Psalm 3 Semantics

Psalm Overview

• Grammar
• Semantics
• Story behind the Psalm
• Discourse
• Poetics

About the Semantics Layer

Semantics is the study of how language is used to represent meaning. The goal of semantic analysis for interpreting and translating the Bible is to understand the meaning of words and how they relate to each other in context. We want to understand what is implicit about word meaning – and thus assumed by the original audience – and make it explicit – and thus clear for us who are removed by time, language, and culture. The semantics layer is composed of three major branches: lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics and verbal semantics.

Semantics Visuals for Psalm 3

Lexical and Phrase-level Semantics Diagram

Visualization	Description
	The prepositional phrase is indicated by a solid green oval.
	The construct chain is indicated by a solid yellow oval.
	When the conjunction ו appears at the phrase-level (not clause-level), it is indicated by a solid light purple oval.
	The article is indicated by a solid blue oval.

• See our growing collection of Venn Diagrams, not only for Psalm 92, but for all of the psalms.
• See SDBH on Psalm 3.

v. 1

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

• The preposition from (מִפְּנֵי) typically occurs in contexts of "hostility and/or threat" (BHRG §39.15), describing how "trajector x [here = David] moves away (e.g., flees or hides) from the presence of a landmark y [here = Absalom]."
• The phrase his son (בּנוֹ) is in apposition to "Absalom," highlighting Absalom's relationship to David. The addition of the phrase "his son" is not necessary for identifying Absalom. The text could have simply said, "When David was fleeing from Absalom," and readers would have been able to identify "Absalom" without the need for any further specification (cf. 2 Sam 13ff). The addition of the appositional phrase "his son" has two effects.

1. It draws attention to the close relationship between David and Absalom and thus to the deep emotional pain of the conflict (2 Sam 13:39; 18:33); the fact that David is forced to flee from his son (as opposed to some other enemy) makes his situation especially distressing.
2. It creates a connection with the previous psalm (Ps 2), which uses the word "son" (v. 7, cf. v. 12).

v. 2

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 2]
    Fragment
      Vocative
        noun: יְהוָה YHWH
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          ConstructChain <gloss="my adversaries">
            noun: צָר adversaries
            suffix-pronoun: ָי me
        Predicate
          verb: רַבּוּ have become many
          adverb: מָה how
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          Nominal
            Clause
              Predicate
                verb-participle: קָמִים those rising
                Adverbial
                  PrepositionalPhrase
                    Preposition
                      preposition: עָל against
                    Object
                      suffix-pronoun: ָי me
        Predicate
          verb: are
          Complement
            adjective: רַבִּים many
    Fragment <status="alternative">
      Clause
        Subject
          Nominal
            adjective: רַבִּים many
        Predicate
          verb-participle: קָמִים are rising
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: עָל against
              Object
                suffix-pronoun: ָי me 
  

• The root רבב is, next to the divine name YHWH, the most repeated root in the psalm (four times, vv. 2-3, 7). The first instantiation of this root is the verb become many (רַבּוּ) in v. 2, which SDBH defines simply as a "process by which people... increase in number..." The second and third instantiations of this root occur in the following two lines, with the adjective many (רַבִּים)—"state in which objects or events are numerous in quantity or frequency."

v. 3

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 3]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          Clause
            Predicate
              verb-participle: אֹמְרִים those saying
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase
                  Preposition
                    preposition: לְ about
                  Object
                    ConstructChain <gloss="my soul >> me">
                      noun: נַפְשׁ soul
                      suffix-pronoun: ִי me
              Object
                Clause
                  Subject
                    noun: יְשׁוּעָתָה victory
                  Predicate
                    Adverbial
                      noun: אֵין there is no
                    Complement
                      PrepositionalPhrase
                        Preposition
                          preposition: לּ for
                        Object
                          suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
                      Adjectival
                        PrepositionalPhrase
                          Preposition
                            preposition: בֵ in
                          Object
                            noun: אלֹהִים God
        Predicate
          verb: are
          Complement
            adjective: רַבִּים many
    Fragment <status="alternative">
      Clause
        Subject
          Nominal
            adjective: רַבִּים many
        Predicate
          verb-participle: אֹמְרִים are saying
    Fragment
      particle: סֶלָה selah 
  

• The Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database has a series of thorough lexical studies on 'Deliverance' Words, the verb ישׁע, and the noun יְשׁוּעָה. For the noun יְשׁוּעָה, which occurs twice in Ps 3 (vv. 3, 9), they argue that it denotes "various kinds of ‘success’ secured by divine acts of power and faithfulness." They argue, contrary to many translations and dictionaries, that "‘salvation, deliverance’ is not central to the meaning of יְשׁוּעָה." They base this claim on the fact that, although יְשׁוּעָה occurs 74 times in poetry, it hardly ever occurs in parallel with other nouns in the 'deliverance' word group. Instead, it is usually parallel with words for success or blessing, power, loyalty and faithfulness, protection, praise, and righteousness. They claim that it refers to "a state of security" rather than "an action that brings it about." In prose, it occurs only four times (Exod 14:13; 1 Sam 14:45; 2 Sam 10:11; 2 Chr 20:17), "all in military contexts where ‘victory, success’ might be appropriate interpretations of the meaning." The military context of Ps 3 (cf. enemies surrounding [vv. 2-3, 7], shield [v. 4a]) makes victory an appropriate gloss here as well, though "protection" or "security" might also be good glosses.
• The word נֶפֶשׁ frequently means "life" and occurs in contexts "where a life is in general peril; where a life desperately requires help (often from God)." It can also stand metonymically for a person, profiling the inner being or emotional center of that person (Witthoff 2021, 177-181). In Ps 3:3, the phrase נַפְשִׁי (my soul >> me) is related to both of these meanings. As Witthoff writes regarding several examples, including Ps 3:3, "the concept of LIFE in need may still be present in the contexts of these instances, but ׁנֶפֶש may be closer in these examples to representing a part of a person that feels, thinks, or chooses a course of action, than to a state of LIFE."
• The lamed preposition in the phrase לְנַפְשִׁי does not indicate the address of the speech ("saying to me," so NRSV) but the topic of the speech: "saying about me."
• The second lamed preposition in v. 3, for him (לוֹ), indicates the psalmist as the experiencer or beneficiary of YHWH's victory/protection.
• The bet preposition in the phrase in God (בֵאלֹהִים) indicates the "cause [or, reason] for a statement of existence." E.g., Isa 45:24—"The people will declare, 'The LORD is the source of all my righteousness and strength'" (NLT, אַ֧ךְ בַּיהוָ֛ה לִ֥י אָמַ֖ר צְדָקֹ֣ות וָעֹ֑ז); Jer 3:23—"Help for Israel comes only from the LORD our God" (GNT, בַּיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ תְּשׁוּעַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל).

v. 4

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 4]
    Fragment
      conjunction: וְ but
    Fragment
      Vocative
        noun: יְהוָה YHWH
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          pronoun: אַתָּה you
        Predicate
          verb: are
          Complement
            Nominal
              noun: מָגֵן shield
              Adjectival
                PrepositionalPhrase
                  Preposition
                    preposition: בַּעֲד for
                  Object
                    suffix-pronoun: ִי me
            Conjunction
              conjunction:
            Nominal
              ConstructChain <gloss="my honor">
                noun: כְּבוֹד honor
                suffix-pronoun: ִי me
            Conjunction
                conjunction: וּ and
            Nominal
              Clause
                Predicate
                  verb-participle: מֵרִים one who lifts
                  Object
                    ConstructChain <gloss="my head">
                      noun: רֹאשׁ head
                      suffix-pronoun: ִי me 
  

• The phrase כְּבוֹדִי is, literally, my honor or "my glory" (so NIV, NLT, ESV, NJPS, NET; German: meine Ehre, LUT, HFA, NGÜ, ELB, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR). The context suggests that "my honor" means "the source of my honor," i.e., "the one who makes me honorable [before others]": "you give me... honor" (CEV); "you restore my honor" (cf. HFA); "you rescue my honor" (GNB). Cf. NET note: "The psalmist affirms that the Lord is his source of honor, i.e., the one who gives him honor in the sight of others. According to BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 7, the phrase refers to God as the one to whom the psalmist gives honor. But the immediate context focuses on what God does for the psalmist, not vice-versa."
• To lift someone's head is "to distinguish, confer honour upon someone." See e.g., the proverb in Ben Sira: "The physician's knowledge lifts up his head (תרים ראשו), that he may stand in the presence of noblemen." This interpretation makes good sense in the context, where the phrase "one who lifts my head" is juxtaposed with the phrase "my honor >> the one who makes me honorable." Note also the contrast between lifting up the psalmist's head in v. 4 (= honoring him) and striking the enemies on the jaw in v. 8 (= dishonoring them).
• Alternatively, "lifting up the head" could be a figure of speech for a "causative process by which deities help humans to find new confidence." Thus, GNT: "You... restore my courage." It seems more likely, however, that the focus is on the social aspect (honor, vindication) of the psalmist's restoration and not the psychological aspect (confidence, courage), although the latter is probably implied.
• In Gen 40:13, "lifting the head" (although a different verb: יִשָּׂא...אֶת־רֹאשֶׁךָ) refers to the cup bearer's restoration to his former position. Thus, "if one takes the suggestion of the superscription that this is a Davidic psalm written during the revolt of Absalom, the phrase 'lift the head' could refer to the psalmist’s desire for restoration to his former position."
• The prepositional phrase בַּעֲדִי in Ps 3:4 probably does not mean "around me" (NIV, NLT, NRSV) but "for me" (KJV, cf. LUT, EÜ, ZÜR) i.e., it "marks the intended recipient of the particular action. In English, this function is commonly conveyed by the preposition for."

v. 5

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 5]
    Fragment
      ClauseCluster
        Clause
          Subject
          Predicate
            verb: אֶקְרָא I call out
            Adverbial
              PrepositionalPhrase
                Preposition
                  preposition: אֶל to
                Object
                  noun: יְהוָה YHWH
            Adverbial
              ConstructChain <gloss="with my voice >> aloud">
                noun: קוֹל voice
                suffix-pronoun: ִי me
        Conjunction
          conjunction: וַ and
        Clause
          Predicate
            verb: יַּעֲנֵ he answers
            Object
              suffix-pronoun: נִי me
            Adverbial
              PrepositionalPhrase
                Preposition
                  preposition: מֵ from
                Object
                  ConstructChain <gloss="his holy mountain">
                    noun: הַר mountain
                    ConstructChain
                      noun: קָדְשׁ holy
                      suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
    Fragment
      particle: סֶלָה selah 
  

• The phrase הַר קָדְשׁוֹ is, literally, "mountain of holiness of him" >> "his holy mountain," i.e., the mountain that is devoted to YHWH as holy (cf. Joel 4:17; Obad 16; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; 48:2; 99:9; Dan 9:16; etc.).

v. 6

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 6]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          noun: אֲנִי I
        Predicate
          Predicate
            verb: שָׁכַבְתִּי lay down
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וָ and
          Predicate
            verb: אִישָׁנָה fell asleep
    Fragment
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: הֱקִיצוֹתִי I woke up
        SubordinateClause
          Conjunction
            conjunction: כִּי because
          Clause
            Subject
              noun: יְהוָה YHWH
            Predicate
              verb: יִסְמְכֵ upholds >> supports
              Object
                suffix-pronoun: נִי me 
  

• The verbs lay down (שָׁכַבְתִּי) and slept (וָֽאִישָׁנָה) are "sometimes associated with security," as is the case in this verse (cf. Psalm 4:9). The psalmist can lie down and sleep because he trusts YHWH to support him and protect him throughout the night.

v. 7

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 7]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: אִירָא I will be afraid
          Adverbial
            particle: לֹא not
          Adverbial
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: מֵ from >> of
              Object
                ConstructChain
                  noun: רִבְבוֹת tens of thousands
                  Nominal
                    noun: עָם people
                    RelativeClause
                      RelativeParticle
                        particle: אֲשֶׁר who
                      Clause
                        Subject <located="relative clause head">
                        Predicate
                          verb: שָׁתוּ have taken position
                          adverb: סָבִיב all around
                          Adverbial
                            PrepositionalPhrase
                              Preposition
                                preposition: עָל against
                              Object
                                suffix-pronoun: ָי me 
  

• The word רִבְבֹות in v. 7 is the fourth instantiation of the root רבב in this psalm (see vv. 2-3). The singular noun רְבָבָה means, literally, a "state in which a countable entity is ten thousand in number," but it is used imprecisely for "excessively high numbers by which the exact number is relatively unimportant."
• The verb שׁית in this verse appears to be "internally transitive, = take one’s stand" (BDB; cf. Isa 22:7; so Ibn Ezra: "similar to שות שתו השערה [in Isa 22:7], similar to 'fight' [נלחמו];" see also 2 Kgs 20:12—וַיָּשִׂ֖ימוּ עַל־הָעִֽיר). It is also possible that an object, e.g., "battle," is implied (cf. Radak: שתו מלחמתם עלי). Dahood 2008, 19, suggests understanding it as a qal passive (שִׁתוּ).
• The construct chain רִבְבֹות עָם probably means "ten thousands of people" (KJV, NRSV), i.e., "ten thousands [consisting of] people." The phrase is unique in the Bible, but compare "ten thousands of Ephraim" (רִבְבוֹת אֶפְרַיִם) in Deut 33:17. The word עַם probably has the additional nuance of a military force (see note on v. 9): "ten thousands of fighting people" (cf. NJPS: "the myriad forces").

v. 8

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 8]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
        Predicate
          verb: קוּמָה rise up
    Fragment
      Vocative
        noun: יְהוָה YHWH
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
        Predicate
          verb: הוֹשִׁיעֵ save
          Object
            suffix-pronoun: נִי me
    Fragment
      Vocative
        Nominal
          ConstructChain <gloss="my God">
            noun: אֱלֹה God
            suffix-pronoun: ַי me
    Fragment
      particle: כִּי for
    Fragment
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: הִכִּיתָ you have struck
          Object
            particle: אֶת 
            Nominal  <gloss="my enemies">
              ConstructChain
                noun: אֹיְב enemies
                suffix-pronoun: ַי me
            quantifier: כָּל all
          Adverbial <gloss="on the jaw">
            noun: לֶחִי jaw
    Fragment
      Clause
        Predicate
          verb: שִׁבַּרְתָּ you have broken
          Object
            ConstructChain <gloss="wicked people's teeth">
              noun: שִׁנֵּי  teeth
              Nominal
                adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked 
  

• The verb save (הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי) "denotes the bringing of assistance to someone in need, whether in military, civil or judicial contexts. It may also denote the actual saving of someone in battle or in history in general." It is the action that brings about a state of יְשׁוּעָה ("victory," cf. vv. 3, 9).
• To rise (קוּמָה) is to "rise for action, make a move and do something." In this case, the action requested is "save me!"
• On the adverbial function of the noun jaw (לֶחִי), see grammar note.

v. 9

Glosses Phrase Ellipses Alternatives Full Screen

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 9]
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          article: הַ the
          noun: יְשׁוּעָה victory
        Predicate
          verb: is
        Complement
          PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="YHWH's">
            Preposition
              preposition: לַ to
            Object
              noun: יהוָה YHWH
    Fragment
      Clause
        Subject
          ConstructChain <gloss="your blessing">
            noun: בִרְכָת blessing
            suffix-pronoun: ֶךָ you
        Predicate
          verb: is
          Complement
            PrepositionalPhrase
              Preposition
                preposition: עַל on
              Object
                ConstructChain <gloss="your people">
                  noun: עַמְּ people
                  suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
    Fragment
      particle: סֶּלָה selah 
  

• The people mentioned in the last line must be "those who are fighting for David." The word עַם sometimes refers to an army (e.g., Josh 8:1—עַם הַמִּלְחָמָה; see BDB entry 2d for עַם I).
• The lamed preposition in the phrase לַיהוָה indicates possession: "Victory is YHWH's" (cf. NJPS, NRSV), i.e, YHWH has the ability to grant victory to whomever he wants: "Victory comes [only] from the LORD" (GNT, cf. NLT, HFA, NGÜ; Targum: מִן קֳדָם יְיָ פּוּרְקָנָא). The idea is captured nicely in a story from 1 Samuel: "Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, 'Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving (לְהוֹשִׁיעַ), whether by many or by few'" (1 Sam 14:6, NIV).
• The word victory in v. 9 has the definite article (הַיְשׁוּעָה, lit., "the victory"). The article "points back to v. 3" and, more generally, to the main theme of the psalm, which has, by this point, become identifiable to the reader/listener.
• YHWH's "blessing" is said to be on (עַל) his people, because the blessing comes to them from above (cf. Ps 133). E.g., "I will pour out... my blessing (בִרְכָתִי) on (עַל) your descendants" (Isa 44:3, NIV).
• Alternatively, some have argued that the clause "Your blessing [is] upon your people" means that the people have an obligation to bless YHWH. According to this alternative interpretation, the phrase your blessing (בִרְכָתֶךָ) is not "the blessing that comes from you" but "the blessing that you deserve/receive."

Verbal Semantics Chart

Conjugations
qatal	yiqtol-jussive
wayyiqtol (following qatal)*	cohortative
yiqtol	participle
wayyiqtol (following yiqtol)*	wayyiqtol (following participle)*
weyiqtol	inf. construct
weqatal	inf. absolute
*Wayyiqtol is colored a darker version of the conjugation it follows.

Relative tense arrows
Relative tense arrows (placed within the appropriate 'Fut/Pres/Past' column) are color coded according to the conjugation of the verb. The arrows in the table below are colored according to the typical uses of the conjugations.
After/posterior/future	Imminent future	Simultaneous/right now	Recent past	Before/anterior/past
← ←	↤	↓↓↓	↦	→ →

Aspect
	Continuous	Habitual or iterative	Stative	Perfective
Encoded in words	⟲	⟲⟲⟲	⎯	•
Inferable from context	⟲	⟲⟲⟲	⎯	•

Reference point movement
Movement	No movement
⇐	⇍

Modality
indicative	purpose/result
jussive	necessity
imperative	possible
cohortative	probable
wish	ability
(past) conditional	interrogative, etc.

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.

Bibliography

Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.

Hardy, H. H. 2022. The Development of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions. Ancient Near East Monographs 28. Atlanta, GA: SBL Press.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 1993. Die Psalmen I: Psalm 1–50. Neue Echter Bibel. Würzburg: Echter.

Jenni, Ernst. 1992. Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 1: Die Präposition Beth. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer.

Jenni, Ernst. 2000. Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 3: Die Präposition Lamed. Stuttgart: Verlag W. Kohlhammer.

Rashi. Rashi on Psalms.

Witthoff, David J. 2021. The Relationships of the Senses of נֶפֶשׁ in the Hebrew Bible: A Cognitive Linguistics Perspective. PhD Dissertation, University of Stellenbosch.