Psalm 7/Lexical Semantics

Lexical Semantics

Difficult Words

• v.5b. וָאֲחַלְּצָ֖ה – The piel form of the verb חלץ has the concrete meaning "pull out" (Lev. 14:40, 43), which is figuratively extended in most cases (almost always in the Psalms) to mean "rescue" (i.e., "pull out" of danger; Ps. 6:5; 18:20; 34:8; 50:15; 81:8; 91:15; 116:8; 119:153; 140:2; Job 36:15). "This OT poetic usage is reflected in Phoenician theophoric names such as halsbaal (Baal has rescued)." Accordingly, the Septuagint of Psalms consistently translates the verb as either ἐξαιρέω ("pull out" – Ps. 50[49:15; 91[90]:15; 116[114]:8; 119[118]:53; 140[139]:2) or ῥύομαι ("rescue" – Ps.6:5; 18[17]:20; 34[33]:8; 60[59]:7; 81[80]:8; 108[107]:7).

In every instance, the verb refers to Yahweh rescuing his people from danger. This makes the occurrence in Ps. 7:5 unique, since, here, the agent of the verb is David, and the patient is his enemy (צֹרְרִי). The meaning "rescue" would seem to imply injustice in rescuing an enemy. Traditional solutions to this problem, ancient and modern, are discussed and critiqued by Tigay. One common approach is to interpret חלץ to mean "plunder" or "despoil." Yet "חלץ never otherwise means 'to plunder' (NRSV; cf. NIVI) in Biblical Hebrew (cf. BDB)."

Tigay's own solution, which involves a slight textual emendation, is summarized here in his own words: "The term שׁולם suggests that Ps 7:5 reflects an alliance. Extrabiblical and biblical sources show that failing to pursue the enemy of one's ally, or providing the enemy refuge, are fundamental violations of alliance duties. This is precisely what Ps 7:5b refers to when צררי is emended to צררו. The clause is now seen to deny an accusation that the speaker rescued his ally's enemy. The emended verse is to be translated, 'if I have repaid my ally with treachery and rescued his enemy...'" While the internal evidence for this view is strong and the confusion of י and ו is a common error,, there is no external evidence for reading צררו.

Goldingay, also recognizing the reference to a political alliance, offers a compelling interpretation of the text as it stands (צררי). "The second colon (v.5b) takes the point further by denying a form of capriciousness, as if disloyalty to allies were accompanied by unprincipled leniency to watchful foes, like the leniency Saul showed to Agag (1 Sam. 15). Such an act (perhaps mentioned only as a theoretical possibility) would underscore the enormity of the act referred to in the previous colon.",

References to God

Definition Feature being studied	Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent	Clustering	Intersection	Connections	Structure
3rd person reference to Yahweh	vv.9a, 10d?, 11-14, 18	third part of psalm	v.11 marks the shift from direct address to 3rd person reference.		Gives cohesion to vv.11-18 (see "direct address to Yahweh"). The third person reference to Yahweh in v.9a stands out among the surrounding 2nd person perspective (vv.8b,9b).
direct address to Yahweh	vv.2a, 4a, 7a, 9b, 10d?	first two parts of psalm	v.11 marks the shift from direct address to 3rd person reference.		While the whole psalm is a prayer to Yahweh (cf. v.1), Yahweh is only addressed directly in the first half of the psalm (vv.2-10). In vv.11-18, he is referred to in the third person. Verse 11 thus marks a major point of discontinuity in the psalm.
עֶלְיוֹן	v.18b		final word of psalm		The sevenfold occurrence of the divine name (יהוה) climactically concludes in the final line with this title.
אֵל	v.12b
אֱלֹהִים	vv.2a, 4a, 10d, 11a, v.12a	vv.10d-12a	beginning of section (vv.2a, 4a); cluster at section boundary (vv.10d, 11a)		anaphora (vv.2a, 4a); vv.10cd-11ab form a chiasm (anadiplosis): a וּבֹחֵ֣ן לִ֭בּ֗וֹת וּכְלָי֗וֹת b אֱלֹהִ֥ים צַדִּֽיק // b' מָֽגִנִּ֥י עַל־אֱלֹהִ֑ים a' מ֝וֹשִׁ֗יעַ יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב
יהוה	seven times: vv. 2a, 4a, 7a, 9ab, 18ab	vv.9, 18; absent vv.10-17	beginning of section (vv.2a, 4a, 7a, 9b, 18a); end of section (vv.9a, 18b)		The divine name appears seven times, culminating in the final line with the climactic expression שׁם יהוה עליון (v.18b). Each of the seven occurrences has structural significance, opening (vv.2a, 4a, 7a, 9b, 18a) and closing sections (vv.9a, 18b). The back-to-back occurrences in 9ab form a chiasm (anadiplosis): a יהוה b ידין עמים // b' שׁפטני a' יהוה. The occurrence in v.9a is the 4th and central occurrence, thus adding to the prominence of this line.

"The Psalm mentions God eleven times. Ten times these denotations appear in pairs, and six of these are even anaphoric and of structural importance. Their positioning is already takes care of five strophes. Strophes 1 and 2 start with the double anaphora יהוה אלהי (plus perfect), strophes 3 and 4 have יהוה in second position after an imperative, and strophe 5 has אלהים in 11a//12a. The last pair is יהוה occurring in both halves of the concluding verse."

2a		יהוה	אֱלֹהַי
2b
3a
3b
4a		יהוה	אֱלֹהַי
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
6c
7a		יהוה
7b
7c
8a
8b
9a		יהוה
9b		יהוה
9c
10a
10b
10c
10d			אֱלֹהִים
11a			אֱלֹהִים
11b
12a			אֱלֹהִים
12b				אֵל
13a
13b
14a
14b
15a
15b
16a
16b
17a
17b
18a		יהוה
18b		יהוה			עֶלְיוֹן

This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,

Tetragrammaton

The tetragrammaton occurs seven times in this psalm. The climactic seventh occurrence (שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה עֶלְיֽוֹן) concludes the psalm and prepares the reader for psalm 8 (מָֽה־אַדִּ֣יר שִׁ֭מְךָ בְּכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ). The use of אֱלֹהִים in place of יהוה in vv.10-12 may have been motivated by a desire to limit occurrences of the tetragrammaton to seven. The central occurrence of יהוה is in v.9a.,

Repeated words

Definition Feature being studied	Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent	Clustering	Intersection	Connections	Structure
צרר (x2)	צוֹרְרִ֣י (v.5b), צוֹרְרָ֑י (v.7b)
נצל (x2)	וְהַצִּילֵֽנִי (v.2b), מַצִּֽיל (v.3b)	beginning of psalm (vv.2-3)	last word of v.2b; last word of v.3b (and of section 1)		Gives cohesion to section 1 (vv.2-3)
רדף (x2)	מִכָּל־רֹ֝דְפַ֗י (v.2b), יִֽרַדֹּ֥ף (v.6a)	beginning of psalm (vv.2-6)			Gives cohesion to sections 1-2 (vv.2-6)
נַפְשִׁי (x2)	נַפְשִׁ֑י (v.3a), נַפְשִׁ֡י (v.6a)	beginning of psalm (vv.3-6)	closes section 1 (v.3) and section 2 (v.6)	v.3a and v.6a form a distant parallel; there are a number of correspondences between these lines	Gives cohesion to sections 1-2 (vv.2-6)
רַע (x2)	רָ֑ע (v.5a), רַ֨ע ׀ רְשָׁעִים֮ (v.10a)
ישׁע (x2)	הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי (v.2b), מ֝וֹשִׁ֗יעַ (v.11b)
לבב (x2)	לִ֭בּ֗וֹת (v.10c), יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב (v.11b)	vv.10-11			vv.10cd-11ab form a chiasm (anadiplosis): a לִבּוֹת b אֱלֹהִים // b' אֱלֹהִים a' יִשְׁרֵי־לֵב
עמל (x2)	עָ֝מָ֗ל (v.15b), עֲמָל֣וֹ (v.17a)	section 6 (vv.15-17)			Gives cohesion to section 6 (vv.15-17)
כון (x3)	וּתְכוֹנֵ֪ן (v.10b), וַֽיְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ (v.13b), הֵכִ֣ין (v.14a)	vv.13b-14a	middle of psalm (v.10)	Yahweh will set up (כון) the righteous (v.10b) by preparing (כון) his weapons of war (vv.13b-14a)	Gives cohesion to vv.13-14
יִפְעַל (x2)	יִפְעַל (v.14b), יִפְעַל (v.16b)	vv.14-16	end of section 5 (v.14b)	(see comments on שׁוב)	(see comments on שׁוב)
שׁוב (x3)	שֽׁוּבָה (v.8b), יָשׁוּב (v.13a), יָשׁוּב (v.17a)		end of section 6 (v.17a)	Exact repetition of the form יָשׁוּב (vv.13a, 17a) forms/strengthens the connection between these verses/sections. The validity of this connection is confirmed by the exact repetition of יִפְעַל (vv.14b, 16b).	Gives cohesion to vv.13-17. Occurrences of יָשׁוּב and יִפְעַל form a chiasm that stretches across these verses: a יָשׁוּב (v.13a) b יִפְעַל (v.14b) b יִפְעַל (v.16b) a יָשׁוּב (v.17a). This feature may be intended to underscore the idea of reversal described in vv.16-17.
שׁפט (x3)	מִשְׁפָּ֥ט (v.7c), שָׁפְטֵ֥נִי (v.9b), שׁוֹפֵ֣ט (v.12a)	vv.7-12; middle of psalm (sections 3, 4, & 5)	beginning of section (v.9b)	מִשְׁפָּ֥ט צִוִּֽיתָ (v.7c) sounds similar to שׁוֹפֵ֣ט צַדִּ֑יק (v.12a); this is one of a number of apparent connections between section 3 (vv.7-8) and section 5 (vv.11-14)	Gives cohesion and prominence to the middle of the psalm.
צדק (x5)	כְּצִדְקִי (v.9c), צַדִּ֥יק (v.10b), צַדִּֽיק (v.10d), צַדִּֽיק (v.12a), כְּצִדְקוֹ (v.18a)	vv.9-12 (4x)		The first and last occurrence are clearly connected: כְּצִדְקִ֖י (v.9c) – כְּצִדְק֑וֹ (v.18a); in between, there are three occurrences of the adjective צַדִּיק (vv.10bd, 12a)	The dense repetition of the root צדק gives cohesion and prominence to the middle section of the psalm (vv.9-10). "Strophe 4 (vv.9b-10d)... is characterized by the specific technique of three times employing a keyword and spreading it over three verses. The word is derived from the root צדק and every time refers to a different person: the 'I' in 9b, the righteous person in 10b and God himself in 10d; this too is a form of distribution... To the speaker who hopes and prays for salvation through God's judgment, the concept of צדק is the ideological axis on which his argument turns. Hence, it is not surprising that 'my righteousness' (כצדקי in v.9b) receives a counterpart in the conclusion, when he thanks God for the judgment that has brought deliverance, and is כצדקו (v.18a)."

2a

2b

הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי

מִכָּל־רֹ֝דְפַ֗י

וְהַצִּילֵֽנִי

3a

נַפְשִׁ֑י

3b

מַצִּֽיל

4a

4b

5a

רָ֑ע

5b

צוֹרְרִי

6a

יִֽרַדֹּ֥ף

נַפְשִׁ֑י

6b

6c

7a

7b

צוֹרְרָ֑י

7c

מִשְׁפָּ֥ט

8a

8b

שֽׁוּבָה

9a

9b

שָׁפְטֵ֥נִי

9c

כְּצִדְקִ֖י

10a

רַע

10b

צַ֫דִּ֥יק

וּתְכוֹנֵ֪ן

10c

לִ֭בּ֗וֹת

10d

צַדִּֽיק

11a

11b

מ֝וֹשִׁ֗יעַ

יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב

12a

שׁוֹפֵ֣ט

צַדִּ֑יק

12b

13a

יָשׁוּב

13b

וַֽיְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ

14a

הֵכִ֣ין

14b

יִפְעָֽל

15a

15b

עָ֝מָ֗ל

16a

16b

יִפְעָֽל

17a

יָשׁוּב

עֲמָל֣וֹ

17b

18a

כְּצִדְק֑וֹ

18b

This feature is considered relevant for this psalm.,

Semantically/thematically related words

Definition Feature being studied	Occurrences Sections where this feature is present or absent	Clustering	Intersection	Connections	Structure
vice	עָוֶל (v.4b), רַע (vv.5a, 10a), אָוֶן (v.15a), עָמָל (vv.15b, 17a), שֶׁקֶר (v.15b), חָמָס (v.17b)	vv.15-17			Gives cohesion to vv.15-17
weaponry	מָֽגִנִּ֥י (v.11a), חַרְבּ֣וֹ (v.13a), קַשְׁתּ֥וֹ (v.13b), כְּלֵי־מָ֑וֶת (v.14a), חִ֝צָּ֗יו (v.14b)	vv.11-14			Gives cohesion to vv.11-14

Weaponry

• v.11a. The מָגֵן was a small shield (compared to the larger צִנָּה) that "could be made of wood (sometimes covered with leather) or metal. It varied in shape but was usually round." For the meaning of this clause, see below.
• v.13a. The verb לטשׁ means "to sharpen" with reference to metal instruments such as axes and ploughs (1 Sam. 13:20), swords (Ps. 7:13), and razors (Ps. 52:4).
• v.13b. The verb דרך means “to tread,” and here refers specifically to “treading the bow” (2 Sam. 22:35; Isa. 5:28; 21:15; Jer. 9:3; 46:9; 50:14, 29; 51:3; Psa. 7:12; 11:2; 18:34; 37:14; Lam 2:4; 3:12). According to Pritz, this phrase “often does not refer to the drawing of the bowstring in order to shoot but rather to the method of bending the unstrung bow enough to slip the bowstring in place on the end of the bow... The underlying idea is preparing the bow for combat.” This bending of the bow was done with one’s foot, hence the verb דרך. The following verb, כּוֹנֵן, is a technical term for fixing an arrow upon a bow (cf. Ps.11:2).
• v.14a. The noun כְּלִי often refers to weaponry. This is made explicit here by the unique phrase כְּלֵי מָוֶת (lit: "instruments of death" = "weapons").
• v.14b. The verb דלק means "to burn" (intransitive). "The reference may be to arrows dipped in a kind of oil or pitch and set alight before shooting." Fiery arrows may also be referred to in Ps. 76:4 by the phrase ‎רִשְׁפֵי־קָ֑שֶׁת.

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
חבל	v.15a
דלק	v.14b
לטשׁ	v.13a
גמר	v.10a		middle line of psalm
פרק	v.3b

The words listed above occur 10 times or less in the Hebrew Bible. Most of these occur in the second half of the psalm. Each occurrence is tied to some phonological feature.