Psalm 19 Participant Analysis
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Psalm 19/Participant Analysis
Nothing is Hidden
Psalm 19
Participant Analysis
Participant Set List
There are four participants/characters in Psalm 19:
| David |
| David (v. 1) |
| Your servant (vv. 12, 14) |
| YHWH |
| YHWH (vv. 8-10, 15) |
| God (v. 2) |
| My rock and my redeemer (v. 15) |
| YHWH's instruction |
| YHWH's instruction (v. 8a) |
| YHWH's testimony (v. 8b) |
| YHWH's commandments (v. 9a) |
| YHWH's command (v. 9b) |
| Fearing YHWH (v. 10a) |
| YHWH's rules (v. 10b) |
| Sky |
| sky (vv. 2a, 7) |
| firmament (v. 2b) |
| Sun |
| the sun (v. 5c) |
| Sins |
| Mistakes (v. 13a) |
| Hidden sins (v. 13b) |
| Presumptuous sins (v. 14a) |
Profile Notes
- David refers to himself twice as "your servant" (עבדך) (vv. 12a, 14a), which is a polite form of self-reference used when speaking to a superior (cf. HALOT). The term creates a connection to the superscription of the previous psalm, where David is called "YHWH's servant" (עבד יהוה) (for more on connections between Ps 18 and Ps 19, see Hossfeld and Zenger 1993, 130).
- YHWH is called by the more general term "God" (אל) in the first half of the psalm, which focuses on his role as the universal creator whose glory is revealed to all people (cf. אלהים in Gen 1), and by his name "YHWH" (יהוה) in the second half of the psalm (7 times), which focuses on the covenant instruction of YHWH as the God of Israel in particular (cf. Cassuto 1941, lectures 2-3).
- Sins are regarded as a participant here, because "presumptuous sins" are the subject of the verb "rule" in v. 14, i.e., they are personified as a volitional agent. On the meaning of each of these different words for sin, see Lexical Semantics.
- The sky (vv. 2a, 7a), also referred to by the more specific term, "the firmament" (v. 2b) (cf. Gen 1:8), probably includes "everything in the heavens (a metonymy of subject)—primarily the sun, moon, clouds, stars, and planets" (Ross 2011, 472). The sky is also referred to metonymically as "day after day" and "night after night" (v. 3), i.e., it is the movement of day-to-day as seen within the sky that pours out speech, declaring God’s honor.
- In v. 5c, the topic shifts to one particular part of "the sky", i.e., the sun, who is personified as a happy bridegroom and as a warrior (a warrior-poet, like David?) who runs each day from one edge of the sky to the other.
Participant Tracking Text
| Speaker | Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources. | Addressee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד | 1 | For the director. A psalm. By David. | ||
| David | הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים כְּבֽוֹד־אֵ֑ל | 2a | The sky is declaring God’s honor, | Unspecified |
| וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דָ֗יו מַגִּ֥יד הָרָקִֽיעַ׃ | 2b | and the firmament is telling about the workmanship of his hands. | ||
| י֣וֹם לְ֭יוֹם יַבִּ֣יעַֽ אֹ֑מֶר | 3a | Day after day pours out speech, | ||
| וְלַ֥יְלָה לְּ֝לַ֗יְלָה יְחַוֶּה־דָּֽעַת׃ | 3b | and night after night imparts knowledge. | ||
| אֵֽין־אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים | 4a | There is no speech, and there are no words | ||
| בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃ | 4b | whose sound is not being heard. | ||
| בְּכָל־הָאָ֨רֶץ ׀ יָ֘צָ֤א קַוָּ֗ם | 5a | Its verse line has gone forth throughout the whole earth, | ||
| וּבִקְצֵ֣ה תֵ֭בֵל מִלֵּיהֶ֑ם | 5b | and its words [have gone forth] throughout the edge of the world. | ||
| לַ֝שֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ שָֽׂם־אֹ֥הֶל בָּהֶֽם׃ | 5c | He has set up in it a home for the sun, | ||
| וְה֗וּא כְּ֭חָתָן יֹצֵ֣א מֵחֻפָּת֑וֹ | 6a | and he is like a bridegroom coming out of his tent. | ||
| יָשִׂ֥ישׂ כְּ֝גִבּ֗וֹר לָר֥וּץ אֹֽרַח׃ | 6b | He is glad, like a warrior, to run his course. | ||
| מִקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם ׀ מֽוֹצָא֗וֹ | 7a | His starting point is from the edge of the sky, | ||
| וּתְקוּפָת֥וֹ עַל־קְצוֹתָ֑ם | 7b | and his turning point is at its edges, | ||
| וְאֵ֥ין נִ֝סְתָּ֗ר מֵֽחַמָּתוֹ׃ | 7c | and nothing is hidden from his heat. | ||
| תּ֘וֹרַ֤ת יְהוָ֣ה תְּ֭מִימָה | 8a | YHWH’s instruction is perfect, | ||
| מְשִׁ֣יבַת נָ֑פֶשׁ | 8b | restoring life. | ||
| עֵד֥וּת יְהוָ֥ה נֶ֝אֱמָנָ֗ה | 8c | YHWH’s testimony is reliable, | ||
| מַחְכִּ֥ימַת פֶּֽתִי׃ | 8d | making simpletons wise. | ||
| פִּקּ֘וּדֵ֤י יְהוָ֣ה יְ֭שָׁרִים | 9a | YHWH’s commandments are just, | ||
| מְשַׂמְּחֵי־לֵ֑ב | 9b | causing the heart to rejoice. | ||
| מִצְוַ֥ת יְהוָ֥ה בָּ֝רָ֗ה | 9c | YHWH’s command is flawless, | ||
| מְאִירַ֥ת עֵינָֽיִם׃ | 9d | giving light to the eyes. | ||
| יִרְאַ֤ת יְהוָ֨ה ׀ טְהוֹרָה֮ | 10a | Fearing YHWH is pure, | ||
| עוֹמֶ֪דֶת לָ֫עַ֥ד | 10b | enduring forever. | ||
| מִֽשְׁפְּטֵי־יְהוָ֥ה אֱמֶ֑ת | 10c | YHWH’s rules are true; | ||
| צָֽדְק֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו׃ | 10d | they are altogether right; | ||
| הַֽנֶּחֱמָדִ֗ים מִ֭זָּהָב וּמִפַּ֣ז רָ֑ב | 11a | those which are more desirable than gold, even much pure gold, | ||
| וּמְתוּקִ֥ים מִ֝דְּבַ֗שׁ וְנֹ֣פֶת צוּפִֽים׃ | 11b | and sweeter than honey, even virgin honey from the honeycomb. | ||
| גַּֽם־עַ֭בְדְּךָ נִזְהָ֣ר בָּהֶ֑ם | 12a | Furthermore, your servant is warned by them. | YHWH | |
| בְּ֝שָׁמְרָ֗ם עֵ֣קֶב רָֽב׃ | 12b | There is great reward in keeping them. | ||
| שְׁגִיא֥וֹת מִֽי־יָבִ֑ין | 13a | Who can discern mistakes? | ||
| מִֽנִּסְתָּר֥וֹת נַקֵּֽנִי׃ | 13b | Clear me from the guilt of hidden sins! | ||
| גַּ֤ם מִזֵּדִ֨ים ׀ חֲשֹׂ֬ךְ עַבְדֶּ֗ךָ | 14a | Also, prevent your servant from committing presumptuous sins! | ||
| אַֽל־יִמְשְׁלוּ־בִ֣י | 14b | Do not let them rule over me! | ||
| אָ֣ז אֵיתָ֑ם | 14c | Then I will be blameless | ||
| וְ֝נִקֵּ֗יתִי מִפֶּ֥שַֽׁע רָֽב׃ | 14d | and innocent of great crime. | ||
| יִֽהְי֥וּ לְרָצ֨וֹן ׀ אִמְרֵי־פִ֡י | 15a | Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart | ||
| וְהֶגְי֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ | 15b | be acceptable before you, | ||
| יְ֝הוָ֗ה צוּרִ֥י וְגֹאֲלִֽי׃ | 15c | YHWH, my rock and my redeemer! |
Relations Diagram
The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:
Distribution Table
