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About the Story Behind Layer

The Story Behind the Psalm shows how each part of the psalm fits together into a single coherent whole. Whereas most semantic analysis focuses on discrete parts of a text such as the meaning of a word or phrase, Story Behind the Psalm considers the meaning of larger units of discourse, including the entire psalm.

The goal of this layer is to reconstruct and visualise a mental representation of the text as the earliest hearers/readers might have conceptualised it. We start by identifying the propositional content of each clause in the psalm, and then we identify relevant assumptions implied by each of the propositions. During this process, we also identify and analyse metaphorical language (“imagery”). Finally, we try to see how all of the propositions and assumptions fit together to form a coherent mental representation. The main tool we use for structuring the propositions and assumptions is a story triangle, which visualises the rise and fall of tension within a semantic unit. Although story triangles are traditionally used to analyse stories in the literary sense of the word, we use them at this layer to analyse “stories” in the cognitive sense of the word—i.e., a story as a sequence of propositions and assumptions that has tension.

Story Behind Explainer

Summary Triangle

The story triangle below summarises the story of the whole psalm. We use the same colour scheme as in Participant Analysis. The star icon along the edge of the story-triangle indicates the point of the story in which the psalm itself (as a speech event) takes place. We also include a theme at the bottom of the story. The theme is the main message conveyed by the story-behind.

Legend

Story Triangles legend
Propositional content (verse number)	Propositional content, the base meaning of the clause, is indicated by bold black text. The verse number immediately follows the correlating proposition in black text inside parentheses.
Common-ground assumption	Common-ground assumptions^[1] are indicated by gray text.
Local-ground assumption	Local-ground assumptions^[2] are indicated by dark blue text.
Playground assumption	Playground assumptions^[3] are indicated by light blue text.
	The point of the story at which the psalm takes place (as a speech event) is indicated by a gray star.
	If applicable, the point of the story at which the psalm BEGINS to take place (as a speech event) is indicated with a light gray star. A gray arrow will travel from this star to the point at which the psalm ends, indicated by the darker gray star.
	A story that repeats is indicated by a circular arrow. This indicates a sequence of either habitual or iterative events.
	A story or event that does not happen or the psalmist does not wish to happen is indicated with a red X over the story triangle.
	Connections between propositions and/or assumptions are indicated by black arrows with small text indicating how the ideas are connected.
Note: In the Summary triangle, highlight color scheme follows the colors of participant analysis.

Background ideas

Following are the common-ground assumptionsCommon-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/Ancient Near Eastern background. which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm.

David is in a binding relationship to YHWH (a “covenant”) whereby commandments and protection are exchanged for obedience (Exod 20:6; Deut 5:10; 6:5; 7:9; 1 Kg 3:3; Neh 1:5).
In the Psalms, the king was YHWH's representative on earth (cf. Psalm 2:11–12; Keel 1997, 246–247), such that The king's enemies are God's enemies: "The Israelite king's view of his enemies can be compared with that of other sacred kings. The Assyrian king, for example, considered his enemies as enemies of his gods, guilty of impious rebellion” (Eaton 1975, 141).
YHWH is sometimes portrayed as the Divine Warrior in battle (see Longman and Reid 1995, 31–48) of the Ancient Near East. The Divine Warrior was a common creation myth in Syria-Palestine whereby, crucially, “a Divine Warrior goes forth to battle the chaotic monsters, variously called Sea, Death, Leviathan, Tannin; (2) the world of nature responds to the wrath of the Divine Warrior and the forces of chaos are defeated...” (see Oden 1992, 1164).
God's manifestation of his presence usually took the form of a thunderstorm (see Hiebert 1992, 508; Walton 2009, 333; COS I:260n.160; Josh 10:11; Job 38:22–23; Isa 30:30).
Due to its association with death and Sheol (cf. Yuan 2023, 127–128), water was a symbol of the wicked and of enemy armies (May 1955).
The winds hailed from four directions and were thought to be produced by divine wings, thus the earth is said to have “wings” (Isa 11:12; Ezek 7:2) (see Noegel 2017, 19–20). “Wings” therefore became conceptually linked with, and virtually a byword for, directions.
In Biblical Cosmology, the earth was perceived as a a flat disk that sat above the Chaos-waters (see Keel 1997, 40). It was upheld by its “foundations” (Isa 24:18; Jer. 31:37; Micah 6:2, etc.), which were most likely mountains (cf. Deut 32.22). Thus the “foundations” of the earth and the “foundations of the mountains” are co-referential. Heaven was perceived of as a solid vault from which the sun, moon and stars hung (Gen 1.14–17; see Bartelmus 2006, 2011). This vault (cf. Ps 19:1) kept the chaos waters from above from flooding the earth. Above the chaos-waters from above, in the highest heavens, sat the Lord (Ps 29:10).

Background situation

The background situation is the series of events leading up to the time in which the psalm is spoken. These are taken from the story triangle – whatever lies to the left of the star icon.

Expanded Paraphrase

The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

Legend

Expanded paraphrase legend
Close but Clear (CBC) translation	The CBC, our close but clear translation of the Hebrew, is represented in bold text.
Assumptions	Assumptions which provide background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences are represented in italics.

Text (Hebrew)	Verse	Expanded Paraphrase
לַמְנַצֵּ֤חַ ׀ לְעֶ֥בֶד יְהוָ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר דִּבֶּ֨ר ׀ לַיהוָ֗ה אֶת־דִּ֭בְרֵי הַשִּׁירָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את בְּי֤וֹם הִֽצִּיל־יְהוָ֘ה אוֹת֥וֹ מִכַּ֥ף כָּל־אֹ֝יְבָ֗יו וּמִיַּ֥ד שָׁאֽוּל׃	1	For the director; by YHWH's servant, David, who recited the words of this song to YHWH when YHWH had rescued him from the palm of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
וַיֹּאמַ֡ר אֶרְחָמְךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה חִזְקִֽי׃	2	He said, “ I shall keep loving you by continuing to obey your commands and represent you to the people, YHWH, and, because I am keeping my covenant obligations, you will keep yours, and as a result your strength becomes my strength.
יְהוָ֤ה ׀ סַֽלְעִ֥י וּמְצוּדָתִ֗י וּמְפַ֫לְטִ֥י אֵלִ֣י צ֭וּרִי אֶֽחֱסֶה־בּוֹ מָֽגִנִּ֥י וְקֶֽרֶן־יִ֝שְׁעִ֗י מִשְׂגַּבִּי וּמְנוּסִי מֹשִׁעִ מֵחָמָס תֹּשִׁעֵנִי׃	3	By giving me your strength with which I can defeat my enemies, you protect me, and so in addition to being my strength you are also my protector just like the clefts, fortresses, rocks and shields. This is why I can say that YHWH is my cleft and my fortress and my rescuer. My God is my rock, in him do I seek protection, my shield and just like a horned animal can defend itself with its horns, you are the horn of my deliverance in that you deliver me by strengthening me. You are my fortified tower and my refuge, my deliverer, who delivers me from violence.
מְ֭הֻלָּל אֶקְרָ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וּמִן־אֹ֝יְבַ֗י אִוָּשֵֽׁעַ׃	4	I cry out to YHWH, since he is praiseworthy in that you are the all-powerful creator (Psa 96:4–5) and you fulfill all your duties to protect your people as king (Psa 145). I can therefore confidently call on you since I know these things. So, I cry out to YHWH and I am delivered from my enemies who try to physically attack me as well as indict me and ruin my reputation.
אֲפָפ֥וּנִי מִשְׁבְּרֵי־מָ֑וֶת	5	My physical distress as a result of my enemies' attack felt like the breaker waves of Death surrounded me, that is, I was so close to dying that it was as if I was drowning in the midst of the sea on my way to the place of the Dead, which was thought to be below the subterranean waters (see Job 26:5; Psa. 139:8; Jonah 2:7a; cf. McCarter 1973). And my distress was also as if the torrents of Beliya'al, which means the “(place from which) none arises”, and whose torrents lead towards the place of the dead, began to pull me down and therefore, began to overwhelm me.
חֶבְלֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל סְבָב֑וּנִי קִ֝דְּמ֗וּנִי מ֣וֹקְשֵׁי מָֽוֶת׃	6	In addition to a place, Death was also frequently compared to a hunter. My distress also therefore felt as if the cords of the World of the Dead entangled me, since a hunter would often use cords to wrap his prey (Job 18:10; 36:8; Psa 119:61; 140:6; Prov 5:22). Also, it was as if Death's traps rushed upon me, just like a trap would spring up suddenly to catch an animal.
בַּצַּר־לִ֤י ׀ אֶֽקְרָ֣א יְהוָה֮ וְאֶל־אֱלֹהַ֪י אֲשַׁ֫וֵּ֥עַ יִשְׁמַ֣ע מֵהֵיכָל֣וֹ קוֹלִ֑י	7	Now, In my distress brought about by fighting hostile enemies or by defending my reputation against false witnesses I cry out to YHWH. And to my God do I cry for help. He hears my cry, which I cry from the waters of chaos below the earth, from his temple, which was located in the highest heavens, above the floodwaters (Psa 29:10) where he is enthroned and from where he rules. God is therefore beyond the waters' reach. And my cry for help before him comes into his ears, that is, you actually hear my cry and I therefore do not cry out in vain, because whenever your people cry out in distress, you hear them (Exod. 2:23; 22:23; 1 Kgs. 8:28–30).
וּמוֹסְדֵ֣י הָרִ֣ים יִרְגָּ֑זוּ וַ֝יִּתְגָּֽעֲשׁ֗וּ כִּי־חָ֥רָה לֽוֹ׃	8	You then became angry, because your anointed one was in danger. And because of our relationship, which unifies us, an attack on me is an attack on you. And you “burned” so “hot” with anger (cf. v. 9) that you could be likened to a volcano. This volcanic anger was reflected in the entire earth's reaction as its volcanos also got ready to erupt. Thus the earth quivered and quaked in fear. And the earth was shaking so much that even the mountains' foundations began to shake like a volcano rumbles before it erupts. The mountains were thought to uphold the earth above the waters, which were located below the dry land. Thus the foundations of the mountains were also the foundations of the earth itself. The shaking was so severe that even earth's foundations began to shake. And they, that is, the foundations, trembled. For he had become angry.
עָ֘לָ֤ה עָשָׁ֨ן ׀ בְּאַפּ֗וֹ וְאֵשׁ־מִפִּ֥יו תֹּאכֵ֑ל גֶּ֝חָלִ֗ים בָּעֲר֥וּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃	9	He was so angry that, since anger was often spoken of in terms of heat, it was as if lava were boiling inside of a volcano, which were known from the land of Midian. Smoke therefore went up because of his snarl like smoke billowing out of a volcano, since just like the heat inside of a volcano can produce external indicators of the heat, so great anger causes bodily symptoms. But YHWH would also use literal fire whenever he passed judgement on anyone who sinned against him (Lev 10:2; Num 11:1; 16:35) on account of his anger towards them. Also, a fire accompanied YHWH's presence on earth (Exod 19:18). And so in his anger a fire from his mouth began to consume everything in its path, since he was preparing to make an appearance in order to deliver his king. Coals, which would accompany fire, burned from him. That is, just like a volcano shoots fire and coal into the air, so both fire and coals accompany YHWH whenever he appears in his anger.
וַיֵּ֣ט שָׁ֭מַיִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל תַּ֣חַת רַגְלָֽיו׃	10	And then, after hearing my cry and becoming angry, he bent down the heavens, the vault that keeps the waters above the firmament from flooding the earth, and above which YHWH has his habitation, and which acts a barrier between heaven and earth. These heavens can be ripped apart (Isa 63:19) and so could also be sunken until an opening appeared (cf. Psa 144:5). and then he descended in order to deliver his anointed one. YHWH sometimes appeared on earth in fire (Exodus 19:18). And since here he is making an appearence on earth a dark smog was beneath his feet because of all of the fire and coals, which produce dark smoke.
וַיִּרְכַּ֣ב עַל־כְּ֭רוּב וַיָּעֹ֑ף	11	YHWH is a divine warrior. Divine warriors, that is, gods who were thought to fight on the behalf of their people in the Ancient Near East, rode into battle on mounts, just like kings (cf. 2 Kgs 9:21). God's chosen mount was a Cherub (Exod 25:18–10; Psa 80:1; Ezek 1), winged beings that guarded the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:24) and were evidently the mount for God's throne (Ezekiel 1:22ff). And seeing that the Cherub was God's chosen mount, he mounted a Cherub, in order to prepare to ride into battle and began to fly. And then, since Death set traps for me like a hunter sets traps for prey, he, YHWH, responded with some hunting of his own and flew swiftly upon the wings of the wind, that is, in every direction, just like a bird of prey scours the ground beneath looking for its victims. The winds were associated with the cardinal directions, since the wind was perceived as originating from the four corners of the earth (cf. Isa 11:12; Ezek 7:2). Ancients thought that this wind was produced by divine wings fixed at these four corners. Thus by saying that YHWH flew on the wings of the wind expresses that he was completely sovereign over the wind and free to move wherever he wanted.
יָ֤שֶׁת חֹ֨שֶׁךְ ׀ סִתְר֗וֹ סְבִֽיבוֹתָ֥יו סֻכָּת֑וֹ חֶשְׁרַת־מַ֝֗יִם עָבֵ֥י שְׁחָקִֽים׃	12	The most common natural form of divine appearance in Israelite literature is the thunderstorm (Hiebert 1992, 508). And so when YHWH appeared he did so in the form of a thunderstorm. He made darkness, that is, dark rain clouds, his cover.[He made darkness] his canopy around him, the sieve of water, thick clouds of the skies, through which the waters above the firmament fell down to earth in drops, as if through a sieve.
מִנֹּ֗גַהּ נֶ֫גְדּ֥ו ** עָבְר֑וּ בָּ֝רָ֗ד וְגַֽחֲלֵי־אֵֽשׁ׃	13	Because of the brightness before him, that is, the aforementioned fire as well as the lightning that accompanied his manifestation as a thunderstorm, hail and coals of fire, two elements used by God as weapons (see Josh 10:11; Job 28:22–23; Isa 30:30) passed through the dark rain cloud covering him.
וַיַּרְעֵ֬ם בַּשָּׁמַ֨יִם ׀ יְֽהוָ֗ה וְ֭עֶלְיוֹן יִתֵּ֣ן קֹל֑וֹ **	14	And then, as he flew in the heavens located below the firmament, YHWH shouted with a battle-cry (cf. Isa 42:13) before he engaged his enemies, that is, YHWH thundered in the heavens since thunder was thought to be the sound of diety shouting. And the Most High began to raise his voice.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח חִ֭צָּיו וַיְפִיצֵ֑ם וּבְרָקִ֥ים ** וַיְהֻמֵּֽם׃	15	YHWH, being a Divine Warrior, has weapons just like a regular warrior does. On this occasion he decided to use his arrows. So, he reached for his arrows And then he shot his arrows, and dispersed them, that is, dispersed the breaker waves, torrents, cords and traps, which represent my physical enemies. And [he shot his] glittering arrows, which were glittering because his arrows were thought to be lightning bolts, and routed them, that is, the breaker waves, torrents, cords and traps, which represent my physical enemies.
וַיֵּ֤רָא֨וּ ׀ אֲפִ֥יקֵי מַ֗יִם וַֽיִּגָּלוּ֮ מוֹסְד֪וֹת תֵּ֫בֵ֥ל מִגַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ֣ יְהוָ֑ה מִ֝נִּשְׁמַ֗ת ר֣וּחַ אַפֶּֽךָ׃	16	And your routing of the enemy was so complete that the waters then fled enough so that the ocean floor appeared. That is, the sea, which was considered your enemy (cf. Isa 27:1; Jer 5:22; Psa 89:9–10; 104:24–26; Job 26:12), was defeated. In exposing the floor of the ocean, you also expose its shame, just as a person's nakedness is shameful (cf. Lev 18). And then the foundations of the world, that is, the foundations of the mountains that supported the world, which were thought to reach down to the ocean floor, were revealed because of your rebuke, YHWH, because of the blast of the wind of your anger produced when you demonstrate your anger by letting out a battle cry. Your battle-cry was the sound of thunder and your attack was the striking of lightning, which instantly vaporizes water. The two of them together caused the sea, your enemy, to be scattered.
יִשְׁלַ֣ח מִ֭מָּרוֹם יִקָּחֵ֑נִי יַֽ֝מְשֵׁ֗נִי מִמַּ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃	17	He stretched forth his hand from on high, above where I was , and took me in order to rescue me. He pulled me out from many waters, whose breaker waves and torrents surrounded me almost to the point of dragging me down to the place of the dead.
יַצִּילֵ֗נִי מֵאֹיְבִ֥י עָ֑ז וּ֝מִשֹּׂנְאַ֗י כִּֽי־אָמְצ֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃	18	He rescued me from my strong enemy, that is, all those who are more powerful than I. And [he rescued me] from those who hate me. For they were too powerful for me to deliver myself and therefore I needed a rescuer.
יְקַדְּמ֥וּנִי בְיוֹם־אֵידִ֑י וַֽיְהִי־יְהוָ֖ה מִשְׁעָ֣ן לִֽי׃	19	Just as death's traps 'rushed upon' me, they, the enemies , rushed upon me at the time of my calamity. And even though I was in distress, YHWH was the one in whom I trusted.
וַיּוֹצִיאֵ֥נִי לַמֶּרְחָ֑ב יְ֝חַלְּצֵ֗נִי כִּ֘י חָ֥פֵֽץ בִּֽי׃	20	And he brought me out of my distress, from which I called out to YHWH (v. 7) into relief, that is, a wide place. He delivered me. For he is pleased with me, since I am righteous (vv. 21–22), innocent (v. 21), and obedient (v. 22).
יִגְמְלֵ֣נִי יְהוָ֣ה כְּצִדְקִ֑י	21	Because he is pleased with me YHWH deals well with me by delivering me when I cry out for help according to my righteousness, that is, according to my legal status before him, afforded to me on account of obeying his law. He repays me according to the cleanliness of my hands.
nan	22	For I have kept the ways of YHWH, that is, the patterns of behavior that he has prescribed through his law. And I have not turned from my God towards wicked ways.
וְ֝חֻקֹּתָ֗יו לֹא־אָסִ֥יר מֶֽנִּי׃	23	For all of his rules are before me, that is, I constantly meditate on your laws and commandments (Psalm 119) as well as commend them to others (cf. 1 Kgs. 2:3). And I will not turn his decrees away from me.
וָאֱהִ֣י תָמִ֣ים עִמּ֑וֹ וָ֝אֶשְׁתַּמֵּ֗ר מֵעֲוֺנִֽי׃	24	And I have therefore become blameless before him. And I have kept myself from committing iniquity, that is, deliberate violations of your law.
וַיָּֽשֶׁב־יְהוָ֣ה לִ֣י כְצִדְקִ֑ כְּבֹ֥ר יָ֝דַ֗י לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינָֽיו׃	25	And that is why YHWH has repaid me according to my righteousness, because I have kept his ways, and constantly keep his law before me as I read it, meditate on it and commend it to others. In other words, I obey YHWH's commandments. YHWH has repaied me according to the cleanliness of my hands before his eyes, that is, my purity, since just as one's hands may be free of dirt, so one may be free of guilt.
עִם־חָסִ֥יד תִּתְחַסָּ֑ד עִם־גְּבַ֥ר תָּ֝מִ֗ים תִּתַּמָּֽם׃	26	The principle behind you dealing well with me on account of my obedience, that is, you maintaining your covenant obligations because I maintain mine, is that you reciprocate to a person according to their behavior: You act faithfully with a faithful person. You act blamelessly with a blameless person.
עִם־נָבָ֥ר תִּתְבָּרָ֑ר וְעִם־עִ֝קֵּ֗שׁ תִּתְפַּתָּֽל׃	27	You act with purity with one who purifies himself. And with a twisted person you act wittily, that is, you are intent on outwitting, tricking, and deceiving those who deceive others.
כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה עַם־עָנִ֣י תוֹשִׁ֑יעַ וְעֵינַ֖יִם רָמ֣וֹת תַּשְׁפִּֽיל׃	28	For, that is, an example of you reciprocating behavior is that you save a humble people, that is, when someone is made to have a low status of well-being, you condescend to them and save them from their dire situation. And you bring down eyes of proud people, whose eyes that look down in pride on others whom they perceive are inferior to them. And so, just as prideful people bring down others in their estimation and treat them as less in their interactions, you bring down these prideful people.
כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה תָּאִ֣יר נֵרִ֑י יְהוָ֥ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י יַגִּ֥יהַּ חָשְׁכִּֽי׃	29	For I myself am often humbled and whenever I have been near death on account of hostile enemies you light my lamp, YHWH, that is, you sustain my life, which was thought to a flame that burns within a person (Prov 20:27) that needs you to sustain it (Prov 13:9; 20:20; 24:20; Job 18:5). Otherwise the flame would go out and that person would die. My God gives light to my darkness, that is, situations in which I almost encountered death.
כִּֽי־בְ֭ךָ אָרִ֣ץ גְּד֑וּד וּ֝בֵֽאלֹהַ֗י אֲדַלֶּג־שֽׁוּר׃	30	For you always strengthen me in the face of potential danger from hostile enemies so that there is no chance of my life being snuffed out. When you strengthen me I cannot be defeated. Rather I defeat any hostile enemies. When I defeat them, they flee in many directions (cf. Deut. 28:17). Therefore , by you I can rout an army. And not only can I rout an army by your strength, but by the strength of my God, which he gives to me , I can scale a wall that fortifies a city after I have brought down the wall, which was a necessary step in a military campaign (Joel 2:9).
הָאֵל֮ תָּמִ֪ים דַּ֫רְכּ֥וֹ אִמְרַֽת־יְהוָ֥ה צְרוּפָ֑ה מָגֵ֥ן ה֝֗וּא לְכֹ֤ל ׀ הַחֹסִ֬ים בּֽוֹ׃	31	God— he acts in the manner just described, reciprocating peoples actions back to them, and therefore delivering me when I am in distress, because His way, that is, the patterns in which YHWH interacts with people, is perfect in that he acts with justice (Deut 32:4) and with full knowledge (Job 37:16), so that no fault may be found in his actions. The sayings of YHWH, that is, everything you say in your law and through you prophets that make your purpose in the world manifest (see Lam 2:17) are true because they can be tested over and over as if it was metal refined in a fire, but will always be proven to be reliable. Since one can be confident that YHWH's words are true, one may always know for certain that He is a shield, that is, he provides protection , to all those who take refuge in him cf. Prov 18:10, Nah 1:7.
כִּ֤י מִ֣י אֱ֭לוֹהַּ מִבַּלְעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה	32	For who is God besides YHWH? Nobody! He is the only one who is perfectly just, and whose words are never in vain. And who is a rock of protection besides our God,
הָ֭אֵל הַמְאַזְּרֵ֣נִי חָ֑יִל וַיִּתֵּ֖ן תָּמִ֣ים דַּרְכִּֽי׃	33	the God who arms me with strength and, by giving me strength, he subsequently makes my endeavor in battle secure? Nobody!
מְשַׁוֶּ֣ה רַ֭גְלַי כָּאַיָּל֑וֹת	34	He makes my feet sure-footed like those of deer, so that I do not fall in battle before my enemies. And, rather than my falling in battle before my enemies , he causes me to stand upon my heights —another name for a battlefield (2 Sam 1:19, 25)—in that only I am left standing, while my enemies are felled.
מְלַמֵּ֣ד יָ֭דַי לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וְֽנִחַ֥ת קֶֽשֶׁת־נְ֝חוּשָׁ֗ה זְרוֹעֹתָֽי׃	35	He trains my hands for war. And, one way he trains me for war is that he strengthens my arms with a bow of bronze, that is, he strengthens me both by placing an unwieldy weapon in my hands (cf. Ezek 30:23–24) and giving me the strength to wield it.
וַתִּתֶּן־לִי֮ מָגֵ֪ן יִ֫שְׁעֶ֥ךָ וִֽימִינְךָ֥ תִסְעָדֵ֑נִי וְֽעֶזְרָתְךָ֥ תַרְבֵּֽנִי׃	36	And you give me the shield of your victory in that you protect me, like a shield would, by making me victorious. If my enemies are defeated, they cannot harm me. And your right hand supports me, that is, by your power you provide me with military strength. Your power becomes my power. And, because you supply me with power to defeat my enemies, your help makes me numerically great. My dynasty will continue and you will also protect them because of the promise you made to me (2 Sam 17:12–16; Psa 89:28–29).
תַּרְחִ֣יב צַעֲדִ֣י תַחְתָּ֑י וְלֹ֥א מָ֝עֲד֗וּ קַרְסֻלָּֽי׃	37	You enlarged my steps underneath me, so that I could run faster. And even though I was running at great speeds, at which there is a potential to stumble (see Prov 4:12), my ankles did not falter.
אֶרְדּ֣וֹף א֭וֹיְבַי וְאַשִּׂיגֵ֑ם עַד־כַּלּוֹתָֽם׃	38	I chased my enemies and then, since I was running faster than they were, I overtook them. And after I overtook them, I began to beat them, and I would not relent until their destruction.
אֶ֭מְחָצֵם וְלֹא־יֻ֣כְלוּ ק֑וּם יִ֝פְּל֗וּ תַּ֣חַת רַגְלָֽי	39	I violently beat them, and the violent beating was so bad that they could not stand. They fell beneath my feet, that is, when they fell I put my foot on top of their necks, which was an ultimate sign of victory for me and defeat for them (see Gen. 49:8; Josh 10:24).
וַתְּאַזְּרֵ֣נִי חַ֭יִל לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה תַּכְרִ֖יעַ קָמַ֣י תַּחְתָּֽי׃	40	And, by giving me strength so that I can defeat my enemies, who are also your enemies, as I have just narrated, this is how you armed me with strength for war. Your arming me for war so I can defeat my enemies is something you always do: You make those who rise up against me kneel underneath me.
וְֽאֹיְבַ֗י נָתַ֣תָּה לִּ֣י עֹ֑רֶף וּ֝מְשַׂנְאַ֗י אַצְמִיתֵֽם׃	41	And you have made my enemies retreat from me. And as for those who hate me, I wipe them out.
יְשַׁוְּע֥וּ וְאֵין־מוֹשִׁ֑יעַ אֶל־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וְלֹ֣א עָנָֽם׃	42	They cry out for help, and unlike when I cry out for help and you answer me (cf. vv. 4, 7) there is no rescuer for them, whereas there was a rescuer for me—you, YHWH![They cry out for help] to YHWH,and he has not answered them, whereas you, YHWH, do answer me.
וְֽאֶשְׁחָקֵ֗ם כְּעָפָ֥ר עַל־פְּנֵי־אֹ֑֑רַח כְּטִ֖יט חוּצ֣וֹת אֶרְקָעֵֽם׃	43	And I crush them until they are like the dust on the road, which is merely trampled upon all day and cannot do anything in retaliation. I beat them until they are like the mud of the streets, which is merely trampled upon all day and cannot do anything in retaliation.
תְּפַלְּטֵנִי֮ מֵרִ֪יבֵ֫י עַםִ֥ים תְּ֭שִׂימֵנִי לְרֹ֣אשׁ גּוֹיִ֑ם עַ֖ם לֹא־יָדַ֣עְתִּי יַֽעַבְדֽוּנִי׃	44	You will deliver me from people's indictments, that is, whenever someone tries to question my righteousness or the cleanliness of my hands (v. 25), the effect of which would be that you would no longer listen to or deliver me. You will make me head of nations because I will win every battle I enter since you give me the strength to do it—since you, YHWH, are my strength (cf. v. 2). The nations will show allegiance to me and bring me tribute thereafter. A people I do not know will serve me.
לְשֵׁ֣מַֽע אֹ֭זֶן יִשָּׁ֣מְעוּ לִ֑י	45	With the great strength you give me my defeat of those hostile towards me will be so severe that as soon as they, nations and people I do not even know , hear rumors of me they will show obedience to me. Foreigners will submit to me.
בְּנֵי־נֵכָ֥ר יִבֹּ֑לוּ וְ֝יַחְרְג֗וּ מִֽמִּסְגְּרֽוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃	46	Foreigners will lose heart and surrender to me since, after losing heart, they would be easily susceptible to defeat, just like a plant is easily blown whenever it withers due to lack of sunlight, and tremble from their fortresses in fear, just like the mountains trembled in fear at you, YHWH (cf. v. 8).
וּבָר֣וּךְ צוּרִ֑י וְ֝יָר֗וּם אֱלוֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃	47	YHWH lives! Not merely in the ordinary sense of a physical condition, but in the sense that he possesses an exceeding amount of strength (cf. SDBH) and is active in the world. And my rock is blessed! And the God of my rescue is exalted above all others in his status!
וַיַּדְבֵּ֖ר עַמִּ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽי׃	48	God—who gives me vengance against my enemies and subdues peoples underneath me.
מְפַלְּטִ֗י מֵאֹ֫יְבָ֥י אַ֣ף מִן־קָ֭מַי תְּרוֹמְמֵ֑נִי מֵאִ֥ישׁ חָ֝מָ֗ס תַּצִּילֵֽנִי׃	49	You who deliver me from my enemies will indeed exalt me over those who rise up against me. You will rescue me from the violent man.
וּלְשִׁמְךָ֥ אֲזַמֵּֽרָה׃	50	Therefore after you deliver me from my enemies and subdue foreign nations underneath me I shall praise you among the nations, YHWH, so that they may hear of your works! And I shall sing praise to your name,
מַגְדִּיל֮ יְשׁוּע֪וֹת מַ֫לְכּ֥וֹ וְעֹ֤שֶׂה חֶ֨סֶד ׀ לִמְשִׁיח֗וֹ לְדָוִ֥ד וּלְזַרְע֗וֹ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃	51	you who makes the deliverance of his king spectacular by powerfully manifesting yourself and by equipping him with strength , and performs acts of loyalty for his anointed one, for David on account of the covenant between us, and for his seed, forever.”

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Bibliography

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Footnotes

↑ Common-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/ANE background - beliefs and practices that were widespread at this time and place. This is the background information necessary for understanding propositions that do not readily make sense to those who are so far removed from the culture in which the proposition was originally expressed.
↑ Local-ground assumptions are those propositions which are necessarily true if the text is true. They include both presuppositions and entailments. Presuppositions are those implicit propositions which are assumed to be true by an explicit proposition. Entailments are those propositions which are necessarily true if a proposition is true.
↑ Whereas local-ground assumptions are inferences which are necessarily true if the text is true, play-ground assumptions are those inferences which might be true if the text is true.

[1] Common-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/ANE background - beliefs and practices that were widespread at this time and place. This is the background information necessary for understanding propositions that do not readily make sense to those who are so far removed from the culture in which the proposition was originally expressed.

[2] Local-ground assumptions are those propositions which are necessarily true if the text is true. They include both presuppositions and entailments. Presuppositions are those implicit propositions which are assumed to be true by an explicit proposition. Entailments are those propositions which are necessarily true if a proposition is true.

[3] Whereas local-ground assumptions are inferences which are necessarily true if the text is true, play-ground assumptions are those inferences which might be true if the text is true.

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Psalm 18 Story Behind

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Psalm 18