Psalm 11 Semantics

Psalm Overview

• Grammar
• Semantics
• Story behind the Psalm
• Discourse
• Poetics

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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

v. 1

• I have sought refuge in YHWH. "Hsh occurs thirty-seven times and always with the meaning 'to seek refuge,' never to 'have found refuge'" (Waltke 2010:328; cf. Creach 1996:25). So BDB and DCH: "seek refuge." The qatal form in this context is accurately rendered in English with the present perfect tense: "have taken shelter" (NET) or "have sought shelter." The prepositional phrase (בַּיהוָה) indicates the (metaphorical) location in which David has taken shelter. For example, Judges 9:15 mentions seeking shelter (חסה) in (ב) the shade of a tree, and Isaiah 4:6b mentions a machseh as a place that gives shelter from rain. The statement "I have sought shelter in YHWH" (Ps. 11:1) assumes the metaphor, "YHWH is a shelter" (cf. Ps. 46:1).
• How can you say...? (so NIV, ESV, NET, HFA, NGÜ, EÜ, ZÜR) >> "how dare you say to me" (cf. NVI)
• to my soul. The phrase לנפשי followed a verb of speaking (אמר) can indicate the topic of speech (see Ps. 3:3) or the addressee (Ps. 35:3). Here, where the following speech is addressed to David (and his entourage) in the 2nd person, the phrase indicates the addressee. "My soul" is a metonymy for "me."
• your mountain. The mountain(s) may be "the mountains to which you used to flee" (De Wette 1829:160), and this may be "a retrospective glance at the time when he was persecuted by Saul: to the mountain, which in earlier days protected you effectually (cf. 1 Sam, xxvi. 20, xxii. 14);" (Delitzsch 1883:237). Or, it could be "your (native) mountains" (Olshausen 1853:69).
• to your mountain. See The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Ps. 11:1b. The adverbial noun phrase ("your mountain") should probably be understood in a terminative sense ("to your mountain"). When verbs of motion (including verbs of fleeing) are followed by an adverbial accusative, the accusative usually indicates the direction in which someone flees (e.g., 1 Kgs 12:18; 2 Kgs 9:27; Hos. 12:13; Isa. 37:38; etc.; cf. GKC §118d). This image of a bird seeking shelter in the mountains is a common motif in the biblical (e.g., Ezek. 7:16; 1 Sam 26:20) and broader ANE world (see Quine 2017). Furthermore, this is how all of the ancient translations understood the phrase (e.g., LXX: ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη).

v. 2

• the wicked ones. This word has the definite article, because "the wicked ones" are identifiable through deixis. "A referent can be identified through deixis is it is available in the immediate situation of both speaker and hearer... This use is somewhat rare in a written text, but examples may be found within reported direct speech." This explanation of the article works well with הנה as a presentative.
• are about the bend the bow. "The phrase 'bend the bow'... often does not refer to the drawing of the bowstring in order to shoot but rather to the method of bending the unstrung bow enough to slip the bowstring in place on the end of the bow" (Pritz 2009:107; so NEB: "see how the wicked string their bows"). The action in v. 2a, therefore, logically precedes the action of v. 2b. The verb might be future ("they will bend the bow"), iterative ("the wicked [always] bend the bow") or present progressive ("the wicked are bending the bow") (so Craigie 2004:131; cf. JM 113d; IBHS 31.3). The deictic particle הנה, which in this case points to something in real time ("Look: the wicked!"), may suggests the third of these options: "the wicked are bending the bow" (i.e., preparing for an attack). However, it is not clear whether yiqtol can ever be present progressive; this is normally indicated by the participle. It may be best to interpret the yiqtol as an imminent future – future by virtue of its form (yiqtol) and imminent by virtue of the context (hinneh...).
• They have put... in place. In the previous line, the wicked "are about to bend the bow" (i.e., about to string it). Now, "they have put their arrows in place on the string." David's advisors speak as though these things are happening quickly before their eyes in order to call attention to the urgency of the situation. "The verbs convey a sense of extreme urgency because were preparing to attack" (Ross 2011:339).
• in deep darkness. Cf. Isa. 9:1a.
• those who are upright in heart. The person being shot at (patient of ירה) may be a direct object (Ps. 64:5) or, as here, the object of a ל prepositional phrase (cf. 2 Chron. 35:23 [hiphil]). The phrase refers to those who are upright with respect to heart/mind. "Upright in heart" (NIV) >> "those whose hearts are right" (NLT) >> "good people" (CEV, GNT).

v. 3

• For.... Most modern translations interpret this clause as a dependent clause and the ki as cataphoric: "when/if the foundations are destroyed" (ESV, NET, NIV, GNT, CEV, NRSV, NEB, NJB, RVR95, NVI, DHH, NGÜ, ELB, GNB, EÜ, ZÜR). This is certainly possible (cf. BHRG 40.29.1; Baethgen 1904:31). However, given the similarity of v. 3a to the previous ki clause in v. 2a (ki + NP + yiqtol with final nun), it is best to interpret them in the same way (cf. Hupfeld 1855:237; Hengstenberg 1863:178). Because the previous ki clause (v. 2a) is clearly causal (stating a reason why David should flee), the second ki clause (v. 3a) should be read similarly: as providing another reason for David to flee (so apparently LXX [οτι], Aquila [οτι], Symmachus [οτι], Jerome [quia]).
• the foundations. "Foundations (?) in Ps 11:3 (הַשָּׁתוֹת) is rare and problematic" (NIDOTTE).
  • Most translations have taken word to mean "the foundations" (Aquila [οι θεμελιοι]; Targum [אשייתא‬]; NIV, ESV, NET; LUT, EU, ZUR [die Grundfesten]; RVR, NVI [los fundamentos]; NBS [les fondations], NVSR, BDS, NFC [les fondements]), sometimes specifically as a figure for "the foundations of law and order" (NLT, HFA [alle Ordnungen], NGU [Rechtsordnung]; PDV [les lois qui soutiennent la société]; cf. Jerome [leges], Symmachus [οι θεσμοι]).
  • The best clue to understanding the word is the verb הרס. This verb belongs to the contextual domain of "Building" (SDBH). It is the opposite of בנה "build" (Jer. 42:10; 45:4; Ezek. 36:36; Mal. 1:4; Job. 12:14; Ps. 28:5) and may often be translated "to demolish." That which is demolished (the semantic patient) is oftentimes a physical structure: a wall (Jer. 15:15; Ezek. 13:14; 26:12), a fortress (Mic. 5:10; Lam. 2:2), a city (2. Sam. 11:25; 2 Kgs. 3:25; Isa. 14:17; Prov. 11:11; 1 Chron. 20:1), an altar (Jdg. 6:25; 1 Kgs. 19:10, 14; Ezek. 16:39; 1 Kgs. 18:30), a tower (Ezek. 26:4), a granary? (Joel 1:17), foundations (Ezek. 30:4). This last example is especially relevant to Ps. 11:3, since it refers to the destruction of יסודות (the normal word for "foundations"). The passage is about the utter destruction of Egypt at the hands of foreign invaders. Similarly, in Micah 1:6, the noun יסוד refers to the "foundation" of a city (wall) (BDB). It is at least possible, therefore, that "the foundations" in this psalm are to be understood as literal foundations.
  • The reference to a "bird" in v. 1 (see story behind the psalm) and the references to "bows" and "arrows" in the previous verse suggest the setting of a siege, and the setting of a siege, in turn, suggests the presence of a city wall and its foundations. "The foundations," therefore, are literal foundations–the foundations of the city wall or perhaps of the city citadel.
• What has... done? Virtually all modern translations, most of which interpret the previous clause (v. 3a) as a dependent clause ("if/when...") interpret the qatal in v. 3b as a modal: "what can the righteous do?" (ESV, NET, NIV, GNT, CEV, NRSV, NEB, NJB, RVR95, NVI, DHH, NGÜ, EÜ, ZÜR). According to Ross, "the perfect tense in this line has a very rare nuance of potential perfect, 'what can they do?'" (Ross 2011:340). However, the oldest translations (LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Jerome) render it as past tense: "the righteous – what did he do?" This ancient rendering is a much more likely interpretation of the qatal, which is typically past tense (cf. BHRG 19.1.5; Aaron Hornkohl, “Biblical Hebrew Tense-Aspect-Mood, Word Order and Pragmatics: Some Observations on Recent Approaches,” in Studies in Linguistics and Manuscripts: A Liber Discipulorum in Honour of Professor Geoffrey Khan, ed. Nadia Vidro et al. (Uppsala, Sweden: Uppsala Universitet, 2018), 27–56.). If the psalmist meant to say, "what can the righteous do?" he would have probably used a yiqtol instead of a qatal (Baethgen 1904:31; cf. Briggs 1906:90; Craigie 2004:131; Calvin).
• the righteous one. The "righteous one" may be (1) David, or (2) the reference may be to righteous people more generally. Others have argued (3) that "the righteous one" is a reference to YHWH (Ehrlich 1905:23; cf. Dahood 1966:69; Zenger 1993:91). In light of the fact that the word צַדִּיק in the Psalms almost always refers to a person or to people, option 3 seems unlikely. Also, the previous verse has just mentioned "those who are upright in heart." This makes option 2 the most likely: the "righteous" includes David and those with him who are in danger.

v. 4

• in his holy temple. Cf. Ps. 2:6.

v. 5

• the wicked one, who loves violence. The noun phrases coordinated by waw may refer to the same entity, so that the waw is epexegetical: "the wicked, i.e. the one who loves violence." Cf. NIV: "the wicked, those who love violence"; CEV: "those who are cruel and love violence."
• hates. "In direct speech a stative verb in the qatal/perfect often indicates a condition at the moment of speaking" (e.g., Gen. 27:2) (BHRG 19.2.2).

v. 6

• may he rain. Some translations use an indicative form: "he rains" or "he will rain" (NIV, NLT, GNT, CEV, NJB; LUT, HFA, ELB, GNB). However the form of the verb is jussive (יַמְטֵר and not יַמְטִיר): "let him rain" (ESV, NET, EÜ, ZÜR). "We might have expected the future, 'He will rain,' as marking the certainty of the coming judgement. But the form is optative, and must therefore be so rendered" (Perowne 1870:165). There may be examples elsewhere of short yiqtols with future indicative semantics (see GKC 109k), but there is no need to suggest that in this instance. "Prayer often takes a sure word from God and turns it into a request... Here the psalmist knows that judgment will come on the wicked, and so by faith he prays for that" (Ross 2011:344).
• May the portion... The volitive semantics continue into the second line of the verse.
• their portion in their cup. As the head noun in construct chains, the relationship between מנת and the other noun(s) is most often that of possession–possessor (Ps. 63:11; 2 Chron. 31:3, 4; cf. Neh. 13:10). In four instances, the relationship is something other than possession–possessor (Jer. 13:25; Neh. 12:44; Pss. 11:6; 16:5). In Ps. 11:6, the relationship between מנת and כוס cannot be possessive, since כוס is not animate or agentive as are the possessors in the above examples. The phrase in Ps. 11:6 also differs from Jer. 13:25 and Ps. 16:5 in that there is no verbal idea implicit in כוס. The relationship between the elements in the phrase may be best described as content–container ("their portion which is in their cup"); i.e., the portion which is in the cup which God has given them to drink.
• scorching wind. The noun זִלְעָפוֹת may mean either "heat" or "rage"/"raging" Most translations take the fist of these options: "scorching wind(s)" (NIV, NLT, ESV, CEV, GNT, NRSV, NEB); (sengender) (Glut)wind (LUT, HFA, ELB, EU, ZUR, GNB; "viento abrasador" (RVR95 NVI; cf. DHH). In this case, "the reference to the 'burning hot wind' draws in another metaphor, that of scirocco, or more precisely the hamsin (Arabic) or sharab (modern Hebrew), which blows hotly over the promised land in season, brining with it oppressive heat from the deserts to the east and south" (Craigie 2004:134). The NET, following the second option, has "whirlwind." In either case, the absolute noun of the construct chain (זִלְעָפוֹת) characterizes the construct noun (רוּחַ): "wind of heat" >> "hot wind;" or, "wind of raging" >> "raging wind."

v. 7