Psalm 30 Story Behind
Psalm 30
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 | |
|---|---|
| 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. | |
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.
- In 2 Samuel 7, David desires to build a "house" for YHWH (i.e., a temple). Through the prophet Nathan, YHWH responded: "The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you ... [Solomon] is the one who will build a house for my Name" (2 Sam 7:11, 13; NIV). Both senses of "house" in 2 Samuel 7 are compatible with the psalm's message, according to its superscription, "the song for the dedication of the house," though the "house" of David's royal lineage fits more directly.
- "[YHWH] mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed" (Prov 3:34, NIV).
- Years before the establishing of the Israelite monarchy, YHWH warned the Israelites against the king's pride and exhorted them to appoint a king who will fear YHWH "and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel" (Deut 17:20, NIV).[4]The census of David's army recounted in 2 Samuel 24:1–17 and 2 Chronicles 21:1–17, as an expression of "trusting in chariots and horses" (Ps 20:8), provides an example of this presumption/arrogance in David's life, followed by a plague and humble repentance in sackcloth.
- After an experience of deliverance, the rescued person would hold a thanksgiving meal, which would result in others praising YHWH for his acts of deliverance (Pss 22:26–27; 26:12; 35:18; 40:10; 69:31–34; 107:31–32; 109:30; 116:17–18).
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| מִזְמ֡וֹר שִׁיר־חֲנֻכַּ֖ת הַבַּ֣יִת לְדָוִֽד׃ | 1 | A psalm. The song for the dedication of the house of David's royal lineage, which ruled on Mount Zion. By David, the one who received the promise of a future dynasty of kings and the first king of this dynasty, who was to walk faithfully and in full dependence upon YHWH, not relying on human strength and military might. He was to shepherd his people as YHWH's undershepherd and one acting according to God's heart (1 Sam 13:14). |
| אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה כִּ֣י דִלִּיתָ֑נִי וְלֹא־שִׂמַּ֖חְתָּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי׃ | 2 | As I stand here in the tent that will one day be made obselete by the construction of a permanent house, surrounded by your faithful people, I shall exalt you, YHWH, as the proper beginning to all worship, trusting not in myself but in you alone, because you are my God who is faithful to his covenant promises: when I was in the slimy dark pits nearing death, I could not rescue myself, but you drew me up and did not let my enemies, who would have loved to see my downfall, rejoice over me. |
| יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֑י שִׁוַּ֥עְתִּי אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ וַתִּרְפָּאֵֽנִי׃ | 3 | YHWH, my God, I cried to you for help and you healed me. |
| יְֽהוָ֗ה הֶֽעֱלִ֣יתָ מִן־שְׁא֣וֹל נַפְשִׁ֑י חִ֝יִּיתַ֗נִי *מִיָּֽרְדִי*־בֽוֹר׃ | 4 | YHWH, you brought up my life from where it would have ended up if you had not healed me: Sheol; you restored me to life, so that I did not go down to the pit. |
| זַמְּר֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה חֲסִידָ֑יו וְ֝הוֹד֗וּ לְזֵ֣כֶר קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ | 5 | Sing praise to YHWH and celebrate with me, his faithful ones! And praise his holy name, by which we remember him, just as he remembered me in the pit! |
| כִּ֤י רֶ֨גַע׀ בְּאַפּוֹ֮ חַיִּ֪ים בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ בָּ֭עֶרֶב יָלִ֥ין בֶּ֗כִי וְלַבֹּ֥קֶר רִנָּֽה׃ | 6 | For, while he is just to discipline his people, there is only a moment in his anger; on the other hand, there is restoration to fullness of life in his favor. Weeping might be necessary and it might remain during the evening, but by the morning, which comes soon, there is a shout of joy in the appearance of God's favor shining upon us. |
| וַ֭אֲנִי אָמַ֣רְתִּי בְשַׁלְוִ֑י בַּל־אֶמּ֥וֹט לְעוֹלָֽם׃ | 7 | But when I was reigning with peace and stability all around, I had said when I was at ease, "I will never waver," since I had defeated my enemies all around and was living in a house of cedar (2 Sam 7:1–2). |
| יְֽהוָ֗ה בִּרְצוֹנְךָ֮ הֶעֱמַ֪דְתָּה לְֽהַרְרִ֫י עֹ֥ז הִסְתַּ֥רְתָּ פָנֶ֗יךָ הָיִ֥יתִי נִבְהָֽל׃ | 8 | But I had forgotten, YHWH, that it was only in your favor that you had established strength for my mountain where I ruled over your people. Indeed, you are the one who had given me rest from my enemies all around (2 Sam 7:1). As a consequence of my sinful arrogance, you took away your favor and hid your face; then I was in anguish and did not know where to turn. I did, in fact, end up wavering. |
| אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָ֑א וְאֶל־אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃ | 9 | While your face was hidden from me, to you, YHWH, I would call out and to the Lord I would beg for mercy to restore my health. |
| מַה־בֶּ֥צַע בְּדָמִי֮ בְּרִדְתִּ֪י אֶ֫ל־שָׁ֥חַת הֲיוֹדְךָ֥ עָפָ֑ר הֲיַגִּ֥יד אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃ | 10 | I would pray to you and argue,"What gain is there in my blood, in my going down to the grave? Surely, after establishing my house, you would not benefit from my death. If I am reduced to mere dust, who will praise you? Can dust praise you? No, it cannot. Can it tell of your faithfulness? Of course not. But that is what I vow to do as soon as your restore my health. |
| שְׁמַע־יְהוָ֥ה וְחָנֵּ֑נִי יְ֝הוָה הֱֽיֵה־עֹזֵ֥ר לִֽי׃ | 11 | Listen, YHWH, and be merciful to me! I will not keep talking so proudly or let my mouth speak such arrogance (1 Sam 2:3). YHWH, be a defender for me!" I know now that you were my defender all along, not the strength of my army. |
| הָפַ֣כְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי֮ לְמָח֪וֹל לִ֥י פִּתַּ֥חְתָּ שַׂקִּ֑י וַֽתְּאַזְּרֵ֥נִי שִׂמְחָֽה׃ | 12 | When you heard my prayer and answered me, you changed my mourning into dancing for me; you removed my sackcloth, in which I was mourning my circumstances and humbly seeking you, and dressed me with joy the same way you equip others with strength, |
| לְמַ֤עַן׀ יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד וְלֹ֣א יִדֹּ֑ם יְהוָ֥ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י לְעוֹלָ֥ם אוֹדֶֽךָּ׃ | 13 | so that people of the congregation of your faithful ones will sing to you " On account of your faithfulness you deserve the glory!" (Ps 115:1) and will not stay silent about your miraculous acts of deliverance. YHWH, my God, instead of imagining that my own strength will last forever, I shall praise you forever and tell everyone about your faithfulness towards me in your favor, since "for a brief moment you abandoned me, but with deep compassion you brought me back. In a surge of anger you hid you face from me for a moment, but with everlasting kindness you had compassion on me" (Isaiah 54:7–8). |
Story Triangles
(Click diagram to enlarge)
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.
- ↑ The only other place in the Bible the expression "I will never waver" (v. 7b) is used without direct reference to God bringing about the "stability" (Cohen 2019, 120) is Psalm 10:7: "[In his arrogance the wicked man] ... says to himself, 'Nothing will ever shake me' (בַּל־אֶמּ֑וֹט לְדֹ֥ר וָ֝דֹ֗ר)" (NIV). In contrast, see, for example, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken (לֹא־יִ֝מּ֗וֹט) but endures forever" (Ps 125:1, NIV).