Psalm 89/Diagrams/Placeholders/36-38
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
vv. 36-38 - Preferred
(Preferred, but not confirmed); edit diagram
SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [vv. 36-38]
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי I swore an oath
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְ by
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="my holiness">
noun: קָדְשׁ holiness
suffix-pronoun: ִי me
Adverbial
Nominal
adjective: אַחַת once and for all
Object
ClauseCluster
Clause
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: אִם if
Clause
Predicate
verb: אֲכַזֵּב I lie
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ to
Object
noun: דָוִד David
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his dynasty">
noun: זַרְע offspring >> dynasty
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
verb: יִהְיֶה will be
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="forever">
Preposition
preposition: לְ for
Object
noun: עוֹלָם forever
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his kingdom">
noun: כִסְא throne >> kingdom
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
verb: יִהְיֶה will be <status="elided">
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: נֶגְדּ before
Object
suffix-pronoun: ִי me
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כַ like
Object
noun: שֶּׁמֶשׁ sun
article: הַ the <status="elided">
Clause
Predicate
verb: יִכּוֹן it will be established
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כְּ like
Object
noun: יָרֵחַ moon
Adverbial
Nominal
noun: עוֹלָם forever
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Predicate
verb: it will be
Complement
verb-participle: נֶאֱמָן enduring
Adverbial <gloss="like the witness">
Nominal
noun: עֵד witness
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="in heaven">
Preposition
preposition: בַּ in
Object
noun: שַּׁחַק heaven
article: הַ the
Fragment
particle: סֶלָה selah
DiscourseUnit [vv. 36-38]
Fragment
Clause
Predicate
verb: נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי I swore an oath
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: בְ by
Object
ConstructChain <gloss="my holiness">
noun: קָדְשׁ holiness
suffix-pronoun: ִי me
Adverbial
Nominal
adjective: אַחַת once and for all
Object
ClauseCluster
Clause
SubordinateClause
Conjunction
conjunction: אִם if
Clause
Predicate
verb: אֲכַזֵּב I lie
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: לְ to
Object
noun: דָוִד David
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his dynasty">
noun: זַרְע offspring >> dynasty
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
verb: יִהְיֶה will be
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="forever">
Preposition
preposition: לְ for
Object
noun: עוֹלָם forever
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Subject
ConstructChain <gloss="his kingdom">
noun: כִסְא throne >> kingdom
suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
Predicate
verb: יִהְיֶה will be <status="elided">
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: נֶגְדּ before
Object
suffix-pronoun: ִי me
Complement
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כַ like
Object
noun: שֶּׁמֶשׁ sun
article: הַ the <status="elided">
Clause
Predicate
verb: יִכּוֹן it will be established
Adverbial
PrepositionalPhrase
Preposition
preposition: כְּ like
Object
noun: יָרֵחַ moon
Adverbial
Nominal
noun: עוֹלָם forever
Conjunction
conjunction: וְ and
Clause
Predicate
verb: it will be
Complement
verb-participle: נֶאֱמָן enduring
Adverbial <gloss="like the witness">
Nominal
noun: עֵד witness
Adjectival
PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="in heaven">
Preposition
preposition: בַּ in
Object
noun: שַּׁחַק heaven
article: הַ the
Fragment
particle: סֶלָה selah
{{Diagram/Display | Chapter=89|DiagramID=vv-36-38-None }}
Grammar Notes
Note for v. 36
- Verse 36b is, literally, "If I lie to David..." The apodosis is implied, as is normal in Hebrew oaths (cf. BHRG §45): "If I lie to David (then may I be cursed)" >> "I will not lie to David."
Note for v. 36
- The word אַחַת functions adverbially: "once [and for all]" (KJV, NIV, ESV, NET, CEV, GNT, so LXX: ἅπαξ; see also 2 Kgs 6:10; cf. IBHS §15.2.1f)
Note for v. 38
- For a discussion of the textual and grammatical issues in v. 38, see The Text and Meaning of Psalm89:38b.
Lexical Notes
No Lexical notes to display for this diagram.
Phrase-Level
Note for v. 36
- The bet preposition in the phrase בְקָדְשִׁי could be a bet of mode, indicating the attribute according to which YHWH swears: "in my holiness" (NLT). More likely, however, his "holiness" is the thing that YHWH swears by: "by my holiness" (NIV, ESV, GNT, NET, cf. LUT, NGÜ, EÜ, ZÜR; so Jenni 1992, rubric 1937; cf. Amos 4:2—נִשְׁבַּ֨ע אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ בְּקָדְשֹׁ֔ו; cf. Jer 51:14—נִשְׁבַּ֛ע יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות בְּנַפְשֹׁ֑ו; Gen 22:16—בִּ֥י נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה). Whereas humans swear by YHWH's name (e.g., Josh 9:18), YHWH swears by his own name, or, in this case, by his own holiness.
Verbal Notes
Note for vv. 36-38
In the context, the verb "I swear" in v. 36 is probably a performative: "I hereby swear." YHWH seals all of the promises in vv. 22–35 with an oath. On performative qatal, see BHRG §19.2.3; Andrason 2012, §3.
Textual Notes
No Textual notes to display for this diagram.
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