Psalm 88/Test/Verbal
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Among the Dead
Psalm 88
Psalm 88 Verbal 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 Verbal Layer
Verbal Visuals for Psalm 88
V. 1
Preferred
Verbal Notes
- The infinitive לְעַנּוֹת is read as a purpose clause indicating the religious function of the psalm: "it indicates that the psalm was used as a psalm of penitence and lamentation, probably in rituals associated with purification from illness." (Tate 1990:395); cf. note in Lexical Semantics. Under this reading, we take the infinitive as indicating a continuous action reflecting the process of purification. Since the English simple infinitive is unmarked in terms of aspect, the continuous aspect is not reflected in our CBC.
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
Verbal Notes
- The lack of movement and the context, which indicates an habitual process, prompts us to render צָעַקְתִּי in English as a present perfect progressive.
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
Verbal Notes
- Imperatives and jussives, such as תָּבוֹא and הַטֵּה, default to reference point movement (unless they're imperfective, e.g. 'keep on eating!').
- The verb שָׂבְעָה is morphologically and semantically a stative, and so the qatal' is taken to stand for a present state. BDB understands all instances of this verb as statives, rather than inchoatives.
- The lack of reference-point movement with הִגִּיעוּ prompts us to render this in English as a present perfect (instead of a simple past).
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">
Verbal Notes
- Verbs of perception in qatal often have present tense stative value. Modern translations all render נֶחְשַׁבְתִּי as a present state.
- The attributive participle יוֹרְדֵי is not marked in terms of tense or aspect, and since the context is not decisive enough here, there are various options. Tate (1990:396) suggests an attractive reading of the participle as an imminent future ('those about to go to the Pit'). Nevertheless we take the consensual choice among Modern Translations to read that participle as a present gnomic one. This is further backed by the Greek and Latin present participle καταβαινόντων and descendentibus.
- The verb הָיָה is either stative ('to be') or dynamic-inchoative ('to become'). A qatal present stative is rare (cf. JM §111i, Gen 42:31), therfore we choose the inchoative reading, supported by Goldingay:2007; Dahood:1974. Cf. also Gen 3:22.
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
Verbal Notes
- The attributive participle שֹׁכְבֵי is not marked in terms of tense or aspect. We take the relative tense here to be simultaneous with a stative aspect, backed by LXX καθεύδοντες and Jerome dormientes present participles.
- Verbs of perception in qatal like זְכַרְתָּם often have present tense stative value. "Active verbs which have a stative or quasi-stative meaning are treated like stative verbs. They are mainly verbs expressing a state of mind... Likewise the verb זָכַר is treated like a stative verb, e.g. זָכַרְנוּ 'we remember'" (JM 2018: 112a). Modern translations also all render it as a present state.
- The lack of movement prompts us to render נִגְזָרוּ in English as a present perfect (instead of a simple past).
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
Verbal Notes
- The lack of movement prompts us to render שַׁתַּנִי in English as a present perfect (instead of a simple past).
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
Verbal Notes
- The lack of movement and an habitual process prompts us to render סָמְכָה in English as a present perfect progressive.
- The lack of movement and an habitual process prompts us to render עִנִּיתָ in English as a present perfect progressive.
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
Verbal Notes
- The lack of movement prompts us to render הִרְחַקְתָּ in English as a present perfect (instead of a simple past).
- The lack of movement prompts us to render שַׁתַּנִי in English as a present perfect (instead of a simple past). "The Qal passive participle mostly denotes a completed action or a state" (cf. JM §121q).
- The combination of the dynamic verb שַׁתַּנִי (read as a present perfect like in the previous line) with the passive participle כָּלֻא, a present simultaneous stative, prompts us to translate the clause as 'you have shut me in [so that until now I am shut in]'."
- The modality of 'possibility' for אֵצֵֽא is understood as a combination of posteriority & reference point movement, since 'possibility' is analyzed as a semantic derivative of futurity ('I will go out at any point in the future' --> 'I am able to go out now').
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
Verbal Notes
- Morphologically and semantically a stative verb, the qatal דָאֲבָה is taken in this case to stand for a perfect inchoative ('languished'), as is rendered by many modern translations and commentaries.
- The lack of movement & an habitual process (indicated by the context) prompts us to render קְרָאתִיךָ in English as a present perfect progressive.
- The lack of movement & an habitual process (indicated by the context) prompts us to render שִׁטַּחְתִּי in English as a present perfect progressive.
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
Verbal Notes
- The lack of reference point movement and gnomic aspect prompt us to translate תַּעֲשֶׂה in English as a simple present tense. The same analysis applies to the next verses 11b-12.
- The hendiadys יָקוּמוּ יוֹדוּךָ should be rendered in translation by a subordination of the second verb to the first one. In many languages the former may be best rendered by an infinitive ("to praise you").
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
Verbal Notes
- The lack of reference point movement & gnomic aspect prompt us to translate יְסֻפַּר in English as a simple present tense.
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
Verbal Notes
- The modality of 'possibility' for יִוָּדַע is understood as a combination of posteriority & reference point movement, since 'possibility' is analyzed as a semantic derivative of futurity ('Your wonders will be known at any point in the future' --> 'Your wonders are able to be known now').
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
Note for V. 14
- The lack of movement and an habitual process (indicated by the context) prompts us to render שִׁוַּעְתִּי in English as a present perfect progressive.
- The lack of reference point movement and yiqtol verbal form prompt us to read תְקַדְּמֶךָּ as an imperfective future with implied habituality that is anchored in the present: "my prayer will keep welcoming you, as it has up until now."
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
Note for V. 15
The lack of reference point movement and yiqtol verbal forms prompt us to translate תִּזְנַח and תַּסְתִּיר in English as relative imperfective present tenses, with implied continuity (not habituality), to get 'keep doing...'.
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
- A nominal clause in v. 16a has the implied semantics in grey (see next line for an explanation of the analysis).
- The participle גֹוֵעַ indicates an on-going state that started in the past and has been extending continuously until the present point. It is best rendered in English with a present perfect continuos tense, but may be rendered with other tenses in other languages (for example, with a present tense)
- The lack of movement and an habitual process (indicated by the context) prompts us to render נָשָׂאתִי in English as a present perfect progressive.
- Formally identical to a cohortative form, we understand אֶפּוֹרָה semantically as a yiqtol one and prefer to take the paragogic ה as a stylistic coloring, rather than a cohortative marker: "... forms chosen merely for euphony... due to considerations of rhythm" (Gesenius §108g); cf. also JM §114c, footnote #3). Similar instances, all from poetry, are Jer 4:21, 6:10, Ps 57:5. ** for emendation see exegetical issue on v. 16d (MT: אָפֽוּנָה)
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
Note for V. 17
- The lack of movement and an habitual process prompts us to render עָבְרוּ in English as a present perfect progressive.
- The lack of movement and an habitual process prompts us to render צִמְּתוּנִי in English as a present perfect progressive. ** for emendation verse-by-verse note v. 17b (MT: צִמְּתוּתֻֽנִי)
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
- The lack of movement and a continuous process prompts us to render סַבּוּנִי in English as a present perfect progressive, with the notion of graduality.
- The lack of movement and a continuous process (indicated by the context) prompts us to render הִקִּיפוּ in English as a present perfect progressive.
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
- The lack of movement and a continuous process (indicated by the context) prompts us to render הִרְחַקְתָּ in English as a present perfect progressive.