Psalm 6/Lexical Semantics

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Lexical Semantics

Difficult Words

  • v.1 (ss)
שִּׁמיִ֗נית – "The meaning of the Hebrew term ְשִּׁמיִ֗נית (“sheminith”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music (cf. 1 Chr. 15:21)—or to an eight-stringed instrument[1] 'Ibn Ezra is probably right when he prefers ‘on the eighth mode,’ somewhat similar to Gregorian chant.'[2]"[3] "The implication may be that the musical accompaniment should be on a lower or base octave (all' ottava bassa, Delitsch, Psalm I), which would be appropriate to the solemn theme of the psalm."[4]
  • v.2.
תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי – "The verb יסר suggests a didactic wisdom setting, with reference perhaps to a parent disciplining a child (cf. Prov. 3:11)."[5] This is significant, since the Davidic king (v.1, לדוד) was considered to be God's son (Ps. 2:7; cf. 2 Sam. 7:14). See below on .
  • v.3.
חָנֵּנִי – "Kurt W. Neubauer has shown in a study of this verb, חנן, that its context is always the covenant relationship and that it expresses the expectant plea of the faithful servant to his master in that relationship."[6]
אֻמְלַל – "The verb (אמל) is consistently used in those contexts in the Old Testament in which vitality and strength and fruitfulness and hope are gone: in Jeremiah 14, to describe the effects of draught and famine; in Joel 1 to describe a locust plague; in Hosea 4:3 to picture the devastating effects of evil, and in Isaiah 24, the last apocalyptic condition of earth under curse."[7]
רְפָאֵנִי – 'The petition "heal me" does not necessarily refer to physical healing [only] but may well include every restorative work that God does upon body and soul.'[8]"[9]
נִבְהְלוּ – "Normally the verb בהל refers to an emotional response and means 'tremble with fear, be terrified' (see vv.4, 11)... The verb may figuratively refer to one of the effects of his physical ailment, perhaps a fever. In Ezek. 7:27 the verb describes how the hands of the people will shake with fear when they experience the horrors of divine judgment."[10]
  • v.4.
נֶפֶשׁ – "The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ ('inner being') is often rendered simply as a pronoun in poetic texts, but referentially it seems to denote more than this."[11]
  • v.5.
שׁוּבָה – "Terrien proposes 'Repent!' – However, it does not seem likely that this is a 'command' or that the psalmist is 'arguing with his God.'[12] Why not? Because of the following חַסְדֶּךָ."[13]
  • v.6.
זִכְרֶךָ – "The Hebrew noun זֵכֶר ('remembrance') here refers to the 'name' of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise, especially during communal worship (cf. Ps. 30:4; 97:12). '"Remember"' is more than an intellectual act of mental representation. It is an intense spiritual act of bringing to mind what God has done as a basis for gratitude (cf. 111:4)'[14] Such deliberate remembrance could even refer to 'recounting God’s great deeds in an act of worship: cf. 71:15f.; Isaiah 63:7)'[15]"[16]
שְׁאוֹל – see below on
  • v.11.
יֵבוֹשׁוּ – "The force of בוֹשׁ is somewhat in contrast to the primary meaning of the English, 'to be ashamed,' in that the English stresses the inner attitude, the state of mind, while the Hebrew means 'to come to shame' and stresses the sense of public disgrace, a physical state."[17],

References to God

Definition Feature being studied Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent Clustering Intersection Connections Structure
יהוה vv.2a, 3ac, 4b, 5a, 9a, 10ab section 1 (vv.2-4); section 4 (vv.9-11); absent in section 3 and only once in section 2 Repetition of the tetragrammaton is dense in this psalm; Yahweh's name is used 8 times. This repetition is confined largely to the outer sections. In the middle of the psalm, as the Psalmist is on the brink of Sheol, the place where Yahweh is neither remembered nor praised (v.6ab), the divine name is no where to be found. The absence of the divine name in vv.6-8 underscores the despair of these sections, whereas the dense recursion of the name in sections 1 and 4 underlines the feelings of desperation and confidence respectively.
3rd person reference to Yahweh vv.9b, 10ab section 4
direct address to Yahweh vv.2a, 3ac, 4b, 5a section 1 "The divine vocative that opens this psalm is an early indication of its urgency and intensity."[18]

"God is second person in the first stanza; in the second stanza he is either absent (strophe 3) or third person (strophe 4)."[19]
This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,

Tetragrammaton

There are no other words for God in this Psalm.,

Repeated words

Definition Feature being studied Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent Clustering Intersection Connections Structure
כֹּל בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה (v.7b), בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָֽי (v.8b), כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן (v.9a), כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י (v.11a) only in second half of the psalm
שׁוב שׁוּבָ֣ה (v.5a), יָ֝שֻׁ֗בוּ (v.11b) section 2 --> section 4
נפשׁ וְ֭נַפְשִׁי (v.4a), נַפְשִׁ֑י (v.5a) vv.4-5 cluster around sectional division anadiplosis
נבהל נִבְהֲל֣וּ (v.3d), נִבְהֲלָ֣ה (v.4a), וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ (v.11a) vv.3d-4a The occurrences of this word as well as the sections in which it occurs (section 1 -; section 4) are connected. Τhe connection is reinforced by the cooccurrence of the adverb מאד (vv.4a, 11a). The psalmist prays for a reversal, so that the pain he experiences in body and soul (3d-4a) would afflict his enemies instead (11a). "He asks the LORD to turn the tables and cause his enemies to know what absolute dread feels like—in this case, God’s judgment inflicted upon those who unjustly attack his people.[20]
exact word repetition in adjacent lines שָׁמַ֥ע (vv.9b, 10a); יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ (v.11ab) vv.9-10 (section 4) The exact repetition of word in adjacent lines occurs only the final section and underscores the psalmist's confidence in this section. "The repetition of שָׁמַע יהוה strengthens the psalmist’s assertion of the Lord’s favorable response. God’s 'hearing' an appeal implies his immediate commitment to salutary action."[21]This is one of many features that accompanies the distinct mood of vv.9-11.
חנן (root repetition) חָנֵּ֥נִי (v.3a), תְּחִנָּתִ֑י (v.10a) section 1 --> section 4 The repetition of חנן in the final section (v.10a) gives resolution to the psalm's tension; Yahweh has taken up the psalmist's plea (vv.3a, 10a)
2a יהוה
2b
3a יהוה חָנֵּ֥נִי
3b
3c יהוה
3d נִבְהֲל֣וּ
4a נִבְהֲלָ֣ה וְ֭נַפְשִׁי מְאֹ֑ד
4b יהוה
5a יהוה שׁוּבָ֣ה
5b נַפְשִׁ֑י
5c
6a
6b
7a
7b בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה
7c
8a
8b בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָֽי׃
9a כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן
9b יהוה שָׁמַ֥ע
10a יהוה תְּחִנָּתִ֑י שָׁמַ֥ע
10b יהוה
11a וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ מְ֭אֹד כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ.
11b יָ֝שֻׁ֗בוּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ
  • Immediately striking in the above tabulation of repeated lexemes is the absence of lexical recursion (except for כֹּל) in the middle of the psalm (vv.6-8), particularly in section 3 (vv.7-8). This section, full of rare rather than repeated vocabulary, is thereby distinguished from the rest of the psalm.
  • Lexical repetition creates connections between the beginning and ending of the psalm, particularly sections 1 and 4.


This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,

Common word pairs

Definition Feature being studied Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent Clustering Intersection Connections Structure
מות // שׁאול v.6ab
יכח // יסר v.2a
אף // חמה v.2a

,

Semantically/thematically related words

Definition Feature being studied Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent Clustering Intersection Connections Structure
words associated with time עַד־מָתָֽי (v.4b), בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה (v.7b), עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה (v.8b), רָֽגַע (v.11b) "The psalm’s final adverbial noun רָֽגַע ('[in a] moment') contrasts markedly and thematically with close of stanza A: עַד־מָתָֽי ('how long').[22]
words for enemies צוֹרְרָֽי (v.8b), כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן (v.9a), כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י (v.11a) "Reference to 'all my enemies' (כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י) in v.11a forms a stanza-bounding inclusio with 'all workers of iniquity' (כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן) in 9a and a parallel structural 'closure' with 'all my adversaries' (כָל־צוֹרְרָֽי)."[23]


This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,

Rare words

Definition Feature being studied Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent Clustering Intersection Connections Structure
words occurring 10 times or less אֻמְלַ֫ל (v.3b), אַשְׂחֶ֣ה (v.7b), עַרְשִׂ֥י (v.7c), אַמְסֶֽה (v.7c), עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה (v.8a), עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה (v.8b) section 3 (vv.7-8) The clustering of rare words in the third section (vv.7-8), which corresponds with the phonological recursion of guttural + sonorant/sibilant identified above, gives this section both cohesion and prominence.

In Psalm 6, rare words (those occurring 10 times or less) cluster in the third section of the psalm (vv. 7-8). This section, which is indeed the “emotional peak (or nadir!)”[24] of the psalm, is marked by dense alliteration as well as by rare vocabulary. The striking recurrence of gutturals + sonorants/sibilants (בְּֽאַנְחָתִ֗י, אַשְׂחֶ֣ה, עַרְשִׂ֥י אַמְסֶֽה, עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י), which gives the section cohesion and prominence, may explain the unique choice of words; these have been chosen, at least in part, for the sake of their sounds.

  • v.7b. שׂחה

The verb שׂחה occurs three times in the Hebrew Bible (Isa. 25:11 [qal, x2]; Ps. 6:7 [hiphil]). In the qal stem, it means “to swim.”[25] The Hiphil is causative: “to cause to swim” i.e., “to flood/drench.”[26] So Vulgate [Hebrew] (natare faciam – “make swim/float”). Both the LXX and Aquila understand the word to mean “bathe” (λούσω/πλύνω).

  • v.7c. ערשׂ

The noun עֶרֶשׂ, a synonym of מִטָּה, מִשְׁכָּב, and יָצוּעַ, refers to a “couch” or a “divan.”[27] This was a raised (Ps. 132:3) and covered (Prov. 7:16) platform, used during sleep, sex (Prov. 7:16; Song 1:16), and sickness (Ps. 6:7; 41:4). “The Semites from Canaan did not usually sleep on raised beds, but rather on skins spread on the floor. When the bed was a piece of raised furniture, it took a form similar to beds used in most cultures today.”[28]

  • v.7c. מסה

The verb מסה (cf., מסס) occurs only in the hiphil stem (Josh. 14:8; Ps. 6:7; 39:12; 147:18). It means literally to “melt” or to “dissolve into liquid” (cf., the melting of ice in Ps. 147:18). In Psalm 6, it is used in the hyperbolic image of a flood of tears turning a couch to liquid. So LXX (βρέχω – “make wet,” cf. Lk. 7:38), Aquila (τήκω – “melt”), Targum (טמשׁ – “immerse”), and Vulgate (rigabo – “make wet”).

  • v.8a. עשׁשׁ

The verb עשׁשׁ occurs three times in the Bible, only in the Psalms (Ps. 6:8 [עֵינִי]; 31:10 [עֵינִי], 11 [עֲצָמַי]) in the qal stem. It is a stative verb (Ps. 31:11, עָשֵׁשָׁה). It’s precise meaning is uncertain. HALOT gives the following options, “(a) to become dark, clouded is acceptable for Ps. 6:8 and 31:10, and (b) to be weak is not necessarily excluded; on the other hand (c) to decompose is only relevant for Ps. 31:11; in all instances (d) to swell up is possible and therefore to be preferred.”[29] In Ps. 6:8, the first option is reflected in the Targum (חשׁך) and the Vulgate (caligavit), and the fourth option seems to have been taken by Symmachus (ἐφλεγμαίνω).

  • v.8b. עתק

The verb עתק, occurring four times in the qal stem (Ps. 6:8; Job 14:18; 18:4; 21:7), has the concrete meaning “move (away)” (Job 14:18; 18:4).[30] This is metaphorically extended to mean “move on in years” i.e., “to be/grow old” (Ps. 6:8; Job 21:7). So LXX (ἐπαλαιώθην, “I have grown old”). The experiencer of the verb in Ps. 6:8 is either the Psalmist’s eye (עתקה // עיני; MT, Syriac, Targum), which has become worn out by so much crying, or the Psalmist himself (עתקתי; LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Vulgate [Hebrew]). (See below on )
This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,

Other

  • "Peter Craigie observes that Psalm 6 'contains a high percentage of formulaic language' in common with other psalms and OT literature. This 'common language gives the psalm a familiar flavor, but at the same time it is distinctive by virtue of the power and pathos of its lamentation.'[31]"[32]
  1. ↑ John Goldingay, Psalms, vol. 1 (1-41) (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006]), 135.
  2. ↑ Samuel Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), 112.
  3. ↑ Ernst Wendland, "'Do the Dead Praise God?' – A Literary-Structural Analysis and Translation of Psalm 6" in Studies in the Psalms–Supplement Version (E-Publication: 2017), 104.
  4. ↑ Peter Craige, Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary 19 (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983), 90.
  5. ↑ Wendland, 105.
  6. ↑ Elizabeth Achtemeier, "Overcoming the World: An Exposition of Psalm 6," Interpretation 28, no. 1 (January 1974): 75–88.
  7. ↑ Elizabeth Achtemeier, "Overcoming the World: An Exposition of Psalm 6," Interpretation 28, no. 1 (January 1974): 75–88.
  8. ↑ H. C. Leupold, Exposition of the Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1969), 85.
  9. ↑ Wendland, 105.
  10. ↑ Wendland, 105.
  11. ↑ Wendland, 106.
  12. ↑ Samuel Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), 113.
  13. ↑ Wendland, 106.
  14. ↑ VanGemeren, “Psalms”, 800.
  15. ↑ Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1973), 61.
  16. ↑ Wendland, 107.
  17. ↑ TWOT, 97.
  18. ↑ Wendland, 105.
  19. ↑ Fokkelman, 65.
  20. ↑ Wendland, 109.
  21. ↑ Wendland, 109.
  22. ↑ Wendland, 109.
  23. ↑ Wendland, 109.
  24. ↑ Wendland, 112.
  25. ↑ BDB; HALOT.
  26. ↑ BDB; HALOT.
  27. ↑ HALOT.
  28. ↑ Ray Pritz, The Works of Their Hands: Man-made things in the Bible (New York: UBS), 292.
  29. ↑ HALOT.
  30. ↑ BDB; HALOT
  31. ↑ Peter Craige, Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary 19 (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983), 91-92.
  32. ↑ Wendland, 110.
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