Psalm 7 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 7!

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.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
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.).

Superscription (v. 1)

v. 1

Watch the Overview video on v. 1.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
1a	שִׁגָּי֗וֹן לְדָ֫וִ֥ד	A shiggayon of David
1b	אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֥ר לַיהוָ֑ה	that he sang to YHWH
1c	עַל־דִּבְרֵי־כ֝֗וּשׁ בֶּן־יְמִינִֽי׃	concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.

Expanded Paraphrase

A shiggāyōn of David that he sang to YHWH concerning the words of Cush the Benjaminite (who accused David of breaking YHWH's Law by breaking an alliance). (King Saul, the king of Israel before David, was also from the tribe of Benjamin,) (and he opposed David.) (Other Benjaminites supported Saul in his opposition to David,) (and they often accused David of wrongdoing.) (Cush was a member of Saul's cohort.)

Grammatical Diagram

Injustice Rejected (vv. 2-6)

vv. 2-3

v. 2-3

Watch the Overview video on v. 2-3.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
2a	יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהַי בְּךָ֣ חָסִ֑יתִי	YHWH, my God, in you have I sought refuge!
2b	הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי מִכָּל־רֹ֝דְפַ֗י וְהַצִּילֵֽנִי׃	Save me from all who chase me, and rescue me!
3a	פֶּן־יִטְרֹ֣ף כְּאַרְיֵ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י	Lest he maul me like a lion,
3b	פֹּ֝רֵ֗ק וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃	tearing me apart, without anyone to rescue me!

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH, my God, (you are a righteous God [v. 12a]) (who will cause justice to prevail.) (You are my king,) (and just as one takes refuge in a king, so) in you (that is, in your righteousness) have I sought refuge (from those who are chasing me) (because of Cush's accusations)! Save me from all who chase me, and rescue me!

Save me! Lest he maul me like a lion(, to which enemies are often compared), tearing me apart, without anyone to rescue me (and I die)!

Grammatical Diagram

vv. 4-6

v. 4-6

Watch the Overview video on v. 4-6.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
4a	יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהַי אִם־עָשִׂ֣יתִי זֹ֑את	YHWH, my God, if I have done this,
4b	אִֽם־יֶשׁ־עָ֥וֶל בְּכַפָּֽי׃	if there is injustice in my hands,
5a	אִם־גָּ֭מַלְתִּי שֽׁוֹלְמִ֥י רָ֑ע	if I have repaid my friend evil,
5b	וָאֲחַלְּצָ֖ה צוֹרְרִ֣י רֵיקָֽם׃	or have delivered my foe without reason,
6a	יִֽרַדֹּ֥ף אוֹיֵ֨ב ׀ נַפְשִׁ֡י וְיַשֵּׂ֗ג	may the enemy chase and overtake me,
6b	וְיִרְמֹ֣ס לָאָ֣רֶץ חַיָּ֑י	trample my life to the ground
6c	וּכְבוֹדִ֓י ׀ לֶעָפָ֖ר יַשְׁכֵּ֣ן סֶֽלָה׃	and make my glory dwell in the dust! Selah.

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH, my God, (the Law requires that settling a civil offence involves taking an oath before You [Exod. 22:10; 1 King 8:31–32]) (and so I hereby take the following oath:) if I have done this (thing of which Cush is accusing me), if there is (the following) injustice in my hands (that is, if I have acted in the following way), (Alliances and covenants of many kinds were common among Israelites [Tigay 1970, 183–4].) (Many such alliances involved a mutual obligation to treat each other's enemy as one's own [ibid].) (Not doing so was unacceptable [1 Kings 20:42; 2 Chron 19:2; 1 Sam 19:17],) (therefore) if I have repaid my friend evil, or have delivered my foe (who is also my friend's foe) without reason, (thereby violating an alliance,)

may the enemy chase and overtake me, trample my life to the ground (like a lion) and make my glory dwell in the dust (such that I die).

Grammatical Diagram

Justice Requested (vv. 7-10)

v. 7

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
7a	ק֘וּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ בְּאַפֶּ֗ךָ	Rise up, YHWH, in your anger!
7b	הִ֭נָּשֵׂא בְּעַבְר֣וֹת צוֹרְרָ֑י	Lift yourself up against the outbursts of my foes!
7c	וְע֥וּרָה אֵ֝לַ֗י מִשְׁפָּ֥ט צִוִּֽיתָ׃	And wake up for my sake, because of the commandment that you commanded.

Expanded Paraphrase

(It feels like you have been passive with regard to my situation.) (So now I ask,) Rise up (and take action), YHWH, in your anger (as a warrior rises up before a battle)! Lift yourself up against the outbursts of my foes! (Your commandments explicitly forbid false accusations [Deut 19:16–],) (of which Cush and those accompanying him are guilty.) (Therefore,) And wake up (for action) (as a warrior awakens from sleep before a battle) for my sake, in accordance with the commandments that you commanded.

Grammatical Diagram

v. 8

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
8a	וַעֲדַ֣ת לְ֭אֻמִּים תְּסוֹבְבֶ֑ךָּ	And let a gathering of nations surround you!
8b	וְ֝עָלֶ֗יהָ לַמָּר֥וֹם שֽׁוּבָה׃	Then return over it, high above!

Expanded Paraphrase

(Legal cases often involved gatherings of people) (and I am pleading my case with you.) (So I hereby call for the quorum:) And let a gathering of nations surround you! Then return over it, high above(, to your judgement seat)!

Grammatical Diagram

v. 9

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
9a	יְהוָה֮ יָדִ֪ין עַ֫מִּ֥ים	YHWH judges people;
9b	שָׁפְטֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה	vindicate me, YHWH,
9c	כְּצִדְקִ֖י וּכְתֻמִּ֣י עָלָֽי׃	according to my righteousness—my integrity within me!

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH judges people (because you are a king, YHWH,) (and kings are responsible for executing judgement). (You have the authority and wisdom to judge my case fairly); vindicate me, YHWH, according to my righteousness (I have not violated any alliances, as Cush claimed)—(and so righteousness, in this case is) my integrity within me. (I have remained loyal to all my allies.)

Grammatical Diagram

v. 10

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
10a	יִגְמָר־נָ֬א רַ֨ע ׀ רְשָׁעִים֮	Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
10b	וּתְכוֹנֵ֪ן צַ֫דִּ֥יק	and make the righteous permanent!
10c-d	וּבֹחֵ֣ן לִ֭בּ֗וֹת וּכְלָי֗וֹת אֱלֹהִ֥ים צַדִּֽיק׃	The righteous God is one who examines the innermost parts.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Because I am confident that Cush's accusations are false, I ask you to) Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and (because I know that I am in the right, I ask you to) make the righteous permanent! (YHWH knows who is righteous and who is wicked, because) The righteous God is one who examines the innermost parts (from which the moral character of a person could be ascertained) (because these innermost parts are the seats of inner thoughts, emotions and intentions).

Grammatical Diagram

Justice Expected (vv. 11-17)

v. 11

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
11a	מָֽגִנִּ֥י עַל־אֱלֹהִ֑ים	My shield is held by God,
11b	מ֝וֹשִׁ֗יעַ יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃	who saves the upright in heart.

Expanded Paraphrase

My shield is held by God (who protects me like a shield-bearer.) (He is also the one) who (, by protecting them from all danger) saves the (ones who, like me, are innocent and) upright in heart.

Grammatical Diagram

v. 12

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
12a	אֱ֭לֹהִים שׁוֹפֵ֣ט צַדִּ֑יק	God is a just judge,
12b	וְ֝אֵ֗ל זֹעֵ֥ם בְּכָל־יֽוֹם׃	and a god delivering punishment each day.

Expanded Paraphrase

God is a just judge (from whom judgements go forth every day [Zeph 3:5]), and a god delivering punishment each day (as he sees injustice happening each day).

Grammatical Diagram

v. 13

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
13a	אִם־לֹ֣א יָ֭שׁוּב חַרְבּ֣וֹ יִלְט֑וֹשׁ	If the wicked does not repent, YHWH will sharpen his sword.
13b	קַשְׁתּ֥וֹ דָ֝רַ֗ךְ וַֽיְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃	He has bent his bow, and prepared it.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Since YHWH, as king, acts as both a judge and a warrior) (he both decides and executes the verdict of a judgement). If the wicked does not repent, (just as a warrior uses weapons) (so YHWH will also use his weapons,) (which are the judgements that happen when his law is broken.) YHWH will sharpen his sword. He has bent his bow, and prepared it.

Grammatical Diagram

v. 14

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
14a	וְ֭לוֹ הֵכִ֣ין כְּלֵי־מָ֑וֶת	And he has prepared deadly weapons for the wicked.
14b	חִ֝צָּ֗יו לְֽדֹלְקִ֥ים יִפְעָֽל׃	He will make his arrows firebrands.

Expanded Paraphrase

And he has prepared deadly weapons for the wicked. He will make his arrows firebrands.

Grammatical Diagram

v. 15

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
15a	הִנֵּ֥ה יְחַבֶּל־אָ֑וֶן	Pay attention! The wicked conceives evil deeds,
15b	וְהָרָ֥ה עָ֝מָ֗ל וְיָ֣לַד שָֽׁקֶר׃	is pregnant with wrongdoing, and gives birth to lies.

Expanded Paraphrase

Pay attention! (Birth is a metaphor for crisis.) (The wicked will experience crisis when they break God's law.) The wicked conceives evil deeds, is pregnant with wrongdoing , and gives birth to lies. (These things will also happen to Cush and his group).

Grammatical Diagram

v. 16

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
16a	בּ֣וֹר כָּ֭רָֽה וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ	He began to dig a pit, and kept digging it,
16b	וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל בְּשַׁ֣חַת יִפְעָֽל׃	and fell into the pit he was making.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Falling into a pit one has made is a metaphor for one's own actions harming the actor in the end [Waltke 2004, 2:365–6].) He began to dig a pit, and kept digging it, and fell into the pit he was making. (Cush's actions will harm him in the end since) (the punishment for false accusations is to undergo the consequences of that accusation [Deut. 19:16–20]).

Grammatical Diagram

v. 17

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
17a	יָשׁ֣וּב עֲמָל֣וֹ בְרֹאשׁ֑וֹ	His wrongdoing will return upon his head,
17b	וְעַ֥ל קָ֝דְקֳד֗וֹ חֲמָס֥וֹ יֵרֵֽד׃	his violence will come down on the crown of his head.

Expanded Paraphrase

His wrongdoing will return upon his head, his violence will come down on the crown of his head.

Grammatical Diagram

Justice Praised (v. 18)

v. 18

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
18a	אוֹדֶ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה כְּצִדְק֑וֹ	I shall praise YHWH according to his righteousness!
18b	וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה עֶלְיֽוֹן׃	And I shall praise the name of YHWH Most High!

Expanded Paraphrase

I shall praise YHWH according to his righteousness (by which he vindicates the innocent and punishes the guilty)! I shall praise the name of YHWH Most High!

Grammatical Diagram

Legends

Grammatical diagram

  Grammatical Diagram Legend

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

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.

References

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