Psalm 23 Semantics

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• Grammar
• Semantics
• Story behind the Psalm
• Discourse
• Poetics

About the Semantics Layer

Semantics is the study of how language is used to represent meaning. The goal of semantic analysis for interpreting and translating the Bible is to understand the meaning of words and how they relate to each other in context. We want to understand what is implicit about word meaning – and thus assumed by the original audience – and make it explicit – and thus clear for us who are removed by time, language, and culture. The semantics layer is composed of three major branches: lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics and verbal semantics. (Click 'Expand' to the right for more information.)

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About Lexical Semantics

One major branch of semantic study is lexical semantics, which refers to the study of word meanings. It examines semantic range (=possible meanings of a word), the relationship between words (e.g. synonymy, hyponymy), as well as the relationship between words and larger concepts (conceptual domains). One component of our approach involves not only the study of the Hebrew word meaning, but also of our own assumptions about word meaning in modern languages. Because the researcher necessarily starts with their own cultural assumptions (in our case, those of Western-trained scholars), this part of the analysis should be done afresh for every culture.

For a detailed description of our method, see the Lexical Semantics Creator Guidelines.

About Phrase-level Semantics

The Phrase-level Semantics layer analyses the meaning of syntactic units which are larger than the level of the word and smaller than the level of the clause. Specifically, this layer analyses the meaning of prepositional phrases (e.g., לְאִישׁ), construct phrases (e.g., אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים), phrases formed by a coordinating waw conjunction (e.g., אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה) and noun phrases which consist of a noun plus a determiner (e.g., הָאִישׁ) or a quantifier (e.g., כֹּל אִישׁ).

For a detailed description of our method, see the Phrase-level Semantics Creator Guidelines.

About Verbal Semantics

This sub-layer focuses on the relationship between verbs, time and modality. These are important categories for interpretation and translation, and how one analyses a verb can have a significant effect on how it is rendered. This sub-layer has been through several iterations, as it strives to accomplish two things: (1) Transparency for the native Hebrew structures, and (2) Transparency for the interpretation necessary to translate the verbal semantics into other languages.

For a detailed description of our method, see the Verbal Semantics Creator Guidelines.

Semantics Visuals for Psalm 23

Lexical and Phrase-level Semantics Diagram

(For more information, click "Phrase-level Legend" below.)

Phrase-level Legend

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

• See our growing collection of Venn Diagrams, not only for Psalm 23, but for all of the psalms.
• See SDBH on Psalm 23.

v. 1

• On the phrase by David (לְדָוִד) as a designation of authorship, see Ledavid.

v. 2

• On to water where I can rest (עַל מֵי מְנֻחוֹת), see notes in the Grammar layer.

v. 3

• SDBH notes that יְשׁוֹבֵ֑ב in נַפְשִׁ֥י יְשֹׁובֵ֑ב ("he restores my life") means "literally to bring back (one's) self; hence: = causative process by which humans or deities restore a sense of well-being to (other) humans, which may extend from feeling refreshed after a good meal to feeling contented because of a major change in one's life situation -- to restore (someone's) life." Cf. Ps 19:8 מְשִׁ֣יבַת נָ֑פֶשׁ ("restoring life").
• נחה is another verb that means "to lead, guide." The verb נהל ("to lead") in v. 2 "is normally used with reference to guidance to water (Isaiah 49:10 states, 'And [He] will guide them to springs of water')." On the other hand, the verb נחה ("to lead, guide") "often occurs with the imagery of the shepherd in reference to the Lord (see for example Pss 31:3, 77:20; 78:72). The word may have been drawn from the setting of shepherding to refer to divine guidance." Both verbs also occur in close proximity in Exod 15:13.
• On the meaning of בְמַעְגְּלֵי־צֶדֶק ("paths of righteousness"), see The Text and Meaning of Ps. 23:3b.
• For the sake of his name (לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֹֽו); i.e., "to maintain his reputation, or character."

v. 4

• בְּגֵ֪יא ("in the valley"): The word "valley" occurs only here in the psalms. As Briggs and Briggs noted, "The hill country of Judah is broken up by narrow and precipitous ravines, or wadys, difficult to descend and ascend, dark, gloomy, and abounding in caves, the abode of wild beasts and robbers (v. 1 S. 24). To pass through these wadys was still more difficult than to find the right path over the hills." Therefore, the "valley of darkness" is a valley where the danger of death existed because of wild animals and robbers.
• The word translated here as darkness (צַלְמָוֶת) is disputed. For an in-depth discussion of the issue, see The Meaning of צלמות in Ps 23:4.
• The waw in שִׁבְטְךָ֥ וּ֝מִשְׁעַנְתֶּ֗ךָ (your rod and staff) is a waw of addition. A shepherd's crook could serve two functions: it could be used as a weapon to ward off beasts and as a walking stick on which the shepherd would lean as he walked. Therefore, some scholars have interpreted the words שִׁבְטְךָ וּמִשְׁעַנְתֶּךָ ("rod and staff") as two names for a single tool. However, we have followed the majority of scholars in regarding the rod and staff as two different tools. Although a shepherd's crook could function as both a rod and a staff, the text gives no reason to assume they are one and the same object in this case. Both terms are used elsewhere in Scripture, outside of a pastoral context (e.g., Ps 2:9 - שֵׁבֶט as scepter), in ways that do not obviously refer to a shepherd's crook. Furthermore, the repetition of the second-person possessive pronoun ("your rod" and "your staff") and the presence of the third person plural pronoun ("they comfort") indicate two distinct tools.
• To comfort (נחם) is associated with bringing relief to someone by providing assurance, security, and safety. In the case of Psalm 23, YHWH's rod and staff comfort the psalmist; i.e., they give the psalmist both protection and guidance. For more information, see the Venn diagram of the verb to comfort (נחם) below:

v. 5

• The לְ in לְפָנַ֨י (in front of me >> before me) is a lamed of frontal location. In other words, "the most typical use of לִפְנֵי is the location of observable proximity, i.e., x is 'in the observable presence' of y."
• The article in בַ(הַ)שֶּׁמֶן (with the [anointing] oil >> with oil) is an article of identifiability - implication. The definite article could have been read in a generic sense (the generic use of the article is frequently used with "names of materials known everywhere," like "oil"). However, in the context of Ps 23, the oil is meant to be understood as a specific kind of oil; i.e., a fine, spiced oil that was applied to the head of a guest as an expression of courtesy and hospitality toward a guest. In other words, “the psalmist represents himself as an honored guest of the Lord, who prepares a table for him, hospitably anoints him [with the anointing oil >> with oil]."
• Oil (שֶׁמֶן):

v. 6

• To pursue (רדף):

• v. 6c: ** for revocalization see exegetical issue The Text of Ps. 23:6b (MT: וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י).

Verbal Semantics Chart

(For more information, click "Verbal Legend" below.)

Verbal Legend

Conjugations
qatal	yiqtol-jussive
wayyiqtol (following qatal)*	cohortative
yiqtol	participle
wayyiqtol (following yiqtol)*	wayyiqtol (following participle)*
weyiqtol	inf. construct
weqatal	inf. absolute
*Wayyiqtol is colored a darker version of the conjugation it follows.

Relative tense arrows
Relative tense arrows (placed within the appropriate 'Fut/Pres/Past' column) are color coded according to the conjugation of the verb. The arrows in the table below are colored according to the typical uses of the conjugations.
After/posterior/future	Imminent future	Simultaneous/right now	Recent past	Before/anterior/past
← ←	↤	↓↓↓	↦	→ →

Aspect
	Continuous	Habitual or iterative	Stative	Perfective
Encoded in words	⟲	⟲⟲⟲	⎯	•
Inferable from context	⟲	⟲⟲⟲	⎯	•

Reference point movement
Movement	No movement
⇐	⇍

Modality
indicative	purpose/result
jussive	necessity
imperative	possible
cohortative	probable
wish	ability
(past) conditional	interrogative, etc.

If an emendation or revocalization is preferred, that emendation or revocalization will be marked in the Hebrew text of all the visuals.

Emendations/Revocalizations legend
*Emended text*	Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is indicated by blue asterisks on either side of the emendation.
*Revocalized text*	Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is indicated by purple asterisks on either side of the revocalization.

Bibliography

Bratcher, Robert G., and William D. Reyburn. 1991. A Translator's Handbook on the Book of Psalms. New York: UBS Handbook Series.

Freeman, James M. 1998. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible. North Brunswick: Bridge-Logos Publishers.

Futato, Mark D. 2008. "The Book of Psalms." In Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs. Vol 7. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers.

Gibson, J. C. L. ed. 1994. Davidson’s Introductory Hebrew Grammar: Syntax. Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark.

Jacobson, Rolf A. 2014. “Psalm 23: You Are with Me.” Pages 238-246 in The Book of Psalms. Edited by Nancy L. DeClaissé-Walford, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth Laneel Tanner. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans.

Keel, Othmar. 1997. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.

Kirkpatrick, Alexander F. 1906. The Book of Psalms. London: Cambridge University Press.

Kissane, Monsignor Edward J. 1953. The Book of Psalms: Translated from A Critically Revised Hebrew Text. Vol. 1. Maryland: The Newman Press.

König, Ekkehard. 2006. "Concessive Clauses." In Brown, K. (ed). The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics. 2nd Ed. Vol. 2. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 819-824.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1988. Psalms 1–59. Minneapolis: Fortress.

Lange, John P. and Philip Schaff. 1872. A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical. Vol. IX of the Old Testament Containing the Book of Psalms. New York: Scriber.

Locatell, Christian S. 2017. "Grammatical Polysemy in the Hebrew Bible: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach to כי." Stellenbosch University.

Schaefer, Konrad. 2001. Psalms. Berit Olam Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.

Schoors, A. 1981. "The Particle כי." Oudtestamentische Studiën. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 240-276.

VanGemeren, Willem. 2008. Psalms: The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Van Peursen, Willem Th. 2017. The Verbal System in the Hebrew Text of Ben Sira. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.