Psalm 21 Grammar

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• Grammar
• Semantics
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• Discourse
• Poetics

About the Grammar Layer

The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Expand" to the right.)

The grammatical diagram provides a way to visualise how different parts of a sentence work together. It represents the “surface-level” grammar, or morphosyntax, of a sentence. Morphosyntax includes both the form of words (morphology) and their placement in the sentence (syntax). This approach to visualising the text, based on the Reed-Kellogg diagramming method, places the grammatical subject in one slot, the verb in another slot, and modifiers and connectives in other slots.

For a detailed description of our method, see the Grammar Creator Guidelines.

Grammar Visuals for Psalm 21

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

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

v. 1

• See our discussion of לַמְנַצֵחַ and the Translation Challenges.

• The meaning of a psalm of David (לְדָוִד) in the superscription impacts whether David (who is not mentioned explicitly elsewhere in the psalm) should be attributed as the author. For further discussion of this issue see לְדָוִד.

v. 2

• There is a Ketiv/Qere issue in v. 2b with the Ketiv form יָגֵיל diagrammed as the preferred reading and the Qere יָגֶל as an emendation. The Qere reading could be based on an alternative root גלל and mean something like "to roll away". However, it seems best to understand the Qere form as an alternative form of יגיל, which, following the exclamation מה, has been naturally shortened with a decrease in tone into יָגֶל . Because of this the Ketiv reading יָגֵיל with מַה retained has been kept as the preferred text. Therefore, the issue here is with vocalization and not meaning, with the Qere form rendering the same gloss "he exults".
• In coming directly before the verbal clause here מַה is functioning to introduce and express the admiration of the verbal subject.

v. 3

v. 4

• כי is treated as a particle coordinating at the discourse unit level here rather than a subordinating conjunction. Contextually its associated clause does not seem subordinate to the preceding or following clauses. Also the סֶּלָה "selah" just prior creates a discourse break. Some translations understand כי here to be functioning as an asseverative particle e.g. "Oui" ("Yes") (PDV2017, S21). See also vv. 8, 12, 13.
• The noun בִּרְכוֹת is in a construct chain with טוֹב an adjective; given the adjective is in the construct chain, it is considered as functioning nominally.

v. 5

• The construct phrase אֹרֶךְ יָמִים is treated in apposition to (חַיִּים) the implied object of נָתַ֣תָּה. While עוֹלָם וָעֶד are understood to function as accusatives of time and are diagrammed as a compound adverbial see, ESV, NIV, NASB, and NKJV. An alternative suggestion is that עוֹלָם וָעֶד should be understood as "synonyms in apposition" rather than "accusatives of time." The NET and CEV treat אֹרֶךְ יָמִים עוֹלָם וָעֶד as the direct object of נָתַתָּה as per the first alternative diagram. The NLT seems to understand אֹרֶךְ יָמִים עוֹלָם וָעֶד as a stand alone nominal clause "the days of his life stretch on forever," perhaps a more literal reading would be "the length of his days (are) forever and ever" see the second alternative diagram above (in pink).

v. 6

v. 7-8

• כי has been taken as a particle again here. However an alternative option has been diagrammed of modal adverb "surely" (NIV) as well as an alternative possibility where the two lines in v. 7 are understood to be subordinate to v. 8, the former providing the cause for what follows.
• שׁית (put) is in the category of verbs that can take a double object accusative.
• A majority of English translations (ESV, NIV, NASB, NKJV etc.) appear to take אֶת as a preposition rather as the direct object identifier. A notable exception is the NLT. The latter is diagrammed as an alternative.
• HALOT suggests reading תְּחַדֵּ֥הוּ (a rare form in OT) as תְּרַוֵּהוּ from the root רוה "to saturate."

v. 9

v. 10

• יהוה could be closing the first line or opening the second line. If considered part of the former it would be taken as a vocative, however as Craigie notes the "metrical balance" and clarity it provides when included with the latter line make that the preferred option.
• The MT reading of לעת may be a corrupted form of לְעֻמַּת. The MT text has been retained as the preferred reading in the diagram, though this will be an exegetical issue to investigate further.

v. 11

v. 12-13

• v. 12: The כִּי here is understood as concessive "even though." The ESV, NIV, NLT, and NASB translate it this way. NET translates it as an emphatic modal adverb "yes", and others including NKJV as "for".
• v. 13: The כִּי in the preferred diagram is understood here as making v. 13 subordinate to v. 12 and functioning causally. Whereas in the second alternative for v. 12 and the alternative for v. 13 כִּי "for" is simply coordinating each line with what precedes.
• v. 13: The clause כִּי תְּשִׁיתֵמוֹ שֶׁכֶם can be understood with the תְּשִׁיתֵמוֹ having a double object including the pronominal suffix. Also see the note for v. 10 above.

v. 14

Bibliography

Arnold, Bill T., and John H. Choi. 2018. A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Grace Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Book of Psalms. Vol. I. New York, NY: C. Scribner’s sons.

Craigie, Peter C. 2004. Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 1–50. 2nd ed. Vol. 19. Nashville: Nelson Reference & Electronic.

Dahood, Mitchell J. 1966. The Anchor Bible: Psalms I, 1-50. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.

Davidson, A. B. 1902. The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.

Davies, G. I. The Psalms. 1993. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press.

Delitzsch, Franz Julius. 1883. A Commentary on the Psalms. New York: Funk and Wagnalls.

Grogan, Geoffrey W. 1991. Expositor's Bible Commentary: Psalms. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Keel, Othmar. 1997. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms. Translated by Timothy J. Hallett. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1993. A Continental Commentary. Psalms 1-59. Translated by Hilton C. Oswald. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Ryken, Leland, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III. 2000. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Van der Merwe, Christo H. J., Jacobus A. Naudé, and Jan H. Kroeze. 2017. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. 2nd ed. New York: Bloomsbury T&T Clark.

VanGemeren, Willem. 2008. Psalms: The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Waltke, Bruce K. & O'Connor, Michael. O. 1990. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns.