Ps. 6:2

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Psalm 6 / Next verse

Analytical Summary

King David has sinned, and YHWH has become angry. YHWH will discipline the king as a father disciplines his son (cf. 2 Sam. 7:14), but David pleads that the discipline not be animated by anger.

Text, gloss, & translation
Verse Hebrew MT Interlinear gloss Meaning-based translation
v. 2 יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי YHWH, not-in-your-anger correct-me. YHWH, don't let it be in your anger that you punish me.
וְֽאַל־בַּחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃ and-not-in-your-wrath discipline-me. Don't let it be in your wrath that you discipline me.

Analysis

Grammar

Ps. 6.2 grammar.jpg
  • The negative particle אל usually modifies the whole clause, but here it functions as a "constituent negative, negating only the prepositional phrase."[1] "In these passages (Ps. 6:2; 38:2), we may consider that the negative אל does not negate the following verb but the prepositional group."[2]

Participant analysis

Ps 6.2 pa.jpg

Semantics

Lexical semantics

SDBH
Word POS Lexical domain Contextual domain Definition Gloss
יהוה name Names of Deities deity; ► God of Israel who revealed himself to Moses YHWH
אַף noun People > Angry Body > Temper; Divine state of extreme displeasure; ≈ often associated with fire and smoke anger; wrath
יכח verb Chastise Music and Dance action by which humans or deities inflict a penalty on others as retribution for what they have done to correct; to punish
חֵמָה noun Angry Temper; Divine state in which humans and deities experience excitement ◄ caused by anger anger; wrath; jealousy
יסר verb Chastise Authority; Recompense; Behavior; Human; Temper</span action by which humans or deities respond to negative behavior of (other) humans by administering some sort of punishment, which may range from a verbal rebuke to physical correction, ► often done with corrective intent, but sometimes also as retribution to discipline

Verbal semantics

Ps. 6.2 vs.jpg

Unit-level semantics

Assumptions

Common ground
  • The king is God's son. "The Canaanite and ANE culture shows that the notion of the king as a son of god was well established."[3] (Cf. Ps. 2:7; 2 Sam. 7:14).
  • Good fathers discipline their sons (Prov. 13:24; 23:13-14; cf. 2 Sam. 7:14).
  • Discipline is a necessary response to disobedience.
  • The purpose for discipline is correction and/or retribution (SDBH).
  • YHWH promised David, "when (your offspring, i.e. the king) sins, I will discipline him... but my loyal love will not depart from him" (2 Sam. 7:14-15)
  • Deities may be said to experience emotions such as anger. "The overwhelming majority of instances of anger in the OT speak of God's anger"[4]
  • YHWH is slow to anger (Ex. 34:6-7).
Local ground
  • YHWH is angry.
Play-ground
  • YHWH is angry with David.
  • David has sinned against YHWH.
  • Discipline itself is to be desired, just not discipline animated by anger.
  • Discipline in anger could lead to death and destruction.
  • Discipline in mercy could lead to restoration.

Cognitive representation

The first story is what David prays will not happen. Ps. 6.2 uls(a).jpg This second story is what David hopes will happen. Ps. 6.2 uls(b).jpg

Discourse

Poetic

Canonical

References

  1. ↑ BHRG §41.3.
  2. ↑ Jean-Sébastien Rey "Dislocated Negations": Negative ‫אל‬ Followed by a Non-verbal Constituent in Biblical, Ben Sira and Qumran Hebrew 2018.
  3. ↑ Peter Gentry, "A Preliminary Evaluation and Critique of Prosopological Exegesis," SBJT 23.2, 2019: 113.
  4. ↑ DBI 1998:25