Psalm 110 Participant analysis: Difference between revisions
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=Participant Analysis Diagram= | =Participant Analysis Diagram= | ||
==Legend== | ==Legend== | ||
[[File: Psalm 110 - participant groups.jpg|class=img-fluid|500px|Psalm 29 Participants]] | [[File: Psalm 110 - participant groups.jpg|class=img-fluid|500px|Psalm 29 Participants]] | ||
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'''The subjects in vv. 5-7.''' For a thorough discussion of this issue, see [[The Subject(s) in Ps. 110:5-7]]. In short, YHWH is probably the subject in v. 7 for the following reasons: (1) אֲדֹנָי ("the Lord" = YHWH) is named as the subject in v. 5a, and "there is no indication in the sequence of clauses in vv. 5-7 that we should assume a change of subject" (Zenger 2011:143; cf. Goldingay 2008). (2) The act of drinking from a stream naturally follows the act of smashing heads (e.g., Judges 15:15-19). Thus, the subject of vv. 5-6 (the warrior who smashes heads) is most likely also the subject of v. 7 (the one who drinks to quench his thirst) (cf. Reinke 1857:256). (3) Throughout the psalm, the king is the addressee and is thus referred to in the second person. The verbs in v. 7, however, are in the third person. Together, these reasons make it probable that YHWH is the subject of the verbs in v. 7. The number one objection scholars raise to this view is that "it is difficult to think of God as drinking from the torrent" (Barbiero 2014:3); "the action of drinking from 'a stream upon the way' is more readily comprehensible of a human king than of YHWH himself' (Mitchell 2003:263; cf. Baethgen 1904; Briggs 1907; Allen 2002; Nordheim 2008). This objection is hardly persuasive, however, because the Old Testament often describes YHWH in stark anthropomorphic terms. The motif of YHWH as a warrior is especially common (cf. Ex. 15:3). The image of YHWH as a warrior drinking from a stream in Ps. 110:7 is hardly more difficult to imagine that the image of YHWH waking "from sleep, as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine" (Ps. 78:65).--> | '''The subjects in vv. 5-7.''' For a thorough discussion of this issue, see [[The Subject(s) in Ps. 110:5-7]]. In short, YHWH is probably the subject in v. 7 for the following reasons: (1) אֲדֹנָי ("the Lord" = YHWH) is named as the subject in v. 5a, and "there is no indication in the sequence of clauses in vv. 5-7 that we should assume a change of subject" (Zenger 2011:143; cf. Goldingay 2008). (2) The act of drinking from a stream naturally follows the act of smashing heads (e.g., Judges 15:15-19). Thus, the subject of vv. 5-6 (the warrior who smashes heads) is most likely also the subject of v. 7 (the one who drinks to quench his thirst) (cf. Reinke 1857:256). (3) Throughout the psalm, the king is the addressee and is thus referred to in the second person. The verbs in v. 7, however, are in the third person. Together, these reasons make it probable that YHWH is the subject of the verbs in v. 7. The number one objection scholars raise to this view is that "it is difficult to think of God as drinking from the torrent" (Barbiero 2014:3); "the action of drinking from 'a stream upon the way' is more readily comprehensible of a human king than of YHWH himself' (Mitchell 2003:263; cf. Baethgen 1904; Briggs 1907; Allen 2002; Nordheim 2008). This objection is hardly persuasive, however, because the Old Testament often describes YHWH in stark anthropomorphic terms. The motif of YHWH as a warrior is especially common (cf. Ex. 15:3). The image of YHWH as a warrior drinking from a stream in Ps. 110:7 is hardly more difficult to imagine that the image of YHWH waking "from sleep, as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine" (Ps. 78:65).--> | ||
Revision as of 11:47, 29 September 2023
Back to Psalm 110
Participant analysis
Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? It is often helpful for understanding literary structure, speaker identification, etc.
For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Participant Analysis Creator Guidelines.
Overview
There are six participants/characters in Psalm 110:
Participant Relations
The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarised as follows:
Participant Analysis Diagram
Legend
Diagram
The following image is the grammatical diagram overlaid with information regarding the participants, or characters, of the psalm. It makes explicit who is doing what to whom.
Chart
For notes on participant analysis, see Psalm 110 Verse-by-Verse.