Psalm 5/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| u-vowels | vv.10-12 | gives cohesion to section 3 (vv.10-12) | |||
| ay-diphthong | אֲמָרַ֖י (v.2a), וֵאלֹהָ֑י (v.3a), שׁוֹרְרָ֑י (v.9a), לְפָנַ֣י (v.9b) | beginning of sections 1 (vv.2a, 3a) and section 3 (v.9ab) | parallelism (v.9ab) | gives cohesion to vv.2-3 and v.9ab; on a macrostructural level, may mark aperture (v.2a, v.9a) | |
| o-vowels | v.4ab; line-initial o-vowels (vv.4a-6a) | beginning of section 2 | gives cohesion to vv.4-6 | ||
| i-vowels | vv.2-3; v.11 | section 1 | gives cohesion to section 1 (vv.2-3), and to v.11 |
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 ס ז צ/ץ) | שׁ: v.3a; צ: v.13ab | ||||
| Dentals (ת ד ט) | v.7a, 13a; infrequent in vv.10-12 | ||||
| Velars (כ/ך ק ג) | vv.2b-3b, v.4ab, v.8b; line-initial velar (כּ/ק): v.10abc; final ך: vv.8-9, vv.11d-12d | ||||
| Sonorants (ל ר מ נ) | v.6(11x), v.12bc(8x) | parallelism (vv.6ab, 12bc) | |||
| Liquids (ל ר) | vv.3-6; ל: v.3(7x), v.6(6x) | ||||
| Labials (ב פ/ף) | ב: v.7a, v.8a | gives cohesion to vv.7-8 | |||
| Nasals (מ/ם נ/ן) | מ: v.7b, v.11(9x); נ: v.10a, v.13b | parallelism (v.11abcd) | gives cohesion to v.11 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| צ + נ | v.13b (כַּ֜צִּנָּ֗ה רָצ֥וֹן) | ||||
| בֹּ֭קֶר: labial (ב/פ) +/- velar (ק כ/ך ג) +/- liquid (ר ל) | לְק֬וֹל (v.3a), מַלְכִּ֥י (v.3a), אֵ֜לֶ֗יךָ (v.3b), בֹּ֭קֶר (v.4ab, x2), קוֹלִ֑י (v.4a), אֶֽעֱרָךְ־לְ֜ךָ֗ (v.4b), יְגֻרְךָ֣ (v.5b), כָּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי (v.6b), בְּרֹ֣ב (v.8a), הֵֽיכַל (v.8b), לְפָנַ֣י דַּרְכֶּֽךָ (v.9b), קִרְבָּ֪ם (v.10b), קֶֽבֶר (v.10c), גְּרוֹנָ֑ם (v.10c), יַחֲלִֽיקוּן (v.10d), יִפְּלוּ֘ (v.11b), בְּרֹ֣ב (v.11c), כִּי־מָ֥רוּ בָֽךְ (v.11d), כָל (v.12a), בָ֡ךְ (v.12a), בְ֜ךָ֗ (v.12d), תְּבָרֵ֪ךְ (v.13a) | v.4ab, v.10bc | A significant proportion of the phonological recursion in Ps. 5 (e.g., בְּרֹב, בָךְ, קֶבֶר/קִרְבָּם, קוֹל) happens to include sounds related to בֹּקֶר (v.4ab). This feature highlights the thematic significance of בֹּקֶר, which is emphatically repeated in fronted position in v.4ab. It also gives cohesion to the psalm as a whole. | ||
| dental (ת/ד) + labial (ב) | v.7ab | parallelism (v.7ab) | gives cohesion to v.7ab | ||
| שׁ + ר | v.9ab | parallelism (v.9ab) | gives cohesion to vv.9ab |
This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,
Similar sounds in adjacent lines
Section 1 (vv.2-3)
- assonance (ē): הַאֲזִ֥ינָה (v.2a), בִּ֣ינָה הֲגִֽיגִי (v.2b), הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה (v.3a), שַׁוְעִ֗י מַלְכִּ֥י (v.3a)
- rhyme: ay-diphthong (v.2a אֲמָרַ֖י, v.3a, וֵאלֹהָ֑י)
- rhyme: הַאֲזִ֥ינָה (v.2a), בִּ֣ינָה (v.2b); also הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה (v.3a)
- alliteration of gutturals: הֲגִֽיגִי (v.2b), הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה׀ לְק֬וֹל (v.3a), מַלְכִּ֥י (v.3a), כִּֽי־אֵ֜לֶ֗יךָ (v.3b)
- alliteration of ל (v.3ab [7x])
- alliteration of שׁ (v.3a)
- repetition of כִּי (v.3a: מַלְכִּ֥י, v.3b: כִּֽי)
Section 2.1 (v.4)
- repetition of בֹּקֶר (v.4ab)
- alliteration of velar + liquid: בֹּ֭קֶר (v.4ab), קוֹלִ֑י (v.4a), אֶֽעֱרָךְ־לְ֜ךָ֗ (v.4b)
- alliteration of labials (first and final consonant of v.4): בֹּ֭קֶר (v.4ab), וַאֲצַפֶּֽה׃ (v.4b)
Section 2.2 (vv.5-7)
- repetition of line-initial לֹא (vv.5ab, 6a); long ō: cf. בֹּ֭קֶר (v.4ab)
- consecutive stressed syllables at the end of the line: רֶ֥שַׁע׀ אָ֑תָּה (v.5a [רֶ֥שַׁע as monosyllabic]), יְגֻרְךָ֣ רָֽע (v.5b)
- repetition of final ךָ (v.5b: ְגֻרְךָ֣, v.6a: עֵינֶ֑יךָ)
- assonance (e-vowels): לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינֶ֑יךָ (v.6a), שָׂ֜נֵ֗אתָ (v.6b)
- alliteration of lamed: לֹֽא...הֽ֭וֹלְלִים לְנֶ֣גֶד (v.6a), כָּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי (v.6b)
- alliteration of dentals (d, t) and labials (b, m): תְּאַבֵּד֘ דֹּבְרֵ֪י כָ֫זָ֥ב (v.7a), דָּמִ֥ים וּמִרְמָ֗ה יְתָ֨עֵ֥ב... (v.7b)
Section 2.3 (v.8)
- end-ryhme: בֵיתֶ֑ךָ (v.8a), בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃ (v.8b); both final words also begin with בּ
- repetition of consonantal sounds (sibilant + dental + velar/guttural) and final ךָ (v.8a: חַ֭סְדְּךָ, v.8b: קָ֜דְשְׁךָ֗)
Section 3.1 (v.9)
- words ending in ékā: בְצִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ (v.9a), דַּרְכֶּֽךָ (v.9b); cf. בֵיתֶ֑ךָ (v.8a) and בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃ (v.8b) in the previous section
- alliteration of שׁ + ר (v.9a: שׁוֹרְרָ֑י, v.9b: הושַׁ֖ר)
- words ending in ay-diphthong: שׁוֹרְרָ֑י (v.9a), לְפָנַ֣י (v.9b)
- assonance (ō) acc. to Qere reading: שׁוֹרְרָ֑י (v.9a), הוֹשַׁ֖ר (v.9b)
Section 3.2 (vv.10-11)
- alliteration of n: אֵ֪ין בְּפִ֡יהוּ נְכוֹנָה֘ (v.10a)
- sound play: קִרְבָּ֪ם (v.10b), קֶֽבֶר (v.10c); cf. בֹּ֭קֶר (v.4ab) which has the same three letters
- line-initial velars (כּ/ק): v.10abc
- recursion of guttural + dental + u-class vowel: הַ֫וּ֥וֹת (v.10b), פָּת֥וּחַ (v.10c)
- alliteration of liquid + velar: קִרְבָּ֪ם (v.10b), קֶֽבֶר (v.10c), גְּרוֹנָ֑ם (v.10c), יַחֲלִֽיקוּן (v.10d)
- rhyme: גְּרוֹנָ֑ם (v.10c), לְ֜שׁוֹנָ֗ם (v.10d)
- alliteration of m: הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֙ם׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים (v.11a), מִֽמֹּעֲצ֪וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם (v.11b), פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ (v.11c), מָ֥רוּ (v.11d)
- words ending in יהֶם (v.11b: מִֽמֹּעֲצ֪וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם, v.11c: פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם)
Section 3.3 (v.12)
- repetition of בָךְ/בְךָ (v.12ad); cf. v.11d in previous section
- similar sounds in v.12a (ְוְיִשְׂמְח֙וּ כָל־ח֪וֹסֵי) and v.12d (וְֽיַעְלְצ֥וּ בְ֜ךָ֗ אֹהֲבֵ֥י)
- similar sounds in v.12b (לְעוֹלָ֣ם) and v.12c (עָלֵ֑ימוֹ)
- ékā ending (שְׁמֶֽךָ); cf. v.9ab (phonological inclusio)
Section 4 (v.13)
- alliteration of k: כִּי (v.13a), ַּ֜כַּצִּנָּ֗ה (v.13b)
- alliteration of dentals: אַתָּה֘ תְּבָרֵ֪ךְ צַ֫דִּ֥יק (v.13a), תַּעְטְרֶֽנּו (v.13b)
- alliteration of צ (v.13a: צַ֫דִּ֥יק, v.13b: כַּ֜צִּנָּ֗ה רָצ֥וֹן)
- alliteration of n: כַּ֜צִּנָּ֗ה רָצ֥וֹן תַּעְטְרֶֽנּוּ (v.13b),
Other observations
Miscellaneous
- The first word of the psalm begins with א (alliterated in v.2a) and the last word begins with ת (alliterated in v.13ab), thus forming a phonological inclusion (cf. Psalm 1). This feature may partly explain the defamiliarized word order in v.2a (O - V - voc).
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 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| 2b | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 3a | 12 | 5 | 5 |
| 3b | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 4a | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| 4b | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| 5a | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| 5b | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| 6a | 13 | 5 | 4 |
| 6b | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| 7a | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| 7b | 11 | 5 | 4 |
| 8a | 13 | 5 | 5 |
| 8b | 14 | 5 | 3 |
| 9a | 15 | 5 | 5 |
| 9b | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| 10a | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| 10b | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 10c | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| 10d | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 11a | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 11b | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 11c | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| 11d | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 12a | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| 12b | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| 12c | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 12d | 12 | 4 | 4 |
| 13a | 10 | 5 | 4 |
| 13b | 9 | 3 | 3 |
- There is little discernible regularity in the length of lines, which range from 4-15 syllables and 2-5 stress units.
- If vv.10-12 are considered tetracola, then in nearly all of the bicola (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13), the b-line is slightly shorter than the a-line in terms of stress units. The only exception is v.7ab, (a point of discontinuity) in which the reverse is true.
- Lines in the second half of the psalm (esp. vv.10-12) are, on average, shorter than those in the first half.
- The three longest lines occur near/at the middle of the psalm, their lengths gradually increasing (v.7b: 11 syllables --> v.8a: 13 syllables --> v.8b: 14 syllables) and peaking at v.9a (15 syllables), the middle line of the psalm. These long lines cluster around a major sectional boundary (8b/9a).