Semantics/Story behind the Psalm

• 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

Introduction

The "Story behind the Psalm" is the capstone of our semantic analysis. The first three steps of our semantic analysis (Semantics/Lexical Semantics, Phrase-Level Semantics, Verbal Semantics) have focused on the level of words and phrases. In the "Story behind the Psalm" (aka "Unit-level Semantics") we analyze the meaning of sentences and larger units of discourse, up to and including the entire psalm.

Example: Psalm 6

When we come to Psalm 6, we read about God’s anger, discipline, troubled bones, a prayer for healing, and a plea for God to “turn.” We read about death and Sheol, weeping in the night, beds that float and melt, and an eye that is wasting away. Finally, near the end of the psalm, we read about opponents and “evildoers” who, after a jarring shift in mood, are told to leave because “YHWH has heard.”

What is going on in Psalm 6? How do all of these elements fit together? Throughout the centuries, there have been a number of explanations. Gregory of Nyssa is typical of early Christian interpreters, who read Psalm 6 literally as a Davidic psalm of penitence and allegorically as referring to the return of the Messiah to judge the world and restore all things. Rabbinic exegesis connected Psalm 6 with the covenant of circumcision, and David sang it when he got out of the bathtub. Ibn Ezra interpreted this as a psalm of David when he was sick, though it could also be read as a prophecy about Israel in exile. Most interpreters in the last two centuries would agree that Psalm 6 presupposes a situation of sickness, even if, according to some, the author is someone other than David. Some, however, don’t see sickness here at all. The primary problem, they would say, is not sickness, but enemies. Those who do think there is real sickness in Psalm 6 have explained the enemies variously as bad friends (like those of Job), sorcerers who caused the illness with their magic, rebels who plot against the king on his sickbed, demons that cause sickness, or even as the personification of the sickness itself.

Key Concepts

What all of the above interpretations of Psalm 6 have in common is the assumption that the psalm is coherent. According to Dooley and Levinsohn, “a text is said to be coherent if, for a certain hearer on a certain hearing/reading, he or she is able to fit its different elements into a single overall mental representation.” A mental representation is “a reflection of how content comes together and is stored in the mind.” Each of the above interpretations of Psalm 6 is an attempt at constructing a viable mental representation of the text of Psalm 6 - an attempt at building a conceptual framework in which all of the elements of the Psalm fit together. This is the goal of the "Story behind the Psalm."

The elements that go into a mental representation are not limited to what the text actually says. If this were the case, then we might expect more agreement among the interpreters of Psalm 6. The fact is that “hearers may bring as much to their understanding of a discourse as they get from what the speaker actually says; ‘discourses... force us to draw upon all we know about our culture, language, and world’ (Everett 1992:19)” (Dooley and Levinsohn 2001:21). For this reason, the further removed one is from the culture and language of a discourse, the more difficult it becomes to construct a mental representation of that discourse. This is why the "Story behind the Psalm" focuses so much on the Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern backgrounds of each psalm.

Required Tools

• SDBH
• The Context of Scripture: Canonical Compositions from the Biblical World (vol. 1)
• The Context of Scripture: Monumental Inscriptions from the Biblical World (vol. 2)
• The Context of Scripture: Archival Documents from the Biblical World (vol. 3)
• The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms

Steps

1. Propositions and Assumptions Table

The propositions and assumptions table is a tool we use to gather and store information for "the story behind the psalm." It is foundational to the rest of our analysis at this layer.

Complete the following steps for your psalm:

1. Copy the propositions and assumptions table from the template board and paste it onto the board for your psalm.
2. Copy and paste the Close-but-Clear translation of your psalm into the second column of the table. Each clause of the text (regardless whether it is independent or dependent) should have its own row on the table. Add as many rows to the table as is necessary.
3. In the leftmost column ("Verse #"), list the verse number for each clause (1, 2, 3, etc.). If there are multiple clauses in a verse, use letters to distinguish them (2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, etc.)
4. In the third column of the table ("Propositional Content"), rewrite the propositional content of each clause using third-person present-tense indicative sentences and full noun phrases for any pronouns in the text (e.g., "do not discipline me" >> "YHWH disciplines David").
5. In the fourth, fifth, and sixth columns of the table, write out assumptions for each proposition.

Here is an example of the proposition–assumptions table with one verse completed.

Propositional Content

Propositional content is "that part of the meaning of a clause or sentence that is constant, despite changes in such things as the voice or illocutionary force of the clause." It refers to “the kind of situation or event described by the underlying proposition.” Consider, for example, the following sentences.

• John threw the ball to Bill.
• It was John who threw the ball to Bill.
• The ball was thrown to Bill by John.
• John throws the ball to Bill.
• John will throw the ball to Bill.
• John, throw the ball to Bill!
• Did John throw the ball to Bill?
• John will not throw the ball to Bill.
• (Bill says), "John, throw me the ball!"

These sentences vary in voice, tense, illocutionary force, negation, person, and pragmatic marking, but they all share the same propositional content: "John throws the ball to Bill." (For the sake of convenience and consistency, we will use third person present tense indicative sentences to express the propositional content of a sentence.)

Consider now the first eight clauses of Psalm 6 (verses 2-4). The propositional content of these clauses may be expressed as follows.

Verse #	Text (CBC)	Propositional content
2a	YHWH, do not correct me in your anger,	YHWH corrects David in his anger.
2b	and do not discipline me in your wrath.	YHWH disciplines David in his wrath.
3a	Have mercy on me, YHWH,	YHWH has mercy on David.
3b	for I am languishing.	David languishes.
3c	Heal me, YHWH,	YHWH heals David.
3d	for my bones have become dismayed.	David's bones are dismayed.
4a	And my soul has become very dismayed.	David's soul is very dismayed.
4b	And you, YHWH, how long?	...

Assumptions

Once we have identified the propositional content, we ask, “what would the world have to be like for this [proposition] to be true?” That is, what does this proposition presuppose about the world? What does it entail? What might be implied? In what kind of situation does this make sense? In other words, what assumptions are bound up with this proposition? We distinguish three kinds of assumptions:

1. Common-ground assumptions
2. Local-ground assumptions
3. Playground assumptions

Common-Ground

Common-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/ANE background - beliefs and practices that were widespread at this time and place. This is the background information necessary for understanding propositions that do not readily make sense to those who are so far removed from the culture in which the proposition was originally expressed.

For example, the propositional content of Ps. 6:2a is "YHWH disciplines David in his wrath." This proposition assumes the following cultural background information:

• David is the king.
• YHWH is the king's father, and the king is his son (cf. Pss. 2:7; 89:27; 2 Sam. 7:14).
• Fathers discipline their sons when they disobey (cf. Prov. 13:24; 23:13-14; cf. 2 Sam. 7:14).

The Old Testament itself is often the best source to use for understanding the background of a proposition. Look up instances in the OT where similar language or imagery occurs; check cross-references; and check SDBH, which will sometimes include common-ground associations in its definition of a word. In addition to the OT itself, it is helpful to check other ancient texts related to the OT. Browse the indices of each of the above books for references to your psalm. Write out as many common-ground assumptions as are useful for understanding the proposition, and cite any sources used.

Local-Ground

Local-ground assumptions are those propositions which are necessarily true if the text is true. They include both presuppositions and entailments. Presuppositions are those implicit propositions which are assumed to be true by an explicit proposition. Entailments are those propositions which are necessarily true if a proposition is true. Consider, for example, the following proposition: "the man killed his cat." This proposition presupposes that "the man has a cat." An entailment of this proposition is that "the cat is dead."

In Ps. 6:2b, the proposition, “YHWH disciplines David in his wrath” presupposes that YHWH is in a state of wrath. The proposition that "YHWH heals David" (v. 3a) presupposes that "David was in need of healing." The same proposition also entails that (having been healed) "David is well and no longer needs healing."

Playground

Whereas local-ground assumptions are inferences which are necessarily true if the text is true, play-ground assumptions are those inferences which might be true if the text is true. For example, knowing that the verb "discipline" in Ps. 6:2b usually implies negative behavior and that fathers discipline their sons for disobedience and not for no reason, the reader (familiar with the common-ground) might infer that David has sinned. This inference could be confirmed as we continue to read, if, for example, David goes on to confess some sin. The inference could also be canceled, if, for example, David goes on to state his innocence. The nature of play-ground assumptions is that they may be challenged and negated as the text progresses, forcing us to revise our mental representation. Another playground assumption might be that "if YHWH disciplines in wrath, then David will die" (cf. Ps. 118:18; Prov. 19:18).

2. Story Triangles

Next, all of the information in the Propositions–Assumptions table needs to be structured in a meaningful and visual way. The chosen tool for this task is a story triangle. This is the scaffolding on which we attempt to construct, clause by clause, our mental representation of the psalm. The purpose is to understand how the propositional content of each clause along with its assumptions relates to each of the other propositions and to the psalm as a whole.

1. Copy the story triangle from the template board and paste it onto the board for your psalm.

2. Copy the text from the first row of column 3 ("Propositional Content") and paste it as a text box near the story triangle. Bold the text and include a verse number in parentheses.

3. Copy the text from the first row of columns 4-6 ("Assumptions") and paste it as a series of text-boxes near the story triangle. Each assumption should have its own text-box. The text of each should be placed inside parentheses and coloured according to the type of assumption it represents. (Use the same colours as the table in the template). So far, it should look something like this:

4. Begin to organize the material along the story triangle, identifying each proposition/text-box either as an event or an explanation. Events occur in sequence and move the story forward, increasing tension, decreasing tension, or acting as a turning point. They go along the edge of the story triangle. Explanations (often abstract ideas, verbal states, or timeless truths) function to explain why certain events take place. They float around the story triangle, connected to the events which they explain by arrows labeled "that's why." Sometimes, multiple explanations function together to form an explanatory chain. It will look something like this:

Notice that some of the assumptions were reworded in order to fit as events on the triangle. E.g., "YHWH is angry" >> "YHWH becomes angry; "Discipline in anger could lead to death" >> "David dies."

Not all of the assumptions will be used, and, vice-versa, some assumptions may need to be added which were not originally in the table. This is an iterative process.

5. Within the triangle itself, write a summary of the story. This particular story triangle might be summarised as, "YHWH's discipline in anger leads to death."

6. Include a star icon along the edge of the story-triangle to indicate the point of the story in which the psalm itself (as a speech event) takes place. At this point, the triangle should look something like this:

7. The process of structuring the material using a story triangle is a clause-by-clause process. Work through each clause/row in the table and repeat steps 1-6 for each. The information for a new clause may be incorporated into an existing story triangle, or it may require a new story triangle. For example, the next clause in Ps. 6 (v. 2b) is so similar to the previous clause (v. 2a) that the information can be incorporated into the same triangle with little change; the new proposition "YHWH disciplines David in wrath" can be placed directly underneath the proposition "YHWH corrects David in anger," since the two propositions are synonymous. The information in v. 3, however, requires a new triangle; this story does not end in death but in mercy and healing.

Note that some of the assumptions from the previous triangle are included here as well. This is a cumulative process in which each clause builds on the previous. Work through each clause until you have finished the psalm.

8. Create a single story triangle that summarises the story of the whole psalm. (Example forthcoming)

3. Expanded Paraphrase

Next, we return to the text itself. The goal is to create an expanded paraphrase of the text that captures the most valuable information represented in the story triangles. The base of the paraphrase is the CBC.

1. Copy and paste the CBC, one text-box per verse, and make the text bold.
2. Add assumptions in and around the CBC. Each assumption should be contained within parentheses and coloured according to its type (common-ground, local-ground, or playground. Reword each assumption so that it flows along with the text.

For example, the expanded paraphrase of Psalm 6:2 is as follows:

YHWH, (you are my father and I, the king, am your son.)(I have sinned against you,)(and you have become angry,) (and you have begun to discipline me)(as a father disciplines his son). (I accept your fatherly discipline, but I only ask that you) do not correct me in your anger (lest I die)and do not discipline me in your wrath.

See the rest of Psalm 6 here.

4. Background Ideas

Identify the common-ground assumptions which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm. List them and elaborate on them as necessary. For example, the following common-ground assumptions are important for understanding Psalm 6:

• The King is God's son, and, just as a father disciplines his son, so God promised to disciple the king when he disobeyed. "I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him... But my love will never be taken away from him (2 Sam. 7:14-15).
• Sickness is a common form of divine punishment, and it was interpreted as a sign of divine rejection.
• The king's enemies would always be seeking an opportunity to seize power.

5. Background Situation

The background situation is the series of events leading up to the time in which the psalm is spoken. These are taken from the story triangle – whatever lies to the left of the star icon.

1. Copy the background situation diagram from the template board and paste it onto the board for your psalm.
2. Fill in each box (however many are necessary) with a brief description of an event. The names of any participants should be bolded and coloured according to the scheme in Participant Analysis.

For example, the background situation for Psalm 6 is as follows:

Additional Resources

Kroeger, Paul. Analyzing Meaning: An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics. Textbooks in Languages Sciences 5. Language Science Press, 2018. This title can be downloaded here.