Psalm 25 Story Behind
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Psalm 25/Story Behind
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Psalm 25
Please note: Resources for Psalm 25 are in the process of being reformatted for visual consistency and improved functionality.
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 visualize a mental representation of the text as the earliest hearers/readers might have conceptualized 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 analyze 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 visualizes the rise and fall of tension within a semantic unit. Although story triangles are traditionally used to analyze stories in the literary sense of the word, we use them at this layer to analyze “stories” in the cognitive sense of the word—i.e., a story as a sequence of propositions and assumptions that has tension.
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.
| Story Triangles legend | |
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| 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. |
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The point of the story at which the psalm takes place (as a speech event) is indicated by a gray star. |
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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. |
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A story that repeats is indicated by a circular arrow. This indicates a sequence of either habitual or iterative events. |
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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. |
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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. | |
This resource is forthcoming.
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.
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. [[File:|class=img-fluid]]
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.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| לְדָוִ֡ד אֵלֶ֥יךָ יְ֝הוָ֗ה נַפְשִׁ֥י אֶשָּֽׂא׃ אֱֽלֹהַ֗י | 1 | By David, the king. YHWH made a covenant with David and his descendants. If David and his descendants walked in YHWH's ways, they would experience YHWH's loyalty and faithfulness (cf. Jer 22:3–5); but if they sinned and rebelled against YHWH, they would be punished (2 Sam 7:14; 1 Kgs 2:1–4; Ps 89:20–38), and their enemies would afflict them. In this psalm David prays: YHWH, I have sinned against you, and now I am experiencing your discipline at the hand of my enemies. But I turn to you, YHWH, for restoration – forgiveness of my sins, rescue from my enemies, and the ability to walk in covenant faithfulness. To you alone, YHWH, I lift my soul; I hope in you and depend on you, my God. |
| בְּךָ֣ בָ֭טַחְתִּי אַל־אֵב֑וֹשָׁה אַל־יַֽעַלְצ֖וּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי׃ | 2 | I trust in you alone; do not abandon me and let me be disappointed! Do not let my enemies defeat me and rejoice over me! |
| גַּ֣ם כָּל־קֹ֭וֶיךָ לֹ֣א יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ יֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ הַבּוֹגְדִ֥ים רֵיקָֽם׃ | 3 | Yes, I know that you always come through, and that none who hope in you will be disappointed. Instead, worthless people who disregard your ways and act unfaithfully without repenting will be disappointed and will come to shame. |
| דְּרָכֶ֣יךָ יְ֭הוָה הוֹדִיעֵ֑נִי אֹ֖רְחוֹתֶ֣יךָ לַמְּדֵֽנִי׃ | 4 | YHWH, I do not want to be counted among the "worthless people who act unfaithfully." Help me to walk in covenant faithfulness to you. Show me your ways, YHWH, "so that I may know you and find favor in your sight" (Exod 33:13); teach me to walk in your paths! |
| הַדְרִ֘יכֵ֤נִי בַאֲמִתֶּ֨ךָ ׀ *לַמְּדֵ֗נִי כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׁעִ֑י אוֹתְךָ֥ קִ֝וִּ֗יתִי כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ | 5 | Guide me in your truth, that I may walk in it; teach me to live a life of faithfulness; because I can only be truly free from my enemies and experience the fullness of your favor if I am walking faithfully in your ways (cf. Jer 22:3–5; 2 Sam 7:14; 1 Kgs 2:1–4). So, teach me, because you are the God who saves me. I hope in you alone, and I do so all day long. |
| זְכֹר־רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ יְ֭הוָה וַחֲסָדֶ֑יךָ כִּ֖י מֵעוֹלָ֣ם הֵֽמָּה׃ | 6 | Yet I know, YHWH, that I do not deserve your guidance and protection, because I am a sinner (cf. Exod 33:2–5). Nevertheless, I appeal to your unchanging character: Remember your compassion, YHWH, and [remember] your acts of loyalty, because they have been around forever. Long ago, when our people broke the covenant and worshipped the golden calf, you did not destroy us. Instead, you showed yourself to be "compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in loyalty and faithfulness, keeping loyalty for thousands, forgiving guilt and rebellion and sin" (Exod 34:6–7). |
| חַטֹּ֤אות נְעוּרַ֨י ׀ וּפְשָׁעַ֗י אַל־תִּ֫זְכֹּ֥ר כְּחַסְדְּךָ֥ זְכָר־לִי־אַ֑תָּה לְמַ֖עַן טוּבְךָ֣ יְהוָֽה׃ | 7 | In the same way, I ask you: Do not remember my youthful sins – the many sins that I have committed throughout my life, ever since I was a youth – or my rebellious acts! Instead, remember me according to your loyalty, because of your goodness, YHWH, which you revealed to Moses on the mountain (cf. Exod 33:19)! |
| טוֹב־וְיָשָׁ֥ר יְהוָ֑ה עַל־כֵּ֤ן יוֹרֶ֖ה חַטָּאִ֣ים בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃ | 8 | Now, I will reflect on YHWH's character and how he deals with sinners. YHWH is good and just; therefore, he does not destroy his people as soon as they sin. Instead, he restores them; he instructs sinners in the way of covenant faithfulness. |
| יַדְרֵ֣ךְ עֲ֭נָוִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט וִֽילַמֵּ֖ד עֲנָוִ֣ים דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃ | 9 | He guides afflicted people – those, like me, who humbly hope in him – in the way of justice and he teaches afflicted people to walk in his way. |
| כָּל־אָרְח֣וֹת יְ֭הוָה חֶ֣סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֑ת לְנֹצְרֵ֥י בְ֝רִית֗וֹ וְעֵדֹתָֽיו׃ | 10 | And those who learn to walk in YHWH's paths and to keep his covenant will experience the fullness of his favor, the blessings of his loyalty and faithfulness. For all of YHWH's paths are loyalty and faithfulness for those who keep his covenant and his demands. |
| לְמַֽעַן־שִׁמְךָ֥ יְהוָ֑ה וְֽסָלַחְתָּ֥ לַ֝עֲוֺנִ֗י כִּ֣י רַב־הֽוּא׃ | 11 | I long to experience the blessings of covenant faithfulness, yet my great guilt stands in the way. Because of your great name YHWH, because of who you are – a god who is "compassionate and merciful" (Exod 34:6–7) – would you forgive my guilt, because it is great! Yet, though my guilt is great, your name is greater still. |
| מִי־זֶ֣ה הָ֭אִישׁ יְרֵ֣א יְהוָ֑ה י֝וֹרֶ֗נּוּ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ יִבְחָֽר׃ | 12 | Who is the person who fears YHWH and walks in covenant faithfulness? Let him listen to what I am about to say! He (= YHWH) will regularly teach him how to live and, in any given situation, he will instruct him in the way he should choose. |
| נַ֭פְשׁוֹ בְּט֣וֹב תָּלִ֑ין וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ יִ֣ירַשׁ אָֽרֶץ׃ | 13 | As a result of YHWH's constant guidance, he and his descendants will be blessed. He himself will experience many successes; he will stay in a good place, and YHWH will grant him offspring to preserve his family line, so that, when he dies, his offspring will inherit his property and possess a piece of the land that YHWH promised to Abraham. |
| ס֣וֹד יְ֭הוָה לִירֵאָ֑יו וּ֝בְרִית֗וֹ לְהוֹדִיעָֽם׃ | 14 | YHWH's personal counsel, his guidance and care, and his covenant are for the benefit of those who fear him, for teaching them how to walk in his ways. |
| פְּנֵה־אֵלַ֥י וְחָנֵּ֑נִי כִּֽי־יָחִ֖יד וְעָנִ֣י אָֽנִי׃ | 16* | Now (in vv. 16, 15–21), I will once again pray to YHWH for help. Turn towards me, YHWH, and be merciful to me, because I am alone and afflicted, with no one else to help me. |
| עֵינַ֣י תָּ֭מִיד אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֤י הֽוּא־יוֹצִ֖יא מֵרֶ֣שֶׁת רַגְלָֽי׃ | 15* | My eyes are always on YHWH, looking to him alone, because he alone will rescue me from my enemies and bring my feet out of a net that my enemies have set for me. |
| צָר֣וֹת לְבָבִ֣י הִרְחִ֑יבוּ מִ֝מְּצֽוּקוֹתַ֗י הוֹצִיאֵֽנִי׃ | 17 | YHWH, the troubles of my heart have expanded. Bring me out of my distresses! |
| רְאֵ֣ה עָ֭נְיִי וַעֲמָלִ֑י וְ֝שָׂ֗א לְכָל־חַטֹּאותָֽי׃ | 18 | Turn towards me and look at my affliction and my hardship, which my enemies have brought on me, and forgive all my sins, which lie at the root of my affliction! |
| רְאֵֽה־אוֹיְבַ֥י כִּי־רָ֑בּוּ וְשִׂנְאַ֖ת חָמָ֣ס שְׂנֵאֽוּנִי׃ | 19 | Look at my enemies, how they have multiplied and how they hate me with violent hatred! They are among those who act unfaithfully (v. 3), so may they be disappointed and come to shame! |
| שָׁמְרָ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי וְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי אַל־אֵ֝ב֗וֹשׁ כִּֽי־חָסִ֥יתִי בָֽךְ׃ | 20 | Guard my life and rescue me from them! Do not let me be disappointed, because I have taken refuge in you! |
| תֹּם־וָיֹ֥שֶׁר יִצְּר֑וּנִי כִּ֝֗י קִוִּיתִֽיךָ׃ | 21 | May you teach me to walk in integrity and justice, so that I experience the blessings of your loyalty and faithfulness and so that you keep me safe from my enemies. Do this, YHWH, because I hope in you for guidance and protection. |
| פְּדֵ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִ֝כֹּ֗ל צָֽרוֹתָיו׃ | 22 | God, I pray this prayer not only on my own behalf, but on behalf of the people whom you have put under my care. Would you guide your people, Israel, to walk in covenant faithfulness. Forgive their sins, and thus redeem Israel from all their troubles! |
Story Triangles
This resource is forthcoming.
There are currently no Imagery Tables available for this psalm.
Bibliography
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.