Psalm 4/Verbs

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Verbs

Verb forms

Definition Feature being studied Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent Clustering Intersection Connections Structure
infinitive בְּקָרְאִי (v.2a), בְּקָרְאִי (v.4b) first word of psalm connects v.2 and v.4 anaphora
imperative עֲנֵנִי (v.2a), חָנֵּנִי (v.2c), וּשְׁמַע (v.2c), וּדְעוּ (v.4a), רִגְזוּ (v.5a), אִמְרוּ (v.5b), וְדֹמּוּ (v.5b), זִבְחוּ (v.6a), וּבִטְחוּ (v.6b), נְסָה (v.7b), v.2, vv.4-6; absent in v.3 and vv.8-9 beginning of psalm (v.2); first word of third section (v.4a); last word of third section (v.5b) Gives cohesion to v.2 and vv.4-6
jussive וְאַל־תֶּחֱטָאוּ (v.5a) only v.5a the middle verb of the psalm
yiqtol תֶּאֱהָבוּן (v.3b), תְּבַקְשׁוּ (v.3c), יִשְׁמַע (v.4b), יַרְאֵנוּ (v.7a), וְאִישָׁן (v.9a), תּוֹשִׁיבֵנִי (v.9c) vv.3, 9 parallelism (v.3bc, 9ac); parallel with qatal (v.4ab) Gives cohesion to vv.3, 9
qatal הִרְחַבְתָּ (v.2b), הִפְלָה (v.4a), נָתַתָּה (v.8a), רָבּוּ (v.8b) parallelism (v.8ab); strengthens connection between v.2 and v.4

v.2b. הִרְחַבְתָּ – Some scholars have argued that the qatal verb in v.2b (הִרְחַבְתָּ) is precative,[1] "a directive mood that signals that the utterance is a request."[2] The qatal verb in v.2b fits the criteria proposed by Buttenwieser, namely, that precatives are "invariably found alternating with the imperfect or the imperative."[3] Goldingay argues that "the broader as well as the narrower context of the psalm supports the precative understanding," since there is no other "prayer" (תפלה, v.2c) in the psalm.[4] However, as in every other case of the so-called precative qatal, "it is also possible to postulate that one of the more typical senses of the qatal/perfect (e.g., present perfect) is involved."[5] In v.2b, the psalmist looks to past deliverance to ground his present requests (v.2ac). The psalmist's "prayer" (תפלה, v.2c) comes in v.7b as the king here takes up the priestly benediction of Num. 6.
This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,

Person, gender and number

Definition Feature being studied Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent Clustering Intersection Connections Structure
3rd person הִפְלָה (v.4a), יִשְׁמַע (v.4b), יַרְאֵנוּ (v.7a), רָבּוּ (v.8b) v.4; vv.7-8; absent elsewhere beginning of sections 3 (v.4a) and 5 (v.7a) parallelism (v.4ab) Gives cohesion to v.3 and vv.7-8, which begin and end in 3rd person.
2ms עֲנֵנִי (v.2a), הִרְחַבְתָּ (v.2b), חָנֵּנִי (v.2c), וּשְׁמַע (v.2c), נְסָה (v.7b), נָתַתָּה (v.8a), תּוֹשִׁיבֵנִי (v.9c) v.2; absent vv.3-6 beginning and ending of psalm gives cohesion to v.2, vv.7-8; forms inclusio (v.2a, 9c)
1cs אֶשְׁכְּבָה (v.9a), וְאִישָׁן (v.9a) only in v.9a beginning of final section
2mp תֶּאֱהָבוּן (v.3b), תְּבַקְשׁוּ (v.3c), וּדְעוּ (v.4a), רִגְזוּ (v.5a), וְאַל־תֶּחֱטָאוּ (v.5a), אִמְרוּ (v.5b), וְדֹמּוּ (v.5b), זִבְחוּ (v.6a), וּבִטְחוּ (v.6a) vv.4-6 Gives cohesion to vv.4-6, the address to the sons of men


This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,

Paragogic letters

Definition Feature being studied Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent Clustering Intersection Connections Structure
paragogic he אֶשְׁכְּבָה (v.9a) beginning of final section (v.9a)
paragogic nun תֶּאֱהָבוּן (v.3b)

,

Verb stem types (binyanim)

Definition Feature being studied Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent Clustering Intersection Connections Structure
Qal The imperatives in vv.5-6 "have all been carefully selected from the Qal register."[6]
Piel תְּבַקְשׁוּ (v.3c)
Hiphil הִרְחַבְתָּ (v.2b), הִפְלָה (v.4a), יַרְאֵנוּ (v.7a), תּוֹשִׁיבֵנִי (v.9c) beginning of sections (v.4a; v.7a); final word of psalm (v.9c) Verses 2-4 are connected in a number of ways (phonological, lexical, morphological). The recursion of the Hiphil stem strengthens this connection. The same is true of verses 2 and 9.
Verb Morphology
Verse Verb Stem Conjugation Person Gender Number Paragogic Suffix Pronominal Suffix Root
2a בְּקָרְאִי Q inf. cst. 1cs קרא
עֲנֵנִי Q impv. 2 m s 1cs ענה
2b הִרְחַבְתָּ H qatal 2 m s רחב
2c חָנֵּנִי Q impv. 2 m s 1cs חנן
וּשְׁמַע Q waw + impv. 2 m s שׁמע
3b תֶּאֱהָבוּן Q yiqtol 2 m p אהב
3c תְּבַקְשׁוּ D yiqtol 2 m p בקשׁ
4a וּדְעוּ Q waw + impv. 2 m p ידע
הִפְלָה H qatal 3 m s פלה
4b יִשְׁמַע Q yiqtol 3 m s שׁמע
בְּקָרְאִי Q inf. cst. 1cs קרא
5a רִגְזוּ Q impv. 2 m p רגז
וְאַל־תֶּחֱטָאוּ Q jus. 2 m p חטא
5b אִמְרוּ Q impv. 2 m p אמר
וְדֹמּוּ Q waw + impv. 2 m p דמם
6a זִבְחוּ Q impv. 2 m p זבח
6b וּבִטְחוּ Q waw + impv. 2 m p בטח
7a אֹמְרִים Q ptc. m p אמר
יַרְאֵנוּ H yiqtol 3 m s 1cp ראה
7b נְסָה Q impv. 2 m s נשׂא/נֵס?
8a נָתַתָּה Q qatal 2 m s נתן
8b רָבּוּ Q qatal 3 m p רבב
9a אֶשְׁכְּבָה Q cohortative 1 c s שׁכב
וְאִישָׁן Q weyiqtol 1 c s ישׁן
9c תּוֹשִׁיבֵנִי H yiqtol 2 m s 1cs ישׁב


This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,

Other

Verbless Clauses

  • v.3a
  • v.7a (ptc)

Verbless clauses occur at the beginning of sections.

  1. IBHS, 30.5.4; Stephen Geller, "The ‘Precative Perfect’ in Psalms and the Struggle for Faith" in The Unfolding of Your Words Gives Light: Studies on Biblical Hebrew in Honor of George L. Klein (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2018).
  2. "Precative Mood," SIL Glossary of Linguistic Terms.
  3. Moses Buttenwieser, The Psalms: Chronologically Treated with a New Translation (Chicago: University of Chicago, 1938) 21.
  4. John Goldingay, “Psalm 4: Ambiguity and Resolution,” Tyndale Bulletin 57, no. 2 (2006): 161–72.
  5. BHRG, 19.2.5.2.
  6. J.P. Fokkelman, Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible: At the Interface of Prosody and Structural Analysis, Vol. 2 (Assen: Van Gorcum, 2000), 59.