Psalm 38 Speech Act
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Psalm 38/Speech Act
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No healthy spot left
Psalm 38
Guardian: Amanda Jarus
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 | Macro Speech Acts | Addressee | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David | v. 2 YHWH, do not rebuke me when you’re angry, or discipline me when you’re wrathful! | LAMENT FOR BODILY SUFFERING
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YHWH | |||
| v. 3 For your arrows have been shot into me, and your hand has struck me. | ||||||
| v. 4 There is no sound spot in my flesh because of your anger. There is no well-being in my bones because of my sin. | ||||||
| v. 5 For my iniquities have gone over my head. Like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me to handle. | ||||||
| v. 6 My wounds have become foul with rot because of my folly. | ||||||
| v. 7 I have become completely contorted. I have walked about constantly mourning. | ||||||
| v. 8 For my sides are full of inflammation, and there is no sound spot in my flesh. | ||||||
| v. 9 I have become weak and have been crushed completely. I have been groaning because of the severe suffering of my heart. | ||||||
| v. 10 My Lord, everything I long for is before you, and my moaning is not hidden from you. | LAMENT FOR ABANDONMENT
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| v. 11 My heart has been pounding. My strength has abandoned me, and the light of my eyes, even that is not with me! | ||||||
| v. 12 Those who love me, my companions, are standing far away from my injury, and my relatives have stood at a distance. | ||||||
| v. 13 And those who seek to take my life have set a trap, and those who pursue my harm have been speaking of disaster, and they are constantly muttering treachery. | ||||||
| v. 14 But I, like a deaf person, cannot hear. And [I am] like a mute person [who] cannot open his mouth. | ||||||
| v. 15 And so I have become like a man who does not hear and who has no arguments in his mouth. | ||||||
| v. 16 But, YHWH, I have hoped for you. You yourself must answer, my Lord, my God. | PETITION
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| v. 17 For I thought that they would rejoice concerning me, [those who] have considered themselves superior to me when my feet slip. | ||||||
| v. 18 For I am certain to stumble, and my pain is always before me. | ||||||
| v. 19 Although I confess my iniquity, I am distressed because of my sin. | ||||||
| v. 20 And those who are my enemies for no reason are mighty, and those who hate me without cause are numerous. | ||||||
| v. 21 And those who repay with evil in response to good accuse me in response to my pursuit of good. | ||||||
| v. 22 Do not abandon me, YHWH! My God, do not be far from me! | ||||||
| v. 23 Hurry to help me, my Lord, my salvation! | ||||||
Speech Act Analysis Chart
The following chart is scrollable (left/right; up/down).
| 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) | Sentence type | Illocution (general) | Illocution with context | Macro speech act | Intended perlocution (Think) | Intended perlocution (Feel) | Intended perlocution (Do) | Speech Act Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | מִזְמ֖וֹר לְדָוִ֣ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר׃ | A psalm. By David. To bring to remembrance. | Superscription | |||||||||
| 2 | יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּקֶצְפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי | YHWH, do not rebuke me when you’re angry, | Imperative | Directive | Pleading for mercy from YHWH | Pleading for YHWH to have mercy | Pleading for YHWH to have mercy | Lamenting the effect of YHWH's rebuke on the psalmist's self | YHWH will refrain from disciplining the psalmist | |||
| וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃ | or discipline me when you’re wrathful! | Imperative | Directive | Pleading for mercy from YHWH | ||||||||
| 3 | כִּֽי־חִ֭צֶּיךָ נִ֣חֲתוּ בִ֑י | For your arrows have been shot into me, | Declarative | Expressive | Providing a reason to request mercy | |||||||
| וַתִּנְחַ֖ת עָלַ֣י יָדֶֽךָ׃ | and your hand has struck me. | Declarative | Expressive | Providing a reason to request mercy | ||||||||
| 4 | אֵין־מְתֹ֣ם בִּ֭בְשָׂרִי מִפְּנֵ֣י זַעְמֶ֑ךָ | There is no sound spot in my flesh because of your anger. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the damage to his flesh because of YHWH's discipline | Mourning the extent of the damage | Lamenting to provide grounds for plea | YHWH wil acknowledge the psalmist's suffering | YHWH will have compassion on the psalmist's suffering | YHWH will deliver the psalmist from his suffering | ||
| אֵין־שָׁל֥וֹם בַּ֝עֲצָמַ֗י מִפְּנֵ֥י חַטָּאתִֽי׃ | There is no well-being in my bones because of my sin. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the damage because of his own sin | ||||||||
| 5 | כִּ֣י עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי עָבְר֣וּ רֹאשִׁ֑י | For my iniquities have gone over my head. | Declarative | Expressive | Explaining why his iniquities are a problem: their weight | |||||||
| כְּמַשָּׂ֥א כָ֝בֵ֗ד יִכְבְּד֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | Like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me to handle. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the overwhelming weight of the iniquities | ||||||||
| 6 | הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ נָ֭מַקּוּ חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י | My wounds have become foul with rot | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his injuries | |||||||
| מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י אִוַּלְתִּֽי׃ | because of my folly. | |||||||||||
| 7 | נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי שַׁחֹ֣תִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד | I have become completely contorted. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the result of injuries | |||||||
| כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם קֹדֵ֥ר הִלָּֽכְתִּי׃ | I have walked about constantly mourning. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the constant nature of his suffering and mourning | ||||||||
| 8 | כִּֽי־כְ֭סָלַי מָלְא֣וּ נִקְלֶ֑ה | For my sides are full of inflammation, | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the damage to his flesh | |||||||
| וְאֵ֥ין מְ֝תֹ֗ם בִּבְשָׂרִֽי׃ | and there is no sound spot in my flesh. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the damage to his flesh | ||||||||
| 9 | נְפוּג֣וֹתִי | I have become weak | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his helplessness | |||||||
| וְנִדְכֵּ֣יתִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד | and have been crushed completely. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his helplessness | ||||||||
| שָׁ֝אַ֗גְתִּי מִֽנַּהֲמַ֥ת לִבִּֽי׃ | I have been groaning because of the severe suffering of my heart. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the severe suffering of his heart | ||||||||
| 10 | אֲֽדֹנָי נֶגְדְּךָ֥ כָל־תַּאֲוָתִ֑י | My Lord, everything I long for is before you, | Declarative | Expressive | Trusting that YHWH knows his suffering | Trusting that YHWH knows his suffering | Lamenting the effect of YHWH's rebuke on the psalmist's relationships | YHWH wil acknowledge the psalmist's trust in him | YHWH will feel loyalty towards the psalmist | • If the illocution for this verse is not expressive, it would be assertive, declaring the fact that YHWH knows what David longs for. However, in the larger scheme of the psalm, it makes the most sense for this to be expressive because of its position in the midst of lament. | ||
| וְ֝אַנְחָתִ֗י מִמְּךָ֥ לֹא־נִסְתָּֽרָה׃ | and my moaning is not hidden from you. | Declarative | Expressive | Trusting that YHWH knows his suffering | ||||||||
| 11 | לִבִּ֣י סְ֭חַרְחַר | My heart has been pounding. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the pounding of his heart | Mourning the abandonment of his body | YHWH wil acknowledge the psalmist's suffering | YHWH will have compassion on the psalmist's suffering | ||||
| עֲזָבַ֣נִי כֹחִ֑י | My strength has abandoned me, | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his lack of strength | ||||||||
| וְֽאוֹר־עֵינַ֥י גַּם־הֵ֝֗ם אֵ֣ין אִתִּֽי׃ | and the light of my eyes, even that is not with me! | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his seemingly impending death | ||||||||
| 12 | אֹֽהֲבַ֨י ׀ וְרֵעַ֗י מִנֶּ֣גֶד נִגְעִ֣י יַעֲמֹ֑דוּ | Those who love me, my companions, are standing far away from my injury, | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the abandonment of his companions and relatives | Mourning the abandonment of his companions and relatives | ||||||
| וּ֝קְרוֹבַ֗י מֵרָחֹ֥ק עָמָֽדוּ׃ | and my relatives have stood at a distance. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the abandonment of his companions and relatives | ||||||||
| 13 | וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ ׀ מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י נַפְשִׁ֗י | And those who seek to take my life have set a trap, | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the intent of his enemies to harm him and their plots against him | Mourning his helplessness in the face of his enemies' attacks | ||||||
| וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י רָ֭עָתִי דִּבְּר֣וּ הַוּ֑וֹת | and those who pursue my harm have been speaking of disaster, | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the intent of his enemies to harm him and their plots against him | ||||||||
| וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת כָּל־הַיּ֥וֹם יֶהְגּֽוּ׃ | and they are constantly muttering treachery. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning the intent of his enemies to harm him and their plots against him | ||||||||
| 14 | וַאֲנִ֣י כְ֭חֵרֵשׁ לֹ֣א אֶשְׁמָ֑ע | But I, like a deaf person, cannot hear. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his helplessness of being unable to hear (his enemies' accusations) | Mourning his helplessness and providing a reason for his hope in YHWH | • vv. 14-15: In the present analysis, these verses have been taking as expressives. However, if David is choosing not to speak or listen, then they could be taken as commissives, showing David's resolve not to listen or speak but let YHWH answer for him. Because of the previous verses, it is more likely that David is unable to speak and has no choice in the matter, and so the expressive analysis has been favored. | |||||
| וּ֝כְאִלֵּ֗ם לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיו׃ | And [I am] like a mute person [who] cannot open his mouth. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his helplessness of being unable to speak (and answer his enemies' accusations) | ||||||||
| 15 | וָאֱהִ֗י כְּ֭אִישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־שֹׁמֵ֑עַ | And so I have become like a man who does not hear | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his helplessness to defend himself | |||||||
| וְאֵ֥ין בְּ֝פִ֗יו תּוֹכָחֽוֹת׃ | and who has no arguments in his mouth. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his helplessness to defend himself | ||||||||
| 16 | כִּֽי־לְךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה הוֹחָ֑לְתִּי | But, YHWH, I have hoped for you. | Declarative | Expressive | Hoping for YHWH to act | Declaring his confidence that YHWH will answer | Professing confidence in YHWH as grounds for YHWH answering | Pleading | YHWH wil acknowledge the psalmist's trust in him | YHWH will feel loyalty towards the psalmist | ||
| אַתָּ֥ה תַ֝עֲנֶ֗ה אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהָֽי׃ | You yourself must answer, my Lord, my God. | Declarative | Expressive | Trusting YHWH to answer (his enemies' accusations) since no one else can | • This clause could either be directive, asking YHWH to answer, assertive, declaring that YHWH always answers, or expressive, demonstrating the psalmist's complete trust that YHWH will indeed always answer. Because of the use of the yiqtol, the assertive is favored in this analysis, taking this verse as an expression of confidence that YHWH will indeed answer, even if the situation looks bleak at the moment. | |||||||
| 17 | כִּֽי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי | For I thought | Declarative | Assertive | Explaining why he couldn't answer | Describing the situation why he needs YHWH to answer | Lamenting to provide grounds for plea | YHWH wil acknowledge the psalmist's suffering | YHWH will have compassion on the psalmist | |||
| פֶּן־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִ֑י בְּמ֥וֹט רַ֝גְלִ֗י עָלַ֥י הִגְדִּֽילוּ׃ | that they would rejoice concerning me, [those who] have considered themselves superior to me when my feet slip. | Fearing his enemies' response when his feet slip | ||||||||||
| 18 | כִּֽי־אֲ֭נִי לְצֶ֣לַע נָכ֑וֹן | For I am certain to stumble, | Declarative | Expressive | Fearing when he will inevitably stumble | |||||||
| וּמַכְאוֹבִ֖י נֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד׃ | and my pain is always before me. | Declarative | Expressive | Mourning his pain and suffering | ||||||||
| 19 | כִּֽי־עֲוֺנִ֥י אַגִּ֑יד | Although I confess my iniquity, | Declarative | Expressive | Fearing the effect his (perceived) sin can have on the situation | • v. 19a: By itself, this line could potentially be considered commissive rather than assertive. If this were the case, David would be committing himself to tell others about his iniquity. However, the verbal semantics and the context indicates that this is occurring in the present rather than future. Reading this as a commissive would also imply that in 19b David is anxious about telling about his sin. As such, the commissive reading is dispreferred. | ||||||
| אֶ֝דְאַ֗ג מֵֽחַטָּאתִֽי׃ | I am distressed because of my sin. | |||||||||||
| 20 | וְֽ֭אֹיְבַי *חִנָּם* עָצֵ֑מוּ | And those who are my enemies for no reason are mighty, | Declarative | Expressive | Fearing the power of his enemies | |||||||
| וְרַבּ֖וּ שֹׂנְאַ֣י שָֽׁקֶר׃ | and those who hate me without cause are numerous. | Declarative | Expressive | Fearing the number of his enemies | ||||||||
| 21 | וּמְשַׁלְּמֵ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי תַּ֣חַת רָֽדְפִי־טֽוֹב׃ | And those who repay with evil in response to good accuse me in response to my pursuit of good. | Declarative | Directive | Mourning the accusations he incorrectly faces | |||||||
| 22 | אַל־תַּֽעַזְבֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה | Do not abandon me, YHWH! | Imperative | Directive | Pleading with YHWH not to abandon him | Pleading for YHWH to help him quickly | Pleading for YHWH to help him quickly | YHWH will acknowledge the psalmist's plea | ||||
| אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אַל־תִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | My God, do not be far from me! | Imperative | Directive | Pleading for YHWH to be close | ||||||||
| 23 | ח֥וּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי׃ | Hurry to help me, my Lord, my salvation! | Imperative | Directive | Pleading for YHWH to help quickly | |||||||