Psalm 89/Participant Analysis/Notes

Speaker in vv. 4–5
- The change in speaker from vv. 2–3 to vv. 4–5 is unmarked. The content makes it unmistakably clear, however, that YHWH is the one speaking in vv. 4–5. Modern translations often add a quotative frame for clarity. E.g., ESV: "You have said" (cf. NIV, NLT, CSB, CEV, GNT, NET).
Addressee in vv. 4–5, 20–38
- YHWH's speech in v. 20 is addressed to his "loyal ones." The phrase probably refers to his "prophets" (so Rashi, Radak) and specifically to Nathan the prophet. (The plural "loyal ones" might be a figure of speech: whole for part.) Cf. 2 Sam 7:4—"That night, YHWH's word came to Nathan."
- (Alternatively, the plural indicates an address to the whole people.)^[1]
- Although the addressee in vv. 4–5 is not specified, we might assume that the speech here, which effectively summarizes vv. 20–38, is also addressed to YHWH's "loyal ones", i.e., prophets.
v. 13. The mountains "Tabor" and "Hermon" were strongly associated with divine beings (see lexical semantics note)
Note also that in the direct speech in v. 27, "David" is first person and YHWH is second person.
v. 39. On the change in speaker in v. 39ff, The Identity of Ethan the Ezrahite in Psalm89:1.
In light of the parallelism ("your servants"), the first-person singular in v. 51b probably refers collectively to the entire nation, personified as an individual carrying a heavy burden. (Cf. the use of first person singular and the personification of the nation in Lamentations 3.)