The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Expand" to the right.)
The grammatical diagram provides a way to visualise how different parts of a sentence work together. It represents the “surface-level” grammar, or morphosyntax, of a sentence. Morphosyntax includes both the form of words (morphology) and their placement in the sentence (syntax). This approach to visualising the text, based on the Reed-Kellogg diagramming method, places the grammatical subject in one slot, the verb in another slot, and modifiers and connectives in other slots.
The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Grammar Legend" below.)
Visualization
Description
The clause is represented by a horizontal line with a vertical line crossing through it, separating the subject and the verb.
The object is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause. Infinitives and participles may also have objects. If the direct object marker (d.o.m.) is present in the text, it appears in the diagram immediately before the object. If the grammar includes a secondary object, the secondary object will appear after the object, separated by another vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause.
The subject complement follows the verb (often omitted in Hebrew) separated with a line leaning toward the right. It can be a noun, a whole prepositional phrase or an adjective. The later two appear modifying the complement slot.
When a noun further describes or renames the object, it is an object complement. The object complement follows the object separated by a line leaning toward the right.
In a construct chain, the noun in the absolute form modifies the noun in the construct form.
Participles are indicated in whatever position in the clause they are in with a curved line before the participle. Participles can occur as nominal, where they take the place of a noun, predicate, where they take the place of a verb, or attributive, where they modify a noun or a verb similar to adjectives or adverbs.
Infinitives are indicated by two parallel lines before the infinitive that cross the horizontal line. Infinitive constructs can appear as the verb in an embedded clause. Infinitive absolutes typically appear as an adverbial.
The subject of the infinitive often appears in construct to it. In this situation, the infinitive and subject are diagrammed as a construct chain.
The object of the infinitive is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the infinitival clause.
Modifiers are represented by a solid diagonal line from the word they modify. They can attach to verbs, adjectives, or nouns. If modifying a verb or adjective, it is an adverb, but if modifying a noun, it is an adjective, a quantifier, or a definite article. If an adverb is modifying a modifier, it is connected to the modifier by a small dashed horizontal line.
Adverbials are indicated by a dashed diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. These are nouns or infinitives that function adverbially (modifying either a verb or a participle), but are not connected by a preposition.
Prepositional phrases are indicated by a solid diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. The preposition is to the left of the diagonal line and the dependent of the preposition is on the horizontal line. They can modify verbs (adverbial) or nouns (adjectival).
Embedded clauses are indicated by a "stand" that looks like an upside-down Y. The stand rests in the grammatical position that the clause fulfills. Extending from the top of the stand is a horizontal line for the clause. If introduced by a complementizer, for example כִּי, the complementizer appears before the stand. Embedded clauses can stand in the place of any noun.
When clauses are joined by a conjunction, they are compound clauses. These clauses are connected by a vertical dotted line. The conjunction is placed next to the dotted line.
Within a clause, if two or more parts of speech are compound, these are represented by angled lines reaching to the two compound elements connected by a solid vertical line. If a conjunction is used, the conjunction appears to the left of the vertical line. Almost all parts of speech can be compound.
Subordinate clauses are indicated by a dashed line coming from the line dividing the subject from the predicate in the independent clause and leading to the horizontal line of the subordinate clause. The subordinating conjunction appears next to the dashed line.
Relative clauses also have a dashed line, but the line connects the antecedent to the horizontal line of the relative clause. The relative particle appears next to the dashed line.
Sentence fragments are represented by a horizontal line with no vertical lines. They are most frequently used in superscriptions to psalms. They are visually similar to discourse particles and vocatives, but most often consist of a noun phrase (that does not refer to a person or people group) or a prepositional phrase.
In the body of the psalm, a horizontal line by itself (with no modifiers or vertical lines) can indicate either a discourse particle or a vocative (if the word is a noun referring to a person or people group). A discourse particle is a conjunction or particle that functions at the discourse level, not at the grammatical level. Vocatives can appear either before or after the clause addressed to them, depending on the word order of the Hebrew.
Apposition is indicated by an equal sign equating the two noun phrases. This can occur with a noun in any function in a sentence.
Hebrew text colors
Default preferred text
The default preferred reading is represented by a black line. The text of the MT is represented in bold black text.
Dispreferred reading
The dispreferred reading is an alternative interpretation of the grammar, represented by a pink line. The text of the MT is represented in bold pink text, while emendations and revocalizations retain their corresponding colors (see below).
Emended text
Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold blue text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred.
Revocalized text
Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold purple text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred.
(Supplied elided element)
Any element that is elided in the Hebrew text is represented by bold gray text in parentheses.
( )
The position of a non-supplied elided element is represented by empty black parentheses. For example, this would be used in the place of the noun when an adjective functions substantivally or in the place of the antecedent when a relative clause has an implied antecedent.
Gloss text colors
Gloss used in the CBC
The gloss used in the Close-but-Clear translation is represented by bold blue text.
Literal gloss >> derived meaning
A gloss that shows the more literal meaning as well as the derived figurative meaning is represented in blue text with arrows pointing towards the more figurative meaning. The gloss used in the CBC will be bolded.
Supplied elided element
The gloss for a supplied elided element is represented in bold gray text.
v. 1
Is הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ׀ a clause ("praise Yah") or a single-word exclamation ("Hallelujah!")? In the MT, הַלְלוּ יָהּ is treated as two words; sometimes הַלְלוּ and יָהּ are joined by maqqef, and, when they are not, each word receives its own accent (e.g., Ps. 111:1 - הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀). The division of הַ֥לְלוּ יָהּ into two words suggests (though it does not require) that the words are understood as a clause: "praise Yah." By contrast, the LXX does not translate הַלְלוּ יָהּ as a clause, but rather transliterates הַלְלוּ יָהּ as an exclamation: Αλληλουια (cf. Revelation 19: Αλληλουια; Jerome: Alleluia; Targum: הללויה; so HALOT). In the DSS, הללו יה is sometimes written as two words (e.g., 4QPsf Apostrophe to Judah) and sometimes as one (e.g., 4QPsd, 4QPse), though sometimes it is difficult to tell. In the Babylonian manuscript EC1 (Ps. 106:48), הללויה is written clearly as a single word.
If הללויה was added by the final editors of the psalter[1], not too long before the LXX was translated, then it should probably be interpreted as the LXX understood it: as a single-word exclamation.
Even if הללויה is understood as a single word exclamation, it seems unlikely that it would have completely lost its original sense ("praise Yah!"). For this reason, we have diagrammed it as a complete clause, even though it probably functions (illocution) as an exclamation.
The verbs יָרֵא and חָפֵץ could be either participles that modify אִישׁ adjectivally (as in Prov. 28:14— אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מְפַחֵ֣ד תָּמִ֑יד) or qatal verbs that modify אִישׁ as asyndetic relative clauses (as in Prov. 3:13—אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מָצָ֣א חָכְמָ֑ה). The morphology is ambiguous. The parallel in v. 5 ( טֽוֹב־אִ֭ישׁ חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה) might support reading a participle here (so probably LXX, Peshitta, Targum). In either case, there is no real difference in meaning.
The second half of v. 1 might be an independent clause (cf. LXX), but the correspondence of חָפֵץ to יָרֵא suggests that חָפֵץ, like יָרֵא, syntactically modifies אִישׁ (so e.g., Symmachus: ος τας εντολας αυτου θελει σφοδρα; so most modern translations).
v. 2
The prepositional phrase בָּאָרֶץ' probably modifies גִּבּוֹר adjectivally, as suggested by the word order and the prosodic structure (see MT accents). Cf. the phrase גִּבֹּר בָּאָרֶץ in Gen. 10:8. (Contrast the interpretation of the Peshitta, in which the phrase was probably understood adverbially: ܢܗܘܐ ܚܝܠܬܢ ܙܪܥܗ ܒܐܪܥܐ܂).
It is not clear whether גִּבּוֹר is an adjective or a noun.[2] If זַרְעוֹ is a collective (seed>>descendants), then גִּבּוֹר is an adjective ("his descendants will be mighty"). If, however, זַרְעוֹ refers to a singular offspring (seed>>descendant/child), then גִּבּוֹר can be read as a noun.
The grammar of v. 2b is difficult. There are at least three options.
vV 2b is an independent clause in which דּוֹר יְשָׁרִים is the subject and יְבֹרָךְ is the predicate. E.g., NIV: "the generation of the upright will be blessed" (cf. LXX, Jerome, NLT, ESV, NRSV, NET, LUT, ELB, EÜ, ZÜR).
The noun phrase דּוֹר יְשָׁרִים in v. 2b is in apposition to גִּבּוֹר in v. 2a, and יְבֹרָךְ is an asyndetic relative clause. E.g., "His descendants will be mighty in the land, a generation of upright people (who will be) blessed" (cf. NEB, JPS85; so Rashi [דור ישרים אשר יבורך יהיה זרעו]). But the phrase גִּבּוֹר בָּאָרֶץ is probably not a collective (cf. Gen. 10:8).
v. 2b is an independent clause in which דּוֹר יְשָׁרִים adverbially modifies the verb יְבֹרָךְ (preferred). E.g., "in the generation of the upright he will be blessed" (so Peshitta: ܘܢܬܒܪܟ ܒܕܪܐ ܕܙܕܝܩ̈ܐ܂; Targum: בדר תריציא יתברך). This view works well in the context of the psalm. The "man" is the topic of the psalm and so is the most probable subject of the 3ms verb יְבֹרָךְ. The whole of v. 4, then, is about this man's legacy. The first half of the verse talks about his offspring, and the second half of the verse talks about him being blessed in a (future) generation.
v. 3
On the form 'לָעַד and the qametz under ל, see GKC 102i. Compare לָנֶצַח.
The adjective לַיְשָׁרִים is probably definite, even though the yod has no dagesh (cf. BHRG 8.2.5. Qenemlui letters) (cf. Ps. 33:1; Prov. 2:7). If it were indefinite, then we would expect לִישָׁרִים (cf. Ps. 125:4)
vv. 5-6
Some translations treat v. 5b as an independent clause. E.g., NASB: "He will maintain his cause in judgment" (cf. LXX: οἰκονομήσει...; PIH: dispensabit... Targum: יסובר; NGÜ, ELB). It seems more likely, however, especially in light of the parallel with v. 1, that v. 5b is a relative clause that continues to describe the אִישׁ in v. 5a. E.g., ESV: "It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice") cf. Symmachus: αγαθος ανθρωπος χαριστικος και κιχρων, οικονομων τα πραγματα αυτου μετα κρισεως; parallel with v. 1; Peshitta, which translates יכלכל as a participle coordinate with the previous participles: ܛܒ ܗܘ ܓܒܪܐ ܕܡܪܚܡ ܘܡܘܙܦ܂ ܘܡܣܝܒܪ ܡ̈ܠܘܗܝ ܒܕܝܢܐ܂; so Baethgen 1904, 342; so NIV, NLT, ESV, NET, GNT, LUT, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR; cf. GKC 116x).
The כִּי in v. 6 probably "grounds or explains the טוב in v. 5."[3]
v. 7
Whereas the MT vocalizes בטח as a participle בָּטֻחַ (cf. Peshitta [ܬܟܝܠ-adjective], Symmachus: αμεριμνος, Targum: רחיץ; cf. Isa. 26:3), the LXX has an infinitive (ἐλπίζειν<בְּּּטֹחַ?).[4]
v. 8
v. 9
The construction פִּזַּ֤ר׀ נָ֘תַ֤ן may be a verbal hendiadys (cf. GKC 120h, "פזר=plentifully"). If this is correct, then the lamed prepositional phrase modifies both verbs (cf. Peshitta, which adds a conjunction: ܒܕܪ ܘܝܗܒ ܠܒܝܫ̈ܐ܂).
On the form 'לָעַד and the qametz under ל, see GKC 102i. Compare לָנֶצַח.
v. 10
Bibliography
Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1904.
Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 2011. Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101-150. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.
Robertson, O. 2015. “The Strategic Placement of the ‘Hallelu-Yah’ Psalms within the Psalter.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 58, no. 2: 165–68.
References
↑Cf. Hossfeld and Zenger 2011, 39-41; Robertson 2015, 265-268.
↑Cf. Ges18: "subst. u. adj. Gebr. oft nicht z. unterscheiden."
