Psalm 6/Particles
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Particles
Negative markers
Distribution
| 2a | אַל | ||
| 2b | אַל | ||
| 3a | |||
| 3b | |||
| 4a | |||
| 4b | |||
| 5a | |||
| 5b | |||
| 6a | אֵין | ||
| 6b | |||
| 7a | |||
| 7b | |||
| 7c | |||
| 8a | |||
| 8b | |||
| 9a | |||
| 9b | |||
| 10a | |||
| 10b | |||
| 11a | |||
| 11b |
,
Independent personal pronouns
Distribution
| 2a | אַל | ||
| 2b | אַל | ||
| 3a | |||
| 3b | |||
| 4a | |||
| 4b | |||
| 5a | |||
| 5b | |||
| 6a | אֵין | ||
| 6b | |||
| 7a | |||
| 7b | |||
| 7c | |||
| 8a | |||
| 8b | |||
| 9a | |||
| 9b | |||
| 10a | |||
| 10b | |||
| 11a | |||
| 11b |
- repetition of אַל in v.2ab opens psalm on a somber note and strengthens the opening parallelism,
Prepositions
Distribution
| 2a | בְּאַפְּךָ֥ | |||||
| 2b | בַּחֲמָתְךָ֥ | |||||
| 3a | ||||||
| 3b | ||||||
| 4a | ||||||
| 4b | עַד־מָתָֽי׃ | |||||
| 5a | ||||||
| 5b | לְמַ֣עַן חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ | |||||
| 6a | בַּמָּ֣וֶת | |||||
| 6b | בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל | לָּֽךְ׃ | ||||
| 7a | בְּֽאַנְחָתִ֗י | |||||
| 7b | בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה | |||||
| 7c | בְּ֝דִמְעָתִ֗י | |||||
| 8a | מִכַּ֣עַס | |||||
| 8b | בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָֽי׃ | |||||
| 9a | מִ֭מֶּנִּי | |||||
| 9b | ||||||
| 10a | ||||||
| 10b | ||||||
| 11a | ||||||
| 11b |
Clustering
- Prepositions cluster in the middle of the psalm (vv.6-8).
- The preposition בְּ occurs eight times in this psalm, clustering in vv.6-7 where it occurs in five consecutive lines. Parallel beth prepositions also connect v.2ab.
Structural Significance
- On a micro-structural level, the recursion of beth prepositions strengthens parallelisms (vv. 2, 6) and gives cohesion to certain repetition groups (vv. 2, 6, 7).
- On a macro-structural level, the cluster of beth prepositions around a major boundary in the middle of the poem (vv.6-7) forms an overlap structure (anadiplosis). This has the effect of smoothing over the discontinuity between v.6 and v.7 and tying the two halves of the psalm into a cohesive whole.
- v.2ab. "Whether the ְבּ of both cola has an instrumental (e.g., Pro. 3:11-12; Job 5:17) or causal (Ps. 38:1, 39:11) sense is difficult to determine; perhaps both are intended, an instance of intentional poetic ambiguity—or 'semantic density' of expression: 'Do not rebuke me by means of//because of your anger!'"[1]
- v.7a. The בְּ preposition in this line "may be understood to indicate the condition or the cause, and in this case possibly both."[2],
Waw/Vav
Waw is relatively rare in this psalm, occurring only 4 times. The small cluster in v.4 is notable. Both lines begin with וְ + noun/pronoun, making for a strong contrast "as the two protagonists, divine and human, are syntactically placed into prominent opposition."[3]
Coordinating Words/Phrases
- v.11a: verbs יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ ׀ וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ
Coordinating Lines
- v.2a --(וְֽאַל)--> v.2b
- v.4a --(ָּוְאַת)--> v.4b
Coordinating Verses
- v.3 --(וְ֭נַפְשִׁי)--> v.4,
Other particles
- v.3. כִּי – "[The psalmist's] cry is correspondingly motivated by the two subsequent כִּי clauses that refer to his frail physical condition."[4]
- v.5. לְמַעַן – "The psalmist appeals to the LORD for deliverance from his illness on the basis of God’s 'steadfast covenantal fidelity' (חֶסֶד) to his people—even when they have sinned against him in some way."[5]
- v.9b. כִּי – "The כִּי motivational clause seems to bear some contextually derived asseverative force here as well—a connotation that is reinforced by the next, semantically parallel line (10a)."[6]