Psalm 23/Notes/Verbal.V. 1.619214

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  • יְהוָ֥ה רֹ֝עִ֗י ("YHWH is my shepherd"): The participle רֹעִי is commonly treated as a grammaticalized noun (cf. also Gen 46:32; Isa 38:12; 44:28; 63:11; etc.). In other words, this participle acts more like a noun than a typical participle with verbal function.[1] Moreover, "the use of the participle to specify certain entities may become conventionalized so that the participle functions as a substantive. This use of a participle form often refers to professions."[2]
  • The verb אֶחְסָֽר is morphologically stative, and stative yiqtol verbs "mainly refer to the future."[3] Moreover, the use of the yiqtol denotes a situation that extends to the future; i.e., the psalmist will not ever be lacking >> he will never lack anything (cf. CEV: "I will never be in need").
  1. ↑ "When both subj. and pred. are definite, the subj. precedes the pred. and the clause is one of identification" (J.C.L. Gibson 1994, §49 (a)) (e.g., Ps. 74:12: וֵ֭אלֹהִים מַלְכִּ֣י - and God is my king).
  2. ↑ BHRG §20.3.2.3 (2), page 186.
  3. ↑ van Peursen 2017, 106. Cf. also JM §113a.