Psalm 34/Emotional/EmotionTable
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
| Verse | Text (Hebrew) | Text (CBC) | Proposition (Emotional Analysis) | The Psalmist Feels | Emotional Analysis Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לְדָוִ֗ד בְּשַׁנּוֹת֣וֹ אֶת־טַ֭עְמוֹ לִפְנֵ֣י אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וַֽ֝יְגָרֲשֵׁ֗הוּ וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃ | By David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, and Abimelek drove him out, and he went. | |||
| 2 | אֲבָרֲכָ֣ה אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת | I will bless YHWH at all times. | David blesses YHWH. | • strong desire to praise YHWH | • cohortative: "The cohortative express the will or strong desire of the speaker" (IBHS 34.5.1). • SDBH on "praise" — "action by which humans express their appreciation, admiration, respect, and/or gratitude to deities about who they are and what they do" |
| תָּ֝מִ֗יד תְּֽהִלָּת֥וֹ בְּפִֽי׃ | His praise will continually be in my mouth. | David praises YHWH. | • gratefulness/appreciation • admiration/respect | ||
| 3 | בַּ֭יהוָה תִּתְהַלֵּ֣ל נַפְשִׁ֑י | My soul boasts in YHWH. | David boasts in YHWH. | • pride/confidence (intense) • satisfaction (intense) |
• SDBH on "boast" — "action by which humans express their pride and satisfaction about themselves, their actions, certain circumstances they find themselves in, or a deity that they consider responsible for those circumstances" • "Nepesh is frequently used in connection with the emotional states of joy and bliss" (TWOT). • The use of נפש indicates intensity of emotion. |
| יִשְׁמְע֖וּ עֲנָוִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָֽחוּ׃ | May the afflicted hear and be glad! | The afflicted hear and are glad. | • joy (שׂמח) | • Presumably, the psalmist's call for the afflicted to "be glad" (שמח) reflects his own emotional state. • SDBH on "glad" — "state in which humans and deities feel and show great joy" | |
| 4 | גַּדְּל֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה אִתִּ֑י | Extol YHWH with me, | David and the afflicted praise YHWH. | • admiration/respect • joy • satisfaction • confidence • strong desire to praise YHWH | |
| וּנְרוֹמְמָ֖ה שְׁמ֣וֹ יַחְדָּֽו׃ | and let us exalt his name together! | • admiration/respect • joy • satisfaction • confidence • strong desire to praise YHWH |
• "in first person plural [cohortatives], the speakers usually seek to instigate or encourage each other to some action" (IBHS 34.5.1). | ||
| 5 | דָּרַ֣שְׁתִּי אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה וְעָנָ֑נִי | I sought YHWH and he answered me | David seeks YHWH. YHWH answers David. | • relief • gratefulness | |
| וּמִכָּל־מְ֝גוּרוֹתַ֗י הִצִּילָֽנִי׃ | and he rescued me from all my terrors. | YHWH rescues David. | • relief • gratefulness |
• Instead of feeling "terror" (מגורה), David now feels the relief of one who has been rescued from all terrors. | |
| 6 | *הַבִּיטוּ* אֵלָ֣יו *וּנְהָרוּ* | Gaze at him and glow, | The afflicted trust in YHWH. The afflicted are joyful. | • confidence • joy |
• Gazing at YHWH implies confidence: "to look with confidence towards Is 22:8 51:1f Jon 2:5 Zech 12:10 Ps 34:6" (HALOT) • "Glowing" implies joyful amazement. Isa. 60:5, "Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy (וְנָהַרְתְּ); the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come" (NIV). |
| *וּפְנֵיכֶם* אַל־יֶחְפָּֽרוּ׃ | and do not let your faces be ashamed! | The afflicted are ashamed. | • confidence • joy | ||
| 7 | זֶ֤ה עָנִ֣י קָ֭רָא וַיהוָ֣ה שָׁמֵ֑עַ | This is a poor man who called out and YHWH heard | David called out.YHWH heard. | • relief • gratefulness | |
| וּמִכָּל־צָ֝רוֹתָ֗יו הוֹשִׁיעֽוֹ׃ | and saved him from all his troubles. | YHWH saved David. | • relief • gratefulness |
• "Troubles" lead to "severe anxiety" (SDBH). Presumably, declaring his freedom from all troubles, the psalmist feels the opposite of severe anxiety. | |
| 8 | חֹנֶ֤ה מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָ֓ה | YHWH’s angel encamps | YHWH's angel protects those who fear YHWH. | • confidence • joy | |
| סָ֘בִ֤יב לִֽירֵאָ֗יו וַֽיְחַלְּצֵֽם׃ | all around those who fear him and he delivers them. | YHWH's angel delivers them. | • confidence • joy | ||
| 9 | טַעֲמ֣וּ וּ֭רְאוּ כִּי־ט֣וֹב יְהוָ֑ה | Taste and see that YHWH is good! | The afflicted discover that YHWH is good. | • confidence • joy • admiration | |
| אַֽשְׁרֵ֥י הַ֝גֶּ֗בֶר יֶחֱסֶה־בּֽוֹ׃ | Happy is the man who seeks refuge in him. | A man is protected by YHWH. | • confidence • joy • admiration |
• a pronouncement of "blessing" is typically "accompanied by an attitude of admiration" (SDBH) | |
| 10 | יְר֣אוּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה קְדֹשָׁ֑יו | Fear YHWH, you holy ones of his! | YHWH's people fear YHWH. | • confidence • joy • admiration | |
| כִּי־אֵ֥ין מַ֝חְס֗וֹר לִירֵאָֽיו׃ | For those who fear him have no lack. | Those who fear YHWH lack. | • confidence • joy • admiration | ||
| 11 | כְּ֭פִירִים רָשׁ֣וּ וְרָעֵ֑בוּ | Young lions have suffered want and been hungry, | Others suffer want and are hungry. | • confidence in YHWH's provision | |
| וְדֹרְשֵׁ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה לֹא־יַחְסְר֥וּ כָל־טֽוֹב׃ | but those who seek YHWH will not lack any good. | Those who seek YHHW lack good. | • confidence in YHWH's provision | ||
| 12 | לְֽכוּ־בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י | Come, children! Listen to me! | People come. People listen. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident |
• SDBH on "children" — "title used to address a person (male if in singular) who is regarded with some degree of affection" • "The use of a kinship term as a vocative implies that speaker and addressee have a close and friendly relationship, equivalent to the ideal form of the family relationship named (parent, child, or sibling). Where there is no blood relationship, a kinship term is typically used in address where the speaker is trying to persuade the addressee to some course of action" (Revell 1996:329). • The summons to "come" and "listen", together with the subject matter "the fear of YHWH", implies a relatively sober/solemn/serious mood—a lower level of activation than as in vv. 2-11. |
| יִֽרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הוָ֗ה אֲלַמֶּדְכֶֽם׃ | I will teach you the fear of YHWH. | David teaches people the fear of YHWH. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 13 | מִֽי־הָ֭אִישׁ הֶחָפֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים | Who is the person who desires life, | Someone desires life, loves days and loves to see good. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident |
• "The rhetorical question is used to grab the audience’s attention" (NET note). |
| אֹהֵ֥ב יָ֝מִ֗ים לִרְא֥וֹת טֽוֹב׃ | who wants to live a long time, who loves to see good? | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |||
| 14 | נְצֹ֣ר לְשׁוֹנְךָ֣ מֵרָ֑ע | Keep your tongue from evil | Someone refrains from speaking evil and deceit. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ מִדַּבֵּ֥ר מִרְמָֽה׃ | and your lips from speaking deceit! | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |||
| 15 | ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב | Turn away from evil and do good! | Someone rejects evil and does good. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| בַּקֵּ֖שׁ שָׁל֣וֹם וְרָדְפֵֽהוּ׃ | Seek peace and pursue it! | Someone seeks peace. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 17* | פְּנֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה בְּעֹ֣שֵׂי רָ֑ע | YHWH’s face is against those who do evil, | YHWH opposes those who do evil. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| לְהַכְרִ֖ית מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃ | so as to remove the memory of them from the earth. | The evildoers are not remembered. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 16* | עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה אֶל־צַדִּיקִ֑ים | YHWH’s eyes are directed towards the righteous, | YHWH sees the righteous. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וְ֝אָזְנָ֗יו אֶל־שַׁוְעָתָֽם׃ | and his ears are attentive to their cries for help. | YHWH hears the righteous. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 18 | צָעֲק֣וּ וַיהוָ֣ה שָׁמֵ֑עַ | They called for help, and YHWH heard, | The righteous call for help. YHWH hears. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וּמִכָּל־צָ֝רוֹתָ֗ם הִצִּילָֽם׃ | and he delivered them from all their troubles. | YHWH delivers the righteous. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 19 | קָר֣וֹב יְ֭הוָה לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵ֑ב | YHWH is near to the broken-hearted | YHWH stands ready to hear the afflicted. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וְֽאֶת־דַּכְּאֵי־ר֥וּחַ יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ | and he saves the crushed in spirit. | YHWH saves the afflicted. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 20 | רַ֭בּוֹת רָע֣וֹת צַדִּ֑יק | The hardships of the righteous are many, | The righteous experience many hardships. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וּ֝מִכֻּלָּ֗ם יַצִּילֶ֥נּוּ יְהוָֽה׃ | but YHWH rescues him from all of them. | YHWH rescues the righteous from his hardships. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 21 | שֹׁמֵ֥ר כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָ֑יו | He protects all his bones. | YHWH protects the righteous. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| אַחַ֥ת מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּה לֹ֣א נִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃ | Not one of them has broken. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |||
| 22 | תְּמוֹתֵ֣ת רָשָׁ֣ע רָעָ֑ה | Hardship finishes off a wicked person, | Hardship results in the death of the wicked. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וְשֹׂנְאֵ֖י צַדִּ֣יק יֶאְשָֽׁמוּ׃ | and those who hate a righteous person bear their guilt | The wicked bear their guilt. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 23 | פּוֹדֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה נֶ֣פֶשׁ עֲבָדָ֑יו | YHWH redeems his servants’ lives, | YHWH redeems his servants' lives. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וְלֹ֥א יֶ֝אְשְׁמ֗וּ כָּֽל־הַחֹסִ֥ים בּֽוֹ׃ | and no one who seeks refuge in him will ever bear guilt. | Those protected by YHWH bear guilt. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident |