Property: Discussion
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
P
Repetition of מָה (vv.2b,5a,10b) marks vv.5-6 as "the central point of the psalm. The [[#Classifying parallelisms|balanced poetic lines]] in v.5 and v.6 stand out in the middle of the psalm. Verse 6 is connected to v.5 by the unusual appearance in poetry of the [[#Verb forms|''waw''-conjunction with an imperfect verb form]] at the beginning of v.6, which emphasizes the verse. Further, the [[#Chiasms|chiastic structure of v.6]] tends to make it as the focal point of the psalm... In addition, there is a [[#Patterns in endings|rhyming of the last syllables]] of the verbs in vv.5-6, רֶנּוּ and דֶנּוּ followed by רֵהוּ and רֵהוּ that increases the force of the statements. Also, Øystein Lund argues that v.5 is based on the statements in vv.3-4, and that vv.6-7 form a continuation of the wonder expressed in v.5."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000ECD-QINU`"'
"In Psalm 8, as in many [[#Large-scale structures|chiastic arrangements]], the key verses appear in the middle of the psalm precisely because the remainder of the psalm is a carefully structured shell that frames the vital elements in the center."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000ECE-QINU`"' +
Rhetorical questions conclude the first two sections of the psalm (structural epiphora).
*'''v.4b.''' עַד־מָתָֽי׃ – "Although questions beginning 'How long?' recur (e.g., Pss. 74:10; 80:4 [5]; 82:2; 94:3), and there are others where the phrase stands alone (90:13; Isa. 6:11; Jer. 23:26), in its disjointedness this is the starkest and most urgent."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000D7B-QINU`"'
*'''v.6b.''' מִ֣י יֽוֹדֶה־לָּֽךְ׃ – "In Sheol, the dark and unknown place of the dead, who would be able to praise God? Obvious answer: Nobody! (a rhetorical question). The RQ marker מִי emphatically matches the preceding reason כִּי marker."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000D7C-QINU`"' +
Rolf Jacobson, who argues for the same basic [[#Section divisions|three-fold division]], classifies the three stanzas in terms of their communicative function:'"`UNIQ--ref-00000DE1-QINU`"'
::St. 1 Appeal for rescue and vow of innocence (vv. 2-6)
::St. 2 Appeal for vindication and justice (vv. 7-10)
::St. 3 Confession of trust in God’s righteousness (vv. 11-17)
:Closing vow to praise (not a full stanza) (v. 18)
Goldingay notes the same basic sequence of rhetorical movements. "[The Psalm] comprises an opening plea (vv. 2–3), a declaration of innocence (vv. 4–6), a more urgent and extensive plea for action (vv. 7–10), an act of praise at who Yhwh is (vv. 11–17), and a promise of thanksgiving when deliverance has come (v. 18)."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000DE2-QINU`"'
Similarly, Bratcher and Reyburn outline the psalm as follows. "The psalmist begins by asking God to save him from his enemies, who threaten him with death (vv.2-3); this is followed by a strong protestation of his innocence (vv.4-6). He calls upon God to judge him and pronounce him innocent (vv.7-10), after which he declares that God is ready to punish evildoers (vv.10-13). Following a description of how the wicked bring disaster on themselves (vv.15-17), the psalmist closes with a prayer of thanks, certain that God will answer him (v.18)."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000DE3-QINU`"'
The rhetorical movements may be mapped onto to each part and section as follows:
:Superscription (v.1)
:Part 1: '''Invocation''' & '''Vow of Innocence''' (vv.2-6)
::Invocation (vv.2-3): Profession of Trust (v.2a) --> Petition (v.2b-3b)
::Vow of Innocence (vv.4-6): If... (vv.4-5) --> Imprecation (v.6)
:Part 2: '''Petition''' (vv.7-10)
::General Petition (vv.7-8)
:::Declaration (v.9a)
::Specific Petition (vv.9b-10)
:Part 3: '''Profession of Trust''' (vv.11-17)
::in Yahweh's Judgment in Preparation (vv.11-14)
::in Yahweh's Judgement in Action (vv.15-17)
:'''Praise/Thanks''' (v.18)
Note the uniqueness of v.9a, which stands at the center of the psalm.
Section 1 (vv.2-3) – '''Invocation'''
Section 2 (vv.4-8) – '''Profession of Trust'''
Section 3 (vv.9-12) – '''Petition'''
Section 4 (v.13) – '''Profession of Trust''' +
Section 1 (vv.2-3): Fear</br>
Section 2 (vv.4-5): Trust</br>
Section 3 (vv.6-7): Trust, Serenity</br>
Section 4 (vv.8-9): Trust, Anticipation +
Section 2 (vv.4-5) – Section 9 (vv.18-19)
Section 3 (vv.6-7) – Section 8 (vv.16-17)
v. 5 – vv.8-9
v.7 – v.21 +
Section 2 (vv.4-8) and Section 3 (vv.9-12), which constitute the body of the psalm, are parallel (ABC//A'B'C').
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! !! Section 2 (vv.4-8) !! Section 3 (vv.9-12) !! Parallel Feature
|-
| '''A''' Profession/Petition || '''2.1''' (v.4), ...יהוה || '''3.1''' (v.9), ...יהוה || line initial vocative
|-
| '''B''' The Wicked || '''2.2''' (vv.5-7), ...כִּי לֹא || '''3.2''' (vv.10-11), ...כִּי אֵין || כִּי + neg. + verbless clause
|-
| '''C''' The Righteous || '''2.3''' (v.8), וַאֲנִי || '''3.3''' (v.12), וְיִשְׂמְחוּ || line initial ''waw''
|} +
See [[#Section divisions|section divisions]] above.
:'''A''' Section 1 (v.2)
::'''B''' Section 2 (v.3)
:::'''C''' Section 3 (vv.4-5)
::::'''D''' Section 4 (v.6)
:::'''C'''' Section 5 (vv.7-8)
:'''A''''Section 6 (v.9) +
See [[#Subject change|below]]. +
See [[#Subject change|table]]below.
No second-person forms or vocatives. The topic shifts:
* blessed one (subject)
* wicked one (patient)
* closing
** wicked (subject w/ negative verb)
** righteous (object, known by God)
** wicked (effective subject) +
See below for a [[#Other observations|phonological overview]] highlighting these features. +
See table on [[#Verb Morphology|Verb Morphology]] below.
*Verbs with stems other than ''qal'' (D, H, N) appear to cluster at thematic boundaries (see Psalm 1:3d). +
See table on [[#Verb Morphology|Verb Morphology]] below.
<u>'''Conjugation'''</u>
*"The ''verbal conjugations'' in 1a-2b form chiasms of both gender and conjugation."'"`UNIQ--ref-000008E6-QINU`"'
*"The two ''longest lines'' (2bc and 6ab) mark changes of subject (and each has a ''qatal'' predicate following two or four lines with ''yiqtol''): 2b ends the description of the rulers' activities and is followed by their exclamations (3a-b), and 6 contains YHWH's declaration."'"`UNIQ--ref-000008E7-QINU`"'
<u>'''TAM'''</u>
*'''v. 2a.''' The Hebrew imperfect form (יֶהְגּוּ) describes the rebellion as already underway.
*'''v. 2b.''' The imperfect verbal form (יִתְיַצְּבוּ) describes their action as underway or ongoing
*'''v. 4-5''' The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 depict a dramatic scene, describing the action from the perspective of an eyewitness (the prophetic-psalmist) who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
*'''v. 8a''' The initial cohortative verb אֶתְּנָה after the imperative שְׁאַל has a resultative sense. +
See table on [[#Verb Morphology|Verb Morphology]] below. +
See table on [[#Verb Morphology|Verb Morphology]] below. +
See the [[#Pronominal suffixes|table]] below on noun morphology.
*'''v. 1.''' It may be significant that there is no definite article with the three construct nouns, i.e. ‘who has not walked in a piece of advice of wicked people…in a path of sinners…in a seat of scoffers.’
*'''v. 5.''' Despite the fact that there is no article on any of the plural nouns that refer to people, it still refers to the class, which might require the article in some languages to express (including English). This is quite common in BH.
*'''v. 5a.''' The definite article on מִשׁפָּט indicates a specific judgment in the mind of the speaker. This may refer either a temporal-historical judgment, which the author anticipates, or to the final eschatological judgment. Periodically during the OT period, God would come in judgment, removing the wicked from the scene, while preserving a godly remnant (see Gen. 6-9; Ps. 37; Hab. 3). The LXX’s addition of “from the face of the earth” at the end of the preceding colon would also suggest a climactic eschatological judgment.
*'''v. 6.''' Hebrew often omits the definite article for definite things (see verse 5). +
See the [[#Pronominal suffixes|table]] below on noun morphology.
*The morphological gender of דרך is masculine, but the syntactic gender of דרך in v.1c and v.6a is impossible to determine. In v.6b, the syntactic gender of דרך is feminine. +
See the [[#Pronominal suffixes|table]] below on noun morphology. +
See the table below on [[#Distribution of Consonants|Distribution of Consonants]].
*'''v. 1.''' Note the alliteration between 1a and 1b that strengthens their sonic cohesion.
*'''v.3a.''' The object marker (את), rare in poetry, appears in v.3a in a cluster of dentals. Its use might be explained on this account. +
Selah does not appear in this psalm. +