Psalm 111 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 111!

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.).

YHWH's deeds (vv. 1–2)

The first two verses of the psalm (with the exception of the superscription) form a unit. They are united not only by their exclusion from the chiasm (vv. 3–10, see below), but also by the repetition of כל at the beginning and end of the unit (vv. 1a, 2b). Together, these two verses serve as a kind of introduction to the psalm. In v. 1, the psalmist states his intention to 'praise YHWH', and in v. 2 he states the main theme of his praise: 'YHWH's deeds' (v. 2a) and the human response to them (v. 2b).

v. 1

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
ss	הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀	Praise Yah!
1a	אוֹדֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־לֵבָ֑ב	I will praise YHWH whole-heartedly,
1b	בְּס֖וֹד יְשָׁרִ֣ים וְעֵדָֽה׃	in the council of upright people, in the congregation.

Expanded Paraphrase

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.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The superscription praise Yah (הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ׀) was probably added by the final editors of the psalter. It is not clear whether הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ׀ is best understood as a complete clause, meaning "praise Yah", or as a one-word exclamation—"Hallelujah!"
• The psalmist effectively announces the global speech act of the psalm at the beginning of the psalm: I will praise YHWH. The purpose of the psalm as a whole is to praise YHWH.
• The verb I will praise is cohortative, which means that the psalmist is expressing his desire and intention to praise YHWH.
• The word praise, according to SDBH, is an "action by which humans openly express recognition of what someone else has done or achieved." Although many translations have 'thank' (NLT, CEV, GNT) or 'give thanks' (ESV, NET; cf. LUT, HFA, NGÜ [danken]), SDBH glosses the verb here as 'praise' (so KJV, cf. ELB, GNB, ZÜR [preisen]), and this seems more appropriate in the context.
• The Hebrew word for praise in v. 1 (ידה) is different from the word used in the superscription (הלל). The two words are synonyms and, in some late texts, they sometimes function together as a hendiadys. According to Alexander, "the basic difference between this verb [ידה] and its synonym הלל is that the latter term tends to stress 'acclaim of,' 'boasting of,' or 'glorying in' an object, while ידה emphasizes 'recognition' and 'declaration' of a fact, whether good or bad."
• The word translated I will praise begins with the Hebrew letter alef (א) and so starts the acrostic poem, in which each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (cf. Ps 112).

• The adverbial whole-heartedly translates a Hebrew prepositional phrase (בְּכָל־לֵבָב). The phrase does not indicate instrument ("with all my heart") but mode ("with all my heart">>"wholeheartedly"). The phrase here might hint at the commandment to love YHWH with 'your whole heart' (בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥) (Deut 6:5).
• The preposition in, although prefixed to 'council' (סוד), governs 'council' and 'congregation' (עדה).
• The council of upright people (סוֹד יְשָׁרִים) and the congregation (עֵדָה) are probably co-referential.
• The word council translates the Hebrew word סוֹד. According to Ludwig Köhler, "What sod means here can be translated as 'circle.' It was the free meeting together in time of leisure of the adult men, while the housewives and mothers, tired no doubt but unrelaxing, still exert themselves in the last business of their daily work... If we ask what this circle means and does, then the answer is that it is the place where the news of the day is exchanged. It is the place where the plans for the coming days and for projects which lie ahead are discussed. It is the place of conversation. When the Bedouin crouch on the ground together in the evening around the campfire, the storytellers and singers lift their voices to recite long poems, skillful songs, stories of the heroic deeds of old time. No doubt this happened in Israel too..."

v. 2

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
2a	גְּ֭דֹלִים מַעֲשֵׂ֣י יְהוָ֑ה	YHWH’s deeds are great,
2b	דְּ֝רוּשִׁ֗ים לְכָל־חֶפְצֵיהֶֽם׃	studied by all who delight in them.

Expanded Paraphrase

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

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Elsewhere in the Psalter, YHWH's deeds are described as very great (Ps 92:6) and bringing joy (Ps 92:5-6), and they are associated with his 'wonderful works' (נפלאות, cf. Ps 107:21-24; 139:14). They are done in wisdom (Ps 104:24), and they include his work of creating man (Ps 139:14), his work of sustaining creation (Ps 104:13, 24), and his work of rescuing his people (Pss 107:22, 24; 118:17), especially from Egypt (Ps 106:13).
• The word deeds is from the root עָשָׂה, and this root is repeated throughout the psalm more than any other root. It occurs six times in total (vv. 2a, 4a, 6a, 7a, 8b, 10b), one time in each section and twice in the fourth section. The first four occurrences refer to YHWH's deeds (vv. 2a, 4a, 6a, 7a), and the last two occurrences refer to the deeds of YHWH's people (vv. 8b, 10b). The repetition functions both to highlight the theme of the psalm and to make a point about how people ought to respond to YHWH's deeds. By using the word עשׂה twice with people as the subject, the psalm makes the point that the proper response to YHWH's deeds of faithfulness consists in deeds of faithful obedience. In short, the covenant relationship between YHWH and his people is to be characterised by doing (עשׂה). YHWH does great deeds for his people (vv. 2a, 4a, 6a, 7a), and, in response, his people do his commands (vv. 8b, 10b). The two-way nature of this covenant relationship is emphasized also by the repetition of the phrase לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ. The first time the phrase occurs (v. 5b) the focus is on YHWH keeping his side of the covenant. The second time the phrase occurs (v. 9b), the focus is on the people's obligation to keep their side of the covenant.

• The verb translated as studied (דרשׁ) refers to an "action by which humans or deities make an intensive effort to obtain in-depth information about a certain object or event." The object of study, 'YHWH's deeds,' probably refers to YHWH's deeds as they have been recorded in Scripture. Hence, the gloss "studied" (ESV) is appropriate here.
• Some scholars and translators have claimed that studied here should actually be rendered 'to be studied.' Even if we admit the possibility of a qal passive participle having future/gerundive-like semantics ('to be studied'), in this particular context, it makes better sense to read the participle as 'studied.' The fact that YHWH's worked are studied by people (v. 2b) is evidence of their greatness (v. 2a).
• Most translations say something equivalent to by all who delight in them, though some say 'for all their delights.'
• The use of the word delight implies that the psalmist feels delight for YHWH's commands. The full emotional profile of the psalm might be summarised as follows.

Enduring forever (vv. 3–10)

The major division in the psalm is between vv. 1–2 and vv. 3–10. This division is based primarily on the chiasm that spans vv. 3b–10c.

The unit consisting of vv. 3–10 is subdivided into four smaller units of two verses each.

vv. 3–4

Vv. 3–4 are bound together as a unit by the fact each clause/line in these verses is focused on the present: "is... stands... has caused... is." The unit is further united by the repetition—at the beginning and end of the unit—of pairs of words praising YHWH: הוֹד־וְהָדָ֥ר (v. 3a) and חַנּ֖וּן וְרַח֣וּם (v. 4b).

v. 3

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
3a	הוֹד־וְהָדָ֥ר פָּֽעֳל֑וֹ	His work is glorious and majestic,
3b	וְ֝צִדְקָת֗וֹ עֹמֶ֥דֶת לָעַֽד׃	and his righteousness stands forever.

Expanded Paraphrase

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

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The singular noun phrase his work (פָּֽעֳלוֹ) is a collective: "his work" (ESV, NET) >> "everything he does" (NLT; cf. GNT, CEV, CSB, LUT, HFA, NGÜ).
• The words translated glorious and majestic (הוֹד־וְהָדָר) are actually nouns ('glory and majesty') (cf. v. 7a), though they are best translated into English as adjectives. These words are used prototypically to describe kings.
• Like glory and majesty, righteousness is an especially important quality for a king.
• The participle עֹמֶדֶת functions as the main predication of the clause with present/timeless semantics: endures.

v. 4

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
4a	זֵ֣כֶר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאֹתָ֑יו	He has caused his wonderful acts to be remembered.
4b	חַנּ֖וּן וְרַח֣וּם יְהוָֽה׃	YHWH is merciful and compassionate.

Expanded Paraphrase

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.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The word translated to be remembered is actually a noun in Hebrew (זֵכֶר): 'he made a remembrance of his wonderful deeds.' Most translations, however, rightly render this as a verbal phrase: "He has caused his wonders to be remembered" (NIV).
• The 'remembrance' which YHWH made is probably the record of his deeds in Scripture.
• The past tense verb has caused (עָשָׂה) is probably best rendered in English with a present perfect ('he has caused', e.g., NIV, ESV), since the remembrance of YHWH's wonderful acts continues up to the time of speech.
• The phrase merciful and compassionate (חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם) or, in the opposite order, רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן occurs frequently in the OT (almost always with as a description of YHWH), and the two words occur far more often together than they do apart.
• "Since YHWH's gracious and compassionate nature proves the basis for covenantal renewal in Exod 34, the allusion to the grace formula in v. 4 apparently praises YHWH for sustaining/renewing the covenant. Verse 5, 'he remembers his covenant forever,' confirms this, as does the similar statement in v. 9."

vv. 5–6

Whereas all of the clauses in vv. 3–4 are focused on the present ('is...endures...has caused to be remembered...is'), the clauses in vv. 5–6 are focused on YHWH's past actions (vv. 5a, 6ab) and their future implications (v. 5b). The verb 'give' (נתן) is a key-word in this section, occurring in the first and last line: YHWH gave his people food (v. 5a), and he gave his people the promised land (v. 6b); and these generous acts demonstrate his covenant faithfulness (v. 5b) and his power (v. 6a).

v. 5

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
5a	טֶ֭רֶף נָתַ֣ן לִֽירֵאָ֑יו	He gave food to those who feared him.
5b	יִזְכֹּ֖ר לְעוֹלָ֣ם בְּרִיתֽוֹ׃	He will remember his covenant forever.

Expanded Paraphrase

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.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• In light of the other references in the psalm to events surrounding the Exodus-Conquest story (vv. 6, 9ab), the giving of food probably refers to the time when YHWH fed his people with manna and quail in the wilderness. The noun used here for 'food' (טֶרֶף) sometimes refers to a 'prey', but here it probably refers more generally to 'food'.
• Several modern translations render נתן with a present/timeless verb: "he gives/provides food". The qatal form, however, is more likely past perfective: he gave.
• The past-perfective qatal clause in v. 6a ('he gave') is followed by a future yiqtol clause in v. 6b: he will remember his covenant forever. The provision of food in the wilderness (v. 6a) was one historical expression of YHWH's covenant remembrance. The 'covenant' referred to here is probably the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

v. 6

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
6a	כֹּ֣חַ מַ֭עֲשָׂיו הִגִּ֣יד לְעַמּ֑וֹ	He showed his people the power of his deeds
6b	לָתֵ֥ת לָ֝הֶ֗ם נַחֲלַ֥ת גּוֹיִֽם׃	by giving them nations as an inheritance.

Expanded Paraphrase

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.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• For a detailed discussion of the main exegetical issues in this verse, see The Syntax and Meaning of Ps. 111:6. In short, the word הִגִּיד, although it usually refers to an act of verbal communication, probably refers here to a non-verbal demonstration: he showed. The following lamed prepositional phrase in v. 6b probably specifies the way in which YHWH demonstrated the strength of his works: by giving them nations as an inheritance.
• The construct chain (נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם, 'inheritance of nations') probably refers to an inheritance consisting of nations, rather than an inheritance which belongs to the nations.

vv. 7–8

The third subunit is the most clearly defined. This unit is formed by the repetition of the root אמן (vv. 7a, 7b, 8b), the repetition of passive participles (vv. 7b, 8a, 8b) and the fact that כָּל־פִּקּוּדָֽיו is the subject in three out of the four lines (vv. 7b, 8a, 8b). Furthermore, the unit is framed, like vv. 3–4, by pairs of words joined by waw: אֱמֶ֣ת וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט (v. 7a) and בֶּאֱמֶ֥ת וְיָשָֽׁר (v. 8b).

v. 7

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
7a	מַעֲשֵׂ֣י יָ֭דָיו אֱמֶ֣ת וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט	The deeds of his hands are faithful and just.
7b	נֶ֝אֱמָנִ֗ים כָּל־פִּקּוּדָֽיו׃	All his commandments are enduring,

Expanded Paraphrase

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

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The words translated faithful and just are actually nouns in Hebrew: faithfulness and justice (see note on v. 3a).
• SDBH defines commandments (פִּקּוּדִים) as "rules regulating behavior." The pairing of the lines in v. 7 suggests that YHWH's 'commandments' (v. 7b) are included among 'the deeds of his hands' (v. 7a).
• The commandments occur at the centre of the chiasm that spans vv. 3–10 (see above). By placing the 'commandments' at the centre of the chiasm and making them the subject of three consecutive verses (vv. 7b–8b), the 'commandments' receive special prominence. Furthermore, the 'commandments' are surrounded by the threefold repetition of the root אמן. YHWH's commands are both given (by him) in faithfulness and they are to be done (by his people) in faithfulness.

v. 8

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
8a	סְמוּכִ֣ים לָעַ֣ד לְעוֹלָ֑ם	established forever and ever,
8b	עֲ֝שׂוּיִ֗ם בֶּאֱמֶ֥ת וְיָשָֽׁר׃	practiced in faithfulness and uprightness.

Expanded Paraphrase

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.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The interpretation of v. 8b is difficult. For a detailed discussion, see The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Ps. 111:8b. In short, the word translated uprightness (יָשָׁר) is probably an adjective ('upright') which has come to function as an abstract noun ('uprightness').
• There is also a question as to whether the word translated practiced (עֲשׂוּיִם) means 'practiced (by people)' or 'enacted (by YHWH).' See the The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Ps. 111:8b for a detailed discussion. In short, to 'do' (עָשָׂה) a command usually means to obey it or practice it, not to enact it.

vv. 9–10

The fourth sub-unit of vv. 3–10 is united by the fact that these two verses are the only two tricola in the psalm. They are further stitched together by the repetition of the root ירא ('fear') at the end of v. 9 and the beginning of v. 10.

This unit is about how YHWH's people ought to respond to his great deeds - a turn which was anticipated by the last line of the previous section ('practiced in faithfulness and uprightness'). The first line (v. 9a) uses the metaphor of redemption to imply that YHWH's people now belong to him. The second line (v. 9b) implies the need for YHWH's people to keep the covenant. The third line (v. 9c) implies the people's need to fear YHWH and be holy as he is holy. Verse 10 goes on to talk about fearing YHWH (v. 10a) and keeping his commands (v. 10b). The last verse (v. 10c), about YHWH's praiseworthiness, implies the need for his people to praise him.

This relationship between the participants in the psalm might be summarised visually as follows.

v. 9

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
9a	פְּד֤וּת ׀ שָׁ֘לַ֤ח לְעַמּ֗וֹ	He sent redemption to his people.
9b	צִוָּֽה־לְעוֹלָ֥ם בְּרִית֑וֹ	He commanded his covenant forever.
9c	קָד֖וֹשׁ וְנוֹרָ֣א שְׁמֽוֹ׃	His name is holy and awesome.

Expanded Paraphrase

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.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The word redemption evokes the Exodus story and the redemption from Egypt. According to the Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database, "the noun פְּדוּת, which is used much more frequently at Qumran than in the OT, means '(action or power of) redemption' and always refers to divine activity... Its main connotations, in addition to liberation, are powerful action and the context of an exclusive relationship."
• After YHWH redeemed his people from Egypt, he commanded his covenant. 'Commanding a covenant' probably refers to 'commanding that a covenant be kept.' As the NET translates it, 'he ordained that his covenant be observed.'

v. 10

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
10a	רֵ֘אשִׁ֤ית חָכְמָ֨ה ׀ יִרְאַ֬ת יְהוָ֗ה	Fearing YHWH is the beginning of wisdom;
10b	שֵׂ֣כֶל ט֭וֹב לְכָל־עֹשֵׂיהֶ֑ם	all who practice them have good insight.
10c	תְּ֝הִלָּת֗וֹ עֹמֶ֥דֶת לָעַֽד׃	His praiseworthiness stands forever.

Expanded Paraphrase

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.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Practically, fearing YHWH (v. 10a) means doing YHWH's commandments (v. 10b).
• The second clause of v. 10 (v. 10b) is probably a verbless clause: 'good insight (is/belongs) to all who practice them).' The 'lamed' preposition, therefore, indicates the possessor: all who practice them have good insight.
• The pronominal suffix them (v. 10b) has been a source of confusion, because it is not immediately clear what the pronoun 'them' refers to. See The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Ps. 111:10b for a detailed discussion. In short, the pronoun probably refers to the 'commandments' in v. 7b. Although 'commandments' in v. 7b is rather far from the suffix in v. 10b, 'commandments' which is the centerpiece of the chiasm in vv. 3b–10—and which also receives sustained attention in vv. 7b–8—is a highlighted feature of the discourse and is, therefore, available for pronominal reference in v. 10.
• HALOT notes that the phrase translated good insight (שֵׂכֶל טוֹב) can mean either 'insight' (e.g., Prov 13:15) or 'success' (e.g., Prov 3:4). The lexicon then has a lengthy and useful discussion about the use of the phrase in Psalm 111. Translations, ancient and modern, generally agree that the phrase refers here to 'good insight.'
• Most English translations render תְּהִלָּה in v. 10 as "praise" (KJV, ESV, NLT, NIV, NET), but SDBH glosses it as praiseworthiness and defines it as a "state in which humans or deities are considered worthy of praise." This interpretation of the word makes the best sense in the context: YHWH will be forever worthy of praise (and, therefore, his people should never cease to praise him).
• Some have argued that the suffix his on תְּהִלָּתוֹ refers not to YHWH but to the person who fears YHWH and keeps his commands. But Psalm 111 is about YHWH, and the referent of every other 3ms suffix is YHWH. The correspondence between v. 10c and v. 3b and the inclusio of v. 1 (אודה) and v. 10 (תהלה) also support identifying YHWH as the one whose praiseworthiness endures forever.

Legends

Grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

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

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	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

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———. 2000. Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 3: Die Präposition Lamed. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer.

Kiel, Jonathan M. 2022. “A New Thematic Structure for Psalm 111.” In Like Nails Firmly Fixed (Qoh 12:11): Essays on the Text and Language of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, Presented to Peter J. Gentry on the Occasion of His Retirement. Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology. Leuven: Peeters.

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Notarius, Tania. 2010. “The Active Predicative Participle in Archaic and Classical Biblical Poetry.” ANES 47: 241–69.

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Weber, Beat. 2003. “Zu Kolometrie Und Strophischer Struktur von Psalm 111.” Biblische Notizen 118: 62–67.

Footnotes

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