Category:Proposition
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
This category uses the form Proposition.
Pages in category "Proposition"
The following 144 pages are in this category, out of 144 total.
P
- כֵן refers back to the righteous who succeed at what they do.
- Study of the “law” is metonymic for the correct attitude and behavior that should result from an awareness of and commitment to God’s moral will.
- Connection btw v.3 and v.4
- Relationship btw v.6a and v.6b: base-contrast (antithetical paralllelism)
- The tree imagery (v.3) has royal overtones.
- Relationship btw v.3b and v.3c: base-addition
- הָגָה refers metonymically to intense study and reflection
- Cola 3b and 3c show marked (specifying) focus
- The “steadiness” of the tree “שָׁת֪וּל” is contrasted with the helpless motion of the chaff.
- v.1bc forms a chiasm
- v.1bc forms a chiasm
- The blessed man (הָאִִישׁ) is the king
- Contrastive link between “not withering” (v.3) and “[dry] chaff” (v.4).
- Continuity btw v.3 and v.4
- Sample 1
- מִשְׁפָּט refers to court cases accusing the wicked of exploiting the poor
- The imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 (יִתֵּן and יִבּוֹל) draw attention to the typical nature of the actions/states they describe.
- v.6 is a section
- v.2 is prominent
- מִשְׁפָּט refers to the act of making a ruling
- יַצְלִיחַ is causative (“causes to prosper”).
- כִּי introduces the reason why the wicked will not be able to go to judgment with the righteous.
- The imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 (יִתֵּן and יִבּוֹל) are future relative to the planting rather than habitual
- וְהָיָה continues the sense of the imperfect in the preceding verse.
- Relationship btw vv.1-3 and vv.4-5: base-contrast (antithetical paralllelism)
- vv. 4-6 are a section
- ידע: in covenantal context, has a relational implication
- v.4a begins a new section
- Relationship btw v.5a and v.5b: base-similarity
- The psalm is framed by an inclusion (vv.1, 6)
- v.4 has parallelism of addition/expansion
- Relationship btw v.1b and v.1c: synonymous parallelism (with growing emphasis)
- Meditating on Torah is likened to streams of water
- Relationship btw v.3a and v.3bcd: base-attribution
- עַל-כֵּן indicates a definitive conclusion based on the preceding v.4.
- מִשְׁפָּט refers to ordinary court cases
- כִּי introduces a ground for the whole Psalm.
- וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ (v.2b) is fronted for contrastive focus.
- v.1 is a tetracolon
- v.6 has parallelism of similarity indicated with contrast
- ידע : the Lord recognizes the behavior of the godly
- אשׁרי (followed by אשׁר) is the reversal of רשע
- The TAM in v.3d is hypothetical + future.
- וְהָיָה is connected to the previous verse as a consequence
- The blessed man (הָאִִישׁ) is the king
- The TAM in v.3d is habitual + habitual.
- Topic of vv. 1-3 is 'the man'
- The hiphil verb concludes the first main section.
- Circumstantial reading of yiqtol in the future ‘will not be able to stand’
- Relationship btw v.4a and v.4b: base-attribution
- עֵדָה – not necessarily limited to a local assembly of people, like a local synagogue
- The adverbial phrase יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה is a merism (day and night = continually).
- v.3 is a tetracolon
- מִשְׁפָּט means ‘lawcourt’ (as in the place)
- Tree vs. chaff is a comparison not only of permanence vs. impermanence, but (agricultural) usefulness vs. uselessness.
- The singular form may serve to emphasize that godly individuals are usually outnumbered by the wicked and must bear the social consequences.
- Psalms 1 and 2 form the introduction to the Psalter.
- Sample 1
- There is a shift from agency to the passivity of the wicked.
- stative ידע used verbally as a participle may mean ‘care for’
- vv.1-3 are a unit
- עַל-כֵּן indicates an explanation of the metaphors
- קוּם is metonymic for taking legal action, i.e., "accusing"
- The language in v.3 evokes the image of a garden
- v.1a is אשׁרי האישׁ אשׁר
- מִשׁפָּט refers to a specific judgment in the mind of the speaker.
- The negative (v.1) serves as a foil or a preparation for the positive (vv.2-3)
- בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה is fronted for contrastive focus
- v.3 has a thematic structure of intensification
- Discontinuity btw v.5 and v.6
- The verbs in v.1 are things the righteous 'have not done' (present perfect)
- The Lord has an implicit role; his agency does not need to be explicit in order to be present.
- vv.4-5 are a unit
- Structural inversion in terms of a medial thematic division
- The purpose of this psalm is to instruct on the outcomes of one's prior choices.
- The entire psalm speaks in categories, rather than specifics.
- To “walk in the advice of the wicked” means to allow their evil ideas to impact and determine one’s behavior.
- Sample 2
- Test proposition 2
- v.2 has what the righteous 'do' (present habitual)
- Connection btw v.2 and v.3
- אַשְׁרֵי creates a world-play and evokes the image of "footsteps" (אֲשֻׁרֵי)
- v.5 has parallelism of similarity
- The alternation of verbs (qatal verbs in v.1) is used poetically as one more way to oppose the righteous from the wicked.
- הָגָה is not as much ‘meditate’ but ‘mutter.’
- The opening word of the Psalm, “Blessed is…” is a theme frame
- Discontinuity btw v.1 and v.2
- קוּם is used metonymically for "withstanding"
- Relationship btw v.1bc and v.1d: synonymous parallelism (with growing emphasis)
- Connection btw v.1 and v.5
- “Fruit” refers to prosperity in life
- The imagery of Psalm 1 forms a chiastic structure
- To be ‘blessed’ (אַשְׁרֵי) means to be considered fortunate and blessed, to be admired by others
- Chiastic structure for vv. 1-5 (A A' B' B)
- Relationship btw v.4 and v.5: base-comparison (simile-application)
- Psalm 1 divides into three progressively smaller portions, or poetic “strophes.”
- כִּי אִם (v.2a) is contrastive
- v.4 is a bicolon
- v.1bcd has parallelism of similarity, with a structure of intensification
- vv.2-3 are a unit
- The wicked are characterized by a lack of what the blessed have (a relationship with God through the Torah)
- The Psalm can be segmented in two main parts (vv.1-3 / vv.4-6)
- עַל-כֵּן refers back to the fact that the wicked’s destruction will be evident as well as the prosperity of the righteous.
- Sections 1 (vv.1-3) and 2 (vv.4-5) are arranged in a kind of concentric pattern.
- Psalm 1 evokes Genesis 1-3
- ידע may indicate familiarity and suggest that God walks with the righteous on their pathway
- vv.1-3 evoke Deuteronomy 17:16-20
- v.5 is a bicolon
- יַצְלִיחַ is intransitive-exhibitive (“prospers”)
- Relationship btw vv.1-5 and v.6: ground-conclusion
- v.2 is a bicolon
- Meditating on the Torah (v.2b) is likened to water channels (v.3a).
- Sample 2
- The Hebrew imperfect verb (תִּדְּפֶנּוּ) draws attention to the typical nature of the action described.
- The singular form may serve to emphasize that godly individuals are usually outnumbered by the wicked and must bear the social consequences.
- Relationship btw v.2a and v.2b: synonymous parallelism (with growing emphasis)
- Contrast btw “where” (בְּ) the righteous one is “living” (vv.1-2)
- Relationship btw v.2 and v.3: base-comparison (application-simile)
- Discontinuity btw v.3 and v.4
- “way of the godly” is not their behavior, but their course of life or destiny.
- Relationship btw v.3bc and v.3d: base-comparison (simile-application)
- Torah (v.2ab) features prominently in the psalm
- vv.2-6 are a unit
- Psalm 1 contrasts the righteous with the wicked
- v.3 has parallelism of specification with a structure of intensification.
- Topic of second section is the wicked (pl)
- The agent of v.3d (וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה יַצְלִיחַ) may be either "the man" or "the tree" (semantic density).
- v.1bc forms a chiasm
- God’s Torah is like the ground around the river that the tree is planted in
- Test proposition
- אשׁרי is a 'formal introduction of a blessing'
- The wicked's part of the contrast is much shorter than that of the righteous.
- v.6 is a bicolon
- Connection btw v.2 and v.6
- כִּי has a discourse function asserting a final conclusion.
- Relationship btw v.1a and v.1bcd: base-attribution
- "Psalm 1 is a completely bicolic poem."
- vv.3-6 give the results that 'will/do happen' to the general classes of righteous & wicked
- The relative marker (אשׁר) is repeated for the purpose of sound play (אשׁרי / רשׁע )
- כִּי אִם is strongly disjunctive and introduces a consequent disparity between the prosperity of the godly (v.3) and the destiny of the wicked (v.4).
- v.1 is an introduction
- v.6ab forms a chiasm
- Relationship btw v.1 and vv.2-3: base-addition