Psalm 4/Phonology
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Phonology
Vowels
| Definition Feature being studied | Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent | Clustering | Intersection | Connections | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| long a-vowel | vv.7b-9 | Reinforces parallelism (v.8ab, 9abc) | Gives cohesion to vv.7-9 | ||
| וּ ending | vv. 3b-4a(3x); vv.5-6(6x); absent in both opening and closing tricola | Reinforces connections between parallel lines (v.3bc, 5ab, 6ab, 7ab). The absence of this feature connects the first (v.2abc) and last (v.9abc) sections. | Gives cohesion to vv.3-8 and also (by its absence) to v.2 and v.9. | ||
| final hireq yod | vv.2abc - 3a (8x), v.7a(3x); absent in vv.5-6 | Parallelism (v.2abc) | Gives cohesion to opening tricolon (v. 2abc); anaphora (v.3a) |
This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,
Consonants
| Definition Feature being studied | Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent | Clustering | Intersection | Connections | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sibilants (שׁ, שׂ, ז, ס, צ/ץ) | vv.6a, 9a | recursion of צ in parallel lines (v.2ab) strengthens parallelism | |||
| dentals (דּ, תּ, ט) | v.8ab(5x); v.9abc(6x) | parallelisms (v.2bc, 3bc, 8ab, 9bc); forms connection between the two imperatives וּדְעוּ and וְדֹמּוּ - both begin and end with waw and share the consonant דּ in common. | Gives cohesion to v.8 and v.9; ודעו and ודמו form an inclusio (vv.4-5) | ||
| sonorants (ר, ל, מ, נ) | v.7a(8x) | ||||
| nasals (מ/ם, נ/ן) | v.5b(5x); v.7ab(8x); v.8ab(6x) | v.7b and v.8a both begin with נ | Gives cohesion to vv.7-8 | ||
| line initial בּ | v.2ab, 3a, 9a | beginning of first section (v.2a), second section (v.3a), and final section (v.9a) | reinforces connection between parallel lines (v.2ab) | anaphora (v.2a, 3a, 9a) |
This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,
Sound combinations
| Definition Feature being studied | Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent | Clustering | Intersection | Connections | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| בְּ first syllable + final syllable stressed hireq yod | בְּקָרְאִי (v.2a), בְּנֵי אִישׁ (v.3a), בְּקָרְאִי (v.4b) | vv.2-4 | beginning of first section (v.2a); beginning of second section (v.3a) | anaphora (v.2a, v.3a) | |
| פ + לָ | תְּפִלָּתִי (v.2c), הִפְלָה (v.4a) | occurs alongside יִשְׁמַע and בְּקָרְאִי in v.4 to form connection with v.2 | Anaphora (v.2, v.4), though possibly part of a chiasm with בקראי and שׁמע. | ||
| לֵ/רֵ + נוּ | יַרְאֵנוּ (v.7a), עָלֵינוּ (v.7b) | v.7ab | parallelism (v.7ab) | ||
| dental (ט) +/– labial (ב) +/- guttural (ח) | תֶּחֱטָאוּ (v.5a), וּבִטְחוּ (v.6b), טוֹב (v.7a), לָבֶטַח (v.9c) | Gives cohesion to vv.5-9. | |||
| liquid + labial + dental | לְבָדָד (v.9b), לָבֶטַח (v.9c) | v.9bc | strengthens connection between parallel lines (v.9bc) | ||
| liquid (ר/ל) + voiced labial plosive (בּ) | רַבִּים (v.7a), בְלִבִּי (v.8a), רָבּוּ (v.8b) | vv.7-8 | Gives cohesion to vv.7-8; Inclusio (רַבּ) | ||
| חוּ– | זִבְחוּ (v.6a), וּבִטְחוּ (v.6b) | parallelism (v.6ab) | |||
| labial + velar + sibilant | תְּבַקְשׁוּ כָזָב (v.3c) | v.3c(2x) | |||
| ב + ק | בְּקָרְאִי(v.2a), תְּבַקְשׁוּ (v.3c), בְּקָרְאִי (v.4b) | connection between v.2 and v.4 | Gives cohesion to vv.2-4; structural anaphora (v.2, v.4). | ||
| ח/ע + נֵנִי | עֲנֵנִי(v.2a), חָנֵּנִי(v.2c); also בְּנֵי אִישׁ(v.3a) partially conforms to this pattern (same vowels & נ) | vv.2-3 | beginning of first section (v.2a) and second section (v.3a) | disjunctive parallelism within a tricolon (v.2a-c) | anaphora (v.2a, 3a) |
This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,
Infrequent letters or sounds
- ג - twice
- פ - three times
- צ - three times
- שׂ - once,
Other observations
- The first word of the psalm בְּקָראִי sounds like the word for 'morning' (בֹּקֶר). This may be significant given the thematic importance of time (evening/morning) in Pss.3-5 (see e.g., the repetition of בֹּקְר in the following psalm).
- Interlocking patterns of phonological inversion
- vv.2, 4: a (בְּקָרְאִ֡י) b (וּשְׁמַ֥ע) c (ְּתְּפִלָּתִֽי) c' (הִפְלָ֣ה) b' (ִ֜שְׁמַ֗ע) a' (בְּקָרְאִ֥י)
- vv.4-5: a (וּדְע֗וּ) b (רִגְז֗וּ) c (וְֽאַל־תֶּ֫חֱטָ֥אוּ) b' (אִמְר֣וּ) a' (וְדֹ֣מּוּ)
- Phonological recursion (alliteration, assonance, rhyme) within consecutive words:
- v.3c. תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ כָזָ֣ב (labial + velar + sibilant)
- v. 5b. בִ֭לְבַבְכֶם עַֽל־מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם
- v.6a. זִבְח֥וּ זִבְחֵי
- v.8b. דְּגָנָ֖ם וְתִֽירוֹשָׁ֣ם
Rhythm and Line Length
The following table shows the length of each line in terms of syllables, words, and stress units.
| Ref | Syllables | Words | Stress Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2a | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| 2b | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 2c | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| 3a | 11 | 6 | 4 |
| 3b | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 3c | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 4a | 11 | 6 | 4 |
| 4b | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| 5a | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 5b | 12 | 5 | 4 |
| 6a | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 6b | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| 7a | 10 | 5 | 4 |
| 7b | 11 | 5 | 4 |
| 8a | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| 8b | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| 9a | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| 9b | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| 9c | 7 | 2 | 2 |
- Lines 2a and 9a are the same length by all three measures (both are also the first lines of tricola and begin with בְּ)
- Lines 3a and 4a are the same length by all three measures
- Line 5b is, in terms of syllables, the longest line in the psalm. It is also the middle line.
- Long lines indicate breaks in the text (aperture: v.2a, 3a, 4a, 7a, 9a; closure: 5b, 8b), and the moderate lengths of v.5a and v.8a suggest continuity between these verses and the previous verses. This feature is reinforces the fact that vv.4-5 are bound together by an inclusio (ודעו / ודמו) as are vv.7-8 (רבים / רבו).
- The shortest lines in the psalm are v.3bc and v.6ab.
- The decreasing lengths of the final three lines give the psalm a sense of winding down, fitting for an evening psalm that ends in peaceful sleep.