Psalm 9/Summary

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Summary

Line divisions

Lines marked with an asterisk (*) are disputed.

לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַלְמ֥וּת לַבֵּ֗ן מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
2a אוֹדֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־לִבִּ֑י
2b אֲ֜סַפְּרָ֗ה כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
3a אֶשְׂמְחָ֣ה וְאֶעֶלְצָ֣ה בָ֑ךְ
3b אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה שִׁמְךָ֣ עֶלְיֽוֹן׃
4a בְּשׁוּב־אוֹיְבַ֥י אָח֑וֹר
4b יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ וְ֜יֹאבְד֗וּ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃
5a כִּֽי־עָ֭שִׂיתָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י וְדִינִ֑י
5b יָשַׁ֥בְתָּ לְ֜כִסֵּ֗א שׁוֹפֵ֥ט צֶֽדֶק׃
6a גָּעַ֣רְתָּ ג֭וֹיִם אִבַּ֣דְתָּ רָשָׁ֑ע *
6b שְׁמָ֥ם מָ֜חִ֗יתָ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃
7a הָֽאוֹיֵ֙ב׀ תַּ֥מּוּ חֳרָב֗וֹת לָ֫נֶ֥צַח
7b וְעָרִ֥ים נָתַ֑שְׁתָּ *
7c אָבַ֖ד זִכְרָ֣ם הֵֽמָּה׃ *
8a וַֽ֭יהוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם יֵשֵׁ֑ב *
8b כּוֹנֵ֖ן לַמִּשְׁפָּ֣ט כִּסְאֽוֹ׃
9a וְה֗וּא יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק
9b יָדִ֥ין לְ֜אֻמִּ֗ים בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃
10a וִ֨יהִ֤י יְהוָ֣ה מִשְׂגָּ֣ב לַדָּ֑ךְ
10b מִ֜שְׂגָּ֗ב לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה׃
11a וְיִבְטְח֣וּ בְ֭ךָ יוֹדְעֵ֣י שְׁמֶ֑ךָ
11b כִּ֤י לֹֽא־עָזַ֖בְתָּ דֹרְשֶׁ֣יךָ יְהוָֽה׃
12a זַמְּר֗וּ לַ֭יהוָה יֹשֵׁ֣ב צִיּ֑וֹן
12b הַגִּ֥ידוּ בָ֜עַמִּ֗ים עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽיו׃
13a כִּֽי־דֹרֵ֣שׁ דָּ֭מִים אוֹתָ֣ם זָכָ֑ר
13b לֹֽא־שָׁ֜כַ֗ח צַעֲקַ֥ת עֲנָיִים׃
14a חָֽנְנֵ֬נִי יְהוָ֗ה *
14b רְאֵ֣ה עָ֭נְיִי מִשֹּׂנְאָ֑י *
14c מְ֜רוֹמְמִ֗י מִשַּׁ֥עֲרֵי מָֽוֶת׃
15a לְמַ֥עַן אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה כָּֽל־תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ *
15b בְּשַֽׁעֲרֵ֥י בַת־צִיּ֑וֹן *
15c אָ֜גִ֗ילָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ *
16a טָבְע֣וּ ג֭וֹיִם בְּשַׁ֣חַת עָשׂ֑וּ
16b בְּרֶֽשֶׁת־ז֥וּ טָ֜מָ֗נוּ נִלְכְּדָ֥ה רַגְלָֽם׃
17a נ֤וֹדַ֙ע׀ יְהוָה֘ מִשְׁפָּ֪ט עָ֫שָׂ֥ה
17b בְּפֹ֣עַל כַּ֭פָּיו נוֹקֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֑ע
הִגָּי֥וֹן סֶֽלָה׃
18a יָשׁ֣וּבוּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה
18b כָּל־גּ֜וֹיִ֗ם שְׁכֵחֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃
19a כִּ֤י לֹ֣א לָ֭נֶצַח יִשָּׁכַ֣ח אֶבְי֑וֹן
19b תִּקְוַ֥ת עֲנִויִּם תֹּאבַ֥ד לָעַֽד׃
20a קוּמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אַל־יָעֹ֣ז אֱנ֑וֹשׁ
20b יִשָּׁפְט֥וּ ג֜וֹיִ֗ם עַל־פָּנֶֽיךָ׃
21a שִׁ֨יתָ֤ה יְהוָ֙ה׀ מוֹרָ֗ה לָ֫הֶ֥ם
21b יֵדְע֥וּ גוֹיִ֑ם *
21c אֱנ֖וֹשׁ הֵ֣מָּה סֶּֽלָה׃ *

Watson recognizes a total of 44 lines (22 bicola), "which is what could be expected if each letter [א – כ] were assigned four cola (11 x 4 = 44)."[1] Each verse consists of two lines (cola), except vv.6, 7, 14, 15, each of which have three lines. Fokkelman divides each of these verses (vv.6, 7, 14, 15) into two lines (bicola), thus arriving at 40 lines (20 bicola) for the total.[2]

  • vv.6-7. The first issue here is whether הֵמָּה ends the final line of v.7 (MT [silluq]; also, G, T, V [S omits המה entirely]) or begins the first line of v.8 (so BHS). It most likely ends the line for the following reasons: (1) The external evidence (MT, G, T, V) supports this division; (2) Verses 8,9,10,11 each begin with the letter waw. This unity is disrupted if המה begins v.8a; (3) The unity of vv.8-11 as they stand is further indicated by an inclusio (יהוה, first word of v.8a and last word of v.11b); (4) The pronoun הֵמָּה concludes the psalm (v.21), making a structurally parallel occurrence (at the end of a section = epiphora) more likely. Note also the prosodic similarities between v.7 (4 words / 5 words) and v.21 (4 words / 5 words), which also have the same set of accents in the MT. With regard to its syntactic function, הֵמָּה "serves to give strong emphasis to [the] suffix of the same person which precedes [זִכְרָם]" (right dislocation).[3]
  • vv.14-15. "The poet regularly employs the technique of placing two verbal predicates in one colon, and usually such a colon also shows a balance of two clauses of two words each. Thanks to this circumstance we may safely consider 9:14-15 bicola. Thus is seems characteristic of this (seventh) strophe to make long cola.[4],

Section divisions

Section 1 (vv.2-3)
Section 2 (vv.4-5)
Section 3 (vv.6-7)
Section 4 (vv.8-9)
Section 5 (vv.10-11)
Section 6 (vv.12-13)
Section 7 (vv.14-15)
Section 8 (vv.16-17)
Section 9 (vv.18-19)
Section 10 (vv.20-21),

Communicative function

Section 1 (vv.2-3): Praise
Section 2 (vv.4-5): Profession
Section 3 (vv.6-7): Profession
Section 4 (vv.8-9): Profession
Section 5 (vv.10-11): Profession
Section 6 (vv.12-13): Exhortation
Section 7 (vv.14-15): Petition
Section 8 (vv.16-17): Profession
Section 9 (vv.18-19): Profession
Section 10 (vv.20-21): Petition,

Cohesion

First Level (Strophe)

Section 1 (vv.2-3)

Section 2 (vv.4-5)

Section 3 (vv.6-7)

Section 4 (vv.8-9)

Section 5 (vv.10-11)

Section 6 (vv.12-13)

Section 7 (vv.14-15)

Section 8 (vv.16-17)

Section 9 (vv.18-19)

Section 10 (vv.20-21)


Second Level (Stanza)

Sections 2-3 (vv.4-7)

Sections 4-5 (vv.8-11)

Sections 6-7 (vv.12-15)

Sections 8-9 (vv.16-19)


Third Level (Part)

Sections 1-5 (vv.2-11)

Sections 6-10 (vv.12-21)

Main message

Yahweh, as king, gives justice to the oppressed.

Connections between sections

Section 2 (vv.4-5) – Section 9 (vv.18-19)

Section 3 (vv.6-7) – Section 8 (vv.16-17)

v. 5 – vv.8-9

v.7 – v.21,

Large-scale structures

Acrostic Structure
The acrostic "was an artistic device, which provided the poet with a distinctive framework within which to express his thought."[5] "The following alphabetic acrostics occur in Hebrew: Nah. 1:2-8; Pss. 9; 10; 25; 34; 37; 111; 112; 119; 145; Prov. 31:10-31; Lam. 1-4; Sir. 51:13-20."[6] The acrostic structure of Psalm 9 is as follows:

א (vv.2-3)
ב (vv.4-5)
ג (vv.6-7)
ד (vv.5-7?)*
ה (v.7?)*
ו (vv.8-11)*
ז (vv.12-13)
ח (vv.14-15)
ט (vv.16-17)
י (vv.18-19)
כ (v.19, vv.20-21?)*
  • The third strophe (ג, vv.6-7) is "perhaps intended to represent ד and ה" as well.[7] Dentals happen to cluster in vv.5-7 (see above), and words beginning with ה begin (הָאוֹיֵב) and end (הֵמָּה) v.7. Both of these words in v.7 are syntactically abnormal and may represent deliberate attempts to use the letter He. הָאוֹיֵב is the only occurrence of definite ה in the psalm and the only line beginning with ה.
  • The waw section is twice as long as the other sections (vv.8-11).
  • In v.20, "the poet takes a leap to ק which, however, seems to be a substitute for the כ which one would expect to find."[8] See above on phonology. כְּ does begin v.19. However, v.19 is bound together with v.18 (see chiastic structure).

It is often assumed that the incompleteness of this acrostic structure is the result of textual corruption.[9] "It would be most natural to assume either editorial modification, or textual corruption (at a very early date) to account for such divergences from the norm."[10] Hence, "many are the attempts to repair the damage to this alphabet acrostic."[11] However, incomplete acrostic poems are not uncommon. "Some of the acrostic poems use only half of the alphabet; Nah. 1:2-8 goes from א to ? ט; Ps. 9 covers the first half of the alphabet, Ps. 10 (it would seem) the second... Partial acrostics also occur, for example Ps. 145:11-13 (within a complete acrostic) and Song 4:9-11... Also Psalm 155."[12] Some otherwise complete acrostic poems omit a letter or two (Ps. 25 [ק, ו]; Ps. 34 [ו]; Ps. 37 [ע]; Ps. 145 [נ]), though some of these omissions may be the result of textual corruption. Thus, at least half of acrostic poems in the MT Psalter are "incomplete" (Pss. 9; 10; 25; 34; 37; 145). Only Psalms 111, 112, and 119 have all 22 letters. This fact, in conjunction with the apparent artistry of Ps. 9 in its present form as demonstrated in the preceding analysis, may lead to the conclusion that "the non-appearance of certain consonantal signs as strophe openers need not be the result of textual corruption. The text of Ps.9/10 is nearly immaculate."[13]

Why, then, are certain letters omitted in Ps. 9? If it is not the result of textual corruption, and if we assume that it is not arbitrary, then what is the purpose? The letters which are omitted or otherwise marked are דּ (missing), ה (beginning v. 7, though not a new strophe), and כּ (beginning v.19, though not a new strophe). Is it a coincidence that these letters spell out דַּךְ ("oppressed") or, if ה is included, הַדַּךְ ("the oppressed", cf. Ps. 9:10)? This is a key word in Pss. 9-10 (9:10; 10:18; verbal form [דכה] in 10:10) and is otherwise rare in the Hebrew Bible (Ps. 74:21; Prov. 26:28). The word דַּךְ appears in the waw strophe, which is the only letter-strophe marked for its double length (vv.8-11). Thus, every variation in the acrostic structure of Ps. 9 may be explained in terms of this feature; the structure is designed to draw attention to the thematic significance of "the oppressed" (הַדַּךְ). This feature is not without parallel in other ANE literature. "Sentence-acrostics or name-acrostics are to be found in Akkadian."[14] Ps. 9, by contrast, forms a word-acrostic, and not by those letters which are present, but by those which are absent or otherwise marked.

Relationship to Psalm 10
"The principal problem pertaining to Pss. 9 and 10 concerns whether they should be treated as a unity, namely a single acrostic psalm, or whether they should be treated as separate and independent psalms."[15]

Psalm 9 is connected to Psalm 10 in a number of ways. The following points are observed by Kraus[16] and Craigie.[17]

  1. A single (impartial) acrostic structure runs through both psalms.
  2. Some ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate) and Hebrew manuscripts (cf. DeRossi) present Pss. 9-10 as a single psalm.
  3. Psalm 10 has no superscription.
  4. Similar words and concepts appear in both psalms.

"The acrostic pattern in Pss 9 and 10, although incomplete, suggests these two poems are a single unit in their final, canonical form... Hanson affirmed the unity of these psalms by listing keywords that occur not just in one but in both of these psalms."[18]

Yet "Ps 9 is not in any way wanting in internal roundness and finish."[19],

Outline or visual representation

(This began as Wendland's Expository Outline[20], but may be adapted.)

I. What the psalmist will do. (1-2)

A. Give thanks to the Lord with all his heart.
B. Tell of all His wonders.
C. Be glad and exult in Him.
D. Sing praises to His name.

II. Why the psalmist will do it. (3-6)

A. Because his enemies turn back, stumble, and perish.
B. Because his cause is maintained by God.
C. Because God is on the throne and judges rightly.
D. Because He has rebuked the heathen, destroyed the wicked, and put out their name for ever and ever.
E. Because destructions on the enemy are perpetual, and their cities and memorials are perished with them.

III. The Lord... (7-10)

A. Shall endure for ever.
B. Has prepared His throne for judgment.
1. He will judge the world in righteousness.
2. He will minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
C. Will be a refuge for the oppressed in times of trouble.
D. Will not forsake those who seek Him and put their trust in His name.

IV. Sing praises to the Lord and declare his deeds. (11-12)

A. He remembers your enemy.
B. He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

V. An appeal. (13-14)

A. Have mercy upon me, O Lord.
B. Consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me.
C. Lift me up from the gates of death that I may shew forth all Thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion.
D. Let me rejoice in Thy salvation.

VI. The heathen. (15)

A. The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made.
B. Their own foot is taken in the net which they hid.

VII. The wicked. (16-17)

A. Are snared by the work of his own hands.
B. Shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

VIII. The needy. (18)

A. Shall not always be forgotten.
B. The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

IX. A final appeal. (19-20)

A. Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail.
B. Let the heathen be judged in Thy sight.
C. Put them in fear, O Lord.
D. Let the nations know themselves to be but men.
  1. ↑ Wilfred G.E. Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry: a Guide to its Techniques (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001), 192.
  2. ↑ J.P. Fokkelman, Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible: At the Interface of Prosody and Structural Analysis, Vol. 2 (Assen: Van Gorcum, 2000), 72.
  3. ↑ GKC, 135f.
  4. ↑ J.P. Fokkelman, Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible: At the Interface of Prosody and Structural Analysis, Vol. 2 (Assen: Van Gorcum, 2000), 72.
  5. ↑ Peter Craigie, Psalms. 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1983), 129.
  6. ↑ Wilfred G.E. Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry: a Guide to its Techniques (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001), 192.
  7. ↑ Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms, trans. Francis Bolton, vol. 1, 3 vols., Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament 19 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1952).
  8. ↑ Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms, trans. Francis Bolton, vol. 1, 3 vols., Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament 19 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1952).
  9. ↑ e.g., Robert Gordis, “Psalm 9-10: A Textual and Exegetical Study,” in The Jewish Quarterly Review 48, no. 2 (October 1957): 104–22.
  10. ↑ Peter Craigie, Psalms. 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1983), 129.
  11. ↑ Patrick William Skehan, “Broken Acrostic and Psalm 9,” in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 27, no. 1 (January 1965): 1–5.
  12. ↑ Wilfred G.E. Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry: a Guide to its Techniques (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001), 199.
  13. ↑ J.P. Fokkelman, Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible: At the Interface of Prosody and Structural Analysis, Vol. 2 (Assen: Van Gorcum, 2000), 72.
  14. ↑ Wilfred G.E. Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry: a Guide to its Techniques (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001), 192.
  15. ↑ Peter Craigie, Psalms. 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1983), 116.
  16. ↑ Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalms 1-59: A Commentary, trans. Hilton Oswald (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988), 191.
  17. ↑ Peter Craigie, Psalms. 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1983), 116.
  18. ↑ Les D. Maloney, A Word Fitly Spoken: Poetic Artistry in the First Four Acrostics of the Hebrew Psalter, Vol. 119 in Studies in Biblical Literature (New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2009), 25.
  19. ↑ Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms, trans. Francis Bolton, vol. 1, 3 vols., Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament 19 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1952).
  20. ↑ Ernst Wendland, Expository Outlines of the Psalms, https://www.academia.edu/37220700/Expository_Outlines_of_the_PSALMS
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