Psalm 24 Discourse
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Psalm 24/Discourse
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Meeting the king
Psalm 24
Please note: Resources for Psalm 24 are in the process of being reformatted for visual consistency and improved functionality.
About the Discourse Layer
Our Discourse Layer includes four additional layers of analysis:
- Participant analysis
- Macrosyntax
- Speech act analysis
- Emotional analysis
For more information on our method of analysis, click the expandable explanation button at the beginning of each layer.
Participant Analysis
Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? It is often helpful for understanding literary structure, speaker identification, etc.
For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Participant Analysis Creator Guidelines.
There are 3 participants/characters in Psalm 24:
| David |
| YHWH |
| "YHWH" (vv. 1, 3, 5, 8, 10) |
| "The God of... salvation" (v. 5) |
| "The glorious king" (vv. 7–10) |
| Congregation |
| "gates" (vv. 7, 9) |
| "eternal doorways" (vv. 7, 9) |
| one with clean hands and a pure heart (v. 4) |
| the generation of Jacob (v. 6) |
| "those who seek YHWH" (v. 6) |
- The psalmist, as the speaker throughout the psalm, is identified as David in the superscription.
- YHWH is referred to as "the God of salvation" (v. 5) to the one who will approach his holy place (v. 3). As his people welcome him in as king, he is referred to as "the glorious king."
- The addressee throughout the psalm (with the exception of v. 6) is considered to be the congregation. They are encouraged to examine themselves to ensure they belong to those "with clean hands and a pure heart" (v. 4) in order to be identified as "the generation of Jacob" and "those who seek YHWH" (v. 6). If that is the case, they are counted among those who receive the privilege of accompanying the Ark of YHWH into his holy place and welcome him as king, as if they, themselves, were the gates of the city. (For further detail, see the exegetical issue, The Meaning of "Doors" in Ps 24:7, 9).
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר | 1a | By David. A psalm. |
| לַֽ֭יהוָה הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ | 1b | The earth and its fullness belong to YHWH, |
| תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ | 1c | the world and the inhabitants in it, |
| כִּי־ה֭וּא׀ עַל־יַמִּ֣ים יְסָדָ֑הּ | 2a | because he has founded it upon the seas |
| וְעַל־נְ֝הָר֗וֹת יְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃ | 2b | and keeps it established upon the currents. |
| מִֽי־יַעֲלֶ֥ה בְהַר־יְהוָ֑ה | 3a | Who may go up on the mountain of YHWH? |
| וּמִי־יָ֝קוּם בִּמְק֥וֹם קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ | 3b | And who may stand within his holy place? |
| נְקִ֥י כַפַּ֗יִם וּֽבַר־לֵ֫בָ֥ב | 4a | One with clean hands and a pure heart, |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשׁוֹ | 4b | who has not delighted in falsehood, |
| וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃ | 4c | nor taken an oath deceitfully. |
| יִשָּׂ֣א בְ֭רָכָה מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה | 5a | He will receive blessing from YHWH |
| וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה מֵאֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעֽוֹ׃ | 5b | and privilege from the God of his salvation. |
| זֶ֭ה דּ֣וֹר דֹּרְשָׁ֑יו | 6a | Such is the generation—those seeking him, |
| מְבַקְשֵׁ֨י פָנֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃ | 6b | those who seek your face—of Jacob. Selah. |
| שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם | 7a | Lift up your heads, gates, |
| וְֽ֭הִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם | 7b | and be lifted up, eternal doorways, |
| וְ֝יָב֗וֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | 7c | so that the glorious king might enter! |
| מִ֥י זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד | 8a | Who is this, the glorious king? |
| יְ֭הוָה עִזּ֣וּז וְגִבּ֑וֹר | 8b | YHWH, a mighty one and a warrior; |
| יְ֝הוָ֗ה גִּבּ֥וֹר מִלְחָמָֽה׃ | 8c | YHWH, a battle warrior. |
| שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם | 9a | Lift up your heads, gates, |
| וּ֭שְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם | 9b | and lift up, eternal doorways, |
| וְ֝יָבֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | 9c | so that the glorious king might enter! |
| מִ֤י ה֣וּא זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד | 10a | Who is this, the glorious king? |
| יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֑וֹת ה֤וּא מֶ֖לֶךְ הַכָּב֣וֹד סֶֽלָה׃ | 10b | YHWH of armies, he is the glorious king. Selah. |
- Addressee throughout vv. 1-5: The congregation , or YHWH? Both the faithful, Jacob, and YHWH are described largely in the third person throughout vv. 1-5. Nevertheless, the intended perlocutionary effect is that the listener would examine him/herself to ensure they belonged among those described in v. 4, such that it is the congregation itself being addressed throughout these verses.
- Addressee in v. 6: The congregation , or YHWH? The second-person suffix on "your face" as belonging to YHWH supports interpreting YHWH as the addressee of this verse, though only this verse.
- Addressee throughout vv. 7-10: Due to the imagery of the gates, being addressed, as identified with the inhabitants of Zion (see the imagery tables), it is most plausible that the same congregation addressed in vv. 1-5 are also addressed here.
Participant Relations Diagram
The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:
Participant Analysis Summary Distribution
Macrosyntax
Macrosyntax Diagram
| Macrosyntax legend | |
|---|---|
| Vocatives | Vocatives are indicated by purple text. |
| Discourse marker | Discourse markers (such as כִּי, הִנֵּה, לָכֵן) are indicated by orange text. |
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The scope governed by the discourse marker is indicated by a dashed orange bracket connecting the discourse marker to its scope. |
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The preceding discourse grounding the discourse marker is indicated by a solid orange bracket encompassing the relevant clauses. |
| Subordinating conjunction | The subordinating conjunction is indicated by teal text. |
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Subordination is indicated by a solid teal bracket connecting the subordinating conjunction with the clause to which it is subordinate. |
| Coordinating conjunction | The coordinating conjunction is indicated by blue text. |
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Coordination is indicated by a solid blue line connecting the coordinating clauses. |
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Coordination without an explicit conjunction is indicated by a dashed blue line connecting the coordinated clauses. |
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Marked topic is indicated by a black dashed rounded rectangle around the marked words. |
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The scope of the activated topic is indicated by a black dashed bracket encompassing the relevant clauses. |
| Marked focus or thetic sentence | Marked focus (if one constituent) or thetic sentences[1] are indicated by bold text. |
 |
Frame setters[2] are indicated by a solid gray rounded rectangle around the marked words. |
| [blank line] | Discourse discontinuity is indicated by a blank line. |
| [indentation] | Syntactic subordination is indicated by indentation. |
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Direct speech is indicated by a solid black rectangle surrounding all relevant clauses. |
| (text to elucidate the meaning of the macrosyntactic structures) | Within the CBC, any text elucidating the meaning of macrosyntax is indicated in gray text inside parentheses. |
If an emendation or revocalization is preferred, that emendation or revocalization will be marked in the Hebrew text of all the visuals.
| Emendations/Revocalizations legend | |
|---|---|
| *Emended text* | Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is indicated by blue asterisks on either side of the emendation. |
| *Revocalized text* | Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is indicated by purple asterisks on either side of the revocalization. |
(Click diagram to enlarge)
- The discourse discontinuity between vv. 6 and 7 is indicated by סֶֽלָה and the salient pattern of imperatives and vocatives from v. 7 onwards.
- v. 1 – The phrase לַֽ֭יהוָה begins the verbless clause to indicate the exclusive focal nature of creation's belonging "to YHWH (and no one else)." See the SG21's cleft structure: C’est à l’Eternel qu’appartient "It is to the Lord that belong..."
- v. 2a – The pronoun ה֭וּא is focus fronted, either as polar (i.e., "It was he who...") or exclusive focus. See the REB's cleft structure: "For it was he who founded it on the seas" (cf. TOB).
- v. 2 – The prepositional phrases עַל־יַמִּ֣ים and עַל־נְ֝הָר֗וֹת (following the focus-fronted ה֭וּא in the first instance) are fronted to create a poetic pattern of repetition, which concludes the first section of the psalm (see poetic structure).
- v. 4b – The prepositional phrase לַשָּׁ֣וְא appears before *נַפְשׁוֹ* in order to set up the pattern of repetition with the structure of 4c, which lacks a constituent corresponding to *נַפְשׁוֹ*, and in order to create the line-final pattern of 3ms *נַפְשׁוֹ* and קָדְשֽׁוֹ in the previous verse.
- The vocative position as clause-medial in vv. 7a/9a can be (tentatively) understood simply to slow down the processing and to partition the line into manageable chunks (since the imperatival verb phrase is "all new" and somewhat "out-of-the-blue"). Other explanations include mitigation/marking superiority of addressee (Revell 1996, 338; Kim 2022, 187), dividing between theme-rheme (Kim 2022, 191) or simply "poetic" (ibid., 190) None of these three explanations are satisfying here.
- vv. 7b/9b – According to Kim's (2022) understanding of a C-unit, פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם would be C-unit medial (as the resulting weyiqtol clause would be contained within the same C-unit), and either "focusing" the weyiqtol clause or at least delaying its utterance for higher prominence. They also follow the line-second position of the preceding vocatives in vv. 7a and 9a with a ballast variant (making the lines of comparable length even in the absence of a direct object, like "your heads").
- (There are no notes on discourse markers for this psalm)
- (There are no notes on conjunctions for this psalm)
Speech Act Analysis
The Speech Act layer presents the text in terms of what it does, following the findings of Speech Act Theory. It builds on the recognition that there is more to communication than the exchange of propositions. Speech act analysis is particularly important when communicating cross-culturally, and lack of understanding can lead to serious misunderstandings, since the ways languages and cultures perform speech acts varies widely.
For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Speech Act Analysis Creator Guidelines.
Summary Visual
| Speaker | Verses | Macro Speech Acts | Addressee | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David | v. 1 By David. A psalm. The earth and its fullness belong to YHWH, the world and the inhabitants in it, | REMINDER |
Congregation | |||
| v. 2 because he has founded it upon the seas and keeps it established upon the currents. | ||||||
| v. 3 Who may go up on the mountain of YHWH? And who may stand within his holy place? | DECREE |
|||||
| v. 4 One with clean hands and a pure heart, who has not delighted in falsehood, nor taken an oath deceitfully. | ||||||
| v. 5 He will receive blessing from YHWH and privilege from the God of his salvation. | ASSURANCE |
YHWH | ||||
| v. 6 Such is the generation—those seeking him, those who seek your face—of Jacob. Selah. | ||||||
| v. 7 Lift up your heads, gates, and be lifted up, eternal doorways, so that the glorious king might enter! | COMMAND |
Congregation | ||||
| v. 8 Who is this, the glorious king? YHWH, a mighty one and a warrior; YHWH, a battle warrior. | ||||||
| v. 9 Lift up your heads, gates, and lift up, eternal doorways, so that the glorious king might enter! | ||||||
| v. 10 Who is this, the glorious king? YHWH of armies, he is the glorious king. Selah. | ||||||
Speech Act Analysis Chart
The following chart is scrollable (left/right; up/down).
| Verse | Hebrew | CBC | Sentence type | Illocution (general) | Illocution with context | Macro speech act | Intended perlocution (Think) | Intended perlocution (Feel) | Intended perlocution (Do) |
| Verse number and poetic line | Hebrew text | English translation | Declarative, Imperative, or Interrogative Indirect Speech Act: Mismatch between sentence type and illocution type |
Assertive, Directive, Expressive, Commissive, or Declaratory Indirect Speech Act: Mismatch between sentence type and illocution type |
More specific illocution type with paraphrased context | Illocutionary intent (i.e. communicative purpose) of larger sections of discourse These align with the "Speech Act Summary" headings |
What the speaker intends for the address to think | What the speaker intends for the address to feel | What the speaker intends for the address to do |
If an emendation or revocalization is preferred, that emendation or revocalization will be marked in the Hebrew text of all the visuals.
| Emendations/Revocalizations legend | |
|---|---|
| *Emended text* | Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is indicated by blue asterisks on either side of the emendation. |
| *Revocalized text* | Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is indicated by purple asterisks on either side of the revocalization. |
| Verse | Text (Hebrew) | Text (CBC) | Sentence type | Illocution (general) | Illocution with context | Macro speech act | Intended perlocution (Think) | Intended perlocution (Feel) | Intended perlocution (Do) | Speech Act Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר | By David. A psalm. | Fragment | Assertive | Introducing the author and genre of the poem | |||||
| לַֽ֭יהוָה הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ | The earth and its fullness belong to YHWH, the world and the inhabitants in it, | Declarative | Assertive | Reminding YHWH's people that he is the one who has all authority over creation | Reminding YHWH's people that he is the one who has all authority over creation | • The audience will know YHWH alone is worth of worship • The audience will know YHWH can determine how he is to be worshipped |
• The audience will feel confident in the stability of YHWH's reign | |||
| 2 | כִּי־ה֭וּא עַל־יַמִּ֣ים יְסָדָ֑הּ | because he has founded it upon the seas | ||||||||
| וְעַל־נְ֝הָר֗וֹת יְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃ | and keeps it established upon the currents. | |||||||||
| 3 | מִֽי־יַעֲלֶ֥ה בְהַר־יְהוָ֑ה | Who may go up on the mountain of YHWH? | Interrogative | Assertive | Decreeing the necessary requirements to enter into YHWH's presence | • The audience will examine themselves according to these qualities and requirements | ||||
| וּמִי־יָ֝קוּם בִּמְק֥וֹם קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ | And who may stand within his holy place? | Interrogative | Assertive | Decreeing the necessary requirements to enter into YHWH's presence | Decreeing the necessary requirements to enter into YHWH's presence | |||||
| 4 | נְקִ֥י כַפַּ֗יִם וּֽבַר־לֵ֫בָ֥ב | One with clean hands and a pure heart, | Declarative | Assertive | Explaining the qualities of the person who can enter YHWH's presence. | |||||
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר׀ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא *נַפְשׁוֹ* | who has not delighted in falsehood, | |||||||||
| וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃ | nor taken an oath deceitfully. | |||||||||
| 5 | יִשָּׂ֣א בְ֭רָכָה מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה מֵאֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעֽוֹ׃ | He will receive blessing from YHWH and privilege from the God of his salvation. | Declarative | Assertive | Assuring the blessing of entrance for the person with these qualities | Assuring the blessing of entrance for the person with these qualities | • The audience will know YHWH can determine who will approach his presence | • The audience will feel hopeful they can be counted among this generation of Jacob | ||
| 6 | זֶ֭ה דּ֣וֹר דֹּרְשָׁ֑יו מְבַקְשֵׁ֨י פָנֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃ | Such is the generation—those seeking him, those who seek your face—of Jacob. Selah. | Declarative | Assertive | Explaining that those who possess these qualities and seek YHWH's presence are the true current generation of Jacob | • The audience will seek YHWH | • In perlocutionary fashion: "[v. 6] functions to call its readers to become Jacob" (Sumpter 2014, 49) | |||
| 7 | שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם | Lift up your heads, gates, | Imperative | Directive | Commanding true Jacob to anticipate and welcome the king's entrance | Commanding true Jacob to anticipate and welcome the king's entrance | • The audience will anticipate the entrance of YHWH's ark | |||
| וְֽ֭הִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם | and be lifted up, eternal doorways, | • The audience will welcome the entrance of YHWH's ark | ||||||||
| וְ֝יָב֗וֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | so that the glorious king might enter! | • The audience will feel awe at the king's glory | ||||||||
| 8 | מִ֥י זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד | Who is this, the glorious king? | Interrogative | Directive | Challenging Jacob to reflect on YHWH's identity | • The audience will think YHWH is the glorious king | • The audience will reflect on YHWH's identity | • The repeated questions with the addressee opportunity to pause and reflect on the answer, until it becomes crystal clear. See further discussion in story behind. | ||
| יְ֭הוָה עִזּ֣וּז וְגִבּ֑וֹר | YHWH, a mighty one and a warrior; | Declarative | Assertive | Explaining YHWH's identity as the glorious king | • The audience will feel confidence in YHWH's might | |||||
| יְ֝הוָ֗ה גִּבּ֥וֹר מִלְחָמָֽה׃ | YHWH, a battle warrior. | Declarative | Assertive | Explaining YHWH's identity and merits | ||||||
| 9 | שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם | Lift up your heads, gates, | Imperative | Directive | Commanding true Jacob to anticipate and welcome the king's entrance | • The audience will anticipate the entrance of YHWH's ark | ||||
| וּ֭שְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם | and lift up, eternal doorways, | • The audience will welcome the entrance of YHWH's ark | ||||||||
| וְ֝יָבֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | so that the glorious king might enter! | • The audience will feel awe at the king's glory | ||||||||
| 10 | מִ֤י ה֣וּא זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד | Who is this, the glorious king? | Interrogative | Directive | Challenging Jacob to reflect on YHWH's identity | • The audience will think YHWH is the glorious king | • The audience will reflect on YHWH's identity | |||
| יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֑וֹת ה֤וּא מֶ֖לֶךְ הַכָּב֣וֹד סֶֽלָה׃ | YHWH of armies, he is the glorious king. Selah. | Declarative | Assertive | Explaining YHWH's identity as the glorious king | • The audience will feel confidence in YHWH's might |
Emotional Analysis
This layer explores the emotional dimension of the biblical text and seeks to uncover the clues within the text itself that are part of the communicative intent of its author. The goal of this analysis is to chart the basic emotional tone and/or progression of the psalm.
For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Emotional Analysis Creator Guidelines.
Emotional Analysis Chart
If an emendation or revocalization is preferred, that emendation or revocalization will be marked in the Hebrew text of all the visuals.
| Emendations/Revocalizations legend | |
|---|---|
| *Emended text* | Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is indicated by blue asterisks on either side of the emendation. |
| *Revocalized text* | Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is indicated by purple asterisks on either side of the revocalization. |
| Verse | Text (Hebrew) | Text (CBC) | Proposition (Emotional Analysis) | The Psalmist Feels | Emotional Analysis Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר | By David. A psalm. | • "Our psalm opens with a declaration of ownership which... emphasizes the identity of the divine owner rather than the act of creation itself" (Sumpter, 2014, 46) | ||
| לַֽ֭יהוָה הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ | The earth and its fullness belong to YHWH, the world and the inhabitants in it, | The earth belongs to YHWH | • Sober and reverential that YHWH has all authority over creation and therefore establishes the boundaries of worship | ||
| 2 | כִּי־ה֭וּא עַל־יַמִּ֣ים יְסָדָ֑הּ | because he has founded it upon the seas | YHWH establishes the earth | • awe at YHWH's creative power | • See verbal semantics for ongoing preservation of the world |
| וְעַל־נְ֝הָר֗וֹת יְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃ | and keeps it established upon the currents. | ||||
| 3 | מִֽי־יַעֲלֶ֥ה בְהַר־יְהוָ֑ה | Who may go up on the mountain of YHWH? | Someone goes up on YHWH's mountain | • In awe and unworthy to stand within his holy place on his own account • Humbled and thankful that he may stand within his holy place • Confident that he may stand within his holy place • Zealous for others to meet the requirements |
• The challenge of entering ➞ unworthy + simultaneously thankful (Mowinckel 1962; Wilson 2002) |
| וּמִי־יָ֝קוּם בִּמְק֥וֹם קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ | And who may stand within his holy place? | Someone stands within YHWH's holy place | |||
| 4 | נְקִ֥י כַפַּ֗יִם וּֽבַר־לֵ֫בָ֥ב | One with clean hands and a pure heart, | Someone has integrity | • Zealous for others to have clean hands and a pure heart | |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר׀ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא *נַפְשׁוֹ* | who has not delighted in falsehood, | Someone delights in idols | • Contempt for those who have delighted in falsehood or taken an oath deceitfully | ||
| וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃ | nor taken an oath deceitfully. | Someone swears by idols | |||
| 5 | יִשָּׂ֣א בְ֭רָכָה מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה מֵאֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעֽוֹ׃ | He will receive blessing from YHWH and privilege from the God of his salvation. | YHWH gives someone blessing and privilege | • Thankful and joyful that this blessing is promised to the pure • Assured that he will receive justice from the God of his salvation |
• See verbal semantics for indicative ישׂא • By declaring this reality the hearer receives an implicit promise |
| 6 | זֶ֭ה דּ֣וֹר דֹּרְשָׁ֑יו מְבַקְשֵׁ֨י פָנֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃ | Such is the generation—those seeking him, those who seek your face—of Jacob. Selah. | YHWH gives those seeking him blessing and privilege | • Thankful and joyful that he forms part of those who seek YHWH's face • Assured that seeking YHWH's face with right character results in blessing and justice | |
| 7 | שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם | Lift up your heads, gates, | The elders receive the king | • Confident that the glorious king is uniquely authoritative and worthy to be enthroned • Joyful that the glorious king meets with his people • Zealous that the city's inhabitants lift up their heads and open (= anticipate YHWH's entry and welcome him) • Expectantly hopeful that he will enter |
• See story behind for lift up your head as encouragement • The psalmist aligns himself with the city's response to YHWH's entrance: hopeful anticipation • If the warrior is returning from a battle already won, the city's reception will be relief, assurance & joy |
| וְֽ֭הִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם | and be lifted up, eternal doorways, | ||||
| וְ֝יָב֗וֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | so that the glorious king might enter! | ||||
| 8 | מִ֥י זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד | Who is this, the glorious king? | Someone is the glorious king | • Confident that YHWH is the glorious king who has been victorious • In awe that YHWH is the God of his people | |
| יְ֭הוָה עִזּ֣וּז וְגִבּ֑וֹר | YHWH, a mighty one and a warrior; | YHWH is the glorious king | |||
| יְ֝הוָ֗ה גִּבּ֥וֹר מִלְחָמָֽה׃ | YHWH, a battle warrior. | YHWH is a battle warrior | |||
| 9 | שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם | Lift up your heads, gates, | The elders receive the king | • Confident that the glorious king is uniquely authoritative and worthy to be enthroned • Joyful that the glorious king meets with his people • Zealous that the city's inhabitants lift up their heads and open (= anticipate YHWH's entry and welcome him) • Expectantly hopeful that he will enter | |
| וּ֭שְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם | and lift up, eternal doorways, | ||||
| וְ֝יָבֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | so that the glorious king might enter! | ||||
| 10 | מִ֤י ה֣וּא זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד | Who is this, the glorious king? | Someone is the glorious king | • Confident that YHWH is the glorious king who has been victorious • In awe that YHWH is the God of his people | |
| יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֑וֹת ה֤וּא מֶ֖לֶךְ הַכָּב֣וֹד סֶֽלָה׃ | YHWH of armies, he is the glorious king. Selah. | YHWH of armies is the glorious king |
Summary Visual
(Click visual to enlarge).
This resource is forthcoming.
Affective Circumplex
The affective circumplex locates emotions on two axes: (1) positive vs. negative valence; and (2) active vs. passive activation. Since emotional terminology often carries unintended cultural connotations, the purpose of the circumplex is to ease translation of emotions across different languages and cultures.
Bibliography
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- Briggs, Charles A. & Briggs, Emilie G. 1906-7. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms, International Critical Commentary. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons.
- Campbell, A. F. 1979b. "Yahweh and the Ark: A Case Study in Narrative," in Journal of Biblical Literature 98, no. 1:31-43.
- Craigie, Peter C. 2004. Psalms 1-50. Second edition. Nashville, TN: Nelson.
- Croft, William. 2022. Morphosyntax: Constructions of the World's Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Cross, Frank M. 1973. Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
- Delitzsch, Franz. 1883. A Commentary on the Book of Psalms. New York, NY: Funk and Wagnalls.
- Garr, W. R. 2022. "The Cataphoric Pronoun in Biblical Hebrew," in Journal of Semitic Studies 67, vol. 2:353–393.
- Gunkel, Hermann. 1903. "Psalm 24: An Interpretation," in The Biblical World 21, no. 5:366–370.
- Ḥakham, Amos. 1979. The Book of Psalms: Books 1-2 (Hebrew; ספר תהלים: ספרים א–ב). Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook.
- Ibn Ezra. Ibn Ezra on Psalms.
- Kirkpatrick, Alexander, F. 1891. Psalms with Introduction and Notes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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- Spangenberg, Izak, J. J. 2011. "Psalm 24: Reading from Right to Left and from Back to Front," in Old Testament Essays 24, vol. 3:746–766.
- Sumpter, Phillip. 2014. "The Coherence of Psalm 24," in Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 39, no. 1:31–54.
- Tsumura, David T. 2023. Vertical Grammar of Parallelism in Biblical Hebrew. Atlanta, GA: SBL Press.
- Witthoff, David J. 2021. The Relationships of the Senses of נְפֶשׁ in the Hebrew Bible: A Cognitive Linguistic Perspective. PhD dissertation, University of Stellenbosch.
Footnotes
- ↑ When the entire utterance is new/unexpected, it is a thetic sentence (often called "sentence focus"). See our Creator Guidelines for more information on topic and focus.
- ↑ Frame setters are any orientational constituent – typically, but not limited to, spatio-temporal adverbials – function to "limit the applicability of the main predication to a certain restricted domain" and "indicate the general type of information that can be given" in the clause nucleus (Krifka & Musan 2012: 31-32). In previous scholarship, they have been referred to as contextualizing constituents (see, e.g., Buth (1994), “Contextualizing Constituents as Topic, Non-Sequential Background and Dramatic Pause: Hebrew and Aramaic evidence,” in E. Engberg-Pedersen, L. Falster Jakobsen and L. Schack Rasmussen (eds.) Function and expression in Functional Grammar. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 215-231; Buth (2023), “Functional Grammar and the Pragmatics of Information Structure for Biblical Languages,” in W. A. Ross & E. Robar (eds.) Linguistic Theory and the Biblical Text. Cambridge: Open Book Publishers, 67-116), but this has been conflated with the function of topic. In brief: sentence topics, belonging to the clause nucleus, are the entity or event about which the clause provides a new predication; frame setters do not belong in the clause nucleus and rather provide a contextual orientation by which to understand the following clause.