Psalm 28 Speech Act

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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.

Summary Visual

Speaker Verses Speech Act Sections Addressee
David v. 1 By David. To you, YHWH, I cry out; my rock, do not be deaf to me, lest you be silent to me, and I become like those who go down to the Pit.
PETITION
(vv.1–5)
 YHWH
v. 2 Hear the sound of my supplications when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your holy inner sanctuary.
Hear the sound of my supplications!
Repay the wicked according to their deeds.
v. 3 Do not drag me away with wicked people, with evildoers, those who speak peace with their neighbors but [speak] evil in their hearts.
Supporting statements
- The wicked are duplicitous and deserving of destruction.
- (But I am not.)
v. 4 Give to them that which is according to their deeds and according to the evil of their practices! Give to them that which is according to the work of their hands! Repay them their dealings!
v. 5 Since they do not regard the deeds of YHWH and the work of his hands, he will tear them down, and he will not build them up.
v. 6 Blessed be YHWH! For he has heard the sound of my supplications.
ANSWER
(vv.6–7)
 The people
v. 7 YHWH is my strength and my shield. In him my heart trusted, and I was helped, and my heart exulted, and with my song I will praise him.
YHWH has heard!
Supporting statement
I trusted in him, I was helped, and now I will praise him.
v. 8 YHWH is the strength of his people, and he is the saving refuge for his anointed.
BLESSING
(=INTERCESSORY PRAYER)
(vv.8–9)
 YHWH
v. 9 Save your people and bless your possession, and shepherd them and carry them forever! Bless your people forever!

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.
Verse Text (Hebrew) Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is designed to be "close" to the Hebrew, while still being "clear." Specifically, the CBC encapsulates and reflects the following layers of analysis: grammar, lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics, and verbal semantics. It does not reflect our analysis of the discourse or of poetics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources. Sentence type Illocution (general) Illocution with context Macro speech act Macro speech act Macro speech act Intended perlocution (Think) Intended perlocution (Feel) Intended perlocution (Do) Speech Act Notes
1 לְדָוִ֡ד By David. Superscription Superscription Superscription Petitioning to be heard. Petitioning to be heard. Petition
אֵ֘לֶ֤יךָ יְהוָ֨ה ׀ אֶקְרָ֗א To you, YHWH, I cry out; Declarative Assertive Invoking YHWH YHWH will acknowledge David's cry for help YHWH will have compassion on David's suffering YHWH will hear David's cry for help
YHWH will repay the wicked according to their deeds
צוּרִי֮ אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַ֪שׁ מִ֫מֶּ֥נִּי my rock, do not be deaf to me, Imperative Directive Petitioning YHWH to hear or else God's silence would cause the psalmist to become like the dead.
פֶּן־תֶּֽחֱשֶׁ֥ה מִמֶּ֑נִּי lest you be silent to me,
וְ֝נִמְשַׁ֗לְתִּי עִם־י֥וֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃ and I become like those who go down to the Pit.
2 שְׁמַ֤ע ק֣וֹל תַּ֭חֲנוּנַי Hear the sound of my supplications Imperative Directive Petitioning YHWH to hear when he cries for help and prays.
בְּשַׁוְּעִ֣י אֵלֶ֑יךָ when I cry to you for help,
בְּנָשְׂאִ֥י יָ֝דַ֗י אֶל־דְּבִ֥יר קָדְשֶֽׁךָ׃ when I lift up my hands toward your holy inner sanctuary.
3 אַל־תִּמְשְׁכֵ֣נִי עִם־רְשָׁעִים֮ Do not drag me away with wicked people, Imperative Directive Petitioning YHWH to not be judged together with the wicked who are workers of evil, masking their true intentions with friendly speech. Petitioning for God's judgment on the wicked. Basis for the petition to be heard: YHWH judges people rightly (there is an implied petition that YHWH would not condemn David to the wicked's fate, namely, permanent destruction).
וְעִם־פֹּ֪עֲלֵ֫י אָ֥וֶן with evildoers,
דֹּבְרֵ֣י שָׁ֭לוֹם עִם־רֵֽעֵיהֶ֑ם those who speak peace with their neighbors
וְ֝רָעָ֗ה בִּלְבָבָֽם׃ but [speak] evil in their hearts.
4 תֶּן־לָהֶ֣ם כְּפָעֳלָם֮ Give to them that which is according to their deeds Imperative Directive Petitioning YHWH to judge the wicked based on their deeds and practices.
וּכְרֹ֪עַ מַֽעַלְלֵ֫יהֶ֥ם and according to the evil of their practices!
כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְ֭דֵיהֶם תֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֑ם Give to them that which is according to the work of their hands! Imperative Directive Petitioning YHWH to judge the wicked based on the work of their hands.
הָשֵׁ֖ב גְּמוּלָ֣ם לָהֶֽם׃ Repay them their dealings! Imperative Directive Petitioning YHWH to give the wicked what they deserve.
5 כִּ֤י לֹ֤א יָבִ֡ינוּ אֶל־פְּעֻלֹּ֣ת יְ֭הוָה Since they do not regard the deeds of YHWH Declarative Assertive Explaining the reason for the enemies' destruction, namely, their disregard towards YHWH's deeds and the work of his hands. Explaining the reason for the enemies' destruction.
וְאֶל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדָ֑יו and the work of his hands,
יֶ֝הֶרְסֵ֗ם וְלֹ֣א יִבְנֵֽם׃ he will tear them down, and he will not build them up. Declarative Assertive Professing confidence that YHWH will destroy the enemies. Professing confidence that YHWH will destroy the enemies.
6 בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֑ה Blessed be YHWH! Declarative Expressive Praising YHWH. Praising YHWH for hearing his supplications. Praising YHWH for deliverance from death. Answer The people will acknowledge how YHWH helped the psalmist The people will feel confident in YHWH's ability to help his people when they cry out for help The people will celebrate with the psalmist and will trust in YHWH Indirect speech acts.
v.6a: בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֑ה
Often a direct act of calling people to praise or asserting the praiseworthiness of someone is an indirect act of praise itself. In v. 6,
the phrase בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֑ה (Blessed be YHWH!) is a directive (asserting that "YHWH is worthy of praise!") that functions as an act of praise.
To bless God is “to declare God to be the source of the special power = to praise God” (HALOT). God has shown himself to be the source of special power for David as he has answered David’s prayer for help. So, David is declaring God to be the source of help during his time of need. However, David’s declaration is also an expression of praise and a testimony of God’s goodness.
Furthermore, the formula for blessing YHWH “functions as a way of expressing the admiration and joy of the speaker in the face of a wonderful act of God and to call the attention of others to [his] trustworthiness” (Towner 1968, 388). Therefore, through the formula for blessing, David declares God as the source of blessing. In addition, David expresses his praise, admiration, and joy as he experienced God’s help. Moreover, the people are the addressees of v. 6, so the formula for blessing also offers to the people a “testimony to the goodness of God, especially as that goodness is revealed in the matter at hand” (Towner 1968, 388).
כִּי־שָׁ֝מַע ק֣וֹל תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃ For he has heard the sound of my supplications. Declarative Assertive Explaining the reason for the praise, namely, that YHWH answered his supplications.
7 יְהוָ֤ה ׀ עֻזִּ֥י וּמָגִנִּי֮ YHWH is my strength and my shield. Declarative Assertive Asserting who YHWH is to him. Professing trust in YHWH as his strength and protection.
בּ֤וֹ בָטַ֥ח לִבִּ֗י וְֽנֶ֫עֱזָ֥רְתִּי In him my heart trusted, and I was helped, Declarative Assertive Recounting his experience in which he trusted YHWH, YHWH helped him, and his heart rejoiced.
וַיַּעֲלֹ֥ז לִבִּ֑י and my heart exulted,
וּֽמִשִּׁירִ֥י אֲהוֹדֶֽנּוּ׃ and with my song I will praise him. Declarative Expressive Expressing intention to praise YHWH. Expressing intention to praise YHWH.
8 יְהוָ֥ה עֹֽז־*לְעַמּוֹ* YHWH is the strength of his people, Declarative Assertive Asserting who YHWH is to YHWH's people. Professing trust in YHWH as the strength and protection of YHWH's people. Petitioning YHWH to care for his people on the basis that YHWH is their strength and protection. Blessing (=intercessory prayer) YHWH will acknowledge David's intercessory prayer YHWH will feel committed to save, bless, and care for his people YHWH will save, bless, and care for his people forever V. 8a: ** for emendation see exegetical issue The Text of Ps 28:8a (MT: לָ֑מוֹ)
וּמָ֘ע֤וֹז יְשׁוּע֖וֹת מְשִׁיח֣וֹ הֽוּא׃ and he is the saving refuge for his anointed. Declarative Assertive Asserting who YHWH is to YHWH's anointed.
9 הוֹשִׁ֤יעָה ׀ אֶת־עַמֶּ֗ךָ Save your people Imperative Directive Petitioning YHWH to save YHWH's people. Petitioning YHWH to save, bless, shepherd, and carry his people forever.
וּבָרֵ֥ךְ אֶת־נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ and bless your possession, Imperative Directive Petitioning YHWH to bless YHWH's own people.
וּֽרְעֵ֥ם וְ֝נַשְּׂאֵ֗ם עַד־הָעוֹלָֽם׃ and shepherd them and carry them forever! Imperative Directive Petitioning YHWH to shepherd and take care of YHWH's people forever.