Psalm 31 Participant Analysis
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Psalm 31/Participant Analysis
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In YHWH's Hand
Psalm 31
Please note: Resources for Psalm 31 are in the process of being reformatted for visual consistency and improved functionality.
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 7 participants/characters in Psalm 31:
| YHWH |
| "my rock" (v. 4) |
| "my stronghold" (v. 4) |
| "God of faithfulness" (v. 6) |
| David / Psalmist |
| "servant" |
| Righteous/Israel |
| "those who fear" (v. 20) |
| "those who take refuge" (v. 20) |
| "loyal ones" (v. 24) |
| "faithful" |
| All people |
| Enemies |
| "adversaries" (v. 12) |
| "many people" (v. 14) |
| "pursuers"(v. 16) |
| Sinners |
| "those who worship worthless idols" (v. 7) |
| "the evil ones" (v. 18) |
| "lying lips" (v. 19) |
| "those that speak" (v. 19) |
| "people [who scheme]" (v. 21) |
| "contentious people" (v. 21) |
| "those who act pridefully" (v. 24) |
| Dead Person |
| Neighbors |
| "friends" (v. 12) |
| "those who see me" (v. 12) |
- David: During his time as the king of Israel, David faced many conflicts and endured hardship. He fled as a fugitive from King Saul (1 Sam 19:8ff) and faced exile during Absalom's coup (2 Sam 15:1ff). While nothing in this psalm identifies a particular event in David's life as the inspiration for the poem, one could imagine any number of scenarios from his life as the background for this psalm.
- Enemies: As with the specific event in David's life, nothing in this psalm identifies a specific set of enemies. Instead, they are characterized in general terms. They are opposed to YHWH (cf. v. 7) and seek to trap and kill David physically (vv. 5, 14). When the enemies are described in relation to the righteous, David describes them as liars (vv. 19, 21) and people who act pridefully (v. 24).
| Hebrew | Line | English |
|---|---|---|
| לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ | 1 | For the director. A psalm by David. |
| בְּךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה חָ֭סִיתִי | 2a | I have taken shelter in you, YHWH. |
| אַל־אֵב֣וֹשָׁה לְעוֹלָ֑ם | 2b | Do not let my shame continue forever! |
| בְּצִדְקָתְךָ֥ פַלְּטֵֽנִי׃ | 2c | Rescue me in your righteousness! |
| הַטֵּ֤ה אֵלַ֨י ׀ אָזְנְךָ֮ | 3a | Listen to me! |
| מְהֵרָ֪ה הַצִּ֫ילֵ֥נִי | 3b | Rescue me quickly! |
| הֱיֵ֤ה לִ֨י ׀ לְֽצוּר־מָ֭עוֹז | 3c | Be a rock of refuge for me, |
| לְבֵ֥ית מְצוּד֗וֹת לְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃ | 3d | and a fortress to deliver me! |
| כִּֽי־סַלְעִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֣י אָ֑תָּה | 4a | Because you are my rock and my stronghold. |
| וּלְמַ֥עַן שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ תַּֽנְחֵ֥נִי וּֽתְנַהֲלֵֽנִי׃ | 4b | And for the sake of your name, you must carefully guide me. |
| תּוֹצִיאֵ֗נִי מֵרֶ֣שֶׁת ז֭וּ טָ֣מְנוּ לִ֑י | 5a | You must save me from the net which they hid for me, |
| כִּֽי־אַ֝תָּה מָֽעוּזִּֽי׃ | 5b | because you are my refuge. |
| בְּיָדְךָ֮ אַפְקִ֪יד ר֫וּחִ֥י | 6a | I entrust my spirit into your hand. |
| פָּדִ֖יתָה אוֹתִ֥י יְהוָ֗ה אֵ֣ל אֱמֶֽת׃ | 6b | You have redeemed me, YHWH, God of faithfulness. |
| שָׂנֵאתָ הַשֹּׁמְרִ֥ים הַבְלֵי־שָׁ֑וְא | 7a | You hate those who worship worthless idols, |
| וַ֝אֲנִ֗י אֶל־יְהוָ֥ה בָּטָֽחְתִּי׃ | 7b | but I trust YHWH. |
| אָגִ֥ילָה וְאֶשְׂמְחָ֗ה בְּחַ֫סְדֶּ֥ךָ | 8a | I will be glad and rejoice on account of your faithfulness, |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָ֭אִיתָ אֶת־עָנְיִ֑י | 8b | that you saw my affliction. |
| הוֹשַׁעְתָ בְּצָר֥וֹת נַפְשִֽׁי׃ | 8c | You saved my life from distress. |
| וְלֹ֣א הִ֭סְגַּרְתַּנִי בְּיַד־אוֹיֵ֑ב | 9a | And you did not let any enemy capture me. |
| הֶֽעֱמַ֖דְתָּ בַמֶּרְחָ֣ב רַגְלָֽי׃ | 9b | You set my feet in a broad place. |
| חָנֵּ֥נִי יְהוָה֮ כִּ֤י צַ֫ר־לִ֥י | 10a | Be gracious to me, YHWH, because I am in distress. |
| עָשְׁשָׁ֖ה בְכַ֥עַס עֵינִ֗י נַפְשִׁ֥י וּבִטְנִֽי׃ | 10b | My eye, my throat, and my belly waste away because of anger. |
| כִּ֤י כָל֪וּ בְיָג֡וֹן חַיַּי֮ וּשְׁנוֹתַ֪י בַּאֲנָ֫חָ֥ה | 11a | Because my life fades away with grief, and my years [fade away] with groaning. |
| כָּשַׁ֣ל בַּעֲוֺנִ֣י כֹחִ֑י וַעֲצָמַ֥י עָשֵֽׁשׁוּ׃ | 11b | My strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. |
| מִכָּל־צֹרְרַ֨י הָיִ֪יתִי חֶרְפָּ֡ה | 12a | I have been scorned by all of my adversaries |
| וְלִשֲׁכֵנַ֨י ׀ מְאֹד֮ | 12b | and [I have] greatly [become an object of scorn] to my neighbors, |
| וּפַ֪חַד לִֽמְיֻדָּ֫עָ֥י | 12c | and [I have become] an object of fear to my friends. |
| רֹאַ֥י בַּח֑וּץ נָדְד֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | 12d | Those who see me in the street have fled from me. |
| נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי כְּמֵ֣ת מִלֵּ֑ב | 13a | I have been forgotten like a dead person [is forgotten] from memory. |
| הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כִּכְלִ֥י אֹבֵֽד׃ | 13b | I have become like a broken vessel. |
| כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֨עְתִּי ׀ דִּבַּ֥ת רַבִּים֮ | 14a | because I heard the slander of many |
| מָג֪וֹר מִסָּ֫בִ֥יב | 14b | terror is on every side– |
| בְּהִוָּסְדָ֣ם יַ֣חַד עָלַ֑י | 14c | when they conspired together against me. |
| לָקַ֖חַת נַפְשִׁ֣י זָמָֽמוּ׃ | 14d | They plotted to take my life. |
| וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ עָלֶ֣יךָ בָטַ֣חְתִּי יְהוָ֑ה | 15a | But I trust you, YHWH. |
| אָ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אֱלֹהַ֥י אָֽתָּה׃ | 15b | I say, "You are my God.” |
| בְּיָדְךָ֥ עִתֹּתָ֑י | 16a | My times are in your hand. |
| הַצִּ֘ילֵ֤נִי מִיַּד־א֝וֹיְבַ֗י וּמֵרֹדְפָֽי׃ | 16b | Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from my pursuers! |
| הָאִ֣ירָה פָ֭נֶיךָ עַל־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ | 17a | Shine your face upon your servant! |
| ה֖וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי בְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ | 17b | Save me by your faithfulness. |
| יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־אֵ֭בוֹשָׁה כִּ֣י קְרָאתִ֑יךָ | 18a | YHWH, do not let me be ashamed because I have called you! |
| יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים יִדְּמ֥וּ לִשְׁאֽוֹל׃ | 18b | May the evil ones be ashamed! May they go silently to Sheol! |
| תֵּ֥אָלַ֗מְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֫י שָׁ֥קֶר | 19a | May lying lips be unable to speak – |
| הַדֹּבְר֖וֹת עַל־צַדִּ֥יק עָתָ֗ק בְּגַאֲוָ֥ה וָבֽוּז׃ | 19b | those that speak insolence against the righteous, with arrogance and contempt. |
| מָ֤ה רַֽב־טוּבְךָ֮ | 20a | How many are your good things |
| אֲשֶׁר־צָפַ֪נְתָּ לִּֽירֵ֫אֶ֥יךָ | 20b | which you have stored up for those who fear you, |
| פָּ֭עַלְתָּ לַחֹסִ֣ים בָּ֑ךְ | 20c | [and which] you have performed for those who take refuge in you |
| נֶ֝֗גֶד בְּנֵ֣י אָדָם׃ | 20d | for all people to see! |
| תַּסְתִּירֵ֤ם ׀ בְּסֵ֥תֶר פָּנֶיךָ֮ מֵֽרֻכְסֵ֫י אִ֥ישׁ | 21a | You shelter them from people’s schemes in the cover of your presence; |
| תִּצְפְּנֵ֥ם בְּסֻכָּ֗ה מֵרִ֥יב לְשֹׁנֽוֹת׃ | 21b | You hide them in a shelter from contentious people. |
| בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֑ה | 22a | Blessed is YHWH, |
| כִּ֥י הִפְלִ֘יא חַסְדּ֥וֹ לִ֝֗י בְּעִ֣יר מָצֽוֹר׃ | 22b | because he has wonderfully shown his faithfulness to me in a city under siege. |
| וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אָ֘מַ֤רְתִּי בְחָפְזִ֗י | 23a | Even though I thought in my panic |
| נִגְרַזְתִּי֮ מִנֶּ֪גֶד עֵ֫ינֶ֥יךָ | 23b | I had been cut off from your sight. |
| אָכֵ֗ן שָׁ֭מַעְתָּ ק֥וֹל תַּחֲנוּנַ֗י | 23c | However, you heard the sound of my pleading |
| בְּשַׁוְּעִ֥י אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ | 23d | when I cried out to you. |
| אֶֽהֱב֥וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה כָּֽל־חֲסִ֫ידָ֥יו | 24a | Love YHWH, all his loyal ones! |
| אֱ֭מוּנִים נֹצֵ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה | 24b | YHWH is watching over the faithful, |
| וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥ם עַל־יֶ֝֗תֶר עֹשֵׂ֥ה גַאֲוָֽה׃ | 24c | and he abundantly repays those who act pridefully. |
| חִ֭זְקוּ וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לְבַבְכֶ֑ם | 25a | Be strong so your hearts may take courage, |
| כָּל־הַ֝מְיַחֲלִ֗ים לַיהוָֽה׃ | 25b | all who wait for YHWH. |
Participant Relations Diagram
The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:
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Participant Analysis Summary Distribution
