-hebraicum-cum-variis-lectionibus-1776 ''Vetus testamentum hebraicum : cum variis lectionibus''].
:Kim, Young Bok. 2023. ''Hebrew Forms of Address: A Sociolinguistic Analysis''. Atlanta: SBL Press.
:Kirtchuk, Pablo. 2011. [https://hal.science/hal-00602819 “Onomatopoeia & Phono-Iconicity in Hebrew.”]
:Kselman, John. 1987. “Psalm 3: A Structural and Literary Study.” ''The Catholic Biblical Quarterly'' 49 (4): 572–80.
:Locatell, Christian. 2019. [https://www.academia.edu/41203834/Causal_Categories_in_Biblical_Hebrew_Discourse_A_Cognitive_Approach_to_Causal_כי. “Causal Categories in Biblical Hebrew Discourse: A Cognitive Approach to Causal כי.”] Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 45 (2).
:Locatell, Christian S. 2017. [https://scholar.sun.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/a8b80157-23d3-4822-b16f-e98b73803fa0/content “Grammatical Polysemy in the Hebrew Bible: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach to כי.”] PhD Dissertation, Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch.
:Miller, Cynthia L. 2010. “Vocative Syntax in Biblical Hebrew Prose and Poetry: A Preliminary Analysis.” ''Semitic Studies'' 55 (1): 347–64.
:R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi. [https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Tehillim/3.1#e0n6 הואיל משה].
:Radak. [https://www.sefaria.org/Radak_on_Psalms?tab=contents Radak on Psalms].
:Rashi. [https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Psalms?tab=contents Rashi on Psalms].
:Ryken, Leland, Jim Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid, eds. 1998. ''Dictionary of Biblical Imagery''. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press.
:Witthoff, David J. 2021. [http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/123771 ''The Relationships of the Senses of נֶפֶשׁ in the Hebrew Bible: A Cognitive Linguistics Perspective'']. PhD Dissertation, University of Stellenbosch.
:Yeivin, Israel. 1980. ''Introduction to the Tiberian Masorah''. Masoretic Studies, no. 5. Missoula, Mont: Published by Scholars Press for the Society of Biblical Literature and the International Organization for Masoretic Studies.
=References=
=References=
[[Category:Verse-by-Verse Notes]]
[[Category:Verse-by-Verse Notes]]
[[Chapter::3]]
[[Chapter::3]]

Latest revision as of 17:56, 9 June 2025


Back to Psalm 3 overview page.

Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 3!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

  1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
  2. The verse in Hebrew and English.[1]
  3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.[2]
  4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.[3]
  5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

Superscription (v. 1)

The superscription gives information about the genre ("psalm" [מִזְמוֹר]), the author ("David"), and the historical circumstances in which the psalm originated. The historical note alludes to the story of Absalom's rebellion in 2 Samuel 15:1–19:11. The following verse from the 2 Samuel story is especially relevant: "Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, 'Come! We must flee (וְנִבְרָחָה), or none of us will escape from Absalom (מִפְּנֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם). We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword'" (2 Sam 15:14, NIV).

The following story triangle summarizes the story of Absalom's rebellion according to the narrative in 2 Samuel. Psalm 003 - v. 1 story.jpg

v. 1

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
1a מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד A psalm. By David.
1b בְּ֝בָרְח֗וֹ מִפְּנֵ֤י ׀ אַבְשָׁל֬וֹם בְּנֽוֹ׃ When he was fleeing from Absalom, his son.

Expanded Paraphrase

A psalm. By David, the anointed king of Israel. After David sinned against YHWH (2 Sam 11), YHWH said that he would bring trouble upon David from David's own house (2 Sam. 12:11). One of the members of David's house is Absalom, his third-born son. Absalom plotted a rebellion, gained a large following, and was proclaimed king in place of David. If David had stayed in Jerusalem, he and his men would have been captured by Absalom and the city would have been destroyed. So David told his men, "Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword" (2 Sam 15:14, NIV). So David and his men left Jerusalem. He prayed this psalm during the time when he was fleeing from Absalom, his son.

Grammatical Diagram


Notes

  • The phrase by David (לְדָוִד), literally "belonging to David" or "David's," is a designation of authorship.[4]
  • The preposition from (מִפְּנֵי) typically occurs in contexts of "hostility and/or threat," describing how "trajector x [here = David] moves away (e.g., flees or hides) from the presence of a landmark y [here = Absalom]."[5]
  • Absalom was David's third-born son, the first by his wife Ma'acha, daughter of Talmi, king of Geshur (a "small Aramaic state between Bashan and Hermon"[6]) (2 Sam 3:3). For the story of Absalom's rebellion, to which the superscription alludes, see 2 Sam 15-19:11.
  • The phrase his son (בּנוֹ) is in apposition to "Absalom," highlighting Absalom's relationship to David. The addition of the phrase "his son" is not necessary for identifying Absalom. The text could have simply said, "When David was fleeing from Absalom," and readers would have been able to identify "Absalom" without the need for any further specification (cf. 2 Sam 13ff). The addition of the appositional phrase "his son" has two effects. First, it draws attention to the close relationship between David and Absalom and thus to the deep emotional pain of the conflict (2 Sam 13:39; 18:33); the fact that David is forced to flee from his son (as opposed to some other enemy) makes his situation especially distressing. Second, it creates a connection with the previous psalm (Ps 2), which uses the word "son" (v. 7, cf. v. 12).

Attack (vv. 2-3)

In the first section of the psalm (vv. 2–3), David describes his dismaying situation to God. The key word in this section is "many" (רבב): "have become many (רָבּוּ)... many (רַבִּים)... many (רַבִּים)..." The repetition of this word (and its emphatic placement at the beginning of each of the first three clauses) stresses the overwhelming nature of the situation, as though the psalmist is surrounded on every side (cf. v. 7) by an ever-increasing horde of enemies. The following verses in the 2 Samuel story, alluded to in the superscription, also describe Absalom's forces as being "many" in number: "And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing (וְהָעָ֛ם הוֹלֵ֥ךְ וָרָ֖ב אֶת־אַבְשָׁלֽוֹם)" (2 Sam 15:12, NIV); "So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba—as numerous as the sand on the seashore (כַּח֥וֹל אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב)—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle" (2 Sam 17:11, NIV).

The attack of the many enemies is not only physical, but also verbal. They declare, "There is no victory for him in God!" (v. 3). This triumphant taunt poses the key question of the psalm: Is there any hope of victory for David in God? Will God save him, or has God abandoned him? His enemies conclude that God has abandoned him, which means that God will not respond to his call for help (cf. 2 Sam 15:26; Pss 41:12; 22:9). Compare Ps 71:10–11—"For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, 'God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him'" (Ps 71:10-11, NIV).

The emotional tone of this section is one of dismay, i.e., "sudden loss of courage or resolution from alarm or fear."[7] The narrative in 2 Samuel 15ff also implies sadness and mourning, at least upon leaving Jerusalem: "But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot..." (2 Sam 15:30, NIV).

v. 2

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
2a יְ֭הוָה מָֽה־רַבּ֣וּ צָרָ֑י YHWH, how my adversaries have become many!
2b רַ֝בִּ֗ים קָמִ֥ים עָלָֽי׃ Many are those rising against me.

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH, how my adversaries, led by my son Absalom, have become many! "The conspiracy has gained strength, and Absalom’s following has continually increased" (cf. 2 Sam 15:12). Many are those rising against me.

Grammatical Diagram

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 2]
    Fragment
      Vocative
        noun: יְהוָה YHWH
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          ConstructChain <gloss="my adversaries">
            noun: צָר adversaries
            suffix-pronoun: ָי me
        Predicate
          verb: רַבּוּ have become many
          adverb: מָה how
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          Nominal
            Clause
              Predicate
                verb-participle: קָמִים those rising
                Adverbial
                  PrepositionalPhrase
                    Preposition
                      preposition: עָל against
                    Object
                      suffix-pronoun: ָי me
        Predicate
          verb: are
          Complement
            adjective: רַבִּים many
    Fragment <status="alternative">
      Clause
        Subject
          Nominal
            adjective: רַבִּים many
        Predicate
          verb-participle: קָמִים are rising
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: עָל against
              Object
                suffix-pronoun: ָי me 
  


Notes

  • The opening vocative, YHWH, is clause-initial, as often at the beginning of psalms.[8] The initial position of the vocative at the beginning of a psalm might reflect the discourse function of the clause-initial vocative to signal the beginning of a conversational turn.[9]
  • The word how...! (מָה) "functions as an introduction to an exclamation in which a speaker usually expresses a value judgment about something."[10] Compare, for example, Ps 8:1—"how (מָה) majestic is your name...!" Thus, "instead of a straightforward account of the trouble, we have an exclamation which serves to emphasize the seriousness of the situation."[11]
  • The root of the verb "many/become many" (רבב) is, next to the divine name YHWH, the most repeated root in the psalm (four times, vv. 2-3, 7). The first instance of this root is the verb become many (רַבּוּ) in v. 2, which SDBH defines simply as a "process by which people... increase in number..." The second and third instances of this root occur in the following two lines, with the adjective many (רַבִּים)—"state in which objects or events are numerous in quantity or frequency" (SDBH).
  • The phrase translated those rising against me (קָמִים עָלָי) could either be the main verbal predication of the clause ("are rising against me")[12] or the subject of the clause ("those rising against me").[13] In context, the focus of the clause appears to be on the vast number of his enemies (cf. v. 2a, 3a): "those rising against me are (not few, but) many." This emphasis is clearer if we interpret קָמִים עָלָי as the subject of the clause, with many (רִבִּים) as the predicate complement, fronted for marked focus.

v. 3

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
3a רַבִּים֮ אֹמְרִ֪ים לְנַ֫פְשִׁ֥י Many are those saying about me,
3b אֵ֤ין יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה לּ֬וֹ בֵֽאלֹהִ֬ים סֶֽלָה׃ "There is no victory for him in God!" Selah.

Expanded Paraphrase

Many are those who think that you no longer delight in me and that you have rejected me (cf. 2 Sam. 15:26; 16:8). For this reason, they are saying about me, "God won't save him! There is no hope of victory for him in God!" Selah.

Grammatical Diagram

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 3]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          Clause
            Predicate
              verb-participle: אֹמְרִים those saying
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase
                  Preposition
                    preposition: לְ about
                  Object
                    ConstructChain <gloss="my soul >> me">
                      noun: נַפְשׁ soul
                      suffix-pronoun: ִי me
              Object
                Clause
                  Subject
                    noun: יְשׁוּעָתָה victory
                  Predicate
                    Adverbial
                      noun: אֵין there is no
                    Complement
                      PrepositionalPhrase
                        Preposition
                          preposition: לּ for
                        Object
                          suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
                      Adjectival
                        PrepositionalPhrase
                          Preposition
                            preposition: בֵ in
                          Object
                            noun: אלֹהִים God
        Predicate
          verb: are
          Complement
            adjective: רַבִּים many
    Fragment <status="alternative">
      Clause
        Subject
          Nominal
            adjective: רַבִּים many
        Predicate
          verb-participle: אֹמְרִים are saying
    Fragment
      particle: סֶלָה selah 
  


Notes

  • The lamed preposition in the phrase לְנַפְשִׁי does not indicate the address of the speech ("saying to me," so NRSV) but the topic of the speech: "saying about me".[14]
  • The word נֶפֶשׁ frequently means "life" and occurs in contexts "where a life is in general peril; where a life desperately requires help (often from God)."[15] It can also stand metonymically for a person, profiling the inner being or emotional center of that person.[16] In Ps 3:3, the phrase נַפְשִׁי (my soul >> me) is related to both of these meanings. As Witthoff writes regarding several examples, including Ps 3:3, "the concept of LIFE in need may still be present in the contexts of these instances, but ׁנֶפֶש may be closer in these examples to representing a part of a person that feels, thinks, or chooses a course of action, than to a state of LIFE."[17]
  • There is a minor textual issue in v. 3. The vast majority of modern translations follow the Masoretic Text of v. 3b: "There is no help for him in God" (CSB). By contrast, the NRSV, following the Syriac Peshitta (so NRSV footnote), says, "There is no help for you in God" (NRSV).[18] But the Peshitta Psalter characteristically "deviates from its Hebrew base text and accommodates the translation to the immediate context, following a certain logic or overcoming a certain difficulty."[19] In this case, the Peshitta is almost certainly giving a free translation of the same text as we have in the MT and all of our other witnesses. The translator probably used 2ms language ("for you... your God") because he interpreted the phrase לְנַפְשִׁי in v. 3a as indicating the addressee of the speech: "saying to me" instead of "saying about me."
  • The noun victory (here: יְשׁוּעָתָה; in v. 9: יְשׁוּעָה) is the most important word in this psalm. It is highlighted, not only by its repetition throughout the psalm (vv. 3b, 9a; verbal form in 8b) but by its unique morphology in v. 3. The word here has a unique ending (תָה-).[20] This ending appears to be the remains of an earlier case ending which is now, according to GKC, "used merely for the sake of poetical emphasis [= poetic foregrounding]."[21] The word is also prosodically foregrounded by the Masoretic accentuation (יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה); it has the rare accent shalshelet qetana (only 8 times in the Hebrew Bible).[22] The foregrounding of the word is appropriate because "victory" is "the key motif in the psalm."[23] The same word (יְשׁוּעָה) occurs again in the last verse of the psalm (v. 9) as the only word in the psalm to have the definite article (ה).
  • The Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database has a series of thorough lexical studies on 'Deliverance' Words, the verb ישׁע, and the noun יְשׁוּעָה. For the noun יְשׁוּעָה, which occurs twice in Ps 3 (vv. 3, 9), they argue that it denotes "various kinds of ‘success’ secured by divine acts of power and faithfulness." They argue, contrary to many translations and dictionaries, that "‘salvation, deliverance’ is not central to the meaning of יְשׁוּעָה." They base this claim on the fact that, although יְשׁוּעָה occurs 74 times in poetry, it hardly ever occurs in parallel with other nouns in the 'deliverance' word group. Instead, it is usually parallel with words for success or blessing, power, loyalty and faithfulness, protection, praise, and righteousness. They claim that it refers to "a state of security" rather than "an action that brings it about." In prose, it occurs only four times (Exod 14:13; 1 Sam 14:45; 2 Sam 10:11; 2 Chr 20:17), "all in military contexts where ‘victory, success’ might be appropriate interpretations of the meaning." The military context of Ps 3 (cf. enemies surrounding [vv. 2-3, 7], shield [v. 4a]) makes victory an appropriate gloss here as well, though "protection" or "security" might also be good glosses. Most modern English translations gloss it as "salvation." The following Venn diagram compares and contrasts the Hebrew word יְשׁוּעָה with the English word "salvation."

Psalm 003 - Yeshua.jpg

  • The second lamed preposition in v. 3, for him (לוֹ), indicates the psalmist as the experiencer or beneficiary of YHWH's victory/protection.[24]
  • The bet preposition in the phrase in God (בֵאלֹהִים) indicates the "cause [or, reason] for a statement of existence."[25] E.g., Isa 45:24—"The people will declare, 'The LORD is the source of all my righteousness and strength'" (NLT)[26]; Jer 3:23—"Help for Israel comes only from the LORD our God" (GNT).[27]
  • Instead of in God (בֵאלֹהִים), the Septuagint has "in his God" (ἐν τῷ θεῷ αὐτοῦ = באלהיו?). There is a good chance that the variant reflects a different Hebrew text (באלהיו), since the Septuagint Psalter is typically literal in its attempt to represent pronominal suffixes, and since it is easy to see how באלהים and באלהיו might have been mistaken for one another.[28] It is difficult to determine which reading is the earlier reading. Both readings have early attestation, the MT reading being supported by Symmachus and Jerome. In the MT's reading, the ים ending of בֵאלֹהִים rhymes with other words in the context (cf. רבים and אמרים in this verse and מרים in the next verse), perhaps making this reading preferable on poetic grounds.
  • When someone is abandoned by God, it is an opportune time for that person's enemies to attack him. See e.g., Ps 71—"For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, 'God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him'" (Ps 71:10-11, NIV).

Defense (vv. 4-7)

In the next two sections of the psalm (vv. 4–5, vv. 6–7), David defends himself against the enemies' verbal attack by declaring his trust in YHWH. His response to their taunt in v. 3b represents a poetic undoing of their words. The first words of the second section (vv. 4-5) echo the last words of the first section (vv. 2-3). The words "saying about me" (אֹמְרִים לְנַפְשִׁי) in v. 3a are similar to "and the one who lifts my head" (וּמֵרִים רֹאשִׁי) in v. 4b, both in terms of sound (me + rim + shi) and morphology (participles). Similarly, the ending of "victory" (יְשׁוּעָתָה) in v. 3b sounds like "you" (אַתָּה) in v. 4a, and the words "God" (v. 3b) and (v. 4a) are semantically similar. There is also a subtle end-rhyme between the words "there is no" (אֵין) and "shield" (מָגֵן).

Psalm 003 - vv. 3-4.jpg

These repetitions create a chiasm (abba), which functions as a seam across the first two sections of the Psalm. Rhetorically, the repetition of sounds (in reverse order) represents an undoing of the enemies' words. "The enemies' taunt that there is no salvation for the psalmist in God (v. 3) is answered in chiastic form by the psalmist's confident assertion of Yahweh's power to protect him ( v. 4)."[29]

The central section of the psalm (vv. 4–7) divides into two subsections: vv. 4–5 and vv. 6–7. Each of these evenly-balanced sections (14 words // 14 words) begins with a personal pronoun: "you" (vv. 4–5) and "I" (vv. 6–7). The first of these sections is about YHWH ("you")—who he is and what he characteristically does. The second of these sections (vv. 6–7) then returns to the psalmist's circumstances ("I"), but now, in contrast to vv. 2–3, the psalmist has a new perspective on his situation. Psalm 003 - vv. 4–7.jpg

vv. 4-5

In vv. 4–5, the psalm focuses on YHWH—who he is in relation to the psalmist (v. 4) and what he characteristically does in relation to the psalmist (v. 5). In this section, the emotional tone begins to shift from dismay (see vv. 2–3) to confidence.

v. 4

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
4a וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֭הוָה מָגֵ֣ן בַּעֲדִ֑י But you, YHWH, are a shield for me,
4b כְּ֝בוֹדִ֗י וּמֵרִ֥ים רֹאשִֽׁי׃ my honor, and the one who lifts my head.

Expanded Paraphrase

But they are wrong. You have not rejected me. You have promised that your covenant loyalty would never leave me. So I trust in you. Despite what they say, I know that you will give me victory, for you, YHWH, are a shield for me, to protect me from their attacks and give me victory in the battle. You will restore my honor, which has been turned to shame ever since my own son usurped my throne, and you are the one who lifts my head, who will confer honor upon me and restore me to my former position.

Grammatical Diagram

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 4]
    Fragment
      conjunction: וְ but
    Fragment
      Vocative
        noun: יְהוָה YHWH
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          pronoun: אַתָּה you
        Predicate
          verb: are
          Complement
            Nominal
              noun: מָגֵן shield
              Adjectival
                PrepositionalPhrase
                  Preposition
                    preposition: בַּעֲד for
                  Object
                    suffix-pronoun: ִי me
            Conjunction
              conjunction:
            Nominal
              ConstructChain <gloss="my honor">
                noun: כְּבוֹד honor
                suffix-pronoun: ִי me
            Conjunction
                conjunction: וּ and
            Nominal
              Clause
                Predicate
                  verb-participle: מֵרִים one who lifts
                  Object
                    ConstructChain <gloss="my head">
                      noun: רֹאשׁ head
                      suffix-pronoun: ִי me 
  


Notes

  • The phrase but you (וְאַתָּה) marks a stong contrast wth the preceding section.
  • When a vocative is the second constituent in a clause, the first constituent is focused.[30] So, here, where the vocative YHWH occurs as the second constituent, after the pronoun "you" (אַתָּה), "you" is focused: "But you (and you alone) YHWH, are a shield for me."
  • The word shield refers to "a flat, usually round, object; made of wood or metal; used in battle; held by a warrior in front of him as protection from the weapons of his opponent; relatively small and easy to maneuver; associated with protection and therefore often used as an epithet for God."[31] The following chart explores the significance of this image.

Psalm 003 - Shield image.jpg

  • The prepositional phrase בַּעֲדִי in Ps 3:4 probably does not mean "around me" (NIV, NLT, NRSV) but "for me" (KJV, cf. LUT, EÜ, ZÜR) i.e., it "marks the intended recipient of the particular action. In English, this function is commonly conveyed by the preposition for."[32]
  • The phrase כְּבוֹדִי is, literally, my honor or "my glory."[33] The context suggests that "my honor" means "the source of my honor," i.e., "the one who makes me honorable [before others]": "you give me... honor" (CEV); "you restore my honor" (cf. HFA); "you rescue my honor" (GNB).[34]
  • In Hebrew, there is a conceptual connection between "victory" (see v. 3) and "honor" (v. 4). See, for example, Ps 21:6—"Your victory brings him great honor (גָּדוֹל כְּבוֹדוֹ בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ)" (NLT). By calling God his "honor," the psalmist implies that, despite what his enemies say (v. 3b) God will in fact give him victory, resulting in his honor.
  • To lift someone's head is "to distinguish, confer honour upon someone."[35] See, for example, the proverb in Ben Sira: "The physician's knowledge lifts up his head (תרים ראשו), that he may stand in the presence of noblemen" (Ben Sira 38:3). This interpretation makes good sense in the context, where the phrase "one who lifts my head" is juxtaposed with the phrase "my honor >> the one who makes me honorable." Note also the contrast between lifting up the psalmist's head in v. 4 (= honoring him) and striking the enemies on the jaw in v. 8 (= dishonoring them).[36]

v. 5

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
5a ק֭וֹלִי אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָ֑א I call aloud to YHWH,
5b וַיַּֽעֲנֵ֨נִי מֵהַ֖ר קָדְשׁ֣וֹ סֶֽלָה׃ and he answers me from his holy mountain. Selah.

Expanded Paraphrase

I trust in YHWH, because he has shown himself to be faithful time and time again. This is how it always happens: I call aloud to YHWH during times of trouble like what I am facing now, and he answers me from Zion, his holy mountain, and rescues me from my enemies. Selah.

Grammatical Diagram

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 5]
    Fragment
      ClauseCluster
        Clause
          Subject
          Predicate
            verb: אֶקְרָא I call out
            Adverbial
              PrepositionalPhrase
                Preposition
                  preposition: אֶל to
                Object
                  noun: יְהוָה YHWH
            Adverbial
              ConstructChain <gloss="with my voice >> aloud">
                noun: קוֹל voice
                suffix-pronoun: ִי me
        Conjunction
          conjunction: וַ and
        Clause
          Predicate
            verb: יַּעֲנֵ he answers
            Object
              suffix-pronoun: נִי me
            Adverbial
              PrepositionalPhrase
                Preposition
                  preposition: מֵ from
                Object
                  ConstructChain <gloss="his holy mountain">
                    noun: הַר mountain
                    ConstructChain
                      noun: קָדְשׁ holy
                      suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
    Fragment
      particle: סֶלָה selah 
  


Notes

  • Here, as elsewhere in the psalm, the psalmist shifts from addressing YHWH in the second person (vv. 2-4, 8, 9b) to speaking about him in the third person (vv. 5-6, 9a). The clearest instance of such person shifting is in v. 9, where the first half mentions "YHWH" in the third person, and the second half addresses him in the second person ("your"). This kind of person shifting is common in Hebrew poetry and also occurs in prose, for example, when someone is speaking to a king.[37] When the psalmist says something about YHWH in the third person, it does not necessarily imply that he is no longer speaking to YHWH.[38]
  • The verbs call out (קרא) and answer (ענה) form a poetic pair. The former refers to an "action by which humans... speak with a loud voice, often to draw attention to themselves or to their situation and expecting someone to respond in one way or another."[39] The latter refers to an "action in which humans or deities respond to a question or situation, either by words or by actions."[40]
  • The phrase "my voice >> aloud" (קוֹלִי) appears to be functioning adverbially.[41] Thus, the Peshitta, for example, adds a bet preposition: "with (ב) my voice (קלי)."[42] Similarly, modern European translations render the phrase adverbially, either as "[cry] with my voice"[43] or "[cry] aloud."[44]
  • The prepositional phrase to YHWH is fronted before the verb, probably for marked focus: "I call to YHWH (and to no one else).[45]
  • The phrase הַר קָדְשׁוֹ is, literally, "mountain of holiness of him" >> his holy mountain, i.e., the mountain that is devoted to YHWH as holy.[46]

vv. 6-7

In vv. 6-7, having reoriented his perspective (vv. 4-5), David is able to re-evaluate his current situation. He looks back on the previous night and sees how YHWH has protected him (v. 6), and so he commits himself to courage in the face of the ongoing threat (v. 7). In this section, the emotional tone rises in intensity from growing confidence (vv. 4–5) to full-blown courage: "I will not be afraid! " (לֹֽא־אִירָא).

v. 6

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
6a אֲנִ֥י שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי וָֽאִ֫ישָׁ֥נָה I lay down and fell asleep.
6b הֱקִיצ֑וֹתִי כִּ֖י יְהוָ֣ה יִסְמְכֵֽנִי׃ I woke up, because YHWH supports me.

Expanded Paraphrase

Even last night, YHWH proved himself to be a faithful protector! Last night, even though my enemies are trying to kill me, I lay down in peace and fell asleep. I was able to fall asleep because I was confident in YHWH's protection. And, sure enough, I woke up without being harmed, because YHWH supports me.

Grammatical Diagram

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 6]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          noun: אֲנִי I
        Predicate
          Predicate
            verb: שָׁכַבְתִּי lay down
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וָ and
          Predicate
            verb: אִישָׁנָה fell asleep
    Fragment
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: הֱקִיצוֹתִי I woke up
        SubordinateClause
          Conjunction
            conjunction: כִּי because
          Clause
            Subject
              noun: יְהוָה YHWH
            Predicate
              verb: יִסְמְכֵ upholds >> supports
              Object
                suffix-pronoun: נִי me 
  


Notes

  • The previous clause describes YHWH's action, while this section (vv. 6-7) is now about the psalmist and his actions. The independent pronoun I (אֲנִי) marks this transition and activates "I" as the topic of the following clauses.[47]
  • The verbs lay down (שָׁכַבְתִּי) and slept (וָאִישָׁנָה) are "sometimes associated with security" (SDBH), as is the case in this verse (cf. Psalm 4:9). David can lie down and sleep because he trusts YHWH to support him and protect him throughout the night. Night sometimes offered an opportune time to strike an enemy, while the enemy was weak and resting. See, for example, the following verse in the 2 Samuel story: "I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight (הַלָּיְלָה) in pursuit of David. I would attack him while he is weary and weak" (2 Sam 17:1-2, NIV).
  • The word because (כִּי) in v. 6 explains how it is that David was able to wake up safely, without having been killed in his sleep: because YHWH supports him (and YHWH was supporting him during the night).

v. 7

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
7a לֹֽא־אִ֭ירָא מֵרִבְב֥וֹת עָ֑ם I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people
7b אֲשֶׁ֥ר סָ֝בִ֗יב שָׁ֣תוּ עָלָֽי׃ who have taken position against me all around.

Expanded Paraphrase

With YHWH as my protector, I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of armed people who have taken position against me all around to harm me.

Grammatical Diagram

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 7]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: אִירָא I will be afraid
          Adverbial
            particle: לֹא not
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: מֵ from >> of
              Object
                ConstructChain
                  noun: רִבְבוֹת tens of thousands
                  Nominal
                    noun: עָם people
                    RelativeClause
                      RelativeParticle
                        particle: אֲשֶׁר who
                      Clause
                        Subject <located="relative clause head">
                        Predicate
                          verb: שָׁתוּ have taken position
                          adverb: סָבִיב all around
                          Adverbial
                            PrepositionalPhrase
                              Preposition
                                preposition: עָל against
                              Object
                                suffix-pronoun: ָי me 
  


Notes

  • The clearest emotional statement in the psalm is I will not be afraid (לֹֽא־אִירָא). This implies that the emotional tone of this section is the opposite of fear, i.e., confidence. It further implies that the emotional tone of vv. 2-3 was one of fear or dismay.
  • The word translated tens of thousands (רִבְבֹות) in v. 7 is the fourth instance of the root רבב in this psalm (see note on v. 2). The singular noun רְבָבָה means, literally, a "state in which a countable entity is ten thousand in number," but it is used imprecisely for "excessively high numbers by which the exact number is relatively unimportant" (SDBH).
  • The construct chain רִבְבֹות עָם probably means ten thousands of people (KJV, NRSV), i.e., "ten thousands [consisting of] people." The phrase is unique in the Bible, but compare "ten thousands of Ephraim" (רִבְבוֹת אֶפְרַיִם) in Deut 33:17. The word עַם probably has the additional nuance of a military force (see note on v. 9): "ten thousands of fighting people" (cf. NJPS: "the myriad forces"). The following Venn diagram compares and contrasts the Hebrew word עַם (vv. 7, 9) and the English word "people."

Psalm 003 - Am.jpg

  • The adverb all around (סָבִיב) is fronted, probably for marked focus. The enemies do not just take position against him on one side (which would allow him an escape route), but on every side, all around him.
  • The verb translated have taken position (שָׁתוּ) usually means "put/place (something somewhere)" but in this verse it appears to be "internally transitive, = take one’s stand".[48]

Victory (vv. 8-9)

In the final section of the psalm (vv. 8–9), David calls on YHWH to save him (v. 8), and declares in triumph that YHWH alone can save, i.e., can give "victory." This section strategically repeats several words from the first section of the psalm (vv. 2-3): "rise," "victory"/"save," "God."

Psalm 003 - PF1.jpg

The repetition of key words in this last section resolves the crisis and sets the record straight. The enemies may have been "rising" in v. 2, but they are no match for YHWH when, in v. 8, he is called to "rise." The enemies might say in v. 3 that “there is no victory/salvation for him in God,” but it is in vain: for David calls upon his “God” (v. 8) to “save” him, revealing the truth that, yes, there is indeed victory/salvation for him, because “victory/salvation belongs to YHWH” (v. 9a), and YHWH is his God. Thus, the repetition sets up a contrast between the enemies' view of the situation and the reality of the situation. The enemies may act and speak as they like, but they are powerless when faced with YHWH. He will do as he pleases, and he will have the last word.

v. 8

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
8a ק֘וּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ הוֹשִׁ֘יעֵ֤נִי אֱלֹהַ֗י Rise up, YHWH! Save me, my God!
8b כִּֽי־הִכִּ֣יתָ אֶת־כָּל־אֹיְבַ֣י לֶ֑חִי For you have struck all my enemies on the jaw.
8c שִׁנֵּ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃ You have broken wicked people's teeth.

Expanded Paraphrase

Instead, I will call on my God to save me: Rise up, YHWH, against those who are rising up against me! Save me, my God, and give me the victory that they say you won't give! I know you will rise up and save me, for this is what you have always done! In the past, you have struck all my enemies on the jaw, resulting in their public humiliation. You have broken wicked people's teeth, rendering them harmless, unable to devour me.

Grammatical Diagram

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 8]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
        Predicate
          verb: קוּמָה rise up
    Fragment
      Vocative
        noun: יְהוָה YHWH
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
        Predicate
          verb: הוֹשִׁיעֵ save
          Object
            suffix-pronoun: נִי me
    Fragment
      Vocative
        Nominal
          ConstructChain <gloss="my God">
            noun: אֱלֹה God
            suffix-pronoun: ַי me
    Fragment
      particle: כִּי for
    Fragment
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: הִכִּיתָ you have struck
          Object
            particle: אֶת 
            Nominal  <gloss="my enemies">
              ConstructChain
                noun: אֹיְב enemies
                suffix-pronoun: ַי me
            quantifier: כָּל all
          Adverbial <gloss="on the jaw">
            noun: לֶחִי jaw
    Fragment
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: שִׁבַּרְתָּ you have broken
          Object
            ConstructChain <gloss="wicked people's teeth">
              noun: שִׁנֵּי  teeth
              Nominal
                adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked 
  


Notes

  • Verse 8 stands out in a number of ways: (1) poetic structure (the only three-line verse in the Psalm); graphic imagery (striking jaws and breaking teeth); dense alliteration (hard k in 8b [x3]; sh in 8c [x3]; both of which echo sounds in "rise" and "save" in 8a); clustering of imperatives (8a) (the only imperatives in the psalm); chiastic patterning of v. 8bc: A. "you have struck" B. "my enemies" C. "on the jaw" // C. "the teeth" B. "of wicked people" A. "you have broken." The effect of this clustering of poetic features is to draw attention to this climactic point in the psalm, where David calls on YHWH to take action against his enemies. The repetition of the hard k sound in 8b mimics the sound of striking (also the repetition of the t sound in this line, as well as the ח sound), while the repetition of sh in 8c mimics the silence experienced by the now toothless enemies.[49] Just as YHWH has struck and silenced every one of David's enemies in the past, so David calls on him to do it again. Those who mock him and his God (cf. v. 3) will be shamed and silenced.
  • To rise (קוּמָה) is to "rise for action, make a move and do something."[50] In this case, the action requested is "save me!"
  • The verb save (הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי) "denotes the bringing of assistance to someone in need, whether in military, civil or judicial contexts. It may also denote the actual saving of someone in battle or in history in general" (SAHD, so SDBH). It is the action that brings about a state of יְשׁוּעָה ("victory" or "protection," the key word used in vv. 3, 9).
  • The כִּי in v. 8 is a speech-act causal כִּי: for.[51] The psalmist grounds his request for YHWH to save (v. 8a) in the recollection of YHWH's past acts of salvation (v. 8bc).
  • The word jaw or "cheek bone" (לֶחִי) is an adverbial accusative, "indicating the part or member specially affected by the action, e.g., Ps 3:8 for thou hast smitten all mine enemies לֶחִי (as to) the cheek bone, equivalent to upon the cheek bone."[52] Striking someone on the jaw/cheek was offensive, an act of scornful contempt that brought shame upon the person struck. "People open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn (בְּחֶרְפָּה הִכּוּ לְחָיָי) and unite together against me" (Job 16:11, NIV; cf. 1 Kgs 22:24; Lam 3:3)
  • "Teeth are an image of power... The breaking of teeth symbolizes defeat. The teeth of the wicked are broken; they are not allowed to use them to devour the weak/righteous who trust in God. Though they may roar and growl like lions, evil people will have their teeth broken by the Lord. For a lion to have its teeth broken was to be mortally wounded. It now 'perishes for lack of prey' (Job 4:11, NIV). Here teeth are a symbol of the power of evil people to consume the defenseless."[53] "I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords" (Ps 57:5, NIV; cf. Pss 58:7; 124:6; Job 4:10).

v. 9

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
9a לַיהוָ֥ה הַיְשׁוּעָ֑ה Victory is YHWH's!
9b עַֽל־עַמְּךָ֖ בִרְכָתֶ֣ךָ סֶּֽלָה׃ Your blessing is on your people. Selah.

Expanded Paraphrase

Victory is YHWH's! And YHWH is my God. And so, despite what my enemies are saying, I will have victory in God. For not only does YHWH determine who is victorious, but YHWH also shows favor to his people. Your blessing, YHWH, is not on your enemies, but on your people, your true people, those who have aligned themselves with your will and have supported me as your chosen king. Selah.

Grammatical Diagram

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 9]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          article: הַ the
          noun: יְשׁוּעָה victory
        Predicate
          verb: is
        Complement
          PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="YHWH's">
            Preposition
              preposition: לַ to
            Object
              noun: יהוָה YHWH
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          ConstructChain <gloss="your blessing">
            noun: בִרְכָת blessing
            suffix-pronoun: ֶךָ you
        Predicate
          verb: is
          Complement
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: עַל on
              Object
                ConstructChain <gloss="your people">
                  noun: עַמְּ people
                  suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
    Fragment
      particle: סֶּלָה selah 
  


Notes

  • The lamed preposition in the phrase לַיהוָה indicates possession:[54] "victory is YHWH's" (cf. NJPS, NRSV), i.e, YHWH has the ability to grant victory to whomever he wants:[55] "Victory comes [only] from the LORD" (GNT).[56] The idea is captured nicely in a story from 1 Samuel: "Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, 'Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving (לְהוֹשִׁיעַ), whether by many or by few'" (1 Sam 14:6, NIV).
  • The prepositional phrase "YHWH's" (לַיהוָה) is fronted for exclusive focus. Victory belongs to no one else but YHWH; he alone determines who wins and who loses.
  • The word victory in v. 9 has the definite article (הַיְשׁוּעָה, lit., "the victory"). The article "points back to v. 3"[57] and, more generally, to the main theme of the psalm, which has, by this point, become identifiable to the reader/listener.
  • The phrase on your people (עַֽל־עַמְּךָ) is fronted for exclusive focus: YHWH's blessing is not on the enemy "people" (see v. 7), but exclusively on his own "people."
  • The people mentioned in this last line must be "those who are fighting for David."[58] This word for "people" (עַם) sometimes refers to an army.[59]
  • YHWH's blessing is said to be on (עַל) his people, because the blessing comes to them from above (cf. Ps 133). E.g., "I will pour out... my blessing (בִרְכָתִי) on (עַל) your descendants" (Isa 44:3, NIV).[60]

Legends

Grammatical diagram

  Grammatical Diagram Legend

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

Visualization Description
3 Legends - Prepositional Phrase.png
The prepositional phrase is indicated by a solid green oval.
3 Legends - Construct Chain.png
The construct chain is indicated by a solid yellow oval.
3 Legends - phrase-level ו.png
When the conjunction ו appears at the phrase-level (not clause-level), it is indicated by a solid light purple oval.
3 Legends - Article.png
The article is indicated by a solid blue oval.

Expanded paraphrase

(For more information, click "Expanded Paraphrase Legend" below.)


Bibliography

Anderson, A. A. 1972. The Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. NCBC. Greenwood, SC: Attic.
Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.
Carbajosa, Ignacio. 2020. “10.3.4 Peshitta.” Textual History of the Bible. 2020.
Delitzsch, Friedrich. 1920. Die lese- und schreibfehler im Alten Testament. Berlin ; Leipzig: De Gruyter.
Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms: Psalms 1–41. Vol. 1. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Hardy, H. H. 2022. The Development of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions. Ancient Near East Monographs 28. Atlanta, GA: SBL Press.
Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 1993. Die Psalmen I: Psalm 1–50. Neue Echter Bibel. Würzburg: Echter.
Hupfeld, Hermann. 1855. Die Psalmen. Vol. 1. Gotha: Friedrich Andreas Perthes.
Ibn Ezra. Ibn Ezra on Psalms.
Jenni, Ernst. 1992. Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 1: Die Präposition Beth. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer.
Jenni, Ernst. 2000. Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 3: Die Präposition Lamed. Stuttgart: Verlag W. Kohlhammer.
Kennicott, Benjamin. 1776. Vetus testamentum hebraicum : cum variis lectionibus.
Kim, Young Bok. 2023. Hebrew Forms of Address: A Sociolinguistic Analysis. Atlanta: SBL Press.
Kirtchuk, Pablo. 2011. “Onomatopoeia & Phono-Iconicity in Hebrew.”
Kselman, John. 1987. “Psalm 3: A Structural and Literary Study.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 49 (4): 572–80.
Locatell, Christian. 2019. “Causal Categories in Biblical Hebrew Discourse: A Cognitive Approach to Causal כי.” Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 45 (2).
Locatell, Christian S. 2017. “Grammatical Polysemy in the Hebrew Bible: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach to כי.” PhD Dissertation, Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch.
Miller, Cynthia L. 2010. “Vocative Syntax in Biblical Hebrew Prose and Poetry: A Preliminary Analysis.” Semitic Studies 55 (1): 347–64.
R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi. הואיל משה.
Radak. Radak on Psalms.
Rashi. Rashi on Psalms.
Ryken, Leland, Jim Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid, eds. 1998. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press.
Witthoff, David J. 2021. The Relationships of the Senses of נֶפֶשׁ in the Hebrew Bible: A Cognitive Linguistics Perspective. PhD Dissertation, University of Stellenbosch.
Yeivin, Israel. 1980. Introduction to the Tiberian Masorah. Masoretic Studies, no. 5. Missoula, Mont: Published by Scholars Press for the Society of Biblical Literature and the International Organization for Masoretic Studies.

References

3

  1. The Hebrew text comes from Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, which presents the text of the Leningrad Codex (the Masoretic text). The English text is our own "Close-but-clear" translation (CBC). The CBC is a “wooden” translation that exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text. It is essentially an interlinear that has been put into English word-order. It is also similar to a “back-translation” (of the Hebrew) often used in Bible translation checking. It is important to remember that the CBC is not intended to be a stand-alone translation, but is rather a tool for using the Layer by Layer materials. The CBC is used as the primary display text (along with the Hebrew) for most analytical visualisations. It is also used as the display text for most videos.
  2. A legend for the expanded paraphrase is available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
  3. Legends for both the grammatical diagram and the shapes and colours on the grammatical diagram are available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
  4. See Ledavid for a detailed discussion.
  5. BHRG §39.15.M
  6. HALOT.
  7. Merriam-Webster. In biblical Hebrew terms, we might use the word נבהל/בהלה to describe his emotional state: "state in which humans experience a great fear combined with severe distress" (SDBH).
  8. Cf. Pss 6; 7; 8; 15; 21; 109; etc.; but see e.g., Pss 4; 5; 10; 13; 16; 17; 18; etc., though in several of these examples (e.g., Pss 4; 5; 10; 13) there are poetic and/or pragmatic explanations for the non-initial position of the vocative.
  9. Cf. Kim 2023, 213-217.
  10. BHRG §42.3.6.
  11. Anderson 1972, 71.
  12. So LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Jerome (iuxta Hebr.), ESV, NRSV, NET, NEB
  13. So Peshitta, Targum, KJV, NJPS, REB.
  14. Jenni 2000, rubric 69; cf. Pss 41:6; 71:1; so Rashi: על נפשי; Radak and Ibn Ezra: בעבור נפשי.
  15. Witthoff 2021, §4.2.3.3.
  16. Witthoff 2021, 177-181.
  17. Witthoff 2021, 171; cf. Pss 34:3; 35:9; 42:5; 57:7; 62:2, 6; 63:9; 69:11; 77:3; 107:5; 119:25; 130:5-6; 142:8.
  18. Peshitta: ܕܠܝܬ ܠܟܝ ܦܘܪܩܢܐ ܒܐܠܗܟܝ.
  19. Carbajosa 2020, §10.3.4.5.
  20. Cf. Ps 80:3; Jon 2:10.
  21. GKC §90g.
  22. Cf. Yeivin 1980, 272.
  23. Goldingay 2006, 114.
  24. Jenni 2000, rubric 44; cf. Exod 15:2; 2 Sam 10:11; Isa 12:2; Pss 118:14, 21.
  25. Jenni 1992, rubric 139.
  26. Hebrew text: אַ֧ךְ בַּיהוָ֛ה לִ֥י אָמַ֖ר צְדָקֹ֣ות וָעֹ֑ז
  27. Hebrew text: בַּיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ תְּשׁוּעַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
  28. Cf. Delitzsch 1920, §132e on the scribal interchange of יו and מ/ם.
  29. Kselman 1987, 573.
  30. Miller 2010, 357.
  31. SDBH.
  32. Hardy 2022, 89-90.
  33. So NIV, NLT, ESV, NJPS, NET; German: meine Ehre, LUT, HFA, NGÜ, ELB, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR.
  34. Cf. NET note: "The psalmist affirms that the Lord is his source of honor, i.e., the one who gives him honor in the sight of others. According to BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 7, the phrase refers to God as the one to whom the psalmist gives honor. But the immediate context focuses on what God does for the psalmist, not vice-versa."
  35. HALOT; cf. Baethgen 1904, 8.
  36. Alternatively, "lifting up the head" could be a figure of speech for a "causative process by which deities help humans to find new confidence" (SDBH). Thus, GNT: "You... restore my courage" (cf. Hossfeld and Zenger 1993, 58). It seems more likely, however, that the focus is on the social aspect (honor, vindication) of the psalmist's restoration and not the psychological aspect (confidence, courage), although the latter is probably implied. In Gen 40:13, "lifting the head" (although a different verb: יִשָּׂא...אֶת־רֹאשֶׁךָ) refers to the cup bearer's restoration to his former position. Thus, "if one takes the suggestion of the superscription that this is a Davidic psalm written during the revolt of Absalom, the phrase 'lift the head' could refer to the psalmist’s desire for restoration to his former position" (NET note).
  37. See e.g., Esth 3:8-9; Ps 45:2.
  38. Cf. Pss 7; 18. The superscriptions of these psalms say that they are addressed to "YHWH," even though there are many third-person references to YHWH in these psalms.
  39. SDBH.
  40. SDBH.
  41. Alternatively, GKC analyzes קוֹלִי as a second subject: "my voice—I cry unto the Lord" (GKC §144l-m; so Hupfeld 1855, 41; Baethgen 1904, 8). According to GKC, "A peculiar idiom, and one always confined to poetic language, is the not infrequent occurrence of two subjects in a verbal sentence, one of the person and the other of the thing. The latter then serves—whether it precedes or follows—to state the instrument, organ, or member by which the action in question is performed, and may be most often rendered in English by an adverb, as a nearer definition of the manner of the action" (GKC §144l; examples with קול: Pss 27:7; 142:2; Isa 10:30; example with פה: Ps 66:17; example with נפשׁ: Isa 26:9; examples with יד or ימין: Pss 17:14; 60:7; 44:3). The debate on how best to analyze these syntactic constructions goes back centuries. See, for example, the different opinions presented by Radak in his book on Hebrew roots.
  42. Cf. LXX: φωνῇ μου ["with my voice"], Jerome [iuxta Hebr.]: voce mea ["with my voice"]; R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi: אקרא בקול רם.
  43. KJV, ESV, cf. LUT, ELB.
  44. NRSV, CSB, NJPS, NEB, REB, HFA, EÜ, ZÜR.
  45. The first constituent of the clause, the noun phrase קוֹלִי ("aloud," lit.: "my voice"), is also fronted before the verb. But the pre-verbal position of this constituent might not be related to information structure but to some unique usage of the phrase קוֹלִי (see e.g., Ps 27:7; 142:2; cf. Ps 66:17, with פִּי; cf. GKC §144l-m). It also results in the poetic juxtaposition of "my voice" at the beginning of v. 5 and "my head" at the end of v. 4.
  46. Cf. Joel 4:17; Obad 16; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; 48:2; 99:9; Dan 9:16; etc.
  47. Normally, however, we would typically expect וַאֲנִי for such a topic shift. (Note that one medieval Hebrew manuscript reads וַאֲנִי [see Kennicott 1776, 308]).
  48. BDB; cf. Isa 22:7; so Ibn Ezra: "similar to שות שתו השערה [in Isa 22:7], similar to 'fight' [נלחמו];" see also 2 Kgs 20:12—וַיָּשִׂ֖ימוּ עַל־הָעִֽיר). It is also possible that an object, e.g., "battle," is implied (cf. Radak: שתו מלחמתם עלי).
  49. Cf. Kirtchuk 2011, 136–137.
  50. DCH; cf. Pss 3:8; 7:7; 9:20; 10:12; 17:13; 35:2; etc.
  51. See Locatell 2017, 162; cf. Locatell 2019.
  52. GKC §117ll.
  53. Ryken et al. 1948, 847.
  54. Jenni 2000, rubric 227; cf. Jon 2:10.
  55. Cf. Ibn Ezra: כי הוא יושיע מי שיחפוץ בו.
  56. Cf. NLT, HFA, NGÜ; Targum: מִן קֳדָם יְיָ פּוּרְקָנָא.
  57. Baethgen 1904, 9.
  58. Ibn Ezra: הם הנלחמים בעבור דוד; cf. Radak: עמך במלחמה הזאת.
  59. E.g., Josh 8:1—עַם הַמִּלְחָמָה; see BDB entry 2d for עַם I.
  60. Alternatively, some have argued that the clause "Your blessing [is] upon your people" means that the people have an obligation to bless YHWH (so e.g., Rashi: ועל עמו מוטל לברך ולהודות לו). According to this alternative interpretation, the phrase "your blessing" (בִרְכָתֶךָ) is not "the blessing that comes from you" but "the blessing that you deserve/receive."