About the Grammar Layer

The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Expand" to the right.)

The grammatical diagram provides a way to visualise how different parts of a sentence work together. It represents the “surface-level” grammar, or morphosyntax, of a sentence. Morphosyntax includes both the form of words (morphology) and their placement in the sentence (syntax). This approach to visualising the text, based on the Reed-Kellogg diagramming method, places the grammatical subject in one slot, the verb in another slot, and modifiers and connectives in other slots.

For a detailed description of our method, see the Grammar Creator Guidelines.

Grammar Visuals for Psalm 51

The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Grammar Legend" below.)

Visualization	Description
	The clause is represented by a horizontal line with a vertical line crossing through it, separating the subject and the verb.
	The object is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause. Infinitives and participles may also have objects. If the direct object marker (d.o.m.) is present in the text, it appears in the diagram immediately before the object. If the grammar includes a secondary object, the secondary object will appear after the object, separated by another vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause.
	The subject complement follows the verb (often omitted in Hebrew) separated with a line leaning toward the right. It can be a noun, a whole prepositional phrase or an adjective. The later two appear modifying the complement slot.
	When a noun further describes or renames the object, it is an object complement. The object complement follows the object separated by a line leaning toward the right.
	In a construct chain, the noun in the absolute form modifies the noun in the construct form.
	Participles are indicated in whatever position in the clause they are in with a curved line before the participle. Participles can occur as nominal, where they take the place of a noun, predicate, where they take the place of a verb, or attributive, where they modify a noun or a verb similar to adjectives or adverbs.
	Infinitives are indicated by two parallel lines before the infinitive that cross the horizontal line. Infinitive constructs can appear as the verb in an embedded clause. Infinitive absolutes typically appear as an adverbial.
	The subject of the infinitive often appears in construct to it. In this situation, the infinitive and subject are diagrammed as a construct chain.
	The object of the infinitive is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the infinitival clause.
	Modifiers are represented by a solid diagonal line from the word they modify. They can attach to verbs, adjectives, or nouns. If modifying a verb or adjective, it is an adverb, but if modifying a noun, it is an adjective, a quantifier, or a definite article. If an adverb is modifying a modifier, it is connected to the modifier by a small dashed horizontal line.
	Adverbials are indicated by a dashed diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. These are nouns or infinitives that function adverbially (modifying either a verb or a participle), but are not connected by a preposition.
	Prepositional phrases are indicated by a solid diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. The preposition is to the left of the diagonal line and the dependent of the preposition is on the horizontal line. They can modify verbs (adverbial) or nouns (adjectival).
	Embedded clauses are indicated by a "stand" that looks like an upside-down Y. The stand rests in the grammatical position that the clause fulfills. Extending from the top of the stand is a horizontal line for the clause. If introduced by a complementizer, for example כִּי, the complementizer appears before the stand. Embedded clauses can stand in the place of any noun.
	When clauses are joined by a conjunction, they are compound clauses. These clauses are connected by a vertical dotted line. The conjunction is placed next to the dotted line.
	Within a clause, if two or more parts of speech are compound, these are represented by angled lines reaching to the two compound elements connected by a solid vertical line. If a conjunction is used, the conjunction appears to the left of the vertical line. Almost all parts of speech can be compound.
	Subordinate clauses are indicated by a dashed line coming from the line dividing the subject from the predicate in the independent clause and leading to the horizontal line of the subordinate clause. The subordinating conjunction appears next to the dashed line.
	Relative clauses also have a dashed line, but the line connects the antecedent to the horizontal line of the relative clause. The relative particle appears next to the dashed line.
	Sentence fragments are represented by a horizontal line with no vertical lines. They are most frequently used in superscriptions to psalms. They are visually similar to discourse particles and vocatives, but most often consist of a noun phrase (that does not refer to a person or people group) or a prepositional phrase.
	In the body of the psalm, a horizontal line by itself (with no modifiers or vertical lines) can indicate either a discourse particle or a vocative (if the word is a noun referring to a person or people group). A discourse particle is a conjunction or particle that functions at the discourse level, not at the grammatical level. Vocatives can appear either before or after the clause addressed to them, depending on the word order of the Hebrew.
	Apposition is indicated by an equal sign equating the two noun phrases. This can occur with a noun in any function in a sentence.

Hebrew text colors
Default preferred text	The default preferred reading is represented by a black line. The text of the MT is represented in bold black text.
Dispreferred reading	The dispreferred reading is an alternative interpretation of the grammar, represented by a pink line. The text of the MT is represented in bold pink text, while emendations and revocalizations retain their corresponding colors (see below).
Emended text	Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold blue text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred.
Revocalized text	Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold purple text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred.
(Supplied elided element)	Any element that is elided in the Hebrew text is represented by bold gray text in parentheses.
( )	The position of a non-supplied elided element is represented by empty black parentheses. For example, this would be used in the place of the noun when an adjective functions substantivally or in the place of the antecedent when a relative clause has an implied antecedent.

Gloss text colors
Gloss used in the CBC	The gloss used in the Close-but-Clear translation is represented by bold blue text.
Literal gloss >> derived meaning	A gloss that shows the more literal meaning as well as the derived figurative meaning is represented in blue text with arrows pointing towards the more figurative meaning. The gloss used in the CBC will be bolded.
Supplied elided element	The gloss for a supplied elided element is represented in bold gray text.

v. 1

מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד can alternatively be diagrammed as a single fragment, but I have here treated them separately since they often function separately in other contexts.

v. 2

v. 3

Some Hebrew manuscripts read the intensifying plural חֲסָדֶיךָ, which is possibly reflected in the Greek translation κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου. The י was more likely to be added than omitted.
פְשָׁעָי "my sins" could alternatively be read as singular with the Greek; cf. v. 5.

vv. 4-5

The ketiv הַרְבֵּה appears to have been an infinitive absolute (or possibly imperative) that has fossilized and functions as an adverb.^[1] The qere הֶרֶב is an imperative that functions as hendiadys with the following verb.
פְשָׁעַי "my sins" could alternatively be read as singular with the Greek; cf. v. 3.

v. 6

Some translations (e.g., ESV) apparently understand לְךָ לְבַדְּךָ as modifying a compound predicate, but this seems rather redundant with בְּעֵינֶיךָ.
The phrase בדבר(י)ך can be read four different ways: בְּדָבְרֶךָ (an unusual qal infinitive temporal clause), בְּדַבֵּרְךָ (a more typical piel infinitive temporal clause), בִּדְבָרְךָ (singular noun in a prepositional phrase), or בִּדְבָרֶיךָ (plural noun in a prepositional phrase with many Hebrew manuscripts and the Greek). The Masoretic text's qal infinitive creates the best assonance in the verse, which could support its originality. This vocalization, however, is more likely due to attraction to the sound pattern of the parallel בְשָׁפְטֶךָ. The qal form is unlikely, since probable examples of the qal of דבר are rare and are almost always limited to active participles.^[2] The noun forms seem to be simpler syntactically and are likely secondary developments. Thus, the preferred reading here is a piel infinitive, which is grammatically expected.

v. 7

v. 8

In this verse, both prepositional phrases could be read with or without implied definite articles. The MT reads an article in the first, but not the second, in contrast with many versions.
טֻחוֹת may be analyzed as a passive participle or a noun, depending in large part upon its etymology. See The Meaning of טֻּחוֹת and סָתֻם in Ps 51:8.
וּבְסָתֻם should be revocalized to וּבַסָּתֻם if an article is understood to be implied.
The Greek takes בְסָתֻם חָכְמָה as a complex construct chain "in the hidden things of wisdom," but this is a difficult reading of the prepositional phrase, and the noun חָכְמָה seems to be an expected argument of the verb תוֹדִיעֵנִי in the clause.
One alternative, supported by the Greek, takes בַטֻּחוֹת and וּבְסָתֻם as describing the objects of the verb תוֹדִיעֵנִי, but this wrecks havoc on the poetic structure.

v. 9

v. 10

The Syriac reads ܐܣܒܥܝܢܝ = תַּשְׂבִּיעֵנִי "satiate me" instead of תַּ֭שְׁמִיעֵנִי "make me hear," based on a different reading of the graphically similar ב and מ. This makes good sense in context, but is not supported by the MT or G.
The Greek reads דַּכּוֹת instead of דִּכִּיתָ as an adjective modifying עֲצָמוֹת.

v. 11

v. 12

v. 13

v. 14

According to HALOT, סמך here (as in Gen 27:37) takes two objects indicating the person supported and the instrument with which the person is supported. The syntax leaves it ambiguous whether the spirit is God's supporting spirit or the psalmist's spirit by which God supports the psalmist. Some translations (e.g., JPS 1985) prefer to read תִסְמְכֵנִי as a third-person singular jussive with רוּחַ נְדִיבָה as subject, but the context of second-person imperatives and yiqtols argues rather for the second-person reading in this clause.
נְדִיבָה can be taken either as a feminine adjective or an abstract noun in a construct relation with רוּחַ.

v. 15

v. 16

v. 17

v. 18

The syntax of this verse is difficult and contested. Most English translations along with the Masoretic vocalization and accents connect the pausal form וְאֶתֵּנָה with the preceding clause with the sense "or else I would give (it)" (as does the Old Greek). The NRSV takes it with the following noun, yielding, "if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased" (so also the Psalms Targum , which would otherwise have probably used a preposition before עלתא). This entails revocalization to the non-pausal form וְאֶתְּנָה with BHS, which also makes for more balanced poetic lines.^[3] For similar conditional constructions, compare Pss 40:6; 139:18. If taken with 18a, it would stress that the psalmist would be willing to offer a sacrifice if God desired one, even though he does not. This is somewhat in tension with the thrust of the context where the psalmist does offer a spiritual sacrifice (v. 19) and looks forward to future right sacrifices (v. 21). If וְאֶתֵּנָה is taken with 18b, it would stress rather that any sacrifice the psalmist could offer would fail to please God in lieu of a broken spirit. This, then, nicely sets the stage for the psalmist's spiritual self-offering in v. 19.

v. 19

The MT reading זִבְחֵי is in construct with the following noun, yielding "the sacrifices of God." The mismatch in number between the subject and predicate make this reading difficult. Many modern translations follow the reading זִבְחִי "my sacrifice" proposed in BHS, which then entails analyzing אֱלֹהִים as a vocative.
The MT reads the 2ms verb תִבְזֶה, in which case אֱלֹהִים must be read as a vocative. The Greek, on the other hand, reads the 3ms verb יִבְזֶה with אֱלֹהִים as the subject of the verb.

v. 20

The MT reads the qal imperfect 2ms verb תִּבְנֶה with God as the implied subject and the walls as the direct object. The Greek, on the other hand, reads the niphal imperfect 3fp verb וְתִבָּנֶנָה, which makes the walls the subject of a passive construction meaning "and may the walls of Jerusalem be built."

v. 21

Bibliography

Gunkel, Hermann. 1926. Die Psalmen. HKAT. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1988. Psalms 1-59. Translated by Hilton C. Oswald. CC. Minneapolis: Fortress.

References

↑ HALOT; GKC §113k; Waltke-O'Connor §35.4a; Jouon-Muraoka §102e.
↑ DCH.
↑ Gunkel 1926, 221, 227; Kraus 1998, 499–500.

[1] HALOT; GKC §113k; Waltke-O'Connor §35.4a; Jouon-Muraoka §102e.

[2] DCH.

[3] Gunkel 1926, 221, 227; Kraus 1998, 499–500.

[1]

[2]

[3]

Psalm 51 Grammar