Psalm 89/Diagrams/Placeholders/20

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v. 20 - Preferred

(Preferred, but not confirmed); edit diagram 

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 20]
      Fragment  
        particle: אָז long ago
      Fragment
        ClauseCluster
          Clause
            Predicate
              verb: דִּבַּרְתָּ you spoke
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase
                  Preposition
                    preposition: בְ in
                  Object
                    noun: חָזוֹן a vision
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="your loyal ones">
                  Preposition
                    preposition: לַ to
                  Object
                    ConstructChain
                      noun: חֲסִידֶי loyal ones
                      suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וַ and
          Clause 
            Predicate
              verb: תֹּאמֶר you said
              Object 
                particle: (vv. 20c-38)
      Fragment
        Clause 
          Predicate
            verb: שִׁוִּיתִי I have bestowed >> I have granted
            Object
              noun: עֵזֶר help
            Object
              noun: נֵזֶר a crown <status="alternative emendation">
            Adverbial
              PrepositionalPhrase
                Preposition
                  preposition: עַל upon >> to
                Object
                  noun: גִּבּוֹר a warrior
      Fragment
        Clause 
          Predicate
            verb: הֲרִימוֹתִי I have exalted
            Object
              noun: בָחוּר a young man <status="alternative">
              Nominal
                verb-participle: בָחוּר someone chosen
                Adverbial
                  PrepositionalPhrase
                    Preposition
                      preposition: מֵ from
                    Object
                      noun: עָם people
            Adverbial <status="alternative">
              PrepositionalPhrase
                Preposition
                  preposition: מֵ from
                Object
                  noun: עָם people


Diagram Code 

 DiscourseUnit [v. 20]
      Fragment  
        particle: אָז long ago
      Fragment
        ClauseCluster
          Clause
            Predicate
              verb: דִּבַּרְתָּ you spoke
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase
                  Preposition
                    preposition: בְ in
                  Object
                    noun: חָזוֹן a vision
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="your loyal ones">
                  Preposition
                    preposition: לַ to
                  Object
                    ConstructChain
                      noun: חֲסִידֶי loyal ones
                      suffix-pronoun: ךָ you
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וַ and
          Clause 
            Predicate
              verb: תֹּאמֶר you said
              Object 
                particle: (vv. 20c-38)
      Fragment
        Clause 
          Predicate
            verb: שִׁוִּיתִי I have bestowed >> I have granted
            Object
              noun: עֵזֶר help
            Object
              noun: נֵזֶר a crown <status="alternative emendation">
            Adverbial
              PrepositionalPhrase
                Preposition
                  preposition: עַל upon >> to
                Object
                  noun: גִּבּוֹר a warrior
      Fragment
        Clause 
          Predicate
            verb: הֲרִימוֹתִי I have exalted
            Object
              noun: בָחוּר a young man <status="alternative">
              Nominal
                verb-participle: בָחוּר someone chosen
                Adverbial
                  PrepositionalPhrase
                    Preposition
                      preposition: מֵ from
                    Object
                      noun: עָם people
            Adverbial <status="alternative">
              PrepositionalPhrase
                Preposition
                  preposition: מֵ from
                Object
                  noun: עָם people

Copy to display elsewhere 

 {{Diagram/Display | Chapter=89|DiagramID=v-20-None }}

Grammar Notes

Grammar Notes for this diagram

Note for v. 20

  • The word בָּחוּר could be either a qal passive participle from the verb בחר ("chosen one," cf. NLT, KJV, ESV, CSB, CEB; so LXX; Jerome iuxta Hebr.) (here preferred) or a noun ("young man," cf. NIV, NET; so Targum). Several arguments support the "chosen one" interpretation. (1) The word בחיר ("chosen one") has already appeared in the psalm's introduction, referring to David (v. 4); (2) Elsewhere, "chosen one" (בחור) and "warrior" (גבור) occur in the same context (e.g., Josh 8:3; cf. 2 Chr 13:3); (3) The following min prepositional phrase makes the most sense if it modifies בחור in the sense of "chosen from among" (cf. 2 Sam 6:21; 10:9; Job 36:21).


Note for v. 20

  • Most translations follow the Hebrew text attested by all of our witnesses (שִׁוִּיתִי עֵזֶר) and say "I have granted help to a warrior" (REB, cf. ESV, CSB, GNT, NET, LUT, NGÜ, ELB, EÜ, ZÜR) or "I have bestowed strength on a warrior" (NIV, cf. NJPS) (here preferred). Compare the similar expression ה֥וֹד וְ֝הָדָר תְּשַׁוֶּ֥ה עָלָֽיו in Ps 21:6. Some translations, however, emend עֵזֶר ("help") to נֵזֶר ("crown") and say, "I have set the crown on one who is mighty" (NRSV). The emendation requires the change of one letter (נ vs ע) and fits well in the context of the psalm (see esp. v. 40: "you have defiled his crown [נִזְרוֹ] in the dust." But, as mentioned above, the Hebrew text עֵזֶר is supported by all of our witnesses (see Barthélemy 2005, 623–5, who gives it an "A" rating; cf. the idiosyncratic manuscript 4QPs89: שת עו[זר על]).

Lexical Notes

Lexical Notes for this diagram

Note for v. 20

  • The word חָזוֹן refers to a prophetic vision (see e.g., Isa 1:1; Ob 1; Nah 1:1; Dan 8:1). YHWH's "loyal ones" here must be the prophets who communicated YHWH's promises to David and his descendants, perhaps "Nathan the prophet and Gad the seer" (Rashi; cf. 2 Sam 7), and/or "Samuel the prophet" (Radak).

Phrase-Level

Phrasal Notes for this diagram

Note for v. 20

  • The min preposition probably modifies the participle בָּחוּר and has a partitive sense: "one chosen from the people" (ESV; so Staszak 2024, 169). Compare the phrase "one of the people" (אִישׁ מֵהָעָם) in 1 Sam 14:28 (cf. Isa 63:3).


Note for v. 20

  • The phrase "granted... to" (שִׁוִּיתִי עַל) is, more literally, "bestowed... on" (NIV). The preposition עַל has its prototypical meaning "over, upon, on" (so Mena 2012, 120). Compare the similar phrase in Ps 21:6—הוֹד וְהָדָר תְּשַׁוֶּה עָלָיו. Because "bestow help upon [someone]" is not natural English, other translations have "granted... to" (ESV, CSB) or "given... to" (GNT).

Verbal Notes

Verbal Notes for this diagram

Note for v. 20

On the use of isolated wayyiqtol's in poetry, see Cook 2024, 150, who claims it is used in "instances in which the [wayyiqtol] is closely (or immediately) juxtaposed with a [qatal] form that is synonymous, antithetical, or otherwise forms a poetic word pair or expresses an isolated past event." In this case, דִּבַּרְתָּֽ and וַתֹּאמֶר are synonymous.

Textual Notes

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