Psalm 17 Poetics

Psalm Overview

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

About the Poetics Layer

Exploring the Psalms as poetry is crucial for understanding and experiencing the psalms and thus for faithfully translating them into another language. This layer is comprised of two main parts: poetic structure and poetic features. (For more information, click 'Expand' to the right.)

Poetic Structure

In poetic structure, we analyse the structure of the psalm beginning at the most basic level of the structure: the line (also known as the “colon” or “hemistich”). Then, based on the perception of patterned similarities (and on the assumption that the whole psalm is structured hierarchically), we argue for the grouping of lines into verses, verses into strophes, strophes into stanzas, etc. Because patterned similarities might be of various kinds (syntactic, semantic, pragmatic, sonic) the analysis of poetic structure draws on all of the previous layers (especially the Discourse layer).

Poetic Features

In poetic features, we identify and describe the “Top 3 Poetic Features” for each Psalm. Poetic features might include intricate patterns (e.g., chiasms), long range correspondences across the psalm, evocative uses of imagery, sound-plays, allusions to other parts of the Bible, and various other features or combinations of features. For each poetic feature, we describe both the formal aspects of the feature and the poetic effect of the feature. We assume that there is no one-to-one correspondence between a feature’s formal aspects and its effect, and that similar forms might have very different effects depending on their contexts. The effect of a poetic feature is best determined (subjectively) by a thoughtful examination of the feature against the background of the psalm’s overall message and purpose.

Poetics Visuals for Psalm 17

Poetic Structure

Poetic Macro-structure

Despite the many different ways in which scholars have divided and structured Psalm 17, it is commonly accepted that the psalm is a unified composition (van der Lugt 2006, 199-200). The placement of various repeated roots, such as סתר ,שׂבע ,קום ,שׁמר, and פה, helps to bind the psalm together and these are notable for their contrastive usage (Goldingay 2006, 237). For example, David has "kept" (שׁמר) his steps (אשׁר) according to YHWH's ways (v. 4-5), though his adversaries "advance against" (אשׁר; v. 11) him, and so he entreats YHWH to "keep" (שׁמר) him safe and to "hide" (סתר) him from his foes (קום ,רשׁע ,מת; vv. 7-9, 13-14). These enemies "hide" (סתר) in wait to do David harm so he asks YHWH to "rise up" (קום) and deal with them (v. 13). The wicked (רשע; vv. 9, 13) speak arrogantly (פה; v. 10) whereas David speaks righteously (פה; v. 3), "without deceitful lips" (שפתי) and keeps YHWHY's ways by his "word" (שפתי). Moroever, David's enemies are eager to devour David like ravenous lions (v. 12), whereas the righteous (viz., YHWH's "treasured ones") find "satisfaction" (שׂבע) in the God-ordained blessings (e.g., children) of earthly life (vv. 14) and David even expresses his longing to be "satisfied" (שׂבע) with YHWH's likeness (v. 15) (Dahood 1966, 98). Body part imagery also pervades Psalm 17 : עין (vv. 2, 6, 11), פה (vv. 3, 10), אזן (v. 1, 6), ימין (v. 7), כנף (v. 8), אישון (v. 8), חלב (v. 8), בטן (v. 14) (Goldingay 2006, 237; Fokkelman 2000, 93-94). Moreover, the imperative clusters (vv. 1, 6-8, and13) which head all three sections, the divine name (יהוה/אל) in theses sections, the thematic term, צדק, which forms an inclusio (vv. 1, 15), along with the key verb חזה (vv. 2, 15) related to perception (עין appears three times throughout: vv. 2, 8, 11) all help to further tie the poem together as a whole (Craigie 2018, 164; Fokkelman 2000, 91).

Psalm 17 has been divided into three main sections, with a subsection acting like a coda at the end of section III, in the visual above: I (vv. 1-5); II (vv. 6-12); III (vv. 13-15).

Section I (vv. 1-5):

• It is marked by the use of three imperatives at its outset (שמע ,קשב ,אזן) (van der Lugt 2006, 196).
• The divine name is employed as a vocative YHWH (יהוה), a feature that appears near the beginning of sections II and III as well.
• Section I is distinguished by its content. David petitions YHWH to hear him and avows his righteousness through his use of terms for "rightness" (צדק ,משפט ,מישרים), 1cs pronominal suffixes, verbs of testing (מצא [in context], פקד ,צרף ,בחן), and phrases denoting a faithful lifestyle (vv. 4-5) (van der Lugt 2006, 196-197).
• David addresses the YHWH participant by this specific title (YHWH) implicitly 10 times after the initial explicit (vocative) address.
• The body-part term "lips" (שפתי) is used twice in Psalm 17, both times in section I.

Section II (vv. 6-12):

• Section II is demarcated by four imperatives at its outset (נטה ,שמע ,פלא ,שׁמר).
• The vocative "God" (אל) marks the start of this section.
• This section is characterized by its focus on the threat posed by David enemies, the participant set that dominates section II (referred to 17 times throughout by means of pronominal suffixes, verbs, and verbless clauses).
• All the lines of this section are grouped in pairs (van der Lugt 2006, 197).
• The roots סתר and נטה appear twice each in Psalm 17, in both instances these are confined to section II (Fokkelman 2000, 93).

Section III (vv. 13-14):

• The beginning of this section is also marked by a cluster of four imperatives (קום ,קדם ,כרע ,פלט).
• The vocative YHWH (יְהוָה x 2) is repeated at the outset of this section.
• A contrastive use of "face" (פָּנֶה x 2) occurs between verses 13 and 15.
• There are five 2ms pronominal suffixes (appearing once in v. 13 and twice in both v. 14 and v. 15; * YHWH is referent of all) (van der Lugt 2006, 197). This follows a significant stretch of text with no 2ms suffixes (vv. 9-12).
• The verb שׂבע appears two times in section III (once in v. 14 and once in v. 15).
• SubSection (vv. 15): This section is distinguished by its shift in content: It is marked by the 1cs pronoun (אֲנִי), which reactivates the thematic term (צדק), whereupon David petitions YHWH to see his "face" and be satisfied seeing/beholding his "likeness."

Line Division

• V. 1 - It is possible to see two longer lines in verse 1, but it seems better to configure it as four smaller lines because of the chiasm(s) entailed (i.e., word count becomes 3-2/2-3 and the two pairs of words at the center [1b-c] are Hiphil imperatives and terms for "my cry"/"my prayer" [רִנָּתִ֗י/תְפִלָּתִ֑י]) and the MT accents (van der Lugt 2006, 195-196).
• V. 3 - The tripartite line division of verse 3 in the MT as set out above disagrees with Fokkelman and the LXX, as set out in Rahlfs' 1931 edition, however, it agrees with the MT accentuation (cf. Sassoon codex), though not its vowels (לַּ֗יְלָה is a contextual form, not pausal), and van der Lugt, except that the latter groups זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י with צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי | בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א instead of בַּל־יַעֲבָר־פִּֽי׃ as above (van der Lugt 2006, 195). This is due to the differing interpretations of how זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י in the MT should be taken. For a fuller discussion, see Exegetical Issue - Psalm 017: The Form and Function of זמתי in Ps 17:3. For verse 3, Lugt's word count comes out at 4 + 3 + 1, which seems rather imbalanced, whereas Fokkelman's is 4 + 2 + 2 is the same as the above (van der Lugt 2006, 195; Fokkelman 2000, 93).
• Vv. 8-12 - van der Lugt laments the scholarly variance in terms of attempts to group the lines of Psalm 17 (van der Lugt 2006, 200). Even so, it is worth noting that there is some general agreement. For example, Fokkelman observes that the line divisions in verses 8-12 (those presented above) are widely agreed upon (Fokkelman 2000, 93).
• Vv. 13-14 - The line divisions and groupings above are similar to those of van der Lugt who observes how 13-14a are tied together through the repetition of יְהוָה in 13a and 14a, as well as the preposition מִן which appears in 13b and is repeated three times in 14a (van der Lugt 2006, 197). For a fuller discussion of the unusual and challenging lines of verse 14, see Exegetical Issue - Psalm 017: The Text and Meaning of Ps 17:14.

Poetic Features

1. A Successful Petition

Feature

The word צֶדֶק appears two times in Psalm 17 (vv. 1 and 15) and is a thematic word. It describes the basis of David's petition: a call to YHWH for justice based on David's righteous behavior. The twofold employment of צֶדֶק seems intentional because 1) its content relates to the subject matter of Psalm 17, 2) it is only used twice, and 3) it is used as an inclusio. Both times צֶדֶק is used in reference to David (the "righteous case" in v. 1 is David's; David is shown to be righteous [i.e., he is "vindicated"] in v. 15). By contrast, all the other repeated roots involve more than one participant. This inclusio effectively bookends the contents of David's "prayer."

Effect

The effect of this repeated root (צֶדֶק) is to exhibit the progression/development of the psalm. At the outset, David calls upon YHWH to respond to his "righteous case" and "see" uprightness, and then goes on to provide his argument to support his claim of uprightness. In the final verse, David concludes his prayer with the affirmation that he will ultimately be "vindicated" by YHWH and, as a consequence of his vindication, he himself will "see" YHWH's "face." Psalm 17 starts with an explicit petition and ends with its fulfillment. When YHWH has “seen” and acknowledged David’s righteousness, the consequence is that David can “see” YHWH. The vindication is necessary for David to experience intimacy with God (i.e., “see his face”).

2. Coventantal Resonance

Feature

There are similarities in Psalm 17:7 and "the Song of the Sea (Exod 15:1–18) in which Israel celebrated its deliverance from the Pharaoh in the Exodus," such as הַפְלֵה (Ps 17:7) // עֹשֵׂה פֶלֶא (Exod 15:11); בִּימִינֶךָ (Ps 17:7) // נָטִיתָ יְמִינְךָ (Exod 15:12); and חֲסָדֶיךָ (Ps 17:7) // בְחַסְדְּךָ (Exod 15:13) (Craigie 2018, 163). Also, the "wings" (כנפים) imagery resonates with the exodus/Sinaitic covenant (Exod 19:4). The exodus was of momentous historical importance for God's people and ultimately based on God's covenant with Abraham (Gen 15:1-20; see vv. 13-14 in particular). Additionally, some phrases in verse 8 are evocative of those in Deuteronomy 32 wherein covenantal language is also employed: יִצְּרֶנְהוּ כְּאִישׁוֹן עֵינוֹ (Deut 32:10) // שָׁמְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁוֹן בַּת־עָיִן (Ps 17:8) and the imagery of a bird's protective covering - כְּנָפָיו (Deut 32:11) // כְּנָפֶיךָ (Ps 17:8) (Craigie 2018, 163).

Effect

The clustering of these evocative terms, with all their historical freight, together in the center of the psalm highlights how the covenant relationship between God and his people is inextricably related to calling on YHWH as deliverer and experiencing him as such.

3. Your Right Hand

Feature

In Psalm 17, there are fourteen 2ms pronominal suffixes (ךָ) attached to thirteen nouns and a verb. The central two instances in this arrangement are "your covenant acts" and "your right hand" (בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ v. 7) (Labuschagne 2011, 4). Incidentally, the latter phrase appears in Psalm 16:11 as well, a psalm that shares numerous terminological links with Psalm 17 (e.g., vocabulary from 16:1 - אל in 17:6, חסה in v.7, שמר in vv. 4 and 8, as well as from 16:11 - ארח in 17:4, פניך in 2 and 15, בימינך in v. 7, חיים in v. 14, and שׂבע in vv. 14-15 (Goldingay 2006, 237).

Effect

The structure of the one verb and thirteen nouns + 2ms pronominal suffixes (i.e., 6 + 2 + 6) showcases a point of theological significance in a sequential manner (Labuschagne 2011, 4). God's "covenant acts" and "right hand" point to YHWH as powerful, loyal, and the place of those who take refuge/trust in/call on him. God is capable of defending and vindicating David (vv. 1, 7, 15), and God will enable David to have the intimacy with God he desires (v. 15). David can have confidence because God has demonstrated by his loyal/covenant love many times in Israel's history that this is exactly what he does.

Repeated Roots

The repeated roots table is intended to identify the roots which are repeated in the psalm.

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

Legend for Repeated Roots

Notes

Balance and focus

An examination of the repeated roots of Psalm 17 makes it apparent that most of the repeated terminology is used twice (seventeen of the twenty repeated roots feature twice in total: תפלה צדק שׁמע ,אזן ,שׂפת ,חזה ,פה ,דבר ,שׁמר ,אשׁר ,נטה ,קום ,סתר ,רשׁע ,נפשׁ ,שׂבע ,מת). This has the effect of binding the poem together. The terms יהוה and עין appear most frequently used (three times each; פנה is attested four times in total; however, two of these are embedded as prepositions). These two terms (יהוה and עין), along with תפלה in the superscription and again as the object of what יהוה should listen (שׁמע) or give ear (אזן) to (v. 1), present the psalm as a psalm of petition. Both of these latter two terms are used again synonymously in verse 6, while יהוה appears again as vocative twice near the end (vv. 13-14) in David's direct address to YHWH for rescue and for justice against his foes (i.e., רשׁע ,מת; vv. 9 and 14). The central shift of the psalm (from v. 8 to 9) is marked by focusing in on David's enemies (רשׁע ,מת; vv. 9 and 14). It is only in connection with the other repeated roots, as outlined below, along with many related terms that appear only once (for these, see the lexical/contextual domains text boxes), that the themes of Psalm 17 can be fully appreciated.

Contrast

Some repeated roots (שׁמר ,פה ,סתר ,שׂבע ,קום) are used contrastively (Goldingay 2006, 237). David had "kept" (אשׁר/שׁמר) to YHWH's ways (v. 4-5), though his adversaries surround David's "steps" (אשׁר; v. 11), and so he entreats YHWH to "keep" (שׁמר) him safe and to "hide" (סתר) him from adversaries (קום ,רשׁע ,מת; vv. 7-9, 13-14) who "hide" (סתר) in wait to do him harm, and to "rise up" (קום) and deal with them (v. 13). The wicked (רשׁע ,מת) "speak" arrogantly (פה; v. 10), whereas David speaks righteously (פה; v. 3). Moroever, David's enemies are eager to devour David like ravenous lions (v. 12), whereas the righteous (viz., YHWH's "treasured ones") find "satisfaction" (שׂבע) in the God-ordained blessings (e.g., children) of earthly life (vv. 14) and David even expresses his longing to be "satisfied" (שׂבע) with YHWH's likeness (v. 15) (Dahood 1966, 98).

Structure

Other repeated roots are used structurally. The term צדק acts as an inclusio in the first and last verse of the entire psalm, underscoring David's confidence in his own righteous cause throughout the psalm. Near the outset, David claims YHWH will behold (חזה) the rightness of David's cause (v. 2) and, at the end, that he (David) will behold (חזה) YHWH's "face" (v. 15) (Craigie 2018, 164). Additionally, the psalm is united in that every verse, aside from verse 12, contains an anatomic reference to the human body נפשׁ ,שׂפת ,אזן) פנה ,פה ,עין) (Goldingay 2006, 237; this includes ימין in v. 7 which is not repeated). This provides a corporeal medium of imagery through which the psalm's content is communicated. For example, if YHWH will give ear ןאזן) to the words of David's lips (שׂפת) he will know David mouth (פה) has not transgressed (vv. 1-6), unlike the mouth (פה) of the wicked (v. 10) which has spoken arrogantly (דבר; v. 10), and YHWH's eyes (עין) can see (חזה) that David is in the right (v. 2). YHWH will face off (קום ,פנה; vv. 13-14) against David's enemies who seek his life (נפשׁ) and David will be satisfied (שׂבע) seeing YHWH's "face" (פנה; v. 15).

Bibliography

Craigie, Peter C. and Marvin E. Tate. 1983. 2nd ed. Psalms 1-50. Vol. 19. WBC. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

Dahood, Mitchell. 1966. Psalms. Vol. 1. ABC. New York: Doubleday.

Fokkelman, J.P. 2000. Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible: At the Interface of Prosody and Structural Analysis (Vol 2: 85 Psalms and Job 4–14). Vol. 2. Studia Semitica Neerlandica. Van Gorcum.

Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms: Psalms 1–41. Vol. 1. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Labuschagne, C. J. 2011. Psalm 17— Logotechnical Analysis.

Lugt, Pieter van der. 2006. Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry: With Special Reference to the First Book of the Psalter. Vol. 1. 3 vols. Oudtestamentische Studiën 53. Leiden: Brill.

Lunn, Nicholas P. 2006. Word-Order Variation in Biblical Hebrew Poetry: Differentiating Pragmatics and Poetics. Paternoster Biblical Monographs. Milton Keynes: Paternoster.