Psalm 34 Macrosyntax

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Psalm 34/Macrosyntax
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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[1] are indicated by bold text.
Macrosyntax legend - frame setter.jpg Frame setters[2] 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)


Psalm 034 macrosyntax.jpg

(There are no notes on divisions for this psalm.)

  • v. 2b. The adverb תָּמִיד is fronted, probably for verum focus; the psalmist is confirming what he has said in the a-line (בכל עת). At the same time, the fronting of תָּמִיד results in a chiastic structure: (a) I will bless YHWH (b) at all times, (b') continually (a') his praise will be in my mouth. At the same time, תָּמִיד may be fronted
  • v. 3a. The prepositional phrase בַּיהוָה is fronted, and this fronting has two effects: (1) the second verse of the poem begins with beth and thus fits the acrostic structure; (2) the constituent בַּיהוָה is focused: "It is in YHWH (and not in myself or in any other) that my soul will boast."[3]
  • v. 5b. fronted constituent: וּמִכָּל־מְגוּרוֹתַי. Phrases with כל are often fronted for marked focus:[4] "YHWH saved me (not from some, but) from all my terrors."[5] Cf. vv. 7b, 18b, 20b.
  • v. 6b. The subject פְנֵיכֶם is fronted before the verb and before אל, probably for poetic reasons.[6] The current order strengthens the phonological (chiastic) correspondence between הַבִּיטוּ אֵלָיו and אַל־יֶחְפָּרוּ. (a) "Gaze" (הַבִּיטוּ) (b) "on him" (אֵלָיו) (c) "and glow", (d) "and your faces" (b' ) "may they not" (אַל) (a' ) "be ashamed" (יֶחְפָּרוּ). (Note the correspondence between אֵלָיו and אַל and between הבּ and הפּ. Note also that if the MT reading is followed, there is a further sound correspondence between נהרו and פניהם [repetition of נה]).
  • v. 7aβ. In the second clause of v. 7a, the subject "YHWH" is fronted, probably for marked focus:[7] YHWH is the one who heard his cry for help and rescued him.
  • v. 7b. fronted constituent: וּמִכָּל־צָרוֹתָיו. See note on v. 5b.
  • v. 8a. fronted constituent: חֹנֶה. Subjects normally precede predicate-active participles, such that "the marked order is participle + subject."[8] The word order in this clause, in which the participle (חֹנֶה) precedes the subject (מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָ֓ה) is therefore marked. The marked order is probably best explained poetically: the acrostic structure required that the verse begin ח.
  • v. 9a. The predicate complement טוב is fronted, probably for predicate focus. A person "tastes" (טעם) something to discover its quality (i.e., to find out whether it is good or bad). The question, then, is: how is YHWH? Is he good or bad? The psalmist says that YHWH is good.
  • v. 11ab. The subject in v. 11a (כְּפִירִים) and the subject in v. 11b (דֹרְשֵׁי יְהוָה) are both fronted as contrasting topics:[9] "As for young lions... as for those who seek YHWH..." Here, the "tasting" results in the discovery that YHWH is (not bad, but) good.
  • v. 12b. The previous imperatives ("Come...! Listen to me!") and the labeling of the addressee as "children" (> students) raises the expectation that something is about to be taught. Using a marked-focus construction, David specifies in the next line what is going to teach them: יִרְאַת יְהוָה.[10]
  • v. 18a. See note on v. 7a.[11]
  • v. 18b. fronted constituent: וּמִכָּל־צָרוֹתָם. See note on v. 5b.
  • v. 19a. The normal word order for verbless clauses is subject + predicate complement. Here, the predicate complement קָרוֹב is fronted, probably so that the verse begins with qof, according to the acrostic pattern.
  • v. 19b. The direct object וְאֶת־דַּכְּאֵי־רוּחַ is fronted, probably for the purpose of poetic binding; the syntax of v. 19 is chiastic: (a) YHWH is near (b) to the broken-hearted, (b') the crushed in spirit (a') he saves.
  • v. 20a. fronted constituent: The predicate complement רַבּוֹת is fronted. It will not suffice to explain the fronting in terms of the acrostic structure, since the author could have equally achieved a verse beginning with resh by using default word order (רעות צדיק רבות). Instead, רַבּוֹת is probably fronted for predicate focus, as often elsewhere (cf. רבות in Prov. 19:21; 31:29; Lam. 1:22; רבים in Ps. 32:10; 56:3; 119:57; רב in Pss. 25:11; 31:20; 123:3; Job 5:25; 31:25; 39:11).
  • v. 20b. fronted constituent: וּמִכֻּלָּם. See note on v. 5b.
  • v. 21b. The subject אַחַת מֵהֵנָּה is fronted, probably for marked focus.[12] Together with the לא the fronting of אַחַת מֵהֵנָּה creates an absolute negative structure and provides a kind of counterpoint to the prevalent מכל phrase throughout the Psalm. At the same time, the fronting means that constituents in v. 21 are arranged chiastically: (a) guards (שמר) (b) all his bones, (b') one of them, (a') is not broken (שבר [which sounds like שמר]).
  • v. 22a. The object (רָשָׁע) precedes subject (רָעָ֑ה), probably so that רָשָׁע corresponds with צַדִּיק in the chiastic structure (see following note on v. 22b).
  • v. 22b. The subject וְשֹׂנְאֵי צַדִּיק is probably fronted for the purpose of poetic binding;[13] the constituents in v. 22 are arranged in a partial chiasm: (a) Will finish off (verb) (b) the wicked (רָשָׁע—direct object) (c) hardship (subject), (c') but those who hate (subject) (b') a righteous person (צַדִּיק—object of participle) (a') will bear their guilt (verb).
  • v. 23a. fronted constituent: פּוֹדֶה. See notes on v. 8a.
  • The psalm contains two vocatives:
    • v. 10a. קְדֹשָׁיו. The vocative קְדֹשָׁיו ("you holy ones of his") occurs at the end of the clause, which leaves the focal nature of the imperative in no doubt.[14] The position of the vocative may also be affected by the acrostic structure.
    • v. 12a. בָנִים. "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."[15] On the position of the vocative at the end of the clause, see the previous note.

(There are no notes on discourse markers for this psalm.)

  • Subordinating particles and subordinated clauses are few.
    • Ki clauses (v. 10b). The ki clause in v. 10b provides the grounds of the exhortation in v. 10a ("speech-act causal כי" cf. Locatell 2019): "the reason why you should fear YHWH is because those who fear YHWH have no lack."
    • Asyndetic relative clauses (vv. 7a, 9b)
    • Purpose/result infinitive constructs (v. 17b)
  • By contrast, the coordinating conjunction waw occurs many times in this psalm. It functions (1) to coordinate clauses within a line, and (2) to coordinate lines within a verse.
    • Coordinating clauses within a line: (vv. 3b, 5a, 6a, 7a, 11a, 15a, 15b; cf. v. 9a). This use of waw is most common in the a-line of a verse (vv. 5, 6, 7, 11, 15), though it occurs twice in the b-line of a verse (vv. 3, 15).
    • Coordinating lines within a verse: (vv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23)
    • In this psalm, waw never coordinates verses; no verse begins with waw, which is probably due to the acrostic nature of the psalm. (Interestingly, there is no waw verse.) The lack of explicit connectors between verses (waw or otherwise) has contributed to the feeling of some commentators that "the psalm is not subdivided into thought units longer than the verse."[16]


  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ Cf. Lunn 2006, 303 "MKD"
  4. ↑ cf. Lunn 2006, 198, e.g., Pss. 31:12; 39:9; 54:9; 119:99, 101
  5. ↑ So Lunn 2006, 303 "MKD".
  6. ↑ Cf. Lunn 2006, 303 "DEF".
  7. ↑ Cf. Lunn 2006:303 "MKD"
  8. ↑ BHRG 46.2.2.1-2.
  9. ↑ Cf. Lunn 2006, 303 "MKD"
  10. ↑ Cf. Lunn 2006, 303 "MKD".
  11. ↑ Cf. Lunn 2006, 303 "MKD".
  12. ↑ Cf. Lunn "MKD" 2006, 303.
  13. ↑ Cf. Lunn 2006, 303 "DEF".
  14. ↑ Cf. Miller 2010, 357.
  15. ↑ Revell 1996, 329.
  16. ↑ Craigie 2004, 278.