Psalm 70 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 70!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

  1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
  2. The verse in Hebrew and English.[1]
  3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.[2]
  4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.[3]
  5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

Overview

The purpose of Psalm 70, a psalm that could be titled "Hurry!," is to beg for urgent rescue from his enemies.

The overall content of the psalm is captured in the following summary:

YHWH, hurry to my aid!
My enemies say, "Take that!" May they be ashamed and retreat.
When you rescue me, may the faithful ones rejoice and say "Let God be praised!"
YHWH, do not delay!

The psalm's message, then, could be expressed as follows: When YHWH rescues without delay, enemies will be ashamed and the faithful ones will praise.

Story Behind

The "story" of the psalm's content is reflected in the following summary: The speech time of Psalm 70 is preceded by the threat of David's enemies, suggested by their seeking the psalmist's life (v. 3), and their anticipation of victory, suggested by their mocking him (v. 4). The speech time of the psalm, then, is found in the pleas for urgent rescue (vv. 2, 6), followed by YHWH's response and the result of both the enemies being disappointed and ashamed (v. 3), on the one hand, and the faithful rejoicing in YHWH and praising him (v. 5), on the other.

Thus, the background events preceding the psalm's speech time include:

Background events image

Important background ideas to understand the psalm involve the following:

  • After being anointed as king, David's life was threatened continually, primarily at the hands of Saul and Absalom (see, 1 Sam 18-27 and 2 Sam 15-18; Pss 3:1; 18:1; 57:1). In light of the close connection between Psalms 70 and 71 and the unambiguous theme of YHWH's protection in old age,[4] a situation later in David's life would seem more likely, such as Absalom's revolt.[5]
  • After an experience of deliverance, the rescued person would hold a thanksgiving meal, which would result in others praising YHWH for his acts of deliverance (Pss 22:26–27; 26:12; 35:18; 40:10; 69:31–34; 107:31–32; 109:30; 116:17–18).[6]
  • To characterize oneself as poor and needy was "associated with humility," "depend[ing] on help from other people and God" (SDBH), and not taking matters into one's own hands.[7] It was also a means of identifying oneself with "those who love your salvation" (v. 5), who are also poor and needy and, thus, in need of YHWH's salvation.[8]

Layout

AAG visual

Progression of Thought

There is major section in Psalm 70. These could, however, perhaps be broken down into the following three units:

  • v. 2: The psalmist pleads with YHWH to rescue him urgently.
  • vv. 3–5: The psalmist requests that his enemies would be disappointed and ashamed in their attempts to harm him, and thus turn back and retreat from their attacks. On the other hand, he requests that the faithful ones would rejoice and be glad, praising YHWH with the words "Let God be praised!"
  • v. 6: Characterizing himself as "poor and needy" and YHWH as his "help and deliverer," the psalmist once again pleads with YHWH to rescue him urgently and not delay.

Poetic Macrostructure

Poetic structure visual


Structural observations

The poetic macrostructure of Psalm 70 is determined by two patterns:

  • vv. 2, 6 provide frame and inclusio around the central section of three verses,[9] defined by the sequence of line-initial vocatives "God" followed by "YHWH" and the "hurry" verb phrase.
  • vv. 3–5 are defined by third person plural jussives with the grammatical subject postponed in each case (often to the following poetic line) and a contrast between the distinct groups "seeking" (בקשׁ) and what they "say" (אמר).[10]

Emotions

Emotions AAG visual

Prominence

Prominence visual

  • The most prominent verses are vv. 4–5.
  • The most prominent line is v. 2b.
  • The most prominent words are also "hurry" (vv. 2b, 6b).

The story told through the psalm's prominence could be summarized as Hurry!

Poetics

Psalm 40 and Psalm 70

PF#1 visual

Poetic Feature:[11]

  • Psalm 40:14–18 and Psalm 70 are almost identical texts. Though not a certainty, there is good reason to believe that Psalm 70 is an older poem that the author of Psalm 40 has drawn from and adapted for his purposes. (See the full discussion in The Relationship Between Psalm 40:14–18 and Psalm 70.)
    • There is variation in the divine names employed in the two passages.
    •  There are additional words in Psalm 40:14–18 that do not appear in Psalm 70.
    • There are different verbs and syntactic constructions used to create connections with earlier parts of Psalm 40.

Effect:

The lack of the imperative "be pleased" (Ps 40:14) in Psalm 70:2 increases the urgency of the request to "hurry," which is backwards gapped in the first line of the poem. The lack of יַחַד "utterly" and לִסְפּוֹתָהּ "to sweep it away" add urgency to the situation in Psalm 70—less words communicating more efficiently.
The original place of "may thay retreat" in Psalm 70, adapted to "may they be appalled" in Psalm 40, highlights the military nature of the threat in Psalm 70.
The repetition of "hurry to me," adapted to the more difficult construction, יַחֲשָׁב לִי "may he have regard for me" in Psalm 40:18, provides a strong poetic inclusio for the psalm and, once again, stresses the urgency of the situation in Psalm 70.
Since Psalm 70 falls within the so-called "Elohistic Psalter,"[12] the use of אֱלֹהִים is to be expected. Significant, then, is the decision to leave יְהוָה in Psalm 70:6 (replaced by the more personal אֱלֹהַי "my God" in Psalm 40:18). David appeals to the covenant name of God in both vv. 2 and 6, again contributing to the strong inclusio of the poetic macrostructure, but also trusting that his covenant God would keep his covenant promises.
Taken together, the original form of Psalm 70 communicates much more urgency than that of Psalm 40, with intentional military language and added use of the covenant name of God, even within the so-called "Elohistic Psalter."

Come and Go

PF2 visual

Poetic Feature:

  • The psalmist asks YHWH to hurry to him and hurry to rescue him three times in Psalm 70 (twice in v. 2—though the imperative is backwards gapped in the first line—and once in v. 6). Further, the final plea in v. 6 is the counterpart of "hurrying," that is, "do not delay."
  • In the psalm's central section (vv. 3–5), the psalmist makes three requests of YHWH concerning his enemies. Two of these consist of "being turned back" and "retreating."

Effect:

The psalm moves from (1) the introduction of the psalmist's urgent desperation for YHWH's presence to (2) the central section of the psalm, relating his desire for YHWH to disappoint his enemies to such an extent that they would leave him, retreating in shame from him, (3) back to the final verse with another plea for YHWH to hurry to him. The psalmist desires distance from his shamed enemies, but this desire is both preceded and followed by his desire of proximity to YHWH.

They say this; they say that

PF3 visual

Poetic Feature:

  • In the central section of Psalm 70 (vv. 3–5), the actions of the enemies and the faithful community are contrasted in both their actions and speech.
  • The enemies seek David's life; the faithful community seek YHWH. The enemies use their speech ("say") to mock David in his vulnerable state; when David is rescued, the faithful community will use their speech ("say") to praise YHWH.

Effect:

In contrasting both the enemies and faithful community's actions and words, David's rhetoric makes powerfully clear that his people are YHWH's people and enemies are YHWH's enemies. The enemies' speech is oriented to David and his harm, whereas the speech of the faithful is oriented to YHWH, implying proper perspective.
If you "seek David's life," you show yourself to be the opposite type of person who would "seek YHWH." If you mock David you show yourself to be the opposite type of person who would praise YHWH for his salvation. The psalm's audience desires to be counted among those seeking and praising YHWH, and therefore would not oppose or mock David.

Participants and Speech Acts

Speech act summary visual

  • David and YHWH are primarily present at the beginning and end of the psalm (see the poetic macrostructure), with David present and YHWH absent in v. 3, David absent and YHWH present in v. 5, and neither present in v. 4.
  • There is a skillful presence of two (and only two) participants in each verse, with the exception of v. 4, which only features the enemies.
  • The enemies overlap with the psalmist (v. 3), and the faithful ones overlap with YHWH (v. 5), yet the enemies and faithful ones never appear in the same verse.

Text table visual

The entire poem of Psalm 70 consists of a plea from the psalmist towards YHWH.

Global speech act visual

Verse-by-Verse Notes

v. 1

Hebrew Verse English
לַ֝מְנַצֵּ֗חַ לְדָוִ֥ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר׃ v. 1 For the director. By David. To bring to remembrance.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

For the director. By David. To bring the words of this psalm to the remembrance of the faithful community.

Notes

Verse one provides information concerning the author of the psalm and the purpose of its composition.[13]

  • Psalm 71 does not contain a superscription (in the Masoretic tradition), such that many have read both psalms as one poem. See our full discussion in the exegetical issue Were Psalms 70 and 71 Originally One Poem?, where we conclude that "it seems almost certain that 70 and 71 were intended to be read together,"[14] though this does not require that they consist of one poem. Nevertheless, a canonical reading of the Psalm cluster of Psalms 69–72, and particularly the sequence of Psalms 70 and 71, does indeed shed light on a number of interpretive questions concerning the psalms therein (see our Story Behind layer).[15]
  • The phrase לְהַזְכִּיר occurs in superscriptions of the psalms only here and in Psalm 38. See our full discussion of this word in the exegetical issue The Meaning of לְהַזְכִּיר in Psalm 70:1, where we conclude that the sense to bring to remembrance fits the profile of the psalm well, in line with the clearer instances of infinitives in the superscriptions,[16] with the suggested annotation "To bring the words of this psalm to the remembrance of the faithful community."

v. 2

Hebrew Verse English
אֱלֹהִ֥ים לְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי v. 2a God, [hurry] to rescue me!
יְ֝הוָ֗ה לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי חֽוּשָֽׁה׃ v. 2b YHWH, hurry to my aid!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

God, [hurry] to rescue me! I am in imminent danger! YHWH, hurry to my aid, because my enemies are about to reach me!

Notes

In verse 2 the psalmist begins the poem by addressing YHWH and pleading that he would urgently rescue him.

  • Both lines of this verse begin with addressing God, first with the name God, then with the YHWH.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag The vocative YHWH (יְ֝הוָ֗ה) in v. 2b repeats the pattern of the preceding line. The position of לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי, following the vocative and preceding the imperative, also repeats the pattern established in the previous line. Along with the backwards-gapped imperative, these lines are significantly bound and cognitive closure is achieved before the discourse moves on (see Atkinson 2025).</ref> The same appearance and order of "God" and "YHWH" begin the lines of vv. 6b, 6d, which correspond to the two pleas in the present verse. See the poetic macrostructure, as discussed above.
  • In the absence of the initial "be pleased" (רְצֵ֣ה) in the synoptic parallel of Psalm 40:14,[17] the bare infinitive construct is best read as a complement of a backwards gapped hurry (חוּשָׁה), not appearing overtly until the following clause,[18] as illustrated by the CSB: "God, hurry to rescue me. Lord, hurry to help me!" (see also the CEB, KJV, NASB, NIV).[19]

v. 3

Hebrew Verse English
יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ֮ מְבַקְשֵׁ֪י נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י v. 3a May those who seek my life be disappointed and ashamed!
יִסֹּ֣גוּ אָ֭חוֹר וְיִכָּלְמ֑וּ v. 3b May those who desire my harm be turned back and be disgraced!
חֲ֝פֵצֵ֗י רָעָתִֽי׃ v. 3c those who desire my harm

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

May those causing my troubles, those who seek my life, to sweep it away, be utterly ashamed! In their vain and treacherous ambition, they want to take my throne (see 2 Sam 16:11)! In their advance against me, they are in rebellion to the plans you have established for me as the anointed king. May those who desire my harm and take my throne be turned back and be disgraced! YHWH, put them in their place!

Notes

Verse 3 communicates the psalmist's request that those attacking him would be turned back in shame.

  • We follow the LXX's optatives and imperatives and Jerome's subjunctives in interpreting the yiqtols of vv. 3–5 as jussives, "May they be." All of the English translations consulted likewise provides jussives.
  • Disappointment and shame will come upon the psalmist's enemies after David's rescue.[20] "Shame" refers to a "state in which someone has forfeited the respect of the community, due to a situation that is not in accordance to someone's status" (SDBH). Similarly, being turned back describes an "action by which humans take one or more steps backwards, ◄ usually because of a dangerous situation in front of them and against their will; ► resulting in shame" (SDBH).

v. 4

Hebrew Verse English
יָ֭שׁוּבוּ עַל־עֵ֣קֶב בָּשְׁתָּ֑ם v. 4a May those who say "Take that!" retreat on account of their shame!
הָ֝אֹמְרִ֗ים הֶ֘אָ֥ח ׀ הֶאָֽח׃ v. 4b those who say "Take that!"

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

May those who think they have alreay gained a victory and say to me "Take that!" retreat on account of their shame! They gleefully rejoice over my vulnerability and think I am there for the taking!

Notes

Verse 4 communicates the psalmist's request that his enemies—though presently mocking him and gloating over their apparent success—would retreat because of the shame that he prays would come upon them in the previous verse.

  • The compound on account of (עַל־עֵ֣קֶב) only occurs here and in the synoptic passage of Psalm 40:16. However, עֵקֶב alone is attested a number of times as a causal connector (see Num 14:24; Deut 7:12; 8:20; Isa 5:23), perhaps semantically extended from the sense of עֵקֶב as "reward, result" (e.g., Ps 19:12), just as עַל alone also is.[21]
  • The word הֶאָח is an expression of satisfaction (SDBH) usually "in response to another's misfortune" (DCH), that is, "malicious delight."[22] It belongs to the category of interjections, which constitute their own sentence fragments.[23] It can also carry a sense of anticipation at victory or vengeance (see, e.g., Job 39:25). Since interjections are considered a universal part of speech,[24] it should be anticipated that there is an appropriate target language equivalent for the Biblical Hebrew interjection הֶאָח. Modern English translations and the lexicons tend to prefer "Aha," however, which does not communicate satisfaction in another's misfortune by any stretch of the imagination. Preferable are "Hurrah!" (REB) or expansions such as “Just look at you now!” (CEV), Ha, dir geschieht recht “Ha, serves you right” (EÜ), "Take that!" "That's what you get!" or the ironic "Well, well..." Alternatively, other translations simply skip the interjection and paraphrase הָאֹמְרִ֥ים לִ֝֗י הֶאָ֥ח׀ הֶאָֽח as "those making fun of me" (see, e.g., DHH, RVC).[25]

v. 5

Hebrew Verse English
יָ֘שִׂ֤ישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ ׀ בְּךָ֗ כָּֽל־מְבַ֫קְשֶׁ֥יךָ v. 5a May all those who seek you be glad and rejoice in you!
וְיֹאמְר֣וּ תָ֭מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֑ים v. 5b And may those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be praised!
אֹ֝הֲבֵ֗י יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ v. 5c those who love your salvation

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

On the other hand, may it be that all the faithful community that surrounds me, those who seek you, be glad and rejoice in you! YHWH, give them a reason to do so! May those who love your salvation, since they recognize their need for it, always say, "Let God be praised and be seen as great!" when they see you rescue me with the same power with which you can also rescue them.

Notes

Verse 4 communicates the psalmist's request that his allies, the faithful ones, be able to rejoice and praise YHWH when they see the psalmist's deliverance.

  • It is most plausible that the yiqtol יִגְדַּ֣ל in the present verse communicates the desire, Let be praised."[26] See, for example, the LXX: Μεγαλυνθήτω ὁ θεός "Let God be magnified!" (NETS; cf. Ps 40:17 and the optative Μεγαλυνθείη in Codex Vaticanus of Ps 35:27).[27]

v. 6

Hebrew Verse English
וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיוֹן֮ v. 6a But I am poor and needy.
אֱלֹהִ֪ים חֽוּשָׁ֫ה־לִּ֥י v. 6b God, hurry to me!
עֶזְרִ֣י וּמְפַלְטִ֣י אַ֑תָּה v. 6c You are my help and my deliverer.
יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַל־תְּאַחַֽר׃ v. 6d YHWH, do not delay!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

But, after all, I am one of them. I am poor and needy and totally dependent on you. God, hurry to me! You are my help and my deliverer. I have no other hope, YHWH, so do not delay your salvation any longer!

Notes

Verse 6 repeats the urgent plea for YHWH to rescue the psalmist,[28] appealing both to his own identity as "poor and needy," while YHWH is his "help and deliverer."

  • The waw on But I (וַאֲנִ֤י) provides a strong topic shift and therefore coordinates (and contrasts) the content of v. 6 with the reality of those discussed in v. 5.
  • The word pair "poor and needy" (עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיוֹן֮), being near synonyms,[29] most likely constitutes a hendiadys,[30] so could equally well be rendered something along the lines of "truly poor."[31] (For discussion of the intended sense in the present psalm, see the background ideas at the top of this page.)[32] The pair in the third line of the verse, "my help and my deliverer" (עֶזְרִ֣י וּמְפַלְטִ֣י), could also be considered a hendiadys: "my helping deliverer."[33]
  • The vocative God (אֱלֹהִ֪ים) in v. 6b signals the beginning of a conversational turn (moving from the topic shift of "But I") and grabs the addressee's attention, which is common when accompanied by urgent imperatives, as in the present instance.[34] The vocative YHWH (יְ֝הוָ֗ה) in v. 6d both repeats the pattern of the preceding vocative and precedes the urgent request that concludes the psalm. As discussed above, the line-initial position of all four vocatives of the psalm significantly contributes to the psalm's poetic macrostructure.
  • The verbless clause You are my help and my deliverer is either predicational, commenting something concerning "You" (with the comment preceding the topic), or specificational, in which case, עֶזְרִ֣י וּמְפַלְטִ֣י provide the topic and the comment is the specification that "it is you." Under the first reading (predicational), the information packaging would involve "You (topic) are my help and my deliverer (comment)," with the comment fronted for particular selective focus; under the specificational reading, which we prefer here, the information packaging would involve "You are (comment) the one who is my help and my deliverer (topic)."[35] This is reflected in our macrosyntactic expansion of the CBC:

Legends

Grammatical diagram

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.

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

Visualization Description
The prepositional phrase is indicated by a solid green oval.
The construct chain is indicated by a solid yellow oval.
When the conjunction ו appears at the phrase-level (not clause-level), it is indicated by a solid light purple oval.
The article is indicated by a solid blue oval.

Expanded paraphrase

(For more information, click "Expanded Paraphrase Legend" below.)

Expanded paraphrase legend
Close but Clear (CBC) translation The CBC, our close but clear translation of the Hebrew, is represented in bold text.
Assumptions Assumptions which provide background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences are represented in italics.

Bibliography

Firth, David G. 2022. "A Poem in Two Contexts: Psalm 40:14–18 and Psalm 70 in their Canonical Setting," Journal for Semitics 31.2: 12 pages. https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/12042

Atkinson 2025 Sjörs, "Infinitive Construct." Ibn Ezra Tate, 1998, 205; cf. Radak, Meiri Malbim Mowinckel 1962:II, 32 Keel 1997, 333 Weisblit 1974 van der Lugt (2010 Auffret (1987, 235 Firth 2022 Kim 2022

Footnotes

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  1. ↑ The Hebrew text comes from Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, which presents the text of the Leningrad Codex (the Masoretic text). The English text is our own "Close-but-clear" translation (CBC). The CBC is a “wooden” translation that exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text. It is essentially an interlinear that has been put into English word-order. It is also similar to a “back-translation” (of the Hebrew) often used in Bible translation checking. It is important to remember that the CBC is not intended to be a stand-alone translation, but is rather a tool for using the Layer by Layer materials. The CBC is used as the primary display text (along with the Hebrew) for most analytical visualisations. It is also used as the display text for most videos.
  2. ↑ A legend for the expanded paraphrase is available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
  3. ↑ Legends for both the grammatical diagram and the shapes and colours on the grammatical diagram are available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
  4. ↑ See our discussion in the exegetical issue Were Psalms 70 and 71 Originally One Poem?.
  5. ↑ Alternatively, the "old age" of Ps 71 could point even to an event as late as Adoniyah's self-exaltation to the throne, as recounted in 1 Kgs 1—see also the following Solomonic Psalm (72).
  6. ↑ "The testimony has the purpose of increasing God's honour in the congregation and in the world" (Mowinckel 1962:II, 32). "The hearers of the hymn were able to participate in the worshipper's wonderful experience and thus join themselves to his praise" (Keel 1997, 333).
  7. ↑ See, for example, David's reaction to Absalom's rebellion and Shimei's cursing (2 Sam 15-16).
  8. ↑ See, for example: "David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men" (1 Sam 22:1–2, ESV).
  9. ↑ Weisblit 1974, 76.
  10. ↑ Due to the contrasting groups in the middle section, van der Lugt (2010, 267) prefers a two-part, symmetrical structure of vv. 2–4 followed by vv. 5–6. Auffret (1987, 235) also notes the symmetrical structure, but does not propose two parts. The formal indicators detailed above support the symmetry and divisions reflects in our visual.
  11. ↑ For similar discussion, see Firth 2022.
  12. ↑ Pss 42–83; for a recent overview, see Wardlaw 2015, 1–15.
  13. ↑ In terms of לְהַזְכִּיר, "to bring to remembrance," it seems appropriate that this psalm would be later used and adapted in Psalm 40:14–18. See the full discussion in the exegetical issue The Relationship Between Psalm 40:14–18 and Psalm 70.
  14. ↑ Tate, 1998, 205; cf. Radak, Meiri.
  15. ↑ Radak (followed by Meiri and Malbim) states the following: "This psalm—its author is David in the time that he was fleeing from before Saul or from before Absalom. The latter is correct based on the psalm coming after it, which proves that it was when he fled from before Absalom he composed it, as it has been interpreted" (המזמור הזה חברו דוד בעת שהיה בורח מפני שאול או מפני אבשלום והוא הנכון בעבור המזמור הבא אחריו שיוכיח כי בברחו מפני אבשלום חברו כמו שנפרש). At the beginning of Psalm 71, Radak comments, "This psalm—they said it supported by the psalm which precedes it (therefore there is not said in it an introduction למנצח ומזמור) when he fled from before Absalom his son, and the evidence is what it says: 'Do not throw me away in the time of old age.' But when he fled from before Saul he was not old" (המזמור הזה אמרו סמוך למזמור אשר לפניו לפיכך לא אמר בו פתיחה למנצח ומזמור ואמרו בברחו מפני אבשלום בנו והעד מה שאמר אל תשליכני לעת זקנה ובברחו מפני שאול לא היה זקן).
  16. ↑ See, e.g., אַל תַּשְׁחֵת ("do not destroy"?) in Psalms 57–59, 75 and לְלַמֵּֽד "to teach" in Psalm 60, with the context of teaching a poem also present in Deut 30 and 2 Sam 1:17–18.
  17. ↑ See, however, the addition provided by the NET in this verse: "O God, please be willing to rescue me. O Lord, hurry and help me" (see also the NRSV).
  18. ↑ So Meiri.
  19. ↑ It is possible, though less likely, that the infinitive construct is functioning independently as an imperative. For other possible examples of such a phenomenon, see the LXX of לִשְׁמֹ֗ר in Deut 4:2 (φυλάσσεσθε); the Vulgate of לִשְׁמֹ֤עַ in 1 Kgs 8:28 (audi); and וּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל in Lev 10:10 ("You are to distinguish..." ESV). See Sjörs, "Infinitive Construct." Such a reading here is found, for example, in the CJB: "God, rescue me! Adonai, hurry and help me!" (cf. the Peshitta's ܐܠܗܐ ܦܨܢܝ "God, rescue me!").
  20. ↑ Ibn Ezra: "When you help me, immediately they will be disappointed" (כאשר תעזרני מיד יבושו).
  21. ↑ Mena 2012, 123.
  22. ↑ Murtonen 1990:2, 32. See also Rashi: לְשׁוֹן חֶדְוָה, בִּרְאוֹתוֹ בְּאוֹיְבוֹ כִּרְצוֹנוֹ "an expression of joy, when one looks on his enemy according to his desire."
  23. ↑ See Andrason et al. 2020 and Atkinson, "Sentence Fragments." If the "three categories [of interjections] ... are the expressive, with focus on the speaker’s state, the conative, with emphasis on the speaker’s wishes, and the phatic which has to do with the establishment of contact" (Ameka 1992, 113), here we have an example of an expressive interjection.
  24. ↑ Ameka 1992.
  25. ↑ See, similarly, Targum Psalms' דאמרין עלי חדינא חדינא "[those] who say concerning me, 'We rejoice! We rejoice!" (Stec 2004, 137).
  26. ↑ For the simple declarative "be great" (גדל), we would expect the qatal stative form, as in 2 Samuel 7:22 and Psalm 104:1, for example. Since the reality of God being great is unquestioned in the biblical literature, the qal binyan here probably reduces the valency of the corresponding piel in the function of an estimative piel (see Penney 2026). See, for example, the qal "Can a man be pure before his Maker? (מֵ֝עֹשֵׂ֗הוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר)" (Job 4:17, ESV) and piel "the priest shall pronounce him clean (וְטִהֲר֤וֹ הַכֹּהֵן֙)" (Lev 13:6, ESV). The same distinction may hold between qal and piel גדל, as in "I will pronounce him great" ➞ "I will magnify him with thanksgiving (וַאֲגַדְּלֶ֥נּוּ בְתוֹדָֽה)" (Ps 69:31, ESV) and "May God pronounced great" ➞ "May God be praised" here. For the same construction יִגְדַּל יְהוָה, see also the synoptic passage in Ps 40:17, as well as Mal 1:5 and Ps 35:27.
  27. ↑ In the latter, Aquila and Quinta also read Μεγαλυνθήτω, contra Symmachus (μέγας).
  28. ↑ Midrash Tehillim expresses the idea dramatically: "between today and tomorrow you must redeem me, so do not delay!" (בין היום בין מחר עליך לגאלני לפיכך אל תאחר).
  29. ↑ Weisblit 1974, 78.
  30. ↑ Lillas 2012, 541.
  31. ↑ Tate 1998, 203.
  32. ↑ Alternatively, Ibn Ezra opines the following: "Either as poor and needy, or as the thought of the enemies" (או כעני ואביון, או כמחשבת האויבים)—in other words, it was the psalmist's perceived reality, or the opinion of those threatening me. Similarly, Radak states: "He called himself 'poor and needy' since his son drove him out of the kingdom" (קרא עצמו עני ואביון לפי שהוציאו בנו מן המלוכה).
  33. ↑ Tate 1998, 204. Notice the parallel structure if these two word pairs in the four lines of the verse, alternating with urgent requests for YHWH's help (Weisblit 1974, 78):
    וַאֲנִ֤י׀ עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיוֹן֮
    אֱלֹהִ֪ים חֽוּשָׁ֫ה־לִּ֥י
    עֶזְרִ֣י וּמְפַלְטִ֣י אַ֑תָּה
    יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַל־תְּאַחַֽר׃
  34. ↑ Kim 2022, 213–217.
  35. ↑ See, e.g., NFC: Mon aide et ma sécurité, c'est toi.