Psalm 13 Speech Act
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Psalm 13/Speech Act
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How long, YHWH?
Psalm 13
Please note: Resources for Psalm 13 are in the process of being reformatted for visual consistency and improved functionality.
Speech Act Analysis
The Speech Act layer presents the text in terms of what it does, following the findings of Speech Act Theory. It builds on the recognition that there is more to communication than the exchange of propositions. Speech act analysis is particularly important when communicating cross-culturally, and lack of understanding can lead to serious misunderstandings, since the ways languages and cultures perform speech acts varies widely.
For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Speech Act Analysis Creator Guidelines.
Summary Visual
Speech Act Analysis Chart
The following chart is scrollable (left/right; up/down).
| Verse | Hebrew | CBC | Sentence type | Illocution (general) | Illocution with context | Macro speech act | Intended perlocution (Think) | Intended perlocution (Feel) | Intended perlocution (Do) |
| Verse number and poetic line | Hebrew text | English translation | Declarative, Imperative, or Interrogative Indirect Speech Act: Mismatch between sentence type and illocution type |
Assertive, Directive, Expressive, Commissive, or Declaratory Indirect Speech Act: Mismatch between sentence type and illocution type |
More specific illocution type with paraphrased context | Illocutionary intent (i.e. communicative purpose) of larger sections of discourse These align with the "Speech Act Summary" headings |
What the speaker intends for the address to think | What the speaker intends for the address to feel | What the speaker intends for the address to do |
If an emendation or revocalization is preferred, that emendation or revocalization will be marked in the Hebrew text of all the visuals.
| Emendations/Revocalizations legend | |
|---|---|
| *Emended text* | Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is indicated by blue asterisks on either side of the emendation. |
| *Revocalized text* | Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is indicated by purple asterisks on either side of the revocalization. |
| Verse | Hebrew | Close-but-clear | Sentence type | Illocution (general) | Illocution (context) | Macro speech act |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ | For the director. A psalm by David. | Superscription | |||
| 2.1 | עַד־אָ֣נָה יְ֭הוָה | How long, YHWH? | Interrogative (sentence fragment) | Expressive | Lamenting to God | Lament |
| 2.2 | תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֣נִי נֶ֑צַח | Will you ignore me forever? | Interrogative | Expressive | Lamenting God's seeming absence | |
| 2.3 | עַד־אָ֓נָה ׀ תַּסְתִּ֖יר אֶת־פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | How long will you hide your face from me? | Interrogative | Expressive | Lamenting God's seeming absence | |
| 3.1 | עַד־אָ֨נָה אָשִׁ֪ית עֵצ֡וֹת בְּנַפְשִׁ֗י | How long will I make (futile) plans? | Interrogative | Expressive | Lamenting his present sorrow | |
| 3.2 | יָג֣וֹן בִּלְבָבִ֣י יוֹמָ֑ם | (How long) will sorrow be daily in my heart? | Interrogative | Expressive | Lamenting his present sorrow | |
| 3.3 | עַד־אָ֓נָה ׀ יָר֖וּם אֹיְבִ֣י עָלָֽי׃ | How long will my enemy be exalted over me? | Interrogative | Expressive | Lamenting his present defeat | |
| 4.1 | הַבִּ֣יטָֽה עֲ֭נֵנִי יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י | Consider! Answer me, YHWH my God! | Imperative | Directive | Asking YHWH to hear and respond | Petition |
| 4.2 | הָאִ֥ירָה עֵ֝ינַ֗י פֶּן־אִישַׁ֥ן הַמָּֽוֶת׃ | Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death, | Imperative * "Declarative" |
Directive * "Assertive" |
Asking YHWH to give light to his eyes * "Boasting" | |
| 5.1 | פֶּן־יֹאמַ֣ר אֹיְבִ֣י יְכָלְתִּ֑יו | lest my enemy say, ‘I have overpowered him!’ | ||||
| 5.2 | צָרַ֥י יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ כִּ֣י אֶמּֽוֹט׃ | (lest) my adversaries rejoice because I am shaken. | ||||
| 6.1 | וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ בְּחַסְדְּךָ֣ בָטַחְתִּי֮ | But I have put my trust in your loyalty. | Declarative | Assertive | Professing trust in YHWH | Profession of trust |
| 6.2 | יָ֤גֵ֥ל לִבִּ֗י בִּֽישׁוּעָ֫תֶ֥ךָ | Let my heart rejoice because of your salvation! | Imperative | Expressive | Praising YHWH individually | |
| 6.3 | אָשִׁ֥ירָה לַיהוָ֑ה כִּ֖י גָמַ֣ל עָלָֽי׃ | I will sing to YHWH, because he has repaid me! | Imperative | Commissive | Committing to praise YHWH publicly |