Psalm 121/Speech Act/SpeechTable

Verse	Text (Hebrew)	Text (CBC)	Sentence type	Illocution (general)	Illocution with context	Macro speech act	Intended perlocution (Think)	Intended perlocution (Feel)	Intended perlocution (Do)	Speech Act Notes
1	שִׁ֗יר לַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת	Song of the Ascents
	אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים	I lift my eyes toward the mountains.	Declarative	Assertive	Describing what he is doing in the moment, i.e., lifting his eyes toward the mountains	Declaring trust in YHWH alone	Israel will recognize that YHWH is the one who made heaven and earth and that he alone can be trusted for help.	The listener will feel suspense at the psalmist's question. (To whom will the psalmist look for help? Will he look to other gods who are associated with "the mountains"?)	Israel will follow the psalmist's example of rejecting other gods and trusting in YHWH alone.	For more details on the rhetorical function of v. 1, see https://psalms.scriptura.org/w/The_Mountains_in_Ps_121:1.
	מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃	Where will my help come from?	Interrogative	Expressive	Asking (rhetorically) where his help will come from; setting the stage for an affirmation of trust					For a rhetorical question with a similar effect, see Ps 4:7.
2	עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃	My help is from YHWH, the one who made heaven and earth.	Declarative	Assertive	Answering his own question: affirming that his help is from YHWH and not from any other divine being			The listener will feel the resolution of the suspense.
3	אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ	May he not let your foot slip!	Imperative	Directive	Invoking YHWH to not let the Israelite's foot sliip	Blessing an Israelite by invoking YHWH's protection over him	The Israelite will recognize that YHWH guards him from all harm.	The Israelite will feel safe and secure under YHWH's protection.	The Israelite will trust in YHWH for protection.	The directives "may he not..." in v. 3 are best described as a "blessing" (ברכה): "causative action by which deities grant a special favor to humans, objects, or events, or by which humans invoke a deity to do the same" (SDBH; see further Aitken 2007).
	אַל־יָ֝נ֗וּם שֹֽׁמְרֶֽךָ׃	May the one who guards you not doze off!	Imperative	Directive	Invoking YHWH to not doze off
4	הִנֵּ֣ה לֹֽא־יָ֭נוּם וְלֹ֣א יִישָׁ֑ן שׁ֝וֹמֵ֗ר יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃	Indeed, the one who guards Israel will not doze off and will not fall asleep.	Declarative	Assertive	Denying the possibility of YHWH dozing off or falling asleep	Encouraging the Israelite that YHWH guards him				The rest of the psalm (vv. 4–8) consists of a series of affirmations and denials, the global purpose of which is encourage the addressee regarding YHWH's protection.
5	יְהוָ֥ה שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָ	YHWH is the one who guards you.	Declarative	Assertive	Affirming that YHWH is the one who guards the Israelite
	יְהוָ֥ה צִ֝לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ׃	YHWH is your shade over your right hand.	Declarative	Assertive	Affirming that YHWH is the shade over the Israelite's right hand
6	יוֹמָ֗ם הַשֶּׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹֽא־יַכֶּ֗כָּה	During the day, the sun will not strike you,	Declarative	Assertive	Denying the possibility that the sun would strike the Israelite
	וְיָרֵ֥חַ בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃	nor the moon at night.	Declarative	Assertive	Denying the possibility that the moon would strike the Israelite
7	יְֽהוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָרְךָ֥ מִכָּל־רָ֑ע	YHWH will guard you from all harm.	Declarative	Assertive	Affirming that YHWH will guard the Israelite from all harm
	יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃	He will guard your life.	Declarative	Assertive	Affirming that YHWH will protect the Israelite's life
8	יְֽהוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָר־צֵאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵֽ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃	YHWH will guard your going out and your coming in from now until forever.	Declarative	Assertive	Affirming that YHWH will guard the Israelite in all things and at all times