Property: Discussion
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
P
The following table is from Fokkelman's ''Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible'' Volume 2, Appendix I.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000FA0-QINU`"'
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Strophe !! Verse !! Syllables per word !! Syllables per line !! Syllables per strophe
|-
| '''1''' || 2ab || 2.4 / 1.2.2.2.2 || 6 + 9 = 15 || '''15'''
|-
| '''2''' || 2c3a || 2.2.3.1.3 / 2.3.4 || 11 + 9 = 20 || '''39'''
|-
| || 3bc || 3.1.2.4 / 3.2.4 || 10 + 9 =19 ||
|-
| '''3''' || 4 || 1.2.3.2.5 / 2.4.2.3 || 13 + 11 = 24 || '''41'''
|-
| || 5 || 1.2.1.4 / 2.2.1.4 || 8 + 9 = 17 ||
|-
| '''4''' || 6 || 6.2.4 / 3.3.5 || 12 + 11 = 23 || '''40'''
|-
| || 7 || 5! 3.3 / 1.2.1.2 || 11 + 6 = 17 ||
|-
| '''5''' || 8 || 2.4.2 / 2.3.2 || 8 + 7 = 15 || '''30'''
|-
| || 9 || 2.2.3.2 / 2.2.2 || 9 + 6 = 15 ||
|-
| '''6''' || 10 || 2.4 / 1.2.2.2.2 || 6 + 9 = 15 || '''15'''
|}
*"20 cola with 180 syllables; average per colon 9.00, per verse 18 syllables"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000FA1-QINU`"'
*"If we have v.7a start with a simple waw, parallel to the narrative form that opens v.6a, the full glory of the numerical perfection of this poem is revealed."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000FA2-QINU`"'
*"Strophe 4 has the biblical number 40 as a syllable total, and strophes 2 and 3 take their cue from this with the figures 39 and 41, which complement one another."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000FA3-QINU`"'
*"The envelope consists of 15 + 15 = 30 syllables, exactly the same number as strophe 5. Each of the verses of strophe 5 also has 15 syllables."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000FA4-QINU`"'
*"The fact that strophes 3 and 4 belong together as question and answer is also reflected in their lengths. Both units consist of a long and short verse: 24 + 17 in strophe 3, and 23 + 17 in strophe 4."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000FA5-QINU`"' +
The following table is from Fokkelman's ''Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible'' Volume 2, Appendix I.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000C76-QINU`"'
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Strophe !! Verse !! Syllables per word !! Syllables per line !! Syllables per strophe
|-
| '''1''' || 2 || 3.3.2 / 2.3 || 8 + 5 = 13 || '''48'''
|-
| || 3 || 3.2.2.2.3 / 1.3.3 || 12 + 7 = 19 ||
|-
| || 4 || 2.1.2.2 / 1.2.2.4 || 7 + 9 = 16 ||
|-
| '''2''' || 5 || 1.1.1.2.1.2 / 1.3.1 || 8 + 5 = 13 || '''53'''
|-
| || 6 || 1.4.3 / 2.3 / 3.1.3.1 || 8 + 5 + 8 = 21 ||
|-
| || 7 || 3.3.2 / 1.2.3.3.2 || 8 + 11 = 19 ||
|-
| '''3''' || 8 || 3.2.3.2.3 / 3.1.2.3.5 || 13 + 14 = 27 || '''50'''
|-
| || 9 || 2.3.5 / 2.3 /2.3.3 || 10 + 5 + 8 = 23 ||
|-
| '''4''' || 10ab || 1.1.3.3 / 2.2 || 8 + 4 = 12 || '''24'''
|-
| || 10cd || 1.2.3 / 3.3 || 6 + 6 = 12 ||
|-
| '''5''' || 11ab || 3.3 / 3.6 || 6 + 9 = 15 || '''28'''
|-
| || 11cd || 2.3.4 / 1.2.1 || 9 + 4 = 13 ||
|-
| '''6''' || 12ab || 4.1.2.1 / 3.4 || 8 + 7 = 15 || '''53'''
|-
| || 12cd || 3.3 / 4.2.3.3 || 6 + 12 = 18 ||
|-
| || 13ab || 1.2.3.2.2 / 3.2.5! || 10 + 10 = 20 ||
|}
*"32 cola with 256 syllables; average per colon 8.00."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000C77-QINU`"'
*"The total of 256 syllables is made up of two groups of 128 syllables. The 128 is the total for both vv.2-8 and vv.9-13."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000C78-QINU`"'
*Fokkelman emends the vocalization of the MT at v.13b (תַּעְטְרֶנּוּ [''qal''] --> תְּעַטְּרֶנּוּ [''piel'']), resulting in 256 rather than 255 syllables. +
The following table is from Fokkelman's ''Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible'' Volume 2, Appendix I.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000D47-QINU`"'
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Strophe !! Verse !! Syllables per word !! Syllables per line !! Syllables per strophe
|-
| '''1''' || 2 || 2.1.4.4 / 2.5.5 || 11 + 12 = 23 || '''62'''
|-
| || 3 || 3.2.1.2.2 / 4.2.1.3.3 || 10 + 13 = 23 ||
|-
| || 4 || 3.3.2 / 3.2.1.2 || 8 + 8 = 16 ||
|-
| '''2''' || 5 || 2.2.4!2 / 4.2.3 || 10 + 9 = 19 || '''32'''
|-
| || 6 || 1.1.2.3 / 2.1.2.1 || 7 + 6 = 13 ||
|-
| '''3''' || 7 || 3.4 / 2.2.2.3 / 4.2.2 || 7 + 9 + 8 = 24 || '''39'''
|-
| || 8 || 3.2.2 / 3.2.3 || 7 + 8 = 15 ||
|-
| '''4''' || 9 || 2.3.1.3.1 / 1.2.2.1.2 || 10 + 8 = 18 || '''56'''
|-
| || 10 || 2.2.4 / 2.4.2 || 8 + 8 = 16 ||
|-
| || 11 || 3.5.2 / 1.3.3.4!1 || 10 + 12 = 22 ||
|}
*"21 cola with 189 syllables; average per colon 9.00."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000D48-QINU`"'
*"If, supported by some ''Versiones'', we add a simple ''w<sup>e</sup>-'' to the second verbs of v.5a and v.11b, the poem yields a total of 189 syllables, which, after division by the number of cola, results in an exact 9."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000D49-QINU`"'
*The figure of 14 syllables for v.11a is considerable. If we desert the Masoretes here as regards the caesura and place the subject, 'all my enemies', in the B-colon, we get a better balance of 10 + 12 syllables. Not only do these figures fit those of vv.2, 3 and 5, but they also bring out the striking agreement between the words of 11a and those of 4a, and the B-cola now each start with two words as their subjects."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000D4A-QINU`"' +
The following table is from Fokkelman's ''Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible'' Volume 2, Appendix I.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000E64-QINU`"'
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Strophe !! Verse !! Syllables per word !! Syllables per line !! Syllables per strophe
|-
| '''1''' || 2 || 2.3.2.3 / 4.2.3.5 || 10 + 14 = 24 ||
|-
| || 3 || 1.2.3.2 / 2.2.2 || 8 + 6 = 14 || '''38'''
|-
| '''2''' || 4 || 2.3.1.3.1 / 1.1.1.3 || 10 + 6 = 16 ||
|-
| || 5 || 1.3.3.1 / 5.3.2 || 8 + 10 = 18 || '''59'''
|-
| || 6 || 2.2.2.3 / 3.2.2 / 4.3.2 || 9 + 7 + 9 = 25 ||
|-
| '''3''' || 7ab || 2.2.4 / 3.3.3 || 8 + 9 = 17 ||
|-
| || 7c8a || 2!2.2.3 / 3.3.5 || 9 + 11 = 20 || '''52'''
|-
| || 8b9a || 4.3.2 / 2.2.2 || 9 + 6 = 15 ||
|-
| '''4''' || 9bc || 3.2.3 / 4.2 || 8 + 6 = 14 ||
|-
| || 10ab || 2.1.1.3 / 4.2 || 7 + 6 = 13 || '''41'''
|-
| || cd || 3.2.4 / 3.2 || 9 + 5 = 14 ||
|-
| '''5''' || 11 || 3.1.3 / 2.2.1 || 7 + 5 = 12 ||
|-
| || 12 || 3.2.2 / 2.2.2.1 || 7 + 7 = 14 || '''26'''
|-
| '''6''' || 13 || 1.1.2.2.2 / 2.2.5 || 8 + 9 = 17 ||
|-
| || 14 || 2.2.2.1 / 2.4.2 || 7 + 8 = 15 || '''32'''
|-
| '''7''' || 15 || 2.3.1 / 2!2.3.1 || 6 + 8 =14 ||
|-
| || 16 || 1.2.5 / 3.2.2 || 8 + 7 = 15 || '''47'''
|-
| || 17 || 2.3.3 / 2.3.3.2 || 8 + 10 = 18 ||
|-
| '''8''' || 18 || 2.2.3 / 5.1.2.2 || 7 + 10 = 17 || '''17'''
|}
*"39 cola with 312 syllables; average per colon 8.00."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000E65-QINU`"'
*"The anaphora of the III-ו imperatives is a stylistic aspect that supports my suggestion to delete ו at the beginning of v.7c (as do LXX and Peshitta), and verse such as Job 15:35 is helpful when (supported by some MSS and LXX) we do the same in v.15b. One result of this is an increase in power for v.15. After these two minimal touch-ups, which do not affect the meaning at all, the poem a 312 syllables and an average of exactly 8.00 syllables for its 39 cola."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000E66-QINU`"' +
The following table is from Fokkelman's ''Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible'' Volume 2, Appendix I.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000A06-QINU`"'
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Strophe !! Verse !! Syllables per word !! Syllables per line !! Syllables per strophe
|-
| '''1''' || 1 || 2.3.2 / 4.2.1 || 7 + 7 = 14 || '''58'''
|-
| || 2 || 4.2.1 / 4.3.1 / 1.2.2.3 || 7 + 8 + 8 = 23 ||
|-
| || 3 || 4.1.5 / 4.3.4 || 10 + 11 = 21 ||
|-
| '''2''' || 4 || 2.3.2 / 2! 2.2 || 7 + 6 = 13 || '''47'''
|-
| || 5 || 1.3.3.3 / 5.5 || 10 + 10 = 20 ||
|-
| || 6 || 3.3.2 / 1.2.1.2 || 8 + 6 = 14 ||
|-
| '''3''' || 7 || 4.1.1.2 / 2.2.2.2 / 2.2.4 || 8 + 8 + 8 = 24 || '''63'''
|-
| || 8 || 2.3 / 4.2.4 / 6.2.1 || 5 + 10 + 9 = 24 ||
|-
| || 9 || 3.2.2 / 2.2.4 || 7 + 8 = 15 ||
|-
| '''4''' || 10 || 3.3.3 / 4.3.1 || 9 + 8 = 17 || '''56'''
|-
| || 11,12aα || 2.1.2.3 / 3.3.3.1 || 8 + 10 = 18 ||
|-
| || 12aβ,bcd || 1.2.4.1 / 1.2.2.2 / 2.1.2.1 || 8 + 7 + 6 = 21 ||
|}
*"28 cola with 224 syllables; average per colon 8.00"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000A07-QINU`"'
*"I replace the word אדני in v.4b by the amply attested tetragrammaton and arrive at a division that yields the perfect 8."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000A08-QINU`"'
*The inclusion of the divine name (יהוה) in 7a (along with the MT) instead of 7b "is supported by a good balance in words, 4 + 4 + 3, and an even better balance in syllables, 8 + 8 + 8 – the figure which is also the norm for the poem as a whole, and which is here realised at the moment of greatest intimacy, with a beautiful trio the total of which is repeated in v.8 (which is also the eight poetic line!)."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000A09-QINU`"'
*"The total number of syllables in 8ab is 15, an excessively high number which prevents us from accommodating these five words in one colon."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000A0A-QINU`"'
*"The proportions at various levels underline the [[#Structures Proposed by Other Scholars|chiasm]]. First those of the strophes, measured in numbers of cola: strophes 1 + 4 = 7 + 7 cola = 14 // strophes 2 + 3 = 6 + 8 cola = 14. The inside pair contains 110 syllables, the outside pair 114 syllables, and the figures for A + A' are practically equal (58 and 56)."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000A0B-QINU`"'
*"Strikingly, Ps.97 shows the same proportions, at five levels:
**Ps. 2: 4 strophes, 12 verses, 28 cola, 96 words, 224 syllables
**Ps. 97: 4 strophes, 12 verses, 28 cola, 96 words, 224 syllables"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000A0C-QINU`"'
The following table is from Fokkelman's ''Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible'' Volume 2, Appendix I.'"`UNIQ--ref-000008F8-QINU`"'
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Strophe !! Verse !! Syllables per word !! Syllables per line !! Syllables per strophe
|-
| '''1''' || 1ab || 2.2.2 / 1.2.3.3 || 6 + 9 = 15 || '''54'''
|-
| || 1cd || 3.3.1.2 / 4.2.1.2 || 9 + 9 = 18 ||
|-
| || 2 || 1.1.3.2.2 / 5.2.2.3 || 9 + 12 = 21 ||
|-
| '''2''' || 3ab || 3.2.2.1.2.1 / 2.2.2.3 || 11 + 9 = 20 || '''35'''
|-
| || 3cd || 4.1.2 / 2.2.2.2 || 7 + 18 = 15 ||
|-
| '''3''' || 4 || 1.1.4 / 1.1.2.2.4.1 || 6 + 11 = 17 || '''55'''
|-
| || 5 || 1.1.1.3.3.3 / 4.3.3 || 12 + 10 = 22 ||
|-
| || 6 || 1.2.2.1.3 / 2.3.2 || 9 + 7 = 16 ||
|}
*"16 cola with 144 syllables; average per colon 9.00"'"`UNIQ--ref-000008F9-QINU`"'
*"The first Psalm immediately shows the ceiling of syllabic prosody: the exact 9 as the average number of syllables per colon. This has been realized here by arranging 144 syllables in 16 cola."'"`UNIQ--ref-000008FA-QINU`"'
*The number 144 may be significant (144 = 12 x 12).
*"The quantitative balance of the two L-strophes is almost perfect: 54 and 55 syllables."'"`UNIQ--ref-000008FB-QINU`"'
*Note that Fokkelman's threefold division of the text differs from that proposed [[#Section divisions|below]]). If his syllable count is applied to the strophic division proposed below, then it yields the following result: Strophe 1: 89 syllables, Strophe 2: 39 syllables, Strophe 3: 16 syllables. +
The following table portrays the distribution of verb forms. Modal verbs are marked red.
{|style="border-spacing: 10px;"
|-
| 2a || חָסִ֑יתִי
|-
| 2b || || <span style="color:#FF0000">הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי...וְהַצִּילֵֽנִי</span> || רֹ֝דְפַ֗י ||
|-
| 3a || || || || יִטְרֹ֣ף
|-
| 3b || || || פֹּ֝רֵ֗ק... מַצִּֽיל || ||
|-
| 4a || עָשִׂ֣יתִי
|-
| 4b
|-
| 5a || גָּ֭מַלְתִּי || || שֽׁוֹלְמִ֥י
|-
| 5b || וָאֲחַלְּצָ֖ה
|-
| 6a || || || אוֹיֵ֨ב || <span style="color:#FF0000">יִֽרַדֹּ֥ף...וְיַשֵּׂ֗ג</span>
|-
| 6b || || || || <span style="color:#FF0000">וְיִרְמֹ֣ס</span>
|-
| 6c || || || || <span style="color:#FF0000">יַשְׁכֵּ֣ן</span>
|-
| 7a || || <span style="color:#FF0000">ק֘וּמָ֤ה</span>
|-
| 7b || || <span style="color:#FF0000">הִ֭נָּשֵׂא</span> || צוֹרְרָ֑י
|-
| 7c || צִוִּֽיתָ || <span style="color:#FF0000">וְע֥וּרָה</span>
|-
| 8a || || || || <span style="color:#FF0000">תְּסוֹבְבֶ֑ךָּ</span>
|-
| 8b || || <span style="color:#FF0000">שֽׁוּבָה</span>
|-
| 9a || || || || יָדִ֪ין
|-
| 9b || || <span style="color:#FF0000">שָׁפְטֵ֥נִי</span> ||
|-
| 9c
|-
| 10a || || || || <span style="color:#FF0000">יִגְמָר־נָ֬א</span>
|-
| 10b || || || || <span style="color:#FF0000">וּתְכוֹנֵ֪ן</span>
|-
| 10c || || || וּבֹחֵ֣ן
|-
| 10d
|-
| 11a
|-
| 11b || || || מ֝וֹשִׁ֗יעַ
|-
| 12a || || || שׁוֹפֵ֣ט
|-
| 12b || || || זֹעֵ֥ם
|-
| 13a || || || || יָ֭שׁוּב...יִלְט֑וֹשׁ
|-
| 13b || דָ֝רַ֗ךְ וַֽיְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ
|-
| 14a || הֵכִ֣ין
|-
| 14b || || || לְֽדֹלְקִ֥ים || יִפְעָֽל
|-
| 15a || || || || יְחַבֶּל
|-
| 15b || || || || וְהָרָ֥ה...וְיָ֣לַד
|-
| 16a || כָּ֭רָֽה וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ
|-
| 16b || וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל || || || יִפְעָֽל
|-
| 17a || || || || יָשׁ֣וּב
|-
| 17b || || || || יֵרֵֽד
|-
| 18a || || || || <span style="color:#FF0000">אוֹדֶ֣ה</span>
|-
| 18b || || || || <span style="color:#FF0000">וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה</span>
|} +
The four parts of the Psalm are arranged chiastically. The two outer stanzas focus on earthly kings, while the inner pair focus on YHWH and his divinely anointed (Davidic) king. This thematic-pragmatic arrangement may be displayed as follows:
:A (1-3) – worldly rulers verbally rebel against the LORD and “his anointed one”
::B (4-6) – '''God silences all enemies by introducing “my king”'''
::C (7-9) – '''Yahweh officially installs and commissions “my Son”'''
:D (10-12) – worldly rulers are warned to submit to the LORD and “the Son” +
The imagery of Psalm 1 corresponds to and reinforces the Psalm’s structure:
::'''a.''' Pathway imagery (v. 1)
:::'''b.''' Botanical simile (v. 3)
:::'''b.’''' Botanical simile (v. 4)
::'''a.’''' Pathway imagery (v. 6) +
The importance of verse 2 needs to be emphasized somehow in translations. +
The intensity, or aggressiveness, of the psalmist's emotions wanes as the psalm unfolds. The psalm begins in angry disgust (v.3) and ends in serene sleep (v.9) as anger (vv.3-5), met with trust (v.4), gives way to joy (vv.7-8) and serenity (v.9). In this evening psalm, the psalmist does not let the sun go down on his anger (Eph. 4:26).
Section 1 (v.2) – Anticipation & Trust</br>
Section 2 (v. 3) – Anger & Disgust</br>
Section 3 (vv.4-5) – Anger & Trust</br>
Section 4 (v.6) – Anticipation & Joy</br>
Section 5 (vv.7-8) – Anticipation (v.7) --> Joy (v.8)</br>
Section 6 (v. 9) – Serenity & Trust +
The metaphor, "Yahweh is Judge" (see [[#Semantically/thematically related words|judicial language]]), is an entailment of the metaphor, "Yahweh is King" (see especially vv.5b, 8ab; cf. the blending of royal and judicial language in Ps. 72:1-2). As King, Yahweh gives victory on the battlefield, brings justice to the world, and provides refuge for the oppressed. +
The middle line is אֲשֶׁר פִּרְיוֹ יִתֵּן בְּעִתּוֹ. This corresponds to the fact that the middle words are יִתֵּן בְּעִתּוֹ, the last words of this middle line. +
The middle word within the first section (vv.1-3) is וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ. This may be significant, given the thematic centrality of תּוֹרָה in this psalm. As for the entire Psalm, there are 67 words, and the middle words are יִתֵּן בְּעִתּוֹ. +
The mixed feelings of fear, sadness, and anticipation that characterize the first half of the psalm (vv.2-6) give way to pure grief in section 3 (vv.7-8), the “emotional peak (or nadir!)” of the psalm.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000DA5-QINU`"' It is as though the psalmist is already experiencing the grief of Sheol (v.6b). At the onset of section 4 (vv.9-11), "the tone and atmosphere of the psalm change radically."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000DA6-QINU`"' Paralyzed grief gives way to animated anger and confident vigilance.
:Section 1 (vv.2-4) – Sadness/Grief + Fear
:Section 2 (vv.5-6) – Sadness + Fear + Anticipation
:'''Section 3 (vv.7-8) – Grief'''
:Section 4 (vv.9-11) – Disgust + Anger + Vigilance +
The negative choices of the righteous are all qatal forms, and the rest of the psalm entirely yiqtol/weqatal/participle. The semantics fit with present perfect for v. 1: these are things the righteous 'have not done', whereas v. 2 has what the righteous do and the rest of the psalm has the results that 'will/do happen' to the general classes of righteous & wicked. The split is thus
* past/perfective (what has not happened, v. 1)
* present habitual (verbless & yiqtol) for the righteous
* present habitual / future for the results
This means every verb is non-specific: it either refers to the class of the righteous/wicked or it refers to a typical behaviour/action of the LORD. The entire psalm speaks in categories, rather than specifics.
The implications are myriad, in terms of the regularity and reliability of how people's decisions / alignment with righteousness or wickedness bring on their own results.
>> The purpose of this psalm is not to instruct on proper actions (although that is covered briefly and is an assumption); the purpose of this psalm is to instruct on the outcomes of one's prior choices.
*'''v. 1bcd.''' The qatal verbs are all negated and activities the righteous is to reject. This has led to confusion over the meaning of qatal/yiqtol, but here is used poetically as one more way to oppose the righteous from the wicked. The qatal verbs are probably perfect, not habitual (as they are normally translated), i.e. ‘who has not gone…’ and not ‘who goes’ (qatal is quite rare as a habitual and yiqtol would have been unambiguously habitual given the context).
*'''v. 2b.''' The phrase יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה establishes the Topic Time and makes the yiqtol (יֶהְגֶּה) necessarily habitual. The null copula can be past, present, or future, but I am not sure if it can be any aspect. If so, a better translation might be ‘his delight has been in the law of God’ to match the qatal forms in the previous verse.
*'''v. 3a.''' The Hebrew perfect verbal form with waw consecutive here (וְהָיָה) continues the sense of the imperfect in the preceding verse. Thus, the one who studies and obeys (does) God’s commands typically prospers in life in a biblical proverbial sense. וְהָיָה is probably connected to the previous verse as a consequence, though this need not be expressed explicitly in the translation.
*'''v. 3bc.''' The subsequent imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 (יִתֵּן and יִבּוֹל) draw attention to the typical nature of the actions/states they describe. Alternatively, these verbs may be future relative to the planting rather than habitual, i.e. ‘whose fruit will be borne on time and whose leaf will not wither.’ This creates expectation for what will happen as a result of the planting. In other words, the planting will cause something to happen in the future relative to it.
*'''v. 3d.''' The TAM in the last clause of this verse could either be hypothetical and then future or two habituals. The difference would be ‘and (in) all he might do, he will succeed’ vs. ‘and (in) all he does, he succeeds.’ Most translations have the latter, and the difference is fairly inconsequential.
*'''v. 4b.''' The Hebrew imperfect verb (תִּדְּפֶנּוּ) draws attention to the typical nature of the action described.
*'''v. 5.'''
:Is v.5 a timeless description like the rest of the psalm, or does this verse narrate future events (eschatological prediction)?
:"There is no evidence that the judgment here spoken of is the tribunal of man. Clearly the reference is to the judgment of God."'"`UNIQ--ref-000008CE-QINU`"'
:"Ps. 1:5, in view of Ps. 24:3, provisionally must be translated, 'therefore the wicked will not enter the judgment court, nor sinners the congregation of the righteous.' And the meaning would be as follows: The רשׁעים do not have access to the act of sacral judgment (משׁפט), which is the presupposition for access to the sanctuary, and therefore also do not arrive at the עֵדָה of the צדיקים, that is the congregation that praises God in the holy place (Pss. 118:19, 20; 111:1)... Or course... it is probably not at all conceivable that the sacral-legal and the cultic institutions still have a real significance for our psalm. The concepts and formulations are indeed molded from that model, but they have largely been spiritualized. The sacral-judicial institution of משׁפט mentioned in Psalm 1 and the עדת צדיקים transcend the empirical reality of the cultic-sacral and are made transparent entities that affect all of existence and point to the end-time. Thus those conceptions would finally be proved to be correct which speak–perhaps too quickly and too rashly–of משׁפט as of the 'final judgment' and of עדה as the 'messianic congregation of the new world.'"'"`UNIQ--ref-000008CF-QINU`"'
:The context and the meaning of קוּם with מִשְׁפָּט seem to actually favor a circumstantial reading of yiqtol in the future ‘will not be able to,’ though I am not sure if this is possible without the periphrastic construction יוּכְלוּ לָקוּם. Either way, the statement seems to be generic.
Translating the verb tenses correctly is a challenge. Verb systems do different things in different languages. It is not necessary to perfectly line up the verb tenses. It may sound artificial and can introduce misunderstanding.
The noun יְשׁוּעָה is highlighted, not only by its repetition (vv. 3b, 9a; verbal form in 8b) but by its morphology. The first occurrence of the word (v. 3b) has a unique ending (תָה- cf. Ps. 80:3; Jon. 2:10). This is a remain of an earlier case ending which is, according to GKC, "used merely for the sake of poetical emphasis."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000A86-QINU`"'. Perhaps it is used here to mark the thematic importance of this word, "deliverance," which is "the key motif in the psalm."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000A87-QINU`"' The second occurrence of the word (v. 9a) is the only word in the psalm to have the definite article (ה).
{|style="border-spacing: 10px;"
|-
| 1
|-
| 2a || || <span style="color:#FF0000"><big>'''יהוה'''</big></span> || <big>'''רבב'''</big>
|-
| 2b || || || <big>'''רבב'''</big> || קום
|-
| 3a || || ||<big>'''רבב'''</big>
|-
| 3b || || || || || <big>'''ישׁע'''</big> || <span style="color:#FF0000"><big>'''אלהים'''</big></span>
|-
| 4a || || <span style="color:#FF0000"><big>'''יהוה'''</big></span>
|-
| 4b
|-
| 5a || || <span style="color:#FF0000"><big>'''יהוה'''</big></span>
|-
| 5b
|-
| 6a
|-
| 6b || || <span style="color:#FF0000"><big>'''יהוה'''</big></span>
|-
| 7a || || || <big>'''רבב'''</big> || || || || עם
|-
| 7b
|-
| 8a || || <span style="color:#FF0000"><big>'''יהוה'''</big></span> || || קום || || <span style="color:#FF0000"><big>'''אלהים'''</big></span>
|-
| 8b || || || || || <big>'''ישׁע'''</big>
|-
| 8c
|-
| 8d
|-
| 9a || <span style="color:#FF0000"><big>'''יהוה'''</big></span> || || || || <big>'''ישׁע'''</big>
|-
| 9b || || || || || || || עם
|} +
The opening of the second section (לֹא כֵן הָרְשָׁעִים) contains a number of sonic correspondences with the opening of the first section (אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ) (an instance of structural ''anaphora''). There is a repetition of consonants (א/ע, שׁ, ר) in both, and the pattern of stressed vowels (ā, ē) is the same in both. +
The phrase תֹּאבְדוּ דֶרֶךְ in v.12b sounds like the earlier phrase נוֹסְדוּ יַחַד (v.2b). +
The psalmist himself states the main message in what appears to be the thematic peak of the text: "'''[[Theme::Deliverance]] is Yahweh's'''" (v.9a). +