Notes—Hunter

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Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm #!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

Creation's Instruction (vv. 2-7)

The Testimony of the Heavens (vv. 2-5b)

v. 2

Watch the Overview video on v. 2.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
2a	הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים כְּבֽוֹד־אֵ֑ל	The heavens are declaring the glory of God,
2b	וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דָ֗יו מַגִּ֥יד הָרָקִֽיעַ׃	and the firmament is proclaiming the workmanship of his hands.

Expanded Paraphrase

(As is fitting for creation to praise its creator) The heavens (where God dwells) are (continually) declaring the glory of God (which is seen in his creation), and (as is fitting for creation to praise its creator) the firmament (of the heavens) is proclaiming (continually) the workmanship of his hands (that is, the sun, moon, and stars).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The heavens (שָּׁמַ֗יִם) — the "area above the earth, the location of sun, moon, and stars...God's primary residence...created by God" — are personified as speaking elsewhere (SDBH; cf. Hos 2:23; Isa 44:23; Ps 69:35). Because the heavens speak, they have agency and are thus an active participant in the discourse.

• The firmament (רָקִֽיעַ) — "something like a rounded vault placed on top of the surface of the earth...[the] place where sun, moon, and stars are suspended" — is personified as speaking only here (SDBH; cf. Gen 1:14-18). Because the firmament speaks, it has agency and is thus an active participant in the discourse.

• The participles are declaring and are proclaiming represent continuous actions — the heavens and firmament do not stop declaring God's glory.

• Glory is a characteristic of God. The construct phrase of which it is the first member (כְּבֽוֹד־אֵ֑ל) signifies a possession (characteristic) - possessor relationship. God possesses the glory that the heavens declare. Based on the parallelism of the A and B lines, the "glory of God" is paralleled with the "workmanship of his hands" — God's glory is visible in his handiwork.

• The Hebrew word translated as workmanship is singular (מְעֲשֵׂה) and has strong attestation among the ancient versions. There are other ancient versions, however, which read a plural form translated as "works" (מְעֲשֵׂי). Though the singular form is to be preferred, the only difference between the two is their number (i.e., singluar or plural). Elsewhere, the works (מַעֲשֵׂ֣י) of God's hands (fingers) are said to be the heavens, moon, and stars (cf. Ps 8:4).

• This verse marks the beginning of the global speech-act of testimony (vv. 2-7, 8-12) in which third-person verbs dominate. The psalmist describes the speech of the heavens and firmament, but does not offer a personal comment — there is no first-person language. The lack of first-person language indicates that the psalmist is testifying of the heavenly speech to his Israelite audience.

• The word order (syntax) of lines A and B is arranged chiastically: subject - verb (participle) - object // object - verb (participle) - subject. This arrangement is primarily stylistic, however the non-standard word order of the B line (O-V-S), particularly its fronted object (מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דָ֗יו), could be marked for focus (O-V-S)(i.e., the firmament proclaims specifically the workmanship of God's hands). The heavens are where God dwells, and so it is fitting that they declare God's glory; the firmament is where God's handiwork (i.e., the sun, moon, and stars) is displayed, and so it is fitting that they proclaim God's workmanship.

v. 3

Watch the Overview video on v. 3.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
3a	י֣וֹם לְ֭יוֹם יַבִּ֣יעַֽ אֹ֑מֶר	Day to day pours out speech,
3b	וְלַ֥יְלָה לְּ֝לַ֗יְלָה יְחַוֶּה־דָּֽעַת׃	and night to night imparts knowledge.

Expanded Paraphrase

(The movement of) Day to day pours out speech (concerning God), and (the movement of) night to night imparts knowledge (about God).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Lunn's observation concerning parallel lines — "A parallelism having a marked A-line will also have an equally marked B-line" — is demonstrated in this verse. The A line begins with a fronted prepositional phrase, day to day (יוֹם לְיוֹם), and the B line also begins with a fronted prepositional phrase, night to night (לַיְלָה לְּלַיְלָה). While the non-standard word order of the B line is primarily stylistic, the non-standard word order of the A line marks day to day as a focus element.

• The syntax of the fronted prepositional phrases, day to day and night to night, is difficult, and translations are divided on how to understand them. The translation reflected above understands the prepositional phrases to be the subjects of their respective clauses.

• The prepositions prefixed to day (לְיוֹם) and night (לְּלַיְלָה) function temporally as terminatives. The idea is that of temporal succession or movement (i.e., the movement of one day/night to the next day/night). To best capture this sense, the prepositions are translated as "to" (ESV; "after" NET, NIV, NLT).

• The aspect of the verbs, pours out (יַבִּיעַ) and imparts (יְחַוֶּה), is influenced by their respective time markers (יוֹם לְיוֹם and וְלַיְלָה לְּלַיְלָה). The movement from one day/night to the next day/night indicates that the verbs are habitual, not continuous.

• Imparts (חוה piel) occurs only six times in the Old Testament and in this case can be defined as a "causative action by which humans convey information to other humans through speech" (SDBH). Here, however, personified day and night are speaking, not humans.

v. 4

Watch the Overview video on v. 4.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
4a	אֵֽין־אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים	There is no speech and there are no words
4b	בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃	whose voice is not heard.

Expanded Paraphrase

There is no speech (concerning God), and there are no words (about God) whose voice (that is, the testimony about God) is not heard (because the heavenly realm is available for all to see and everyone experiences the cycle of day and night).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The grammar of the phrase translated whose voice is not heard (בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם) is difficult, and modern translations are divided on how to understand it. For a fuller discussion on this issue, see Exegetical Issue—Hunter. To summarize, there are two main ways to understand the grammar of this phrase — as an independent clause (i.e., their voice is not heard) or as an unmarked relative clause (i.e., whose voice is not heard). These options produce opposite meanings: the independent clause asserts "no one hears the voice," whereas the relative clause asserts that "everyone hears the voice." The unmarked relative clause option makes the most sense of the context and grammar.

• The aspect of the verb, heard (נִשְׁמָע), is dependent on the aspect of the verbs from the previous verse, pours out (יַבִּיעַ)(v. 3a) and imparts (יְחַוֶּה)(v. 3b), the aspect of which is constrained by the prepositional phrase time markers (see notes for v. 3). The argument goes as follows: if day to day pours out habitually (v. 3a) and night to night imparts habitually (v. 3b), then the voice of speech and words is not heard habitually (v. 4c).

• Related to the issue above is the identity of the masculine plural referent affixed to voice (קוֹלָם). Modern translations are divided as to the identity of the referent. The closest referent which matches the suffix in gender and number is words (דְּבָרִים), and it is therefore likely that it is the words' sound/voice which is not heard, not the heavens and/or firmament.

• Strictly speaking, speech (אֹמֶר) and words (דְּבָרִים) are not participants — they are not ascribed agency. However, they are an important part of vv. 4-5b, being referred to by three backwards-referring pronouns. The message of vv. 4-5b is centered on the pervasiveness of the speech and words — everyone hears their sound (v. 4c), their line goes throughout the whole earth (v. 5a), and their words go to the end of the world (v. 5b). The function of speech/words parallels the sun's function in vv. 5c-7; just as speech/words penetrate every part of the world, being heard by all, so the sun covers every part of the heavens, its heat touching all.

• Even though these clauses exhibit default word order, they function as existentialist thetic statements because they "can be negated or questioned." On a discourse level, these thetic sentences signal the beginning of a new unit (vv. 4-7).

Legends

Grammatical diagram

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Grammatical Term	Definition	Diagram	Example
Clausal Additions
Subject	The subject performs the action of the active verb or receives the action of a passive verb. With intransitive verbs	Indicated at the beginning of the main clausal line, and followed by a vertical line that crosses over the main clause line (separating the subject from the predicate).
Direct Object	Object that receives the direct action of a (transitive) verb	Indicate with a vertical line up from main clausal line
Predicate adjective/ Subject complement	A word used with a linking verb (ex. "to be"), renaming or restating the subject. Can be a whole prepositional phrase.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line. It can be on a stand if it is an embedded clause.
Object Complement	Word following a direct object to state what it has become.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line.
Infinitives	Can be subject, adverbial, or an infinitive construct.	Indicate with double vertical lines that cross the main clausal line. If used adverbially (ie. an embedded clause), place on a stand.
Participles	A verbal noun/adjective that can be used in three positions: (1) substantival; (2) attributive; (3) predicative.	Indicate with a round vertical line. Substantival participles are placed on a stand (they are embedded). Attributive participles are placed with a rounded line underneath what is modified.
Modifiers
Adjectives	A word modifying a noun to indicate quality, quantity, extent, or differentiating something from something else.	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Adverbs	A word that modifies a verb, adverb, adjective, prepositional phrase, clause, or sentence to express a relation (ex. manner, quality, or time).	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Construct relationships	Construction can express many different relationships between two (or more) nouns. English grammarians call this construction a ‘Construct’ (our term) or ‘Genitive’ phrase; Hebrew grammarians call it smīḵūt (סְמִיכוּת).	Indicate with a stair-step down from the modified word/clause/phrase.
Prepositional phrases	A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value	Indicate with a slanted vertical line connecting to a new clause.
Connectives	(1) Coordinating conjunctions join together words or word groups of equal grammatical rank (2) Subordinating conjunctions join a main clause and a clause which does not form a complete sentence by itself.	Indicate with a dashed line down from a vertical line marker.
Embedded clause	A clause inside another clause which can include substantival participles, adverbial infinitives, and prepositional phrases.	Indicate using stilts.
Particles
Subordinating particle	Indicates a dependent clause.	Indicate with a dashed line down from the antecedent to the pronoun.
Apposition	A word that is functioning as an explanatory equivalent as another in the sentence	Place on a line apart from the diagram but next to the word it is the equivalent of with an equal sign in between.
Vocative	Indicating a person being addressed (usually with a 2nd person verb)	Place on a line apart from the diagram next to the '()' indicating the gapped subject an equal sign in between.

Master Diagram

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

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	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

Expanded paraphrase

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• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

Bibliography

Croft, William. 2022. Morphosyntax: Constructions of the World’s Languages. Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Delitzsch, Franz, James E. Duguid, and David Eaton. 1883. “A Commentary on the Book of Psalms.” In Biblical Commentary on the Psalms, 1:1–529.

Lunn, Nicholas P. 2006. Word-Order Variation in Biblical Hebrew Poetry: Differentiating Pragmatics and Poetics. Paternoster Biblical Monographs. Milton Keynes: Paternoster.

Van Hecke, Pierre. 2011. From Linguistics to Hermeneutics : A Functional and Cognitive Approach to Job 12-14. 1 online resource (xvi, 439 pages) vols. Studia Semitica Neerlandica; 55; v. 55. Leiden: Brill.