Psalm 88/Test/Lexical
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Among the Dead
Psalm 88
Psalm 88 Lexical Analysis & Diagrams
The following grammatical diagrams are zoomable, and the lexical and phrasal overlays can be toggled on/off. Notes on the semantic layers can be found beneath each verse's diagram.
About the Lexical Layer
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Lexical Visuals for Psalm 88
V. 1
Preferred
V. 2
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 2]
Fragment
Vocative
Apposition
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
ConstructChain <gloss="the god that saves me >> the God of my salvation">
noun: אֱלֹהֵי God
ConstructChain
noun: יְשׁוּעָת salvation
suffix-pronoun: ִי me
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: צָעַקְתִּי I have been crying out
Adverbial <gloss="in the day" y="-20">
noun: יוֹם day
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: צָעַקְתִּי I have been crying out <status="elided">
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: נֶגְדֶּ before
Object
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="at night">
Preposition
preposition: בַ in
Object
article: הַ the <status="elided">
noun: לַּיְלָה night
Vv. 3-4
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 3-4]
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="my prayer">
noun: תְּפִלָּתִ prayer
suffix-pronoun: י me
Predicate <gloss="may find favor with you">
verb: תָּבוֹא may come
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְפָנֶי before
Object
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Clause
Predicate
verb: הַטֵּה incline
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="your ear">
noun: אָזְנְ ear
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ to
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="my cry">
noun: רִנָּתִ shout >> cry
suffix-pronoun: י me
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: כִּי for
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="I">
noun: נַפְשִׁ soul >> 'personal pronoun'
suffix-pronoun: י me
Predicate
verb: שָׂבְעָה has one's fill >> is weary
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="of troubles" >
Preposition
preposition: בְ in
Object
noun: רָעוֹת troubles
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="my life">
noun: חַיַּ life
suffix-pronoun: י me
Predicate
verb: הִגִּיעוּ has reached
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="Sheol">
Preposition
preposition: לִ to
Object
noun: שְׁאוֹל Sheol
Lexical Notes
- v. 4: נפש as a substitute for personal pronoun
- "The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself > paraphrase for pers. pron. especially in poetry and ornate discourse" (BDB), cf. Psa 11:1; 7:3. Most translations keep the literal phrase "my soul" (ESV), some understand it as a personal pronoun (CEV, NIV).
V. 5
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 5]
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: נֶחְשַׁבְתִּי I have been counted >> I am counted
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עִם with
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="those who go down to the Pit">
Nominal
verb-participle: יוֹרְדֵי going down
Nominal
noun: בוֹר Pit
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: הָיִיתִי I have become
Complement
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="just like a man">
Preposition
preposition: כְּ as
Object
Nominal
noun: גֶבֶר man
RelativeClause
RelativeParticle <status="elided">
particle: אֲשֵׁר that
Clause
Subject
noun: אֱיָל strength
Predicate <gloss="who has no strength">
adverb: אֵין there is no
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <status="elided">
Preposition
preposition: ל to
Object
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him <located="relative clause head">
Lexical Notes
- v. 5a: בּוֹר
- Many translations take בור literally as pit, translating the phrase as "those who go down to the pit" (NIV,ESV), some capitalize the word "those who go down to the Pit" (ISV), and some understand it metaphorically as "those who go down to the grave" (NET). Here the explicit translation is preferred.
- v. 5: The meaning of אֱיָל
- The noun אֱיָל is a hapax legomenonThat is, the term only occurs once in Biblical Hebrew. in the Bible. It is derived of the root אול with the primary polysemous meanings of "to be in front"/"to be strong"; comp. אֵל "god"; Arb. ʾawwal "first" (HALOT). BDB takes this noun as a loan-word from Aramaic with the meaning "help" (comp. Syr. ʾiyālā "help"). Also noteworthy is the derived noun אֱיָלוּת (Ps 22:20), also a hapax legomenon, which in the context of its psalm probably means "help". The noun אֱיָל is read as such in LXX (ἄνθρωπος ἀβοήθητος "a helpless man") and Peshitta (see ʾiyālā above). On the other hand, The Vulgate iuxta Hebr. has invalidus ("impotent") so as Targum which has בר נש דלית ליה חילא ("a man who has no strength").
- We prefer to follow Tate 1990, 396 who, like the Vulgate and Targum, reads אֱיָל as "strength". This reading, etymologically justified (see above), fits in better with the direct context: the noun גֶּבֶר (in contrast to אִישׁ) is often marked in terms of qualities of manhood such as courage and strength (see Venn Diagram below). The reading of אֱיָל as strength is backed by most modern translations (NIV, NLT, ESV, NKJV et alia).
- v. 5: גֶּבֶר
V. 6
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 6]
Fragment
Clause
Subject
noun: אֲנִי I <status="elided">
Predicate
Complement
adjective: חָפְשִׁי free >> outcast
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="among the dead">
Preposition
preposition: בַּ in
Object
article: הַ the <status="elided">
noun: מֵּתִים dead ones
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="just like the slain">
Preposition
preposition: כְּמוֹ as
Object
Nominal
noun: חֲלָלִים slain ones
Adjectival
ConstructChain <gloss="who are lying in the tomb">
verb-participle: שֹׁכְבֵי lying
noun: קֶבֶר tomb
RelativeClause
RelativeParticle
particle: אֲשֵׁר that
ClauseCluster
Clause
Predicate <gloss="whom you do not remember anymore">
verb: זְכַרְתָּ you have remembered >> you remember
Object
suffix-pronoun: ם them <located="relative clause head">
adverb: לֹא not
adverb: עוֹד anymore
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
noun: הֵמָּה they
Predicate <gloss="and [who] have been cut off">
verb: נִגְזָרוּ have been cut off
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="from your care">
Preposition
preposition: מִ from
Object
Nominal
ConstructChain
noun: יָּדְ hand >> care
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Lexical Notes
- v. 6: The meaning of חָפְשִׁי
- For a detailed description, see The Meaning of חָפְשִׁי in Ps 88:6.
V. 7
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 7]
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: שַׁתַּ you have put
Object
suffix-pronoun: נִי me
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ in
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="the lowest pit" x="-120" y="30">
noun: בוֹר pit
Nominal
adjective: תַּחְתִּיּוֹת lowest
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ in
Object
noun: מַחֲשַׁכִּים dark places
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בִּ in
Object
noun: מְצֹלוֹת watery depths
Adverbial <status="emendation alternative">
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ in
Object
noun: צַלְמָוֶת deep shadow
Lexical Notes
- v. 7: The meaning of תַּחְתִּיּוֹת
- The substantivized adjective תַּחְתִּי, always in abstract feminine form (either singular or plural) is a superlative of place: “the bottom of” (lit. “the lowest/deepest place of”), e.g. תַחְתִּית הָהָר “the foot of the mountain”, Exod 19:17. In our verse it may be understood as “a pit which is situated at the lowest places”. This phrase, as well as the similar אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּית orאֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּיּוֹת is often a synonym of the Sheol. In Ezek 31:14 the latter stands parallel to יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר (cf. vs. 5).
V. 8
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 8]
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="your outbursts of wrath">
noun: חֲמָתֶ wrath >> outbursts of wrath
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Predicate
verb: סָמְכָה has been lying heavily >> have been lying heavily
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עָלַ on
Object
suffix-pronoun: י me
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Predicate
verb: עִנִּיתָ you have been afflicting
Adverbial
Nominal <gloss="with all your waves">
quantifier: כָל all
ConstructChain <gloss="your waves">
noun: מִשְׁבָּרֶי waves
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Fragment
particle: סֶּלָה selah
Lexical Notes
- v. 8: חֲמָתֶךָ
- The whole clause depicts a very material picture in which the wrath of YHWH weighs (or lies heavily) upon the psalmist. That requires a rephrasing of the simple "wrath" into "the outbursts of wrath", namely the "materialistic" form that YHWH's wrath assumes. Same comment for חֲרוֹנֶיךָ in v. 17.
- v. 8: סָמְכָה
- The most common use of this verb is in the collocation סָמַךְ יָדוֹ עַל said of the priest laying or leaning his hand on the sacrifice (e.g. Exod 29:10). Our verse has an intransitive occurrence of that verb, which is also found in Ezek 24:2, in which it is said that the king of Babylon "leaned" against Jerusalem, namely started a siege over it. Both Ezek 24:2 and our verse have in common the oppressive nature of the leaning, and we therefore gloss the verb in our verse as "lies heavily on" (cf. Ps 32.4).
- v. 8: ענה
V. 9
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 9]
Fragment
Clause
Predicate <gloss="you have caused to shun me">
verb: הִרְחַקְתָּ you have made distant >> you have caused to shun
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="my acquaintances">
verb-participle: מְיֻדָּעַ acquaintances
suffix-pronoun: י me
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִמֶּ from
Object
suffix-pronoun: נִּי me
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: שַׁתַּ you have made
Object
suffix-pronoun: נִי me
Complement
noun: תוֹעֵבוֹת abominations >> repulsive
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לָ to
Object
suffix-pronoun: מוֹ them
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: שַׁתַּ you have made <status='elided'>
Object
suffix-pronoun: נִי me <status='elided'>
Complement
Nominal
verb-participle: כָּלֻא shut in
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Predicate
verb: אֵצֵא I can get out
adverb: לֹא not
V. 10
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 10]
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="my eyes">
noun: עֵינִ eye >> eyes
suffix-pronoun: י me
Predicate
verb: דָאֲבָה has languished >> have languished
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִנִּי from
Object
noun: עֹנִי misery
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: קְרָאתִי I have been calling
Object
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="every day">
Preposition
preposition: בְּ in
Object
quantifier: כָל every
noun: יוֹם day
Fragment
Vocative
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: שִׁטַּחְתִּי I have been spreading out
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="my hands">
noun: כַפָּ hands
suffix-pronoun: י me
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: אֵלֶי to
Object
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Lexical Notes
- v. 10: singular of עַיִן standing for the plural
- The singular of עַיִן may stand in poetry for both eyes, e.g. פַּלְגֵי-מַיִם תֵּרַד עֵינִי עַל-שֶׁבֶר בַּת-עַמִּי. (Lam 3:48) "Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed." (NIV), in which only one eye crying is obviously impossible. It can also be seen in various idioms such as שָֹם עֵינוֹ עַל (to look to one's good); רָעָה עֵֵינוֹֹ עַל (envy). The plural is therefore the preferred reading in our verse too, supported by LXX.
V. 11
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 11]
Fragment
particle: הֲ (interrogative particle)
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: תַּעֲשֶׂה you perform
Object
noun: פֶּלֶא wonder >> wonders
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לַ for
Object
Nominal
article: הַ the <status="elided">
noun: מֵּתִים dead ones
Fragment
particle: אִם (interrogative particle)
Fragment
Clause
Subject
noun: רְפָאִים departed spirits
Predicate <gloss="rise up to praise you">
Predicate
verb: יָקוּמוּ rise up
Conjunction
conjunction:
Predicate
verb: יוֹדוּ [and] praise >> to praise
Object
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Fragment
particle: סֶּלָה selah
Lexical Notes
- v. 11, 13 : singular of פֶּלֶא as a collective noun
- We find in poetry the singular of פֶּלֶא representing the totality of wonders that have been performed by God, e.g. אֶזְכּוֹר מַעַלְלֵי-יָהּ כִּי-אֶזְכְּרָה מִקֶּדֶם פִּלְאֶךָ (Psa 77:12) "I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old" (ESV), in which פֶּלֶא stands parallel to the plural מַעַלְלֵי-יָהּ. The plural reading is backed by the ancient translations.
V. 12
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 12]
Fragment
particle: הַ (interrogative particle)
Fragment
ClauseCluster
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="your faithful love">
noun: חַסְדֶּ faithful love
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Predicate
verb: יְסֻפַּר is recounted
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בַּ in
Object
Nominal
article: הַ the <status="elided">
noun: קֶּבֶר tomb
Conjunction
conjunction: וֶ <status="elided">
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="your faithfulness">
noun: אֱמוּנָתְ faithfulness
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Predicate
verb: תְּסֻפַּר is recounted <status="elided">
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בָּ in
Object
Nominal
article: הָ the <status="elided">
noun: אֲבַדּוֹן place of destruction
Lexical Notes
- v. 12: אֲבַדּוֹן
- The verbal noun אֲבַדּוֹן, literally "destruction" (cf. Job 31:12) is likewise translated in LXX and Jerome. However, in most other places it is metonymically used as "place of destruction" with clear reference to death, and is so translated by Targum as "the house of destruction". We find an ambiguity with some places identifying this "place of destruction" as the underworld (cf. Prov 15:11; Job 26:6), while in our verse it stands parallel to the physical tomb itself. "Physically, it means being in the grave, which is itself visibly the place of destruction. As a term for Sheol, Destruction, too, comes only here in the Psalms (but see Job 28:22; Prov. 15:11)... When you take the rock off a tomb to put another body there, you can see that death is a place of destruction. The body dissolves" (Goldingay 2007).
V. 13
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 13]
Fragment
particle: הֲ /interrogative particle\
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="your wonders">
noun: פִּלְאֶ wonder >> wonders
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Predicate
verb: יִוָּדַע can be known
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בַּ in
Object
Nominal
article: הַ the <status="elided">
noun: חֹשֶׁךְ darkness >> dark region
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="your righteousness">
noun: צִדְקָתְ righteousness
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Predicate
verb: תִּוָּדַע can be known <status="elided">
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְּ in
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="the land of oblivion">
noun: אֶרֶץ land
noun: נְשִׁיָּה oblivion
Lexical Notes
- v. 11, 13: singular of פֶּלֶא as a collective noun
- See note under v. 11.
- v. 13: חֹשֶׁךְ used figuratively
- The direct context of חֹשֶׁךְ, namely vv. 12-13 each of which appear in parallel, reveals a sequence of places which serve as the locations of each its respective clauses: בקבר, באבדון and בארץ נשיה. It therefore calls for a similar reading of בחשך, metonymically, as "place of darkness" or "dark region" referring to the world of the dead, rather than as a natural phenomenon in our world, namely "at night, when it's dark". This reading is backed by NET and NIV.
V. 14
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 14]
Fragment
particle: וַ but
Fragment
Vocative
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Fragment
Clause
Subject
noun: אֲנִי I
Predicate
verb: שִׁוַּעְתִּי have been crying out for help
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: אֵלֶי to
Object
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Conjunction
conjunction: וּ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="my prayer">
noun: תְּֽפִלָּתִ prayer
suffix-pronoun: י me
Predicate
verb: תְקַדְּמֶ will keep welcoming
Object
suffix-pronoun: ךָּ you
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בַ in
Object
article: הַ the <status="elided">
noun: בֹּקֶר morning
V. 15
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 15]
Fragment
Vocative
noun: יְהוָה YHWH
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: תִּזְנַח you keep rejecting
adverb: לָמָה why
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="me">
noun: נַפְשִׁ soul >> 'personal pronoun'
suffix-pronoun: י me
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: תַּסְתִּיר you keep hiding
adverb: לָמָה why <status='elided'>
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="your face">
noun: פָּנֶי face
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִמֶּ from
Object
suffix-pronoun: נִּי me
V. 16
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 16]
Fragment [v. 16a]
Clause
Subject
noun: אֲנִי I
Predicate
Complement
adjective: עָנִי am afflicted >> have been afflicted
conjunction: וְ and
verb-participle: גוֵעַ am close to death >> have been close to death
conjunction:
verb-participle: יָגֵעַ am weary >> have been weary <status="alternative emendation">
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִ from
Object
noun: נֹּעַר youth
Fragment [v. 16b]
Clause
Predicate
verb: נָשָׂאתִי I have been bearing >> I have been suffering
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="your terrifying assaults">
noun: אֵמֶי terrors >> terrifying assaults
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Fragment [v. 16c]
Clause
Predicate
verb: אֶפּוֹרָה I keep being torn apart <status="emendation">
verb: אָפוּגָה I keep being numb <status="alternative emendation">
verb: אָפוּנָה <status="alternative">
Note for V. 16
- v. 16: אֵמָיךָ
- In a similar way to the analysis of חֲמָתֶךָ in v. 8, the general term אֵמִים "terrors" could be better rephrased in a materialistic and countable form of e.g. "terrifying assaults". The same goes for בִּעוּתֶיךָ in the next verse, a synonym of אֵמָיךָ.
- v. 16b: The form and meaning of the verb אֶפּוֹרָה
- For a detailed analysis, see The Text and Meaning of Ps. 88:16b.
V. 17
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 17]
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="your outbursts of wrath">
noun: חֲרוֹנֶי wrath >> outbursts of wrath
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Predicate <gloss="have been sweeping over me" x="-130" y="-60">
verb: עָבְרוּ have been sweeping over
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עָלַ on
Object
suffix-pronoun: י me
Fragment
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="your terrifying assaults">
noun: בִּעוּתֶי terrors >> terrifying assaults
suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
Predicate
verb: צִמְּתוּ have been destroying <status="emendation" suffix="נִי">
verb: צִמְּתוּתֻ <status="alternative" suffix="נִי">
Object
suffix-pronoun: נִי me
V. 18
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 18]
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: סַבּוּ they have been surrounding
Object
suffix-pronoun: נִי me
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כַ like
Object
article: הַ the <status="elided">
noun: מַּיִם water
Adverbial <gloss="all the time >> constantly" x="-90" y="-20">
Nominal
quantifier: כָּל all
article: הַ the
noun: יּוֹם day
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: הִקִּיפוּ they have been closing in
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: עָלַ on
Object
suffix-pronoun: י me
Adverbial
adverb: יָחַד together
Note for V. 18
- v. 18: יָחַד
- The noun יָחַד ("unitednees) is, bar one instance, always used adverbially with the sense of "together, in union", cf. JM §126d
V. 19
Preferred
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 19]
Fragment
Clause
Predicate <gloss="you have caused to shun me">
verb: הִרְחַקְתָּ you have made distant >> you have caused to shun
Object <gloss="all my friends and companions">
Nominal
verb-participle: אֹהֵב friend
Conjunction
conjunction: וָ and
noun: רֵעַ companion
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: מִמֶּ from
Object
suffix-pronoun: נִּי me
Fragment
Clause
Predicate <gloss="you have caused to shun distres">
verb: הִרְחַקְתָּ you have made distant >> you have caused to shun <status="elided">
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="my acquaintances">
verb-participle: מְיֻדָּעַ acquaintances
suffix-pronoun: י me
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <status="revocalization">
Preposition
preposition: מֵ from
Object
noun: חֹשֶׁךְ darkness >> distress
Adverbial <status="alternative">
noun: מַחְשָׁךְ into darkness
Note for V. 19
- v. 19: רֵעַ
