Psalm 8/Notes/Verbal.V. 5.803004

From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Jump to: navigation, search
  • The two yiqtol verbs–"that you should consider... be mindful of–are habitual. "The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity" (NET).[1]
  • "With God as Agent, פקד ["be mindful of"] expresses an intense personal attention, including careful inspection, which triggers appropriate action, whether positive (i.e., assistance) or negative (i.e., punishment)."[2]
  1. ↑ This is confirmed by the n-suffixes (energic nun), which implies that the form is long yiqtol and thus imperfective aspect (Gentry 1998; Rainey 2008, 81).
  2. ↑ Stephen W. Boyd, "The Binyamin (Verbal Stems)," in Where Shall Wisdom be Found? (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2017), 120-125. Cf. HALOT: "1. to make a careful inspection... e. to be troubled about, be concerned for (Isa. 23:17; Jer. 23:2; Zech. 11:16; Ps. 8:5)."