Psalm 26 Poetics

Psalm Overview

• Grammar
• Semantics
• Story behind the Psalm
• Discourse
• Poetics

Poetic Structure

Poetic Features

1. Integrity-Innocence-Wholeness

Feature

26:1 is parallel to 26:11-12, forming an inclusio to the Psalm, with 5 common elements (cf. Mosca).

1. The most prominent is the repetition of the phrase 'I (have) walk(ed) (הלך) in my integrity/innocence (תּׂם)'. The centre of the Psalm initiates temple actions with a washing 'in innocence' (בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן).
2. The second element in the inclusio is a reference to YHWH. This is the only place in the psalm with a reference to YHWH in the third person.
3. The third is the presence of imperatives that request favour.
4. The fourth is a profession of trust/confidence.
5. Fifth, there are phonological and semantic similarities between אמעד 'not wavering' and עמדה 'standing'.

Effect

1. Framing: This inclusio has a framing effect in this Psalm, highlighting the idea of innocence also present at the centre. It also brings interpretive cohesion to the Psalm as a whole.
2. Thematic: The elements in the inclusio sections, and the relationship between them reflect awareness of YHWH's just sovereignty over the psalmist. The inclusio imperatives (שָׁפְטֵ֤נִי, פְּדֵ֣נִי ,וְחָנֵּֽנִי) link the psalmist's need for judgement with the need for redemption and graciousness. This supports the idea that his petition to be judged is not based on trust in his own innate innocence, but innocence rooted in trusting who YHWH is in covenant relationship with him. He has confidence that in this relationship of mutual commitment, the internal and external judgement of YHWH will result both in his internal refining, he will not waver but will be purified for worship (v. 6), and in external preservation: finally he will stand in a good place, blessing YHWH, with his prayers answered (v. 12).

2. Imagery of Body and Movement toward/in YHWH and Away from the Wicked

Feature

This poem uses body imagery as metonymy, referring to the psalmist's kidneys, heart, eyes, hands, voice, soul, life and foot, in contrast to the hands of bloodthirsty people, and also mentions the presence of YHWH. Human bodies are pictured as either in motion toward YHWH or stasis:

1. First strophe (vv. 1-3) with the verb walk (3x in the psalm), and '(not) waver' (1x);
2. Second strophe (vv. 4-5) with the verb '(not) sit' (2x), and '(not) go' (1X) the psalmist's movement is away from the wicked;
3. Third (central) strophe (vv. 6-8) with the verb 'go around' (1x) the psalmist's movement (in one place) is in YHWH's presence;
4. Fourth strophe (vv. 9-10), the psalmist requests (YHWH) to not be moved away like the wicked. In this section, there are no verbs related to the psalmist's movement, but there is a request for YHWH to '(not) take away' (1x);
5. Fifth strophe (vv. 11-12), the psalmist moves with the verb walk (1x) and finally stands (1x) blessing YHWH.

Effect

1. The body metonymies refer to the inner life of the psalmist (emotion and mind), his actions, his expression, and his location. The larger images portray the psalmist as a whole. Overall, this poetic feature is used to emphasise the comprehensiveness and specificity of YHWH's connection with the psalmist. The bad people's violence and corruption are also portrayed through metonymy.
2. The movement images are mostly the psalmist's body's actions placed in a journey story oriented to YHWH which takes the hearer/reader with him: the psalmist is first pictured walking/behaving wholly (with YHWH present in the whole body, in internal testing, his covenanted presence defining perception, and enabling progression), then in effect walking past the (bad) people who are sitting, whose behaviour is not oriented to YHWH - not going with them, then (walking) on to his goal, the object of his love, YHWH's presence in the temple, where he remains in one location, but keeps moving there: washing, and then going AROUND, centred on YHWH, singing and proclaiming. He then makes a request to avoid the judgement of the wicked (perhaps as in Ps. 73 where in the temple he sees their end) and asks not to be taken away with them. In contrast to their violent deeds, he remains in his innocent/whole life and finally is pictured at rest, standing, oriented to YHWH, blessing him.

3. You-I Chiasm with Temple Prominence

Feature

1. Prioritization: the worship scene at the temple is placed centrally in the chiasm (cf. Psalm 27), in a place of prominence, reflecting prime importance in the psalmist's journey (cf. Mosca). By contrast, the B and B' sections are not central, and do not begin or end the psalm, perhaps reflecting the absence of the wicked from the central, holy place where YHWH is with his people. YHWH will take the wicked away.
2. Poetic: a) the extended imagery is grounded in actual prescribed ritual (e.g. Exod. 30:17ff), but also has symbolic force, presenting the necessity for cleansing and centring around the place of sacrifice and restoration to sing and testify; b) the layering of nouns in construct in v. 8 produces a compounding effect built of language, reminiscent of the progressive levels of holiness in the design of the temple/tabernacle and the billows of cloud and smoke of the Glory which fill it (1 Kings 8:10,11).
3. Morpho-syntactic: the repeated 2nd-person possessives in this section reflect a shift in focus in the You-I relationship which moves from YHWH's presence in and around the psalmist in the first You-I section (vv. 1-3) to the psalmist's presence in YHWH's house. The psalmist remains, walking AROUND, focused on YHWH, in HIS place. This is the most concrete place in the psalm; its centrality, weight of importance and quality of 'home-ness' is emphasised through the overlapping semantic content of the nouns (cf. Mosca). The psalmist is confident that he will remain at the culmination of his walk of integrity: the holy place in the presence of YHWH (v. 11), and from there, in assemblies he will stand and bless

Effect

Psalm 26 has a chiastic pattern (A, B, C, B', A') marked clearly by participant shifts from 'You-I' (A, C, A') to 'I-them' (B, B'), and unifying syntactic and content features in the sections such as shifts from descriptions of innocence/integrity (A, C, A') to descriptions of wickedness (B, B').

26:6-8, the centre of the You-I chiasm, has an abundance of imagery portraying religious practices in the temple setting: the psalmist washes his hands, goes around the altar to praise and tell YHWH's wonders, and declares his love for YHWH's house. Throughout, he addresses YHWH multiple times, ending in an effusive description of the object of his love described with five nouns, linked in two construct chains. The last verse in this strophe is distinct in the Psalm as the only instance of direct address with an indicative rather than an imperative.

Line Division

• V. 1 follows G with bicola.
• In each division, pausal forms/accents correspond with syntax except in these two cases - for clause בְּחָנֵ֣נִי יְהוָ֣ה | וְנַסֵּ֑נִי | and פְּדֵ֣נִי | וְחָנֵּֽנִי׃ |
• We did not divide either of these clauses so as not to go below two prosodic words for each line
• V.11 Park notes that in rare cases in which verses have a Silluq without an Atnach or Ole-WeYored, the verse is treated as one poetic line (170). It is noteworthy that there is no Atnach or Ole-WeYored between the A and B line, especially given the similarities (imperative forms) between v. 11 and v. 2. The lack of formal division between the clauses links the idea of integrity in the first clause with redemption and graciousness in the second clause. This illustrates that the walk of integrity not only consists of behaviour, but trust in YHWH's character operative in the covenant relationship with the psalmist.

Line Length

• vv. 2, 5, 6, 9, 12 are blocks of 3, 3
• vv. 7-8 are a stair step of X, X - 1
• vv. 9 -12 are an inclusio, encasing a mirrored section of v. 10 and v. 11 where the life of the sinner is the mirrored opposite of the life of the person of integrity.

Repeated Roots

Description