About the Story Behind Layer

The Story behind the Psalm shows how each part of the psalm fits together into a single coherent whole. Whereas most semantic analysis focuses on discrete parts of a text such as the meaning of a word or phrase, Story Behind the Psalm considers the meaning of larger units of discourse, including the entire psalm. (Click 'Expand' to the right for more information.)

The goal of this layer is to reconstruct and visualise a mental representation of the text as the earliest hearers/readers might have conceptualised it. We start by identifying the propositional content of each clause in the psalm, and then we identify relevant assumptions implied by each of the propositions. During this process, we also identify and analyse metaphorical language (“imagery”). Finally, we try to see how all of the propositions and assumptions fit together to form a coherent mental representation. The main tool we use for structuring the propositions and assumptions is a story triangle, which visualises the rise and fall of tension within a semantic unit. Although story triangles are traditionally used to analyse stories in the literary sense of the word, we use them at this layer to analyse “stories” in the cognitive sense of the word—i.e., a story as a sequence of propositions and assumptions that has tension.

Story Behind Visuals for Psalm 111

Summary Triangle

The story triangle below summarises the story of the whole psalm. We use the same colour scheme as in Participant Analysis. The star icon along the edge of the story-triangle indicates the point of the story in which the psalm itself (as a speech event) takes place. We also include a theme at the bottom of the story. The theme is the main message conveyed by the story-behind.

Background ideas

Following are the common-ground assumptions which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm.

YHWH made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, promising to give them the land of Canaan (Gen. 12; 15; 17; cf. Ps. 105:8–11).
Because of his covenant with Abraham, YHWH redeemed his people from Egypt and brought them into the promised land (cf. Ex. 2:24; 6:2–8).
YHWH's great deeds and wonderful acts are associated especially with the Exodus story. In the Exodus story, YHWH redeems his people (Ex. 1–15), provides them with food in the desert (Ex. 16), and gives them the law (Ex. 19ff).
YHWH settled his people in the land so that they would keep his commandments (cf. Ps. 105:44–45).
The people did not keep YHWH's commands, and so YHWH removed them from the land (cf. Ps. 106).
Because of his covenant with Abraham, YHWH promised to rescue his people from exile and from the sin that caused the exile, just as he had rescued them from Egypt. He also promised to give them a king, and to give them the nations as their inheritance (cf. Isa. 40–66; Zech. 9–14; Pss. 2; 110; etc.)

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.

Expanded paraphrase

The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

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

v. 1

Praise Yah, who has promised to rescue us from our enemies, to give us a king, and to give us the nations as our inheritance! While we wait for YHWH to perform these great deeds, I will praise YHWH whole-heartedly in the council of upright people which is here gathered together, that is, in the congregation.

v. 2

YHWH’s deeds, especially his deeds of redemption and acts of covenant faithfulness, are great, studied in Scripture by all who delight in them.

v. 3

YHWH is our king, and His work is glorious and majestic, and his righteousness endures forever, even to the present day.

v. 4

He has caused his wonderful acts to be recorded in Scripture and thereby remembered. YHWH is, as he said to Moses in the book of Exodus, merciful and compassionate, forgiving our sins and thus sustaining the covenant he made with us.

v. 5

When he brought our ancestors out of Egypt, He gave food—manna and quail—to those who feared him. The reason why he brought them out of Egypt and provided food for them is because of the covenant he had made with our father Abraham, to whose offspring he had promised to give the land of Canaan. And just as he remembered his covenant then, so He will remember his covenant forever and he will keep his promises to us.

v. 6

After rescuing his people from Egypt and sustaining them in the wilderness, he continued to do wonderful deeds for his people which demonstrated his power in an even greater way: He showed his people the power of his deeds by keeping his promise to Abraham and giving them nations as an inheritance.

v. 7

The deeds of his hands are faithful and just, including his act of giving us the law. All his commandments are enduring,

v. 8

All his commandments are enduring, because they have been established by YHWH to last forever and ever, and so they are practiced even to this day by his people in faithfulness and uprightness. And so, while we wait for YHWH to remember his covenant and perform great deeds once again, we too must remember to keep the covenant requirements YHWH has given us.

v. 9

When our ancestors were slaves in Egypt, He sent redemption to his people. He brought us out of Egypt to Mt. Sinai, where He gave us the law and commanded that his covenant requirements be observed forever. His name is holy and awesome, which means that his people must be holy and must fear him.

v. 10

And we should fear YHWH, not only because he is to be feared, but because Fearing YHWH and keeping his commandments is the beginning of wisdom; all who practice them, that is, his commandments, have good insight. Just as his righteousness and covenant faithfulness endure forever, so too His praiseworthiness endures forever which is why I praise him in the congregation today, even as I wait for him to perform great deeds once again.

Psalm 111 Story behind the Psalm

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