Synthesis

• Grammar
• Semantics
  • Semantics/Lexical Semantics
  • Phrase-Level Semantics
  • Verbal Semantics
  • Semantics/Story behind the Psalm
• Exegetical Issues
• Discourse
  • Participant Analysis
  • Macrosyntax
  • Speech Act Analysis
  • Emotional Analysis
• Poetics
  • Poetic Structure
  • Poetic Features
• Synthesis
  • Verse-by-Verse Notes
  • Translation and Performance Notes
• Close-but-Clear
• Videos
  • Overview
  • Top 3 Exegetical Issues
  • Top 3 Poetic Features
• Post to wiki

Overseer: Elizabeth Robar

Introduction

The synthesis layer provides summaries of each psalm that serve as an at-a-glance introduction for the translator: the most important information, on one page (or screen). This single page is the result of all the analytic layers, so that every claim can be substantiated by a separate, analytic, visualisation that shows how the conclusion was reached and equips the user to make an informed decision of their own. The synthesis layer is also intended to be the first point of contact with the exegetical material for a psalm and a doorway into more details as needed.

Steps

Overview

This is the first of three sections of the synthesis layer. It has 4 elements: title/icon, purpose, content, and message.

Title and Icon

Copy and paste the template provided. Then give your psalm a title, a brief, distinctive tagline, often a representative phrase taken from the psalm itself. Note: if the title is spoken in the voice of the psalmist, place in quotation marks; if not, do not include quotation marks. It might be helpful to ask the question, “How would I summarise the psalm in a single phrase?” Select an icon that represents this idea with a simple, black and white graphic. Usually you can find an appropriate icon at the Noun Project. For Psalm 5, the title and icon capture the legal terminology that is prominent in the psalm.

Purpose

The goal in providing the psalm’s purpose is to identify the author’s main aim in speaking, considering the discourse as a whole. Often this will be the reason the psalmist is praying to God in the psalm. The purpose should answer the questions like, “What were the psalmist’s intentions in writing this psalm?” and “Why did the psalmist pray this to God?” Keep in mind that the purpose should be consistent with the sections within the Speech Act Summary.

In workshop settings, it may be constructive to ask questions that help the translation team to arrive at the purpose on their own, rather than simply giving them a label. For example, if you’re working with a lament psalm, it might be good to ask them to talk about the ways in which their culture(s) express sorrow, and ways in which they express resolution or hope.

Content

The content briefly summarises the main point(s) of the psalm. If possible, use wording from the text itself (the CBC). If the psalm expresses an argument to accomplish its communicative purpose, then make this as transparent as possible in the content summary.

Message

The message of the psalm is the one big idea that the psalmist wanted you as the hearer/reader to walk away with. It is usually conveyed by means of top poetic features as well. There may be several possible choices here, so you may want to provide 2–3 alternative options to be considered during the review process. Below is the overview section for Psalm 5.

Orientation

This is the second of three sections of the synthesis layer. It has 2 elements: background ideas and background situation.

Background ideas

Background ideas are 2–5 common-ground assumptions, selected from the “assumptions table” (“Story behind the Psalm” layer). These assumptions are key in that they are necessary for understanding the psalm, yet likely to be missed or misunderstood by readers today. These have already been selected at the story-behind layer, so you just need to copy/paste from there. They should be as brief as possible; you may abbreviate them if necessary.

Background situation

The background situation is a schematic representation of the situation into which the psalm was spoken. Each box represents an event leading up to the time the psalm was spoken. The background situation answers the question, “What is the situational context for the prayer (including events and participants)? What has happened leading up to the time of prayer?” Like the background ideas, the background situation is taken from the “Story Behind the Psalm,” and usually includes the events that lie to the left of the star icon (which represents the psalm itself). Just copy/paste from the “Story-behind” layer. Below is the orientation section for Psalm 5.

At-a-glance

This is the third of three sections of the synthesis layer. It has 5 elements: verse numbers/sections, section headings, section summaries, section connections, and section icons.

Verse numbers and sections

This visualisation represents the main sections from analysis of poetic structure (see the poetics layer). It is a simple, at-a-glance outline of the sections and main structural divisions of the psalm. Copy and paste from the template board, and include verse numbers to the left of the sections.

Section headings

For each section, provide a heading that encapsulates its significance in the minimum number of words. The section headings should help make sense of the psalm at-a-glance, so take care to use headings that are consistent with each other and tell a “story.” They should be only 1–2 words each.

Aim for 3-5 sections. If you have a long Psalm, there may be multiple levels of sections.

Section summaries

For each section, provide a brief content summary. These summaries (phrase[s] or clause) should be taken directly from the text where possible. Below is the at-a-glance section for Psalm 8.

Section connections

Indicate distinctive connections between sections with commonly coloured sections (e.g. two purple sections), commonly coloured text (for closely related wording, e.g. the heavens and your heavens below) and related headings (e.g. Question and Answer). Aim for 2-3 connections of closely related wording in the At-a-Glance.

Section icons

For each section, find a representative icon. Depending on the nature of the psalm, the icon may encapsulate the emotion or some of the content. Its purpose to capture, at a glance, the section itself.

Write Verse-by-Verse Notes

Gather the notes from each analytical layer and edit as directed by the Creator Guidelines for the Verse-by Verse Notes.

Rubric

Dimension	Description
Completeness	Each element required by the creator guidelines has been included. Icon for the psalm Title for the psalm Purpose, content, message Background ideas Background situation At-a-glance verse numbers and sections Section headings Section summaries Section connections (where relevant) Section icons
Quality of analysis	Both title and icon are distinctive and memorable. Ideally, the title will use language from the psalm itself. The 'purpose' is drawn from the Speech Act Analysis. The 'content' accurately summarises the main point(s) of the psalm. The 'message' is consistent with all of the previous layers of analysis. The background ideas and situation are drawn from the Story Behind. Sections are based on the Poetic Structure visual. Connections are based on the Poetic Structure and/or Poetic Features visuals. Section headings are concise (1-2 words), accurate, and memorable. Section summaries are concise and accurately summarise the content of each section, using language directly from the psalm where possible. Each icon captures something distinctive about each section. The visual, as a whole, captures what is most distinctive about the psalm in terms of structure and content (even if this requires the use of some unique visual elements not specified in the guidelines!).
Clarity of language	Titles and headings are clear and concise. All summaries (indulging section summaries, purpose, content, and message) use language that is clear and natural. The At-a-Glance visual is not too busy. Language is not too technical so as to be inaccessible to Rinda. Icons are not too difficult to interpret.
Formatting/Style	The visuals are based on the templates in MIRO and so use the correct font sizes, styles, and colours. Icons are appropriately positioned. The colour of each icon corresponds to the colour of the relevant section. If the psalm has a superscription, it is formatted similarly to the superscription in the Ps. 8 example in the creator guidelines.