Psalm 28 Discourse

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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

  What is 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 4 participants/characters in Psalm 28:

David
"YHWH's anointed"

YHWH
"My rock"
"My strength"
"My shield"
"Saving refuge"

The people
"YHWH's possession"

Enemies
"Wicked people"
"Evildoers"
"those who speak peace with their neighbors but [speak] evil in their hearts"

  • David (the psalmist): Psalm 28 is traditionally attributed to David, and he is named as the author in the superscription. Others have argued that Psalm 28 was written by Jeremiah[1] or Josiah,[2] but these proposals have not gained traction. A number of historical events may have prompted David's lament, e.g., David's flight from Absalom,[3] a time of war,[4] duplicitous behavior from enemies,[5] and even illness or despair.[6] The setting of the psalm remains vague which contributes to the psalm's wide-ranging application. What can be known for certain is that the psalmist cried out to God for help, and God heard the sound of his cries.
  • "YHWH's anointed": Scholars have debated whether מְשִׁיחוֹ (his [YHWH’s] anointed) refers to a king or to YHWH’s chosen people. We prefer the view of most scholars that the מָשִׁיחַ refers to a king. David, the speaker, is probably referring to himself at this point. See The Identity of the "Anointed" in Ps 28:8b for a detailed discussion.
  • YHWH is referred to as the psalmist's rock, strength, shield, saving refuge, and the strength of his people. Throughout, YHWH is depicted as the one in whom the psalmist can take refuge and find protection (cf. Pss 61:2-4; 62: 6-8; 91:2; 144:1-2; etc.).
  • The people referred to in the psalm are most likely Israel because they are described as "YHWH's possession" (Deut 4:20, 9: 26, 29; Exod 34:9; cf. also Barnes 1869, 246).
  • Although they are not named, the enemies in this psalm are referred to as "wicked people" and "evildoers". They are also described as "those who speak peace with their neighbors but [speak] evil in their hearts." That is, they pretend to care for the well-being of their neighbors, but they secretly wish harm upon them. Thus, the enemies are duplicitous, masking their true intentions with friendly speech. Their fate is to be destroyed by YHWH. All of the above descriptors most likely refer to the same group of people.[7]
  • Neighbor (v. 3) is not a participant in this psalm, but it is used to refer to those who have "some level of association" with the psalmist's enemies.[8] The association may be geographical, circumstantial, social, or even personal.[9]
  • In this psalm, the phrase "Those who go down to the Pit" (v. 1) does not represent a participant for it does not function as an agentive subject of a verb. Instead, the phrase represents an outcome which the psalmist wishes to avoid. He recognizes that without God's help he will be unable to escape death. In fact, David employs the same phrase in Ps 30:3 to acknowledge that God has saved him from death: "O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit" (Ps 30:3, ESV. See participant analysis of Ps 88 in which the phrase "those who go down to the Pit" is part of the participant set list).
Hebrew Verse English
לְדָוִ֡ד 1a By David.
אֵ֘לֶ֤יךָ יְהוָ֨ה׀אֶקְרָ֗א 1b To you, YHWH, I cry out;
צוּרִי֮ אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַ֪שׁ מִ֫מֶּ֥נִּי 1c my rock, do not be deaf to me,
פֶּן־תֶּֽחֱשֶׁ֥ה מִמֶּ֑נִּי 1d lest you be silent to me,
וְ֝נִמְשַׁ֗לְתִּי עִם־י֥וֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃ 1e and I become like those who go down to the Pit.
שְׁמַ֤ע ק֣וֹל תַּ֭חֲנוּנַי 2a Hear the sound of my supplications
בְּשַׁוְּעִ֣י אֵלֶ֑יךָ 2b when I cry to you for help,
בְּנָשְׂאִ֥י יָ֝דַ֗י 2c when I lift up my hands
אֶל־דְּבִ֥יר קָדְשֶֽׁךָ׃ 2d toward your holy inner sanctuary.
אַל־תִּמְשְׁכֵ֣נִי עִם־רְשָׁעִים֮ 3a Do not drag me away with wicked people,
וְעִם־פֹּ֪עֲלֵ֫י אָ֥וֶן 3b with evildoers,
דֹּבְרֵ֣י שָׁ֭לוֹם עִם־רֵֽעֵיהֶ֑ם 3c those who speak peace with their neighbors
וְ֝רָעָ֗ה בִּלְבָבָֽם׃ 3d but [speak] evil in their hearts.
תֶּן־לָהֶ֣ם כְּפָעֳלָם֮ 4a Give to them that which is according to their deeds
וּכְרֹ֪עַ מַֽעַלְלֵ֫יהֶ֥ם 4b and according to the evil of their practices!
כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְ֭דֵיהֶם תֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֑ם 4c Give to them that which is according to the work of their hands!
הָשֵׁ֖ב גְּמוּלָ֣ם לָהֶֽם׃ 4d Repay them their dealings!
כִּ֤י לֹ֤א יָבִ֡ינוּ אֶל־פְּעֻלֹּ֣ת יְ֭הוָה 5a Since they do not regard the deeds of YHWH
וְאֶל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדָ֑יו 5b and the work of his hands,
יֶ֝הֶרְסֵ֗ם וְלֹ֣א יִבְנֵֽם׃ 5c he will tear them down, and he will not build them up.
בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֑ה 6a Blessed be YHWH!
כִּי־שָׁ֝מַע ק֣וֹל תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃ 6b For he has heard the sound of my supplications.
יְהוָ֤ה׀עֻזִּ֥י וּמָגִנִּי֮ 7a YHWH is my strength and my shield.
בּ֤וֹ בָטַ֥ח לִבִּ֗י וְֽנֶ֫עֱזָ֥רְתִּי 7b In him my heart trusted, and I was helped,
וַיַּעֲלֹ֥ז לִבִּ֑י 7c and my heart exulted,
וּֽמִשִּׁירִ֥י אֲהוֹדֶֽנּוּ׃ 7d and with my song I will praise him.
יְהוָ֥ה עֹֽז־לְעַמּוֹ 8a YHWH is the strength of his people,
וּמָ֘ע֤וֹז יְשׁוּע֖וֹת מְשִׁיח֣וֹ הֽוּא׃ 8b and he is the saving refuge for his anointed.
הוֹשִׁ֤יעָה׀אֶת־עַמֶּ֗ךָ 9a Save your people
וּבָרֵ֥ךְ אֶת־נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ 9b and bless your possession,
וּֽרְעֵ֥ם וְ֝נַשְּׂאֵ֗ם עַד־הָעוֹלָֽם׃ 9c and shepherd them and carry them forever!

Participant analysis notes related to the speaker(s)

  • The shift from addressing YHWH directly to referring to him in the third person along with the progression from desperate prayer (vv. 1-4) to confidence (v.5) and praise (v.6) have led scholars to disagree on the speaker for vv. 5-9.
  • vv.5-9. The psalmist or a priest or temple servant as the speaker(s)?
According to Craigie, David is the speaker for vv.1-4 and vv. 6-7, and a priest or temple servant is the speaker for vv. 5, 8-9. On this view, the psalmist presents his prayer to YHWH in vv. 1-4. Then, in v.5, the priest or temple servant declares divine judgment against the psalmist’s enemies. In vv. 6-7, the psalmist offers thanksgiving and praise to YHWH. The priest or temple servant concludes Psalm 28 with a declaration and prayer for YHWH's people (vv.8-9) (Craigie 2004, 237). However, the text itself does not present any indication that an oracle occurred, and this assumption is not necessary to make sense of the psalm; therefore, we have favored the view that the psalmist is the speaker for the whole psalm (cf. Alexander 1864, 131; Delitzsch 1883, 441; Berry 1915, 211; Kidner 1973, 122-124; Futato 2009, 118; Ross 2011, 648; Selderhuis 2015, 221; etc.).


Participant analysis notes related to the addressee(s)

  • Psalm 28 concludes as it began, with prayer. In vv. 1-4, the psalmist prays for himself, and in v. 9 he prays for the people. Therefore, YHWH is addressed directly in vv. 1-4, 9.
  • vv.5-8: The people, YHWH, or the psalmist as the addressee(s)?
  • The shift from addressing YHWH directly to referring to him in the third person has led scholars to disagree on the addressee for vv. 5-8.
    • The people the addressee for vv. 5-8 is the simplest and our preferred option. After praying to YHWH (vv.1-4), the psalmist addresses The people ( vv. 5-8). Ross explains, "V. 5 is an expression of confidence delivered to the congregation and may fit with the praise section which also addresses the congregation (vv. 6-8)" (Ross 2011, 640; Broyles 1999, 148-149).
    • However, some scholars challenge the view that the addressee is the people and propose that the addressee is either a prophet or a priest.
    • In contrast to the above position, scholars who see the speaker in vv. 5-9 as a priest or a temple servant propose a change in addressee in vv. 5-8 (Craigie 2004, 237; Jacobson and Tanner 2014, 273). The priest or temple servant hears the psalmist's prayer and receives an oracle of divine judgment on the psalmist's enemies. He then delivers this oracle to The psalmist (v. 5). Next, the psalmist directs thanksgiving and praise to YHWH in vv. 6-7 (YHWH would be spoken of in the third person). Finally, the priest prays to YHWH on behalf of the people (vv.8-9 - YHWH would be spoken of in the third person in v. 8, but he would be addressed directly in v.9). This alternative is based on a liturgical interpretation of the psalm in which an oracle of salvation occurred. Nevertheless, the text of Psalm 28 does not contain evidence of an oracle, nor is one necessary in order to make sense of the psalm. One alternative is that the psalmist was so confident in YHWH's future answer that he wrote with certainty of being heard. Or, what is more likely is that the psalmist recalled God's answer to his prayer and recorded it after the fact.

Participant Relations Diagram

The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:

Psalm 028 - PA Relations Diagram (Diamond) - Ps 28.jpg

File:Psalm 028 - Mini-story PA

Participant Analysis Summary Distribution

Psalm 028 participant distribution table.jpg

Macrosyntax

  What is Macrosyntax?

Macrosyntax Diagram

  Legend

Macrosyntax legend
Vocatives Vocatives are indicated by purple text.
Discourse marker Discourse markers (such as כִּי, הִנֵּה, לָכֵן) are indicated by orange text.
Macrosyntax legend - discourse scope.jpg The scope governed by the discourse marker is indicated by a dashed orange bracket connecting the discourse marker to its scope.
Macrosyntax legend - preceding discourse.jpg 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.
Macrosyntax legend - subordination.jpg 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.
Macrosyntax legend - coordination.jpg Coordination is indicated by a solid blue line connecting the coordinating clauses.
Macrosyntax legend - asyndetic coordination.jpg Coordination without an explicit conjunction is indicated by a dashed blue line connecting the coordinated clauses.
Macrosyntax legend - marked topic.jpg Marked topic is indicated by a black dashed rounded rectangle around the marked words.
Macrosyntax legend - topic scope.jpg 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[10] are indicated by bold text.
Macrosyntax legend - frame setter.jpg Frame setters[11] 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.
Macrosyntax legend - direct speech.jpg 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)


File:Psalm 28 Macrosyntax

  • vv. 1-2. The paragraph starts with אֵ֘לֶ֤יךָ ("to you") as a marked focus followed by the vocative יְהוָ֨ה (YHWH), and it concludes with ב + infinitive verbs (cf. vv. 2c and 2d). This paragraph is characterized by the presence of subordinating elements (פֶּן and ב + infinitive verbs) and vocatives (this is the only section of the psalm with vocatives). This paragraph begins with two vocatives and ends with two subordinating elements. This symmetry may serve to create a structural unit for the first paragraph.
  • vv. 3-5. The new paragraph is indicated by the shift from ב + infinitive verbs to the negation yiqtol (אַל־תִּמְשְׁכֵ֣נִי - "do not drag me"), which functions as an imperative. The preposed causal כִּי (i.e., cataphoric כִּ֤י) joins v. 5 with vv. 3-4, creating topic continuity throughout this paragraph. Hence, in Psalm 28:5 there is no surprise that the psalmist's enemies disregard YHWH's works. The content of the preposed כִּי clause (the enemies do not regard the deeds of YHWH and the work of his hands) is inferable from vv. 3-4 (the enemies' deeds, works, and practices are evil). Yet, the causal relationship with its result (YHWH will tear them down and not build them up) is newly asserted.<refDancygier and Sweetser 2005, 181-182; Locatell 2017, 96-97.</ref>
  • vv. 6-9. The exclamatory expression of praise בָּר֥וּךְ (Blessed be YHWH!) indicates the new paragraph (cf. NICOT 2014, 277 for more information on this exclamation). It also "marks the turning point of the poem: the imploring 'Hear the sound of my pleading' (verse 2) is now an accomplished fact."[12] The praise is accompanied by the כִּ֤י clause which gives the reasons for the praise. This section draws attention to YHWH, the divine name occurs in vv. 6a, 7a, and 8a. There is also a marked focus (בּוֹ "in him") emphasizing YHWH as the one in whom the psalmist trusted. In v. 9, YHWH is addressed directly as the psalmist prays for the people, who are first mentioned in v. 8a. This paragraph is characterized by a string of seven waws which are interrupted in two key instances: first in v. 8a to refer to YHWH as the people's strength, and second in v. 9a to ask YHWH to save his people.
  • v. 1a. The prepositional phrase אֵ֘לֶ֤יךָ is fronted for focus. This focus has a restrictive sense.[13] In other words, "It is to YHWH (and no one else) that I cry out." The prepositional phrase highlights the psalmist's sole dependence on YHWH for help. Moreover, the position of the vocative יְהוָ֨ה as the second constituent of v. 1 reinforces the fronting of אֵ֘לֶ֤יךָ for marked focus.[14] This fronting is also reinforced poetically. The word order in vv. 1a and 2b forms a chiasm (prepositional phrase, verb // verb, prepositional phrase): (A) אֵ֘לֶ֤יךָ (To you) (B) אֶקְרָ֗א (I cry out) // (B') בְּשַׁוְּעִ֣י (when I cry for help) (A') אֵלֶ֑יךָ (to you). The information structure of verse 1 is especially attention-grabbing. The marked focus אֵ֘לֶ֤יךָ, the two vocatives יְהוָ֨ה and צוּרִי֮, and the wordplay between תֶּחֱרַ֪שׁ and תֶּֽחֱשֶׁ֥ה (cf. note on poetic structure) highlight the psalmist's desire for God's help.
  • v. 4c. The fronting of כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה in v. 4c is most likely the result of poetic structure. V. 4a and v. 4c start and end with תֶּן־לָהֶ֣ם, and the second constituent of v. 4a is structurally similar to the first constituent of v. 4c (verb-prepositional phrase, כְּ-noun // כְּ-noun, verb-prepositional phrase). Therefore, the fronting of כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה (v. 4c) can be explained poetically as structural chiasm.
    • v. 4a: (A) תֶּן־לָהֶ֣ם - Give to them (B) כְּ + פָעֳלָם֮ that which is according to their deeds,
    • v. 4c: (B') כְּ + מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה that which is according to the work of their hands (A') תֶּן־לָהֶ֣ם - Give to them.
  • v. 7b. בּוֹ בָטַח לִבִּי - "In him (=YHWH) my heart trusted" - The prepositional phrase בּ֤וֹ is fronted for focus. This focus has a restrictive sense.[15] In other words, "It is in YHWH (and not in myself or in any other) that my heart trusted" >> "In him (and no one else) my heart trusted." About this word order, Goldingay commented that the fronting of בּוֹ is likely placing "emphasis on the question of whom or what one trusts rather than on whether one trusts or doubts."[16]
  • v.7d. The fronting of וּֽמִשִּׁירִ֥י in v. 7d is likely the result of poetic structure. The word order in v. 7cd forms a chiasm (verb belonging to the semantic domain of praise, noun with suffix pronoun // noun with suffix pronoun, verb belonging to the semantic domain of praise):
    • v. 7c: (A) וַיַּעֲלֹ֥ז - exulted (B) לִבִּ֑י - my heart,
    • v. 7d: (B') וּֽמִשִּׁירִ֥י - and with my song (A') אֲהוֹדֶֽנּוּ - I will praise him.
Morphologically, we have a tail-head linkage. The first word of v. 7d (וּֽמִשִּׁירִ֥י - and with my song) is a noun with suffix pronoun just as the last word of v. 7c (לִבִּ֑י my heart).
  • v.8b. The fronting of the predicate complement מָ֘עֹ֤וז יְשׁוּע֖וֹת מְשִׁיח֣וֹ (the saving refuge for his anointed) is likely the result of poetic structure. The word order in the b-line is arranged to form a chiasm with the a-line (subject, predicate complement // predicate complement, subject). In addition, the repetition of the root עז reinforces the bond between both lines.
    • v. 8a: (A) הוָ֥ה - YHWH (B) עֹֽז־לְעַמּו
    • v. 8b: (B') הֽוּא - he (A') וּמָ֘עֹ֤וז יְשׁוּע֖וֹת מְשִׁיח֣וֹ - and the saving refuge for his anointed
  • v. 1a. The vocative יְהוָ֨ה (YHWH) is the second constituent, which may suggest the preceding entity אֵ֘לֶ֤יךָ ("to you") is focused (see Miller 2010, 357 and 359. Cf. also Ps 91:9a for a similar case. The clause אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָ֑א also occurs in Psalm 30:9).
  • v. 1b. The vocative צוּרִי֮ (my rock) is clause-initial of direct address.[17] This vocative identifies who YHWH is in relation to the psalmist; i.e., the psalmist appeals to YHWH as his protector (=rock). The use of צוּרִי indicates the psalmist "has a history of being secured by the Lord. It also indicates that in previous experiences it was God alone who protected him from his enemies."[18] God was the only one who could shelter and protect the psalmist.
  • v. 5a. There are two main options for interpreting the discourse particle כִּי, translated as since, in v. 5a.
    • Option 1: The כִּי clause may be interpreted as referring back to v. 4d resulting in the following translation: "Pay them their due, for they give no thought to what God does, nor to the work of his hands" (vv. 4d-5ab).[19] Verse 5c would then be an independent statement translated as either an expression of confidence ("He will pull them down, not build them up")[20] or a prayerful desire ("May he break them down, not build them up";[21] "Let him overthrow them and keep them prostrate!"[22]). In this rendering, the כִּי clause elaborates the psalmist's request that YHWH would repay the wicked for their dealings. It thus draws attention to the psalmist's own sense of justice. Based on what he has observed from the wicked, the psalmist requests justice from YHWH. For support of this reading of כִּי, you may confer with Perowne 1871, 260; Delitzsch 1883, 440 and 443; Buttenwieser 1969, 828; and Terrien 2003, 270. For modern translations, you may confer with JPS 1985 and REB.
    • Option 2: The כִּי clause provides the reasoning for what is expressed in the following clause (v. 5c). Locatell refers to this use of כִּי as preposed causal כִּי.[23] Hence, the כִּי clause in v. 5a would be connected to v. 5c resulting in the following translation: "Since they do not regard the deeds of YHWH and the work of his hands, he will tear them down and not build them up." As Wilson notes, "they [enemies] disregard the 'works of the LORD' and ignore 'what his hands have done' (lit.,'the deeds of his hands'). As a consequence of their rejection of him, Yahweh will treat them like a conquering king treats a rebellious city: He will 'tear them down' and will 'never build them up again.'"[24] Instead of focusing on the psalmist's appraisal of the wicked, this rendering includes an acknowledgement of YHWH's justice and that he will not leave the guilty unpunished (cf. Prov 11:21; 12:7; Ps 62:12).
    • Although both options are plausible, we prefer option 2 along with a majority of scholars. Three main reasons inform our preferred position. First is the shift in person that occurs between vv. 4 and 5. The psalm moves from addressing YHWH in 2nd person (vv. 1-4) to referring to YHWH in 3rd person (v. 5). Second is the shift in modality from v. 4 to v. 5. The psalm moves from imperative verbs (v. 4) to indicative verbs (v. 5). Third is the poetic structure of v. 5a and v. 5c. Verse 5 is bracket by the repetition of the negative particle לֹא (v. 5ac) and the wordplay between יָבִ֡ינוּ (v. 5a) and יִבְנֵֽם (v. 5c). These words connect the enemies' behavior in v. 5ab (disregard for YHWH's deeds and the work of his hands) with its consequence in v. 5c (YHWH will not build them up).
  • Coordinating clauses within a line: v. 5 (וְלֹ֣א); v. 7 (וְנֶעֱזָ֥רְתִּי); v. 9 (וְ֝נַשְּׂאֵ֗ם).
  • Coordinating lines within a verse: v. 1 (וְ֝נִמְשַׁ֗לְתִּי); v. 5 (וְאֶל); v. 7 (וַיַּעֲלֹ֥ז and וּֽמִשִּׁירִ֥י); v. 8 (וּמָ֘עֹ֤וז); v. 9 (וּבָרֵ֥ךְ and וּֽרְעֵ֥ם).
  • In this psalm, waw never coordinates verses; no verse begins with waw.


Speech Act Analysis

What is 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.

Speech Act Analysis Chart

The following chart is scrollable (left/right; up/down).

  Legend

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.

File:SA Table Ps 28 Updated

Emotional Analysis

  What is 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

  Legend

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.

File:EA Table Ps 28 - Updated

Summary Visual

(Click visual to enlarge).


File:Psalm 028 - Emotional Summary Ps 28 Updated

Affective Circumplex

  What is the 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

Alonso Schökel, Luis. 1992. Salmos I (Salmos 1-72): Traducción, Introducciones y Comentario. Navarra: Verbo Divino.
Alter, Robert. 2019. The Hebrew Bible: The Writings. Vol. 3. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Bailey, Lloyd R. 1979. Biblical Perspectives on Death. Vol. 5. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.
Barnes, Albert. 1869. Notes: Critical, Explanatory, and Practical on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers.
Basson, Alec. 2006. Divine Metaphors in Selected Hebrew Psalms of Lamentation. Germany: Mohr Siebeck Tübingen.
Barthélemy, Dominique. 2005. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament. Tome 4: Psaumes. Fribourg, Switzerland: Academic Press.
Bate, Julius. 1767. Critica Hebræa: Or, A Hebrew-English Dictionary, Without Points: In Which the Several Derivatives are Reduced to Their Genuine Roots, Their Specific Significations from Thence Illustrated, and Exemplified by Passages Cited at Length from Scripture, the Several Versions of which are Occasionally Corrected. The Whole Supplying the Place of a Commentary on the Words and More Difficult Passages in the Sacred Writings. London: M. Folingsby.
Berry, Elwood Sylvester. 1915. Commentary on the Psalms: Psalms I-L. New York: Benziger Brothers.
Bratcher, Robert G., and William D. Reyburn. 1991. A Translator's Handbook on the Book of Psalms. New York: UBS Handbook Series.
Briggs, Charles Augustus, and Emilie Grace Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Book of Psalms, Vol. I. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons.
Broyles, Craig C. 1999. New International Biblical Commentary: Psalms. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers.
Bullock, C. Hassell. 2015. Psalms. Volume 1: Psalms 1-72. Teach the Text Commentary Series. Edited by Mark Strauss and John Walton. Grand Rapids: BakerBooks.
Burghardt, Walter J., and Thomas Comerford Lawler, editors. 1990. Cassiodorus: Explanation of the Psalms. Vol. 1. Translated by P. G. Walsh. New York: Paulist Press.
Buttenwieser, Moses. 1969. The Psalms: Chronologically Treated with A New Translation. New York: KTAV Publishing House, INC.
Craigie, Peter C. 2004. Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 1–50. 2nd ed. Vol. 19. Nashville: Nelson Reference & Electronic.
DeClaissé-Walford, Nancy L., Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth Laneel Tanner. 2014. “Book One of the Psalter: Psalms 1–41,” in The Book of Psalms, ed. E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, and Robert L.
Delitzsch, Franz Julius. 1883. A Commentary on the Psalms. New York: Funk and Wagnalls.
Eaton, J. H. 1975. Kingship and the Psalms. London: S.C.M. Press.
Gillingham, Susan. 2018. Psalms Through the Centuries: A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 1 - 72. Vol. 2. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.
Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms: Psalms 1-41. Vol. 1. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Grogan, Geoffrey. 2008. Psalms. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Hilber, John W. 2009. "Psalms." In Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, 316-463. Vol. 5. Edited by John H. Walton. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Hitzig, Ferdinand. 1835. Die Psalmen: Historisch-Kritisch Untersucht. Heidelberg: C.F. Winter.
Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 2005. Psalms 2: A Commentary. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Joosten, Jan. 2012. The Verbal System of Biblical Hebrew: A New Synthesis Elaborated on the Basis of Classical Prose. Jerusalem: Simor LTD.
Keel, Othmar. 1997. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.
Keil, Carl Friedrich, and Franz Delitzsch. 1900. Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament In Ten Volumes. Volume V. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Kennicott, Benjamin. 1776. Vetus Testamentum Hebraicum: Cum Variis Lectionibus. Oxonii: E. Typographeo Clarendoniano.
Kidner, Derek. 1973. Psalms 1-72: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.
Kirkpatrick, Alexander F. 1906. The Book of Psalms. London: Cambridge University Press.
Kissane, Monsignor Edward J. 1953. The Book of Psalms: Translated from A Critically Revised Hebrew Text. Vol. 1. Maryland: The Newman Press.
Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1988. Psalms 1–59. Minneapolis: Fortress.
Locatell, Christian S. 2017. "Grammatical Polysemy in the Hebrew Bible: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach to כי." Stellenbosch University.
Mays, James Luther. 1994. Psalms: Interpretation A Bible Commentary for Teachings and Preaching. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox.
McCarter, P. Kyle. 1986. Textual Criticism: Recovering the Text of The Hebrew Bible. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.
Oesterley, W. O. E. The Psalms: Translated with Text-Critical and Exegetical Notes. London, S. P. C. K., 1959.
Perowne, J. J. Stewart. 1870. The Book of Psalms: A New Translation with Introductions and Notes, Explanatory and Critical. Vol. I. London: Bell and Daldy.
Phillips, George. 1872. A Commentary on the Psalms: Designed Chiefly for the Use of Hebrew students and of Clergymen. Vol. I. Edinburgh: Williams and Norgate.
Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra's Commentary on the First Book of Psalms: Chapter 1-41. 2009. Translated and annoted by H. Norman Strickman. Boston: Academic Studies Press.
Radak (Kimchi, David) on Psalms.
Revell. Ernest John. 1985. "The Conditioning of Stress Position in Waw Consecutive Perfect Forms in Biblical Hebrew." Hebrew Annual Review 9. pp. 277-300. Ohio State University: Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures.
Ross, Allen P. 2011. A Commentary on the Psalms 1-41. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Kregel.
Stec, David M. 2004. The Targum of Psalms: Translated, with A Critical Introduction, Apparatus, and Notes. Collegeville: Liturgical Press.
Taylor, Richard, George Kiraz, and Joseph Bali. 2020. The Psalms According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation. 1st ed. Gorgias Press.
VanGemeren, Willem. 2008. Psalms: The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Weiser, Artur. 1962. The Psalms: A Commentary. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press.
Zwickel, Wolfgang. 2017. The Iconography of Emotions in the Ancient Near East and in Ancient Egypt, in Visualizing Emotions in the Ancient Near East. Edited by Sara Kipfer. Fribourg: Academic Press Fribourg.


Footnotes

  1. ↑ Hitzig 1836, 72
  2. ↑ Ewald 300, 1880.
  3. ↑ Delitzsch 1883, 441; Perowne 1871, 259; Lange 1872, 204; Keil and Delitzsch 1900, 362.
  4. ↑ Briggs and Briggs 1906, 245.
  5. ↑ Craigie 2004, 237.
  6. ↑ Kidner 1973, 122.
  7. ↑ Cf. Berry 1915, 211; Mays 1994, 134; Broyles 1999, 148; VanGemeren 2008, 289; etc.
  8. ↑ SDBH.
  9. ↑ SDBH.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ Alter 2019, 80.
  13. ↑ Khan and Van der Merwe 2020, 366, 388.
  14. ↑ Cf. Miller 2010, 357.
  15. ↑ Khan and Van der Merwe 2020, 366, 388.
  16. ↑ Goldingay 2006, 408.
  17. ↑ Kim 2023, 133-136.
  18. ↑ Ross 2011, 642.
  19. ↑ Buttenwieser 1969, 828.
  20. ↑ Delitzsch 1883, 440.
  21. ↑ Buttenwieser 1969, 828.
  22. ↑ Terrien 2003, 270.
  23. ↑ cf. Locatell 2017, 96, 98. For other examples of this use of כִּי confer Gen 3:14 and Judg 1:15.
  24. ↑ Wilson 2002, 496; cf. Bratcher and Reyburn 1991, 272; Alonso-Schokel 1992, 440; VanGemeren 2008, 289; Phillips 1872, 223; Broyles 1999, 148; etc. For modern translations supporting this option, see BSB, PDV, NFC, NVI, DHH, etc.