Psalm 15 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 15!

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.).

Question (v. 1)

v. 1

Watch the Overview video on v. 1.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
ss	מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד	A psalm by David.
1a	יְ֭הֹוָה מִי־יָג֣וּר בְּאָהֳלֶ֑ךָ	YHWH, who may dwell in your dwelling place?
1b	מִֽי־יִ֝שְׁכֹּ֗ן בְּהַ֣ר קָדְשֶֽׁךָ׃	Who may stay on your holy mountain?

Expanded Paraphrase

A psalm of David.

YHWH, who (is the kind of person who) may dwell in your dwelling place (and experience the benefits of your favour and protection)? Who may stay on your holy mountain(, Mt. Zion, the place where you have chosen to be present with your people, but that is set apart from everything common or profane)?

(Is it the person who meets cultic requirements, holds the correct religious doctrine, is physically impressive, or demonstrates military power or royal lineage?)

Grammatical Diagram

Answer (vv. 2-5b)

v. 2

Watch the Overview video on v. 2.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
2a	הוֹלֵ֣ךְ תָּ֭מִים	The one who walks with integrity,
2b	וּפֹעֵ֥ל צֶ֑דֶק	and the one who does what is right,
2c	וְדֹבֵ֥ר אֱ֝מֶ֗ת בִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃	and the one who speaks truth sincerely.

Expanded Paraphrase

(No, such are not the full requirements that God requires. The eligible one is the one who keeps YHWH's covenant instructions. In summary, he embraces right behaviour:)

• the one who walks (throughout life) with integrity,
• and the one who does what is right,
• and the one who speaks truth sincerely (thereby keeping the instruction that says "You shall not deceive, and you shall not lie to one another" (Lev 19:11).

Grammatical Diagram

v. 3

Watch the Overview video on v. 3.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
3a	לֹֽא־רָגַ֨ל ׀ עַל־לְשֹׁנ֗וֹ	He has not slandered;
3b	לֹא־עָשָׂ֣ה לְרֵעֵ֣הוּ רָעָ֑ה	he has not done wrong to his neighbour,
3c	וְ֝חֶרְפָּ֗ה לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א עַל־קְרֹֽבוֹ׃	and has not uttered a taunt against his relative.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Such a person can be recognised in his interactions with his neighbour.) (He will have successfully resisted temptation, rejecting wrong behaviour)

• He has not slandered(, showing integrity).
• He has not done wrong to his neighbour (only doing what is right),
• and has not uttered a taunt against his relative (only speaking the truth sincerely).

Grammatical Diagram

v. 4

Watch the Overview video on v. 4.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
4a	נִבְזֶ֤ה ׀ בְּֽעֵ֘ינָ֤יו נִמְאָ֗ס	The rejected one is despised in his opinion,
4b	וְאֶת־יִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֣ה יְכַבֵּ֑ד	and he honours those who fear YHWH.
4c	נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לְ֝הָרַ֗ע	Having sworn so as to harm himself,
4d	וְלֹ֣א יָמִֽר׃	he will not change.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Such a person will adhere to covenant instructions even when disadvantageous or painful, such that)

• The rejected one is despised in his opinion (regardless of any social cost for opposing the one YHWH has rejected: he maintains his integrity),
• and he honours those who fear YHWH(, regardless of any social cost of aligning with the godly but unpopular: he does what is right).
• Having sworn so as to harm himself, (because he is willing to sacrifice on behalf of others) he will not change(: he speaks the truth sincerely, no matter how large the sacrifice).

Grammatical Diagram

v. 5a-b

Watch the Overview video on v. 5a-b.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
5a	כַּסְפּ֤וֹ ׀ לֹא־נָתַ֣ן בְּנֶשֶׁךְ֮	He has not given his money with interest,
5b	וְשֹׁ֥חַד עַל־נָקִ֗י לֹ֥א לָ֫קָ֥ח	and has not taken a bribe against an innocent person.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Financial matters are often where character is revealed, whether one will sacrifice self-interest for what is right.) (One stereotype of such a person) (is one who is wealthy enough to help the poor, and who chooses not to increase his wealth at the expense of the poor.) He has not given his money with interest (thereby keeping the instruction that prohibits charging interest to a fellow Israelite and profiting from their need [Exod 22:25; Lev 25:36–37; Deut 23:20]), (but rather treats the poor and vulnerable with compassion, absorbing the cost of lending money himself).

(Another stereotype is) (a person in a position of power who does not abuse his power for financial gain), and has not taken a bribe against an innocent person (thereby keeping the instruction that prohibits the taking of bribes [Exod 23:8; Deut 16:19] and imitating YHWH [Deut 10:17]) (and has rather resisted the temptation both to pervert justice and to gain materially at the expense of someone who has done nothing wrong).

Grammatical Diagram

Promise (v. 5c)

v. 5c

Watch the Overview video on v. 5c.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
5c	עֹֽשֵׂה־אֵ֑לֶּה לֹ֖א יִמּ֣וֹט לְעוֹלָֽם׃	The one who does these things will never be shaken.

Expanded Paraphrase

The one who does these things (who keeps YHWH's covenant,) (will dwell in the dwelling place of YHWH,) (living with others under his protection and blessing) (and he will remain there permanently: he) will never be shaken (and thus God's promises to his people, and David in particular, will be fulfilled).

Grammatical Diagram

Legends

Grammatical diagram

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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

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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

Expanded paraphrase

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• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

References

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