Psalm 19 Test Lexical
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Psalm 19
Psalm 19 Lexical Analysis & Diagrams
The following grammatical diagrams are zoomable, and the lexical and phrasal overlays can be toggled on/off. Notes on the semantic layers can be found beneath each verse's diagram.
About the Lexical Layer
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Lexical Visuals for Psalm 19
V. 1
Preferred
Note for V. 1
Sample Lexical note for Ps 19:1
V. 2
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 2]
Clause
Subject
article: הַ the
noun: שָּׁמַיִם sky
Predicate
verb-participle: מְסַפְּרִים is declaring
Object
ConstructChain
noun: כְּבוֹד honor
noun: אֵל God
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
article: הָ the
noun: רָקִיעַ firmament
Predicate
verb-participle: מַגִּיד is telling about
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="the workmanship of his hands">
noun: מַעֲשֵׂה workmanship
noun: יָדָי hands
suffix-pronoun: ו him
Object <status="alternative">
noun: מַעֲשֵׂי <status="emendation">
Lexical Notes
- Sky (הַשָּׁמַיִם):
- Declaring honor (מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים כְּבֽוֹד): Cf. Psa 96:3 - סַפְּר֣וּ בַגּוֹיִ֣ם כְּבוֹד֑וֹ בְּכָל־הָֽ֝עַמִּ֗ים נִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃.
- Honor (כְּבוֹד):
- Firmament (הָרָקִיעַ):
- For the parallel of ספר and הגיד, see Job 12:7-8.
- Telling about (מַגִּיד): "The most frequent content of such recounting, however, is Yahweh’s mighty salvific deeds; this is especially the case in the psalms... The salvific deeds themselves are described in a summary fashion as nip̱lāʾôṯ (Ps. 9:2[1]; 26:7; 75:2[1]; 96:3 [1 Ch. 16:24]) or as maʿaśîm (Ps. 107:22; 118:17; cf. ʿāśâ in 66:16), or are circumscribed with the noun šēm as an expression of Yahweh’s greatness and might as manifested in such deeds (22:23[22]; 102:22[21]; Sir. 51:1; cf. also geḏullâ in Ps. 145:6, kāḇôḏ in 96:3 [1 Ch. 16:24]..." (TDOT).
Imagery
| The Sky Declaring God's Honor (vv. 2-5) | ||
| Input 1: Sky | Input 2: Poet | |
|---|---|---|
| Topic described | The sky (specifically the continuation of the created order which is observable in the sky) shows God's honor (cf. v. 2). | Poets can declare (ספר) the honor of YHWH (cf. Ps 9:2) or the honor of a king (cf. Ps 45:2). |
| Means | The sky communicates through the continued sequence of day and night (cf. v. 3). | Poets communicate rhythmically, generally through song. |
| Skill level | The sky is beautiful and awe-inspiring (cf. Ps 8). | Poets communicate with skill (e.g., prosody, alliteration, word play, images, etc.). |
| Audience | Everyone can see the sky (cf. v. 5ab). | Poets recite to an audience. |
| Blend | Sky acting as a poet
| |
| Implicatures |
| |
| Figure Prominence | HIGH. Personification itself, which is very common in Hebrew poetry, is low in prominence. The image here, however, which is sustained and developed across several verses (vv. 2-5), grows to a point of high prominence. It contributes to the theme of speech which is key to understanding the psalm. The psalm begins with the glorious speech of the sky (vv. 2-7), moves on to discuss the perfect speech of YHWH's Word (vv. 8-11), and closes with the inglorious and imperfect speech of YHWH's servant (vv. 12-15). Thus, the personification of the sky as a poet not only contributes to the poem's liveliness and beauty, it also contributes to the main theme of the psalm. | |
V. 3
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 3]
Clause
Subject
Nominal
ConstructChain
noun: movement <status="elided">
noun: יוֹם day
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ to
Object
noun: יוֹם day
Predicate
verb: יַבִּיעַ causes to bubble up >> pours out
Object
noun: אֹמֶר speech
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Nominal
ConstructChain
noun: movement <status="elided">
noun: לַיְלָה night
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְּ to
Object
noun: לַיְלָה night
Predicate
verb: יְחַוֶּה imparts
Object
noun: דָּעַת knowledge
Lexical Notes
- The word יביע (hiphil נבע) is a relatively rare, poetic verb of speech (cf. Pss 59:8; 78:2; 94:4; 119:171; 145:7). It means "literally: to cause to bubble up (words); hence: = action by which humans utter many words -- (to cause) to bubble up > to pour out" (SDBH). So NIV/ESV: "pour forth/out"; Aquila/Symmachus: ἀναβλύζει ("gush up" [of a spring]; cf. Diggle 2021, 88). The image is that a person's mouth is like a spring, and their words are like water (cf. Prov. 10:11 מְק֣וֹר חַ֭יִּים פִּ֣י צַדִּ֑יק). In this case, however, the 'person' speaking is the sky. Thus, the words might evoke the image of rain falling from the sky.
- For the parallel נבע//חוה, cf. Ben Sira 16:25: "I will pour out (אביעה) my spirit by measure and relate (אחוה) my knowledge in humility." Another close parallel which uses similar language as Ps 19:2-5 (including the noun מבע) is 1QH-a IX,29-32: "You yourself created breath for the tongue. You know its words, and you determine the fruit of the lips before they exist. You set the words according to the measuring line (על קו), and the utterance (מבע) of the breath of the lips by measure. And you bring forth the lines (ותוצא קוים) according to their mysteries and the utterances (מבעי) of the breath according to their calculus, in order to make known your glory (כבודכה) and to recount (ולספר) your wonders ..." (DJD XL 118-131).
- The word חוה is an Aramaic loanword (HALOT), equivalent to Hebrew הגיד (cf. v. 2) (cf. Baethgen 1904, 55).
Alternative 1: יוֹם//לַיְלָה as subjects and לְיוֹם and לְּלַיְלָה as adverbials
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 3 - alternative] <status="alternative">
Clause
Subject
noun: יוֹם day
Predicate
verb: יַבִּיעַ causes to bubble up >> pours out
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ to
Object
noun: יוֹם day
Object
noun: אֹמֶר speech
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
noun: לַיְלָה night
Predicate
verb: יְחַוֶּה imparts
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְּ to
Object
noun: לַיְלָה night
Object
noun: דָּעַת knowledge
Alternative 2: יוֹם לְיוֹם//לַיְלָה לְּלַיְלָה as adverbials
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 3 - alternative] <status="alternative">
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יַבִּיעַ causes to bubble up >> pours out
Adverbial
Nominal
noun: יוֹם day
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ to
Object
noun: יוֹם day
Object
noun: אֹמֶר speech
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יְחַוֶּה imparts
Adverbial
Nominal
noun: לַיְלָה night
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְּ to
Object
noun: לַיְלָה night
Object
noun: דָּעַת knowledge
V. 4
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 4]
Clause
Subject
noun: אֹמֶר speech
Predicate
Adverbial
particle: אֵין there is no
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and <height="200">
Clause
Subject
noun: דְּבָרִים words
RelativeClause
RelativeParticle
particle: <status="elided"> whose
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="their sound">
noun: קוֹלָ sound
suffix-pronoun: ם them <located="relative clause head">
Predicate
verb-participle: נִשְׁמָע is being heard
Adverbial
particle: בְּלִי not
Predicate
Adverbial
particle: אֵין there are no
Alternative - v. 4b as independent clause
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 4 - alternative] <status="alternative">
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: קוֹלָ voice
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Predicate
verb-participle: נִשְׁמָע is being heard
Adverbial
particle: בְּלִי not
Vv. 5-6a
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [vv. 5-6a]
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="their verse line">
noun: קַוָּ measuring line >> verse line
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Predicate
verb: יָצָא has gone forth
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ throughout
Object
quantifier: כָל whole
article: הָ the
noun: אָרֶץ earth
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="their words">
noun: מִלֵּי words
suffix-pronoun: הֶם them
Predicate
verb: יָצְאוּ <status="elided"> have gone forth
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בִ throughout
Object
ConstructChain
noun: קְצֵה edge
noun: תֵבֵל world
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: שָׂם he has set up
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לַ for
Object
article: הַ <status="elided"> the
noun: שֶּׁמֶשׁ sun
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בָּ in
Object
pronoun: הֶם them
Object
noun: אֹהֶל tent >> home
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
pronoun: הוּא he
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כְּ like
Object
noun: חָתָן a bridegroom
Adjectival
verb-participle: יֹצֵא coming out
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מֵ of
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="his tent">
noun: חֻפָּת tent
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Lexical Notes
- On קום, see The Text and Meaning of Ps 19:5a.
- The earth (ארץ) is "the earth as opposed to the sky" (SDBH). Together, 'earth' (v. 5) and 'sky' (v. 2) cover all of creation (cf. Gen 1:1), such that YHWH's glory resonates throughout the whole of creation.
- The word words (מלה) is, like חוה in v. 3, an Aramaic loan word (HALOT) (cf. Ps 139:4; 2 Sam 23:2), synonymous with דבר (e.g., Tg Pss and Peshitta translate דברים in v. 4 with מלי/מלא).
- The word world (תבל) is a poetic synonym of ארץ (e.g., Ps 24:1) and "a common noun that has acquired the value of a proper noun" (BHRG 216). It refers to "the earth as opposed to the sky, with special focus on the area that is inhabited by humans" (SDBH). English translations tend to use "earth//world" (KJV, ESV, NIV, NLT, CEV) or "world//earth" (GNT).
- The tent (אֹהֶל) or 'canopy' (cf. Joel 2:16) is hyponymous to אהל in the previous verse (cf. Waltke 2010, 363). It refers to a "temporary construction made of cloth; ► erected for a newly married couple" (SDBH). It is not clear, however, "whether the canopy was a special tent where the marriage was consummated, or whether it was a protective covering over the wedding ceremony itself" (TWOT #710). The first option seems more likely both in light of the parallel with חֵדֶר in Joel 2:16 and in light of the fact that it would make more sense for the sun to be 'going out' in the morning. Hence, "In Psalm 19:5 the 'shelter' refers to the bridegroom's chamber where presumably he takes his bride to consummate their marriage" (Waltke 2010, 363). So English translations: "chamber" (NIV, ESV, NET); cf. HALOT "nuptial chamber", DCH "bridal chamber."
- Bridegroom (חָתָן): "= man who is about to be married or has just been married; ≈ often associated with joy" (SDBH). In this case (since he is coming out of 'his canopy' [see below]), the bridegroom has just recently been married. So NLT: "It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding."
Imagery
| Sun-Bridegroom (Ps 19:6a) | ||
| Input 1: Sun | Input 2: Bridegroom | |
|---|---|---|
| Motion | Rises in the east and sets in the west | Exits his honeymoon-tent (חֻפָּה) in the morning (v. 6a, cf. Joel 2:16) and returns in the evening |
| Appearance | Radiant, beautiful (cf. Song 6:10, where a beautiful bride is compared to the sun), perhaps wearing light as splendid clothing (cf. Ps 104:2) (cf. association of sun with תְּפְאֶרֶת in Isa 60:19-20) | Dressed in fine clothes, including a turban (פְּאֵר cf. Isa 61:10) |
| Emotional association | The rising of the sun causes people to rejoice (cf. Mal 3:20; Hymn to Egyptian sun god in COS 1.27; COS 1.25; cf. Sarna 1965, 174) | Bridegrooms are joyful (e.g., מְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן in Isa 62:5; Jer 7:34; 16:9; 33:11), and the joyful occasion of their marriage brings joy to others (cf. SDBH: often associated with joy) |
| Blend | The bridegroom-sun
| |
| Implicatures |
| |
| Figure Prominence | MEDIUM This figure is explicitly marked as a simile and is, therefore, relatively high in prominence. At the same time, however, the image is not sustained or developed. Instead, it is immediately transformed in v. 6b to another, related image: the sun as a warrior. | |
Alternative - v. 5a read with קוֹלָם
SimpleGrammar
Fragment <status="alternative">
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: קוֹלָ <status="emendation"> voice
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Predicate
verb: יָצָא has gone forth
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ in
Object
quantifier: כָל all
article: הָ the
noun: אָרֶץ earth
Fragment <status="alternative">
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="their words">
noun: מִלֵּי words
suffix-pronoun: הֶם them
Predicate
verb: are
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בִ in
Object
ConstructChain
noun: קְצֵה edge
noun: תֵבֵל world
V. 6b
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 6b]
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יָשִׂישׂ he is glad
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כְּ like
Object
noun: גִבּוֹר a great one
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לָ to
Object
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb-infinitive: רוּץ run
Object
noun: אֹרַח course
Lexical Notes
- The word גבור ("great one") refers to "a human being... who is renowned for his characteristics, such as physical strength, power, bravery, skill, wealth, good character, or a combination thereof" (SDBH). The word is often used in military contexts to refer to a military "hero" or "warrior," but it can also refer more generally to someone with "any special degree of physical might, power, authority, and splendor (“glory”)" (TDOT 1977, 373). In Psalm 19 it might refer to the (personified) sun as an exceptionally gifted athlete (cf. NLT: "great athlete"; GNT: "athlete"). But because "running" (רוץ) is elsewhere associated with warriors (cf. Joel 2:7; Job 16:14), the word here probably refers to a "warrior" (cf. Jdg 5:20 which describes celestial bodies fighting 'from their roads'). In particular, it might refer to the sun as a warrior-king. Genesis 1, for example, describes the sun as the king of the day (cf. Gen 1:16; Ps 136:8), and kings were expected to be great warriors who could run long distances (cf. 2 Sam 1:23; 22:33, 37; see Demsky 2005).
Imagery
| Sun-Warrior (Ps 19:6b) | ||
| Input 1: Sun | Input 2: Warrior | |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Rises in the morning | Wakes up (Joel 4:9; Ps 78:65) and goes out to fight (Isa 42:13; Jer 46:9). |
| Activity | Goes across the entire world in a single day | Capable of amazing physical feats (2 Sam 23:8ff), including running long distances without going off course (Joel 2:7; cf. Job 16:14) |
| Potential for harm | Potentially deadly to those who are unsheltered (cf. Isa. 49:10; Jon. 4:8; Ps. 121:6) | Fierce (Jer 20:11; Ezek 32:12) and deadly to the unprotected |
| Weapons | Intense light and heat (cf. v. 7c) | Sword (Zech 10:5; Ps 45:4), bow (1 Sam 2:4; Isa 21:17; Jer 5:16; 50:9; Ps 120:4; 127:4), shield (2 Sam 1:22; Jer 46:9; Nah 2:4; Song 4:4) |
| Victory | Overcomes the darkness | Defeats his enemies and wins victory (cf. Jer 14:9; Zeph 3:17). |
| Emotional association | The rising of the sun causes people to rejoice (cf. Mal 3:20; Hymn to Egyptian sun god in COS 1.27; COS 1.25; cf. Sarna 1965, 174) | Terror for the warrior's enemies and joy for the warrior's people (cf. Zech 10:7); the warrior himself is sometimes joyful (Zech 10:7; Zeph 3:17; sometimes the association with joy is related to the association with wine, cf. Zech 10:7; Ps 78:65) |
| Blend | The warrior-sun
| |
| Implicatures |
| |
| Figure Prominence | MEDIUM This figure is explicitly marked as a simile and is, therefore, high in prominence. At the same time, however, the image is not sustained or developed. Instead, it is immediately transformed in v. 6b to another, related image: the sun as a warrior. | |
V. 7
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 7]
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his starting point">
noun: מוֹצָא starting point
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="from the edge of the sky">
Preposition
preposition: מִ from
Object
ConstructChain
noun: קְצֵה edge
Nominal
article: הַ the
noun: שָּׁמַיִם sky
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his turning point">
noun: תְקוּפָת turning point
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עַל at
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="its edges">
noun: קְצוֹתָ edges
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
verb-participle: נִסְתָּר something hidden
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מֵ from
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="his heat">
noun: חַמָּת heat
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
Adverbial
adverb: אֵין there is not
Lexical Notes
- There is some interesting evidence that יצא when predicated of the sun was understood as “shine” (see Nakata 2022).
- On תקופה, see HALOT: "turning-point (of the sun in the sky) Ps 19:7... the eastern horizon as one extremity of the sky is the place from which the sun commences its course; at the opposite side, on the western horizon, is the turning-point, for this is the entrance for its nocturnal journey back under the earth." So SDBH: "= location where the sun has reached the end of its circuit and from where it is expected to move back to its beginning point." So Gesenius 2013: "(Wende)punkt."
- In Ben Sira 43:7, תקופה may refer to the “waning” of moonlight.
V. 8
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 8]
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: תּוֹרַת instruction
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
adjective: תְּמִימָה perfect
Clause
Subject <status="elided">
ConstructChain
noun: תּוֹרַת instruction
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
Complement
ConstructChain
Nominal
verb-participle: מְשִׁיבַת restoring
noun: נָפֶשׁ life
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: עֵדוּת testimony
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
verb-participle: נֶאֱמָנָה enduring
Clause
Subject <status="elided">
ConstructChain
noun: עֵדוּת testimony
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
Complement
ConstructChain
Nominal
verb-participle: מַחְכִּימַת making wise
Nominal
adjective: פֶּתִי simple
Lexical Notes
- תורה: "In the Psalter tôrâ appears to denote God’s revelation and its promulgation, presumed to exist in either oral or written form" (TDOT). Willgren, looking at all of the uses of the phrase תורת יהוה, shows that "at least from the post-exilic period, תורת יהוה was regularly associated with a law of Moses..., sometimes specified as written," and he argues convincingly that the phrase has this meaning in Ps 1:2 (Willgren 2018, 390-1). It is probably also this meaning here in Ps 19 (so also Waltke 2010, 365). Cf. Ps. 78:5 where תורה//עֵדוּת refers to the Law given at Sinai.
- תְּמִימָה:
- SDBH notes that משיבת נפש 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. 23:3 נַפְשִׁ֥י יְשׁוֹבֵ֑ב.
- If תורה in the previous clause is associated especially with the Mosaic covenant, then עֵדוּת probably refers, specifically, to "the stipulations of the Sinai covenant laid down in writing" (HALOT 791b [HALOT, however, does not list Ps 19 under this entry]). Cf. Ps. 78:5 where תורה//עֵדוּת refers to the Law given at Sinai. Hillers argues that עֵדוּת is "actually another name for 'covenant'" and that "covenant" would be a better translation than "testimony" (Hillers 1969, 160ff; cf. NIDOTTE; so WEB: "covenant").
Imagery
| Instruction-Sun (Ps 19:8-11) | ||
| Input 1: YHWH's covenant instruction | Input 2: Sun | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Given by YHWH | Created by YHWH (Gen 1:16) |
| Purpose | To teach Israel how to live as YHWH's people; to illuminate the paths of life (cf. Ps 119:105) | To illuminate the earth (Gen 1:15) |
| To distinguish YHWH's people from the nations (cf. Exod 19:5-6; Lev 20:24; 1 Kgs 8:53 [הבדיל]) | To separate (להבדיל) day from night (Gen 1:14) | |
| To be the means by which YHWH rules over his people; to govern the behavior of his people | To rule the day (Gen 1:16) | |
| Attributes | Perfect (v. 8a); flawless (בָּרָה v. 9b) | Flawless/bright (בָּרָה֙ כַּֽחַמָּ֔ה) (Song 6:10) |
| True (אֱמֶת v. 10b) and, therefore, reliable (נֶאֱמָנָה v. 8b) | Faithful to rise every morning and, therefore, a reliable witness to the continuation of the created order (cf. Gen 8:22; Ps 89:37-38) | |
| Just (v. 9a); righteous (v. 10b) | A symbol of righteousness and justice (cf. Mal 3:20; IQ27 I:6–7; the Hammurabi stele; cf. Sarna 1965, 173). | |
| Pure (טְהוֹרָה v. 10a) | Associated with the pure (טְהוֹרָה) (cf. טֹהַר in Exod 24:10; טְהָרוֹ in Ps 89:45; cf. Eaton 1968) | |
| Benefits | Restores life (v. 8a) | Gives and restores life (cf. Mal 3:20; the Great Hymn to the Aten in COS 1.28; cf. Sarna 1965, 173). |
| Makes wise (v. 8b) | Associated with the gift of wisdom (cf. the Shamash Hymn in COS 1.1117), perhaps insofar as wisdom is associated with light | |
| Causes to rejoice (v. 9a) | Causes to rejoice (cf. Mal 3:20; Hymn to Egyptian sun god in COS 1.27; COS 1.25; cf. Sarna 1965, 174) | |
| Gives light to eyes (v. 9b), i.e., brings spiritual refreshment | Gives light to eyes | |
| Potential dangers | Brings a curse on Israel if they do not keep it (cf. Deut 28:15-68 | Strikes (הכה) people who are unprotected (Isa. 49:10; Jon. 4:8; Ps. 121:6) |
| Temporal duration | Enduring forever (v. 10a) | Enduring forever (cf. Ps 89:37) |
| Blend | YHWH's sun-like covenant instruction
| |
| Implicatures |
| |
| Figure Prominence | HIGH In one sense, the image is subtle and low in prominence, because the psalm never explicitly compares YHWH's instruction to the sun. However, by putting the description of YHWH's instruction (vv. 8-10) immediately after the description of the sun (vv. 5c-7) and by using terms to describe YHWH's instruction which are also appropriate to the sun, the psalm strongly encourages a comparison between the sun and YHWH's instruction. Indeed, it is the recognition of this implicit comparison that unlocks the meaning of the whole psalm (see the Story Behind triangles, where the main parts of the psalm are linked by the assumption YHWH's instruction is like the sun). | |
V. 9
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 9]
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: פִּקּוּדֵי commandments
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: are
Complement
adjective: יְשָׁרִים just
Clause
Subject <status="elided">
ConstructChain
noun: פִּקּוּדֵי commandments
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
Complement
ConstructChain
Nominal
verb-participle: מְשַׂמְּחֵי causing to rejoice
noun: לֵב heart
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
noun: מִצְוַת command
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
adjective: בָּרָה flawless
Clause
Subject <status="elided">
ConstructChain
noun: מִצְוַת command
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
Complement
ConstructChain
Nominal
verb-participle: מְאִירַת giving light to
noun: עֵינָיִם eyes
Lexical Notes
- The word פקודים refers to "rules regulating behavior" (SDBH). Whereas the previous verse used singular nouns to describe the Mosaic Law as a whole—תורה (covenant instruction) // עדות (the whole body of covenant stipulations)—this verse uses a plural noun to refer to the individual commandments of the covenant.
- The word מצוה refers to YHWH's authoritative command (cf. TDOT 1997, 505 for מצוה "as an expression of authority"). It is probably a collective singular here (so Gesenius 2013, 724: "das Gesetz Gottes als Einheit"; cf. Ps 119:96; cf. ketiv מצותו in Deut 5:10; 7:9; 8:2)
- In light of the comparison between the sun in vv. 5-7 and YHWH's law in vv. 8-10, Eaton argues that ברה does not mean "pure" but "brilliant" (so LXX τηλαυγής 'far-shining' [LSJ] and Jerome lucidum ['bright, shining']; cf. Song 6:10 בָּרָה֙ כַּֽחַמָּ֔ה "bright as the sun" [NIV]) (Eaton 1968, 605). So NIV and CSB: "radiant"; CEV: "shine brightly." It could be that a double-meaning is intended: "flawless" (with an association with "brightness").
- Giving light (מְאִירַת): an action that causes something to emit or to reflect light; ≈ associated with well-being and wisdom" (SDBH). Light to the eyes indicates renewed life and energy. In this sense, it is synonymous with משיבת נפש in the previous verse. Clines argues, on the other hand, that a description which is so synonymous with משיבת נפש would be unnecessary. "It seems preferable therefore to follow the literal meaning of the words, especially since the law is elsewhere often called a light" (cf. Ps 119:105; Prov 6:23) (Clines 1974, 4-5).
Vv. 10–11
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [vv. 10-11]
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="fearing YHWH">
noun: יִרְאַת fear
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
adjective: טְהוֹרָה pure
Clause
Subject <status="elided">
ConstructChain <gloss="fearing YHWH">
noun: יִרְאַת fear
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
Complement
verb-participle: עוֹמֶדֶת standing >> enduring
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="forever">
Preposition
preposition: לָ for
Object
noun: עַד forever
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain
Nominal
noun: מִשְׁפְּטֵי rules
RelativeClause
RelativeParticle
particle: הַ which
Clause
Subject
Predicate
Complement
Nominal
verb-participle: נֶּחֱמָדִים desirable
Adjectival <gloss="more than gold, even much pure gold">
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִ more than
Object
noun: זָּהָב gold
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִ more than
Object
noun: פַּז pure gold
Adjectival
adjective: רָב much
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Nominal
adjective: מְתוּקִים sweet
Adjectival <gloss="more than honey, even virgin honey from the honeycomb">
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִ more than
Object
noun: דְּבַשׁ honey
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
ConstructChain
noun: נֹפֶת virgin honey
noun: צוּפִים honeycomb
Nominal
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Predicate
Complement
noun: אֱמֶת faithfulness >> true
Clause
Predicate
verb: צָדְקוּ they are right
Adverbial
adverb: יַחְדָּו altogether
V. 12
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 12]
particle: גַּם also
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="your servant">
Nominal
Adjectival <status="alternative">
adverb: גַּם even
noun: עַבְדְּ servant
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Predicate
verb-participle: נִזְהָר is warned
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בָּ by
Object
pronoun: הֶם them
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Nominal
noun: עֵקֶב reward
Adjectival
adjective: רָב great
Predicate
verb: is
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ in
Object
Clause
Predicate
verb-infinitive: שָׁמְרָ keeping
Object
suffix-pronoun: ם them
Lexical Notes
- עֶבֶד:
- נזהר: Modern translations render this as "is warned" (KJV, NIV, ESV, cf. NLT, CEV, GNT, NET, NEB, LUT, HFA, ELB, EÜ, ZÜR).
- So BDB, HALOT, DCH, SDBH. SDBH defines it as "= process by which someone becomes aware of something (usually bad) that is going to happen, or something one should do to prevent something (usually bad) from happening; usually refers to a mediator making known what God has said or implied; ≈ wise people take these things seriously whereas foolish people ignore them."
- Others (e.g., Eaton 1968) have argued, however, that נזהר comes from a different root that means 'illuminate' (cf. Dan 12:3 וְהַמַּשְׂכִּלִים יַזְהִרוּ כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ; Ezek 8:2 כְּמַרְאֵה־זֹ֖הַר; cf. Aramaic זהר e.g., Old Syriac of Matt 13:43 ܗܝܕܝܢ ܙܕܝ̈ܩܐ ܢܙܗܪܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܫܡܫܐ). As with טהורה in v. 10, there could be a double meaning here. Cf. Hossfeld: "Ihre Belehrung kann sowohl erleuchten also auch warnen" (Hossfeld 1993, 134).
- The word עקב is usually translated into English as "reward" (NIV, NLT, ESV, NET, NEB, NJB, JPS85, GNT, CEV); so DCH.
Vv. 13–14a
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [vv. 13-14a]
Clause
Subject
pronoun: מִי who
Predicate
verb: יָבִין can realize
Object
noun: שְׁגִיאוֹת mistakes
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: נַקֵּ clear the guilt of
Object
suffix-pronoun: נִי me
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִ from
Object
Nominal
verb-participle: נִּסְתָּרוֹת hidden things >> hidden sins
Fragment
particle: גַּם furthermore
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: חֲשֹׂךְ prevent
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="your servant">
noun: עַבְדֶּ servant
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="from committing presumptuous sins">
Preposition
preposition: מִ from
Object
adjective: זֵּדִים presumptuous sins
Adverbial <status="alternative">
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִ from
Object
noun: זָּרִים <status="emendation"> foreigners
V. 14bc
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 14bc]
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: יִמְשְׁלוּ let them rule
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: ב over
Object
pronoun: ִי me
Adverbial
adverb: אַל not
Fragment
particle: אָז then
Fragment
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: אֵיתָם I will be blameless
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
Predicate
verb: נִקֵּיתִי I will be innocent
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִ of
Object
Nominal
noun: פֶּשַׁע crime
adjective: רָב great
V. 15
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
Fragment [v. 15]
Apposition
Vocative
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Vocative
Nominal
ConstructChain <gloss="my rock">
noun: צוּרִ rock
suffix-pronoun: ִי me
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
ConstructChain <gloss="my redeemer">
verb-participle: גֹאֲל redeemer
suffix-pronoun: ִי me
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="the words of my mouth">
noun: אִמְרֵי words
noun: פ mouth
suffix-pronoun: ִי me
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
ConstructChain <gloss="the meditation of my heart">
noun: הֶגְיוֹן meditation
noun: לִבּ heart
suffix-pronoun: ִי me
Predicate
verb: יִהְיוּ let them be
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְפָנֶי before
Object
pronoun: ךָ you
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="acceptable">
Preposition
preposition: לְ for
Object
noun: רָצוֹן acceptance
Lexical Notes
- The phrase היה לרצון usually refers to "(divine) acceptance, oft. of sacrifice or of people offering a sacrifice to Y[HWH]" (DCH). Just as a sacrificial animal with any defect was not acceptable to YHWH (Lev 22:20 לֹ֥א לְרָצֹ֖ון יִהְיֶ֥ה) but only those animals which were 'blameless' (Lev 22:21, תָּמִ֤ים יִֽהְיֶה֙ לְרָצֹ֔ון), so the psalmist, now that YHWH has made him 'blameless' (איתם, v. 14b), can offer words which are acceptable to YHWH. Cf. Hossfeld: "Die Widmung 15 verquickt Opferterminologie... mit Bezeichnungen für den ganzen Psalm... zu einer Weiheformel mit spiritualisierendem Kultverständnis" (Hossfeld 1993, 134).
Imagery
| Psalmist-Sacrifice (Ps 19:14-15) | ||
| Input 1: Psalmist | Input 2: Sacrifice | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | to please YHWH (cf. v. 15, specifically with his words and thoughts which are a synecdoche for his whole person) | to be acceptable before YHWH, to be pleasing to him (cf. Lev 1:3 לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה) |
| Requirement | must live according to YHWH's covenant instruction | must conform to YHWH's law |
| must be morally blameless, with profound moral uprightness and integrity (SDBH entry for תָּמִים) if he is to be pleasing to YHWH (cf. Ps 15:1-2) | must be blameless (תָּמִים), i.e., without physical defect, if it is to be acceptable (cf. Lev 22:21—תָּמִ֤ים יִֽהְיֶה֙ לְרָצ֔וֹן כָּל־מ֖וּם לֹ֥א יִהְיֶה־בּֽוֹ) | |
| Blend | The living sacrifice
| |
| Implicatures |
| |
| Figure Prominence | MEDIUM The sacrifice imagery is subtle and the coherence of the psalm is not greatly affected if it goes unnoticed or untranslated. At the same time, the imagery probably would have been unmistakable to the earliest readers; the phrase הָיָה לְרָצוֹן לִפְנֵי יְהוָה clearly evokes the notion of sacrifice, and so does (in hindsight) the word אֵיתָם (v. 14b), which is a key word in the psalm—the root תמם forms an inclusio around the second half of the psalm (see poetic structure). The sacrificial imagery is thus sustained throughout vv. 14-15. It also connects these verses to the cultic language used in the previous verse (שְׁגִיאוֹת). | |