Psalm 17 Discourse
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
About the Discourse Layer
Our Discourse layer includes four analyses: macrosyntax, speech act analysis, emotional analysis, and participant analysis. (For more information, click 'Expand' to the right.)
Discourse Visuals for Psalm 17
Macrosyntax
Notes
Paragraph Divisions
- Vv. 5-6 - The division here is based on the thetic clause. The effect is a pivotal one, transitioning back into the mode of petition that began the psalm.
- Vv. 12-13 - There is discontinuity in the discourse here because of an abrupt topic shift as the topic (YHWH) is reactivated through the imperative/vocative construction of verse 13.
- Vv. 14-15 - This paragraph division is based on the explicit pronoun which fronts the clause (אני) in verse 15 and the prepositional phrase (בצדק) which is marked for focus thereby reactivating the topic of David's "righteousness."
Word Order
- V. 2a - The prepositional phrase (מלפניך), which is marked for focus, precedes the subject (משפטי), which is the topic that had been activated by related terms (e.g., צדק ,תפלתי). Both constituents precede the verb (יצא). The construction here appears to emphasize the origin of David's judgment; namely, that it is expected to come from YHWH (v. 2a) and not from others (BHRG §46.1.3.2).
- V. 2b - The whole clause, עיניך תחזינה מישרים, is thetic. It functions to explain the reason for the request made through the jussive that came before (v. 2a). David wants his case to be judged by YHWH because YHWH is uniquely able to discern rightly between good and bad.). The first constituent here (עיניך) resembles the fronted topic in verse 11b (עיניהם), though with obviously different meaning(s), and likely denotes a contrastive significance. The body-part imagery, which pervades Psalm 17, is found in nonstandard word order constructions five times in total (vv. 2b, 4, 9b, 10a, 11b) (Goldingay 2006, 237).
- V. 3e - The infinitive construct/1cs pronominal suffix (זמתי) is the object of the verb (עבר), but it is fronted here, drawing attention to what the clause is about.
- V. 4 - This verse begins with two prepositional phrases, לפעלות אדם and בדבר שפתיך; the first being a frame setter for specification (i.e., the lens through which to read what follows) and the latter being focal (i.e., it answers the "how" related to David's avowal of righteousness). The subject (אני) follows and then the verb (שמרתי) and object. It is a rather uncommon and awkward form of information structure which seems to communicate that a notable aspect of David's righteousness is that he restrained violence with the help of YHWH's "word" (i.e., instruction/warning/commands/wisdom, etc.)
- V. 6a - The short clause אני־קראתיך is thetic. The psalm opened with four imperatives (v. 1), followed by David's avowal of righteousness (vv. 3-5). The discourse effect of this thetic clause here in verse 6a seems to be a pivot, through description/repetition (i.e., "I have called out"), back into the mode of petition that began the psalm: David describes what he has done (v. 6a) and then why he "calls out" (v. 6b) and then resumes doing it by delivering five more imperatives (vv. 6c-9) that specify the particular content of his entreaty. Moreover, unlike many of their ANE contemporaries or predecessors, Israelites were prohibited by YHWH from resorting to magical tactics [incantations, spells, etc.] against their enemies (Deut 18:9-13; Lev 19:31) (Keel 1997, 85, 97). Instead, they had to entreat YHWH for justice; hence, not only psalms of petition, but the imprecatory psalms in particular with reference to hostility endured (Keel 1997, 85, 96-98).
- V. 8b - Though the word order of 8b is marked by a prepositional phrase that is fronted (בצל כנפיך), this may be due to poetic considerations; namely, the chiastic structure of the whole verse: 8: (a) verb/pronominal suffix (שמרני)- (b) prepositional phrase (כאישון בת־עין); (b') prepositional phrase (בצל כנפיך) - (a) verb/pronominal suffix (תסתירני) (Lunn 2004, 106-107).
- V. 10 - The fronted noun phrase in 10a (חלבמו), and that of the next clause (10b) (פימו), are in parallel with one another and can be accounted for as an instance of poetic repetition. The meaning of the unusual expression, חלבמו סגרו, is that David's enemies have chosen to be ruthless. The clipped way in which this is presented can be expanded by including the conceptually related term "heart" and rendering חלבמו as a nominal adverb: "they have closed (their heart[s] with) their fat." Technically, חלבמו remains the grammatical object and פימו in the next clause (10b) is taken here as a nominal adverb so their parallelism is by extension from their pragmatic function. For an explanation of the semantics, see the note for חלב alongside the Lexical diagram. For an explanation of its syntax in relation to its semantics, see the note alongside the Phrasal diagram.
- V. 11 - The fronted discourse marker עתה in verse 11b seems to function here as a temporal frame setter and so is not highlighted in orange in the visual above (BHRG §40.39). The adverb עתה has the function of fixing the scene, so to speak, described at this particular point by David: David's enemies had "been violent" (v. 9a) toward him in the past and, more recently, tracked him down. Now, however, they actually surround him. Thus, עתה serves to heighten the dramatic tension of the threat David's enemies pose. The fronted noun phrase in 11c (עיניהם) is the topic (see note for v. 2b).
- V. 14c - The passive participle/2ms pronominal suffix (צפונך) constituent in 14c is marked for focus as it presents new information (viz., the judgment YHWH has "stored up" for David's enemies). David appeals to YHWH to confront his chief enemy (v. 13a-c) and to deliver him from his enemies (pl.) (vv. 13d-14b). David then completes this line of appeal with an imprecation, that YHWH would justly punish his enemies and their offspring.
- V. 15a - The two clauses (14d-e) that precede the 1cs personal pronoun (אני), which fronts verse 15a, have default word order. Thus, the topic shifts from David's enemies here at the end of the psalm, as אני reactivates David as the topic, and David expresses his expectation of seeing YHWH's "face." What follows is a prepositional phrase (בצדק), positioned before the verb for focus, though functioning adverbially here, which reprises the theme that began Psalm 17: David's righteousness. The manner in which David "sees [YHWH's] face" is as a man vindicated in his cause by YHWH's judgment.
Vocatives
- V. 1 - Kim observes that the post-verbal position of the vocative (יהוה) puts the focus on that which follows it; namely, צדק which is then marked and "receive[s] information focus" (Kim 2022, 233-235).
- V. 6 - The major disjunctive, the atnach, is under the vocative אל which divides verse 6 into halves. It probably serves structural ends, slowing down to transition between the qatal/yiqtol verbs in 6ab to the imperative in 6cd (Miller 2010, 360-363).
- V. 7 - The lengthy vocative מושיע חוסים ממתקוממים בימינך which ends the clause in verse 7a has the rhetorical effect of extending (slowing down) the request communicated by David with the imperative הפלה. It descriptively sums up why David has faith to call on YHWH as he does in Psalm 17 (it immediately precedes David's articulation of the psalm's core "request" [vv. 8-9]). David now entreats YHWH "for action and not merely for a hearing. The line comprises six 'highly-charged' Hebrew words" that are evocative of YHWH's intervention for his people and his identity as their "deliverer" (מושיע) (cf. Exod 14:30; 15:7, 11–13; Isa 63:8) (Goldingay 2006, 241).
- V. 13a - As in the opening line of Psalm 17, יהוה is a vocative that is second to the imperative (קומה) here which is thereby in focus (Miller 2010, 357). The effect is to emphasize David's explicit plea that YHWH would take action on his behalf.
- V. 14a - The vocative here (יהוה) intervenes between the repeated prepositional phrase (ממתים) and appears to both assist the staircase parallelism in this verse and disambiguate the syntax (see Miller 2010, 361-362; Watson 1984, 150).
Conjunctions
- V. 12 - The conjunction waw coordinates the two constituents which portray David's enemy (probably David's chief antagonist here as representing the threat of his enemies' hostility toward him) as a being like a lion (Craigie 2018, 163). The lion (David's enemy) is not only eager to tear, but is also waiting in concealed places for the chance to do so.
Speech Act Analysis
Summary Visual
Speech Act Chart
Notes
Indirect Speech Acts
- V. 6b: כי־תענני אל - Though verse 6a consists of two clauses (אני־קראתיך כי־תענני אל) of the declarative sentence type which are ostensibly assertive illocutions, the second clause is probably an expressive illocution. Rather than being a bare statement about the "fact" that God will answer David because David called on God to do so, this subordinate clause expresses David's expectation that God will answer him. In other words, David's "statement" is an expression of his hope and/or faith in God, on account of God's character (cf. v. 2b) and David's previous experience, rather than epistemic certainty, which is impossible for finite beings (cf. "I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God" NLT; or the simple present tense of the NJB and GNT - ". . . you answer me").
Global Speech Acts
- With regard to speech acts, Psalm 17 can be understood very simply as "an innocent person’s prayer for protection" and thus as an entreaty for justice with reference to a threat (Craigie 2004, 161). By looking more closely at the subsections of Psalm 17, however, we see that David's entreaty involves dealing with the wicked/enemies who are the source of the threat. Additionally, we find that David concludes the psalm with a strikingly noble request.
- In vv. 1-5, David petitions, rather than commands (see Verbal Semantics), YHWH for justice and avows his innocence/righteousness in a manner that implies it is the basis upon which he expects to be heard (cf. Pss 5; 7:4-6, 9-11; 34:16-18; 66:18-19; 84:12; Prov 15:8-9; 29; 2 Chron 7:14) (Delitzsch 1883, 291-293; Keel 1997, 183-184, 192). As Craigie observes, it was the prerogative of those considered to be upright by the standards of YHWH's law to "assume the privilege of the righteous and pray for vindication" (Craigie 2004, 163; TWOT, 752-753).
- David presents his core entreaty in vv. 6-9 and asks YHWH explicitly for protection from his threatening enemies who have been violent toward him.
- In vv. 10-12, David elaborates on the dastardly deeds and inner condition of his enemies which is an imprecatory tactic that, in the psalms, often precedes the actual imprecation, as it does here (cf. Pss 5:10-11; 28:3-5; 56:2-3, 6-7; 58:3-6; 109:2-5, 16-20) (Keel 1997, 97). Appealing to YHWH to punish one's enemies involved presenting a convincing depiction of one's enemies with regard to egregious nature of the evil they were guilty of (Keel 1997, 85, 96-97).
- In vv. 13-14, David utters his imprecation as a part of his petition to YHWH for deliverance. In other words, he asks YHWH to deliver him from his enemies by subduing his enemies forcefully (viz., with a "sword"). David's lament has to do with the injustice of being attacked, as an innocent person, by wicked people (Delitzsch 1883, 302-304).
- In v. 15, David entreats YHWH for a vision of YHWH and for the experience of satisfaction in it ("Just as 'seeing' can connote an experience in the widest sense [cf. Ps 16:10; Isa 38:11; Ps 44:15], so too, 'God' or 'the face of God' can encompass diverse realities" [cf. Job 42:5; Keel 1997, 201]).
Emotional Analysis
Summary visual
Think-Feel-Do Chart
Notes
Emotional Progression
- The emotional circumplex below includes arrows and lines that indicate the emotional flow of the psalm and the layered feelings present in it. Psalm 17 starts on a confident note (vv. 1-6), but then the emotional tenor of the psalm becomes more complex. In verse 7 David first mentions adversaries and explicitly entreats God to take action, which evinces David's anxious feelings. Such emotions continue, though David remains confident, in verse 8 where David asks for personal protection/concealment. However, in verse 9 David mentions his enemies and their violence against him which adds an indignant emotional layer to David's confident and yet, anxious state. In verses 10-12 confidence is no longer at the fore, but rather anxious and indignant feelings that dominate throughout verses 11-13. A hopeful emotion then becomes evident in the petitions in the latter part of verse 14. In verse 15, David continues to petition YHWH in a hopeful and confident tone.
Participant analysis
There are five participants/characters in Psalm 17:
- Those Who Seek Refuge: It is not possible to give a specific identity to this participant, however, see 'Notes on Ambiguities' below.
- Enemies: This participant set plays a significant role in Psalm 17 as David's "prayer" is all about YHWH delivering him from them (vv. 6-7) and the very real threat they pose (vv. 9-12). The key characteristics of this participant set in the context of the psalm is that they are morally wrong to threaten David as they do (vv. 9-14). It is not possible to determine their specific identity.
- He: This is related participant to the foregoing because it is included in it, but distinguished in verses 12-13 by the shift in number from plural to singular (see 'Notes on ambiguities').
- Adversaries: It is not possible to give a specific identity to this participant, however, see 'Notes on Ambiguities' below.
- People: David appears to use this term (אדם) as a general designation for the class of humanity in general, himself included (see 'Notes on ambiguities'). David is likely moving from an assessment of his thoughts (v. 3) to his actions (vv. 4-5).
Metonyms as Appellations
In Psalm 17, body parts feature prominently (e.g., eyes, face, feet, mouth, etc.) and are bound up with references to the psalm's participants (David, Enemies, YHWH, etc.) through the use of metonymy (also "steps" in v. 5a and "likeness" in v. 15b). When appropriate, these have been designated as different appellations for participants in Psalm 17 due to the agency of the participant (represented by the metonym in any given instance) who has a unique relational role in the psalm. Even so, "lips" (vv. 1, 4), "heart" (v. 3), "ear" (v. 6), "right (hand)" (v. 7), "eye" (v. 8), "wings" (v. 8), "mouth" (v. 10), "face" (vv. 13, 15), and "belly" (v. 14) all appear in Psalm 17 in connection with a participant, though not in an agentive capacity in this analysis, and so have been left without highlight.
Notes on Ambiguities
- V. 4 - Who are the People (אדם) in v. 4?
- Generally, the term אדם can "be distinguished from ʾîš (man as opposite of woman, or as man distinguished in his manliness), ʾĕnôš (man as weak and vulnerable), geber (man as mighty and noble), and mĕtîm [מְתִים; "men, mortals"]," though eventually אדם came to denote more or less the same thing (viz., "man") as אׅישׁ (TWOT, 10). "Ugaritic ʾadm normally means 'people,' and is parallel to lʾim, or is used in the appellationʾab ʾadm, 'father of mankind'" (TWOT, 10). The term אדם is not used elsewhere in Psalm 17, however there are other general references to "men/people" (e.g., ממתים). Delitzsch argues that the ל prefixed to פעלות indicates "the state or condition" of humanity in general (i.e., "men as they are by nature and practice") (Delitzsch 1883, 294). This would, of course, include David in the group designated by the term. Therefore, it seems best to take אדם as a general designation for humanity (a participant in Psalm 17 that represents all human beings).
- V. 7 - Those Who Seek Refuge (חוסים) and the Adversaries (מתקוממים) in verse 7?
- Regarding verse 7, Goldingay states that the choice of vocabulary is evocative of the Exodus account/deliverance (14:30; 15:7, 11–13) (Goldingay 2006, 241). "The suppliant prays as an individual whose position in relation to Israel is imperiled by people’s attacks and who needs Yhwh to act as Yhwh had acted for Israel" (Goldingay 2006, 241). This portrays the participant חוֹסִים as a term designating the general category of person who can invoke the covenant obligations of YHWH to Israel for their own appropriation against מתקוממים, as the Moses and the Exodus generation did against Pharaoh and Egypt. David is the supplicant to YHWH against his enemies in the context of Psalm 17. On account of this, חוסים is considered a participant related to the participant David and מתקוממים is a related participant to Enemies.
- V. 12-13 - Who is the individual He ("he"/"his"/"him") in verses 12-13?
- The individual of the singular terms (ו/רשע) in verses 12-13 is not named in Psalm 17 and there is not enough available information to be more specific regarding an identity than to suggest that David "singles out the most threatening member of the enemy host (the chief)" for special attention before reverting to a general term (מתים) again in verse 14 (see following note) (Craigie 2004, 161). As this is a synonymous participant (i.e., he performs the same function) with various other designations for David's enemies in Psalm 17 (e.g., רשעים איב ,מתים) they take the same color.
- V. 14 - Who are the mortal men/(worldly) people (מתים) in verse 14?
- The term ממתים is evocative of "dead people" (the Targum reads it as approximating "from dead ones" and in so doing perhaps provides a basis for emendations of its attestation in v. 14 with the verb מת in some form) and so it has been proposed that its usage here "hints that it should not be too much for Yhwh to rescue [David] from them" (Stec 2005, 48; Goldingay 2006, 243). Psalm 22:7[6] and Job 25:6 in the DSS indicate that מתים connotes the mortality of human beings, hence the designation as "mortal men" here (Isa 41:14; TDOT 9:99-100). The context of Psalm 17:8-14 casts the term with a pejorative hue (cf. Ps 26:4; Job 11:11; 22:15) (TDOT 9:100).
Participant Relations Diagram
The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:
Participant Analysis Table
Bibliography
- Craigie, Peter C. and Marvin E. Tate. 1983. 2nd ed. Psalms 1-50. Vol. 19. WBC. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.
- Delitzsch, Franz. 1883. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms. Vol. 1. trans. Eaton David. New York: Funk and Wagnalls.
- Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms: Psalms 1–41. Vol. 1. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
- Stec, David M. 2004. The Targum of Psalms. Vol. 16. The Aramaic Bible. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.