Psalm 9 Grammar
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Overview
Grammatical Diagram
The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Grammar Legend" below.)
| Visualization | Description |
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The clause is represented by a horizontal line with a vertical line crossing through it, separating the subject and the verb. |
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The object is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause. Infinitives and participles may also have objects. If the direct object marker (d.o.m.) is present in the text, it appears in the diagram immediately before the object. If the grammar includes a secondary object, the secondary object will appear after the object, separated by another vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause. |
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The subject complement follows the verb (often omitted in Hebrew) separated with a line leaning toward the right. It can be a noun, a whole prepositional phrase or an adjective. The later two appear modifying the complement slot. |
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When a noun further describes or renames the object, it is an object complement. The object complement follows the object separated by a line leaning toward the right. |
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In a construct chain, the noun in the absolute form modifies the noun in the construct form. |
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Participles are indicated in whatever position in the clause they are in with a curved line before the participle. Participles can occur as nominal, where they take the place of a noun, predicate, where they take the place of a verb, or attributive, where they modify a noun or a verb similar to adjectives or adverbs. |
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Infinitives are indicated by two parallel lines before the infinitive that cross the horizontal line. Infinitive constructs can appear as the verb in an embedded clause. Infinitive absolutes typically appear as an adverbial. |
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The subject of the infinitive often appears in construct to it. In this situation, the infinitive and subject are diagrammed as a construct chain. |
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The object of the infinitive is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the infinitival clause. |
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Modifiers are represented by a solid diagonal line from the word they modify. They can attach to verbs, adjectives, or nouns. If modifying a verb or adjective, it is an adverb, but if modifying a noun, it is an adjective, a quantifier, or a definite article. If an adverb is modifying a modifier, it is connected to the modifier by a small dashed horizontal line. |
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Adverbials are indicated by a dashed diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. These are nouns or infinitives that function adverbially (modifying either a verb or a participle), but are not connected by a preposition. |
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Prepositional phrases are indicated by a solid diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. The preposition is to the left of the diagonal line and the dependent of the preposition is on the horizontal line. They can modify verbs (adverbial) or nouns (adjectival). |
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Embedded clauses are indicated by a "stand" that looks like an upside-down Y. The stand rests in the grammatical position that the clause fulfills. Extending from the top of the stand is a horizontal line for the clause. If introduced by a complementizer, for example כִּי, the complementizer appears before the stand. Embedded clauses can stand in the place of any noun. |
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When clauses are joined by a conjunction, they are compound clauses. These clauses are connected by a vertical dotted line. The conjunction is placed next to the dotted line. |
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Within a clause, if two or more parts of speech are compound, these are represented by angled lines reaching to the two compound elements connected by a solid vertical line. If a conjunction is used, the conjunction appears to the left of the vertical line. Almost all parts of speech can be compound. |
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Subordinate clauses are indicated by a dashed line coming from the line dividing the subject from the predicate in the independent clause and leading to the horizontal line of the subordinate clause. The subordinating conjunction appears next to the dashed line. |
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Relative clauses also have a dashed line, but the line connects the antecedent to the horizontal line of the relative clause. The relative particle appears next to the dashed line. |
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Sentence fragments are represented by a horizontal line with no vertical lines. They are most frequently used in superscriptions to psalms. They are visually similar to discourse particles and vocatives, but most often consist of a noun phrase (that does not refer to a person or people group) or a prepositional phrase. |
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In the body of the psalm, a horizontal line by itself (with no modifiers or vertical lines) can indicate either a discourse particle or a vocative (if the word is a noun referring to a person or people group). A discourse particle is a conjunction or particle that functions at the discourse level, not at the grammatical level. Vocatives can appear either before or after the clause addressed to them, depending on the word order of the Hebrew. |
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Apposition is indicated by an equal sign equating the two noun phrases. This can occur with a noun in any function in a sentence. |
| Hebrew text colors | |
|---|---|
| Default preferred text | The default preferred reading is represented by a black line. The text of the MT is represented in bold black text. |
| Dispreferred reading | The dispreferred reading is an alternative interpretation of the grammar, represented by a pink line. The text of the MT is represented in bold pink text, while emendations and revocalizations retain their corresponding colors (see below). |
| Emended text | Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold blue text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred. |
| Revocalized text | Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold purple text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred. |
| (Supplied elided element) | Any element that is elided in the Hebrew text is represented by bold gray text in parentheses. |
| ( ) | The position of a non-supplied elided element is represented by empty black parentheses. For example, this would be used in the place of the noun when an adjective functions substantivally or in the place of the antecedent when a relative clause has an implied antecedent. |
| Gloss text colors | |
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| Gloss used in the CBC | The gloss used in the Close-but-Clear translation is represented by bold blue text. |
| Literal gloss >> derived meaning | A gloss that shows the more literal meaning as well as the derived figurative meaning is represented in blue text with arrows pointing towards the more figurative meaning. The gloss used in the CBC will be bolded. |
| Supplied elided element | The gloss for a supplied elided element is represented in bold gray text. |
v. 1
- The meaning of the Hebrew term in this superscription–– עַלְמוּת ’almut––is uncertain. Some manuscripts divide the term into two words--עַל מוּת, ’al mut, (“according to the death [of the son]”), and this reading is reflected in the grammatical diagram (cf. Symmachus and Jerome). Based on an analogy with Ps 46:1, some have proposed that the text of Ps 9:1 is corrupt and should instead read al-alamoth as in Psalm 46:1 עַֽל־עֲלָמ֥וֹת שִֽׁיר׃ "by female voices" or “accompaniment at a high pitch”; this is indicated in blue on the diagram. There is no clearly preferable option, but regardless, the term or phrase is likely a musical direction of some kind [1].
v. 2
- This substantive from the root פלא occurs several times with this verb ספר (Ju 6:13; Ps 9:2; 26:7; 75:2; 78:4; 96:3; 1Chr 16:24), and more with related vbs. of speaking or recalling .
v. 3
- The verb וְאֶעֶלְצָה appears only in poetry, and is typically synonymous with שמח (as here).
- It may be appropriate to translate these two verbs as one idea (=hendiadys), e.g. the Good News Translation : "I will sing with joy because of you." See. Hab 1:15; Zeph 3:14, and Ps 67:5.
v. 4
- The words SHUB + AHOR are here taken to mean ‘to turn backwards’, i.e. to retreat. See also Ps 44:11; 56:10; Lam 1:8. NLT: "My enemies retreated; they staggered and died when you appeared."
v. 5
- The LXX interprets the phrase שוֹפט צדק as a vocative[2], as shown in red here. We prefer, with many modern translations, to take this phrase as an adverbial accusative modifying ישב[3] since שׁוֹפֵט is without the definite article.
- We have preferred to analyse the substantives שׁוֹפט and צדק as being in a construct relationship since this is the most straightforward way to take them. Any other reading would need justification.
- ‘The word for cause is a legal term, meaning a claim in court, a legal case. The line may be rendered “you upheld my right and my cause” (nab, niv) or “you have given fair judgement in my favour” (njb). frcl is better: “You have done the right thing for me, you have given me justice.” In some languages it is necessary to recast the process of judging in terms of two events in which the second is a consequence of the first; for example, “you have judged me and found me innocent” or “you have judged my case and found that I was right”‘.[4].
v. 6
v. 7
- Many suggestions have been made about the grammar and interpretation of this verse have been made. For a detailed discussion about the reasons for our decisions, see exegetical issue page ‘The Grammar and Meaning of Psalm 9:7’.
v. 8
v. 9
v. 10
- On both contextual and morphological grounds, it is best to analyse בַּצָרָה as the preposition בְּ + the noun צָרָה ‘distress’. We have analysed the grammatical relationship between the phrase בצרה and the noun עתות as a construct, where an entire phrase stands in the slot normally reserved for the second member of the construct (the absolute noun).[5]
- If בצרה is analysed as a noun, this obviously has the added effect of changing the semantics. But a problem also exists here. The only supposed instance of a noun בַצָּרָה occurs in Jeremiah 14:1 אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ עַל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַבַּצָּרֽוֹת ‘That which was the Word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, regarding the droughts/needs’, where (1) the word is clearly inflected like a noun and (2) in light of what comes after, very probably refers to droughts. The two forms (בַּצָּרָה and בַּצָּרוֹת) also appear to exist in a paradigmatic relationship, as do, for example חַטָּאה/חַטָּאת (<*ḥaṭṭaʾ-(a)t[6]) and חַטָּאוֹת[7]
- Later in Jeremiah 17, however, the singular form of בַּצָרוֹת appears; in v. 8 we find וּבִשְׁנַ֤ת בַּצֹּ֨רֶת֙ לֹ֣א יִדְאָ֔ג ‘and in the year of drought it (the tree) is not anxious.’ The noun pattern here is appropriate concrete substantives (cf. כַפֹּרֶת ‘cover’ and the related כֻּתֹּנֶת ‘tunic’) and has the expected plural form בָּצָּרוֹת (cf. כֻּתֳּנֹת ‘tunics’ [Ex. 28:40]). Thus, it probably makes more sense to see the forms בצֹרֶת and בצרוֹת in Jeremiah 17 as related to each other and, indeed, referring to something concrete—‘a drought’.
- Finally, analysing בַּצָרָה as a noun in its other occurences is suspect. In the clause בַּצָּרָ֥ה קָרָ֗אתָ (Psa 81:8), it is clearly modifying the verb: ‘In distress you called out’. Here, in Psalm 9:10 וִ֘יהִ֤י יְהוָ֣ה מִשְׂגָּ֣ב לַדָּ֑ךְ מִ֝שְׂגָּ֗ב לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה, a ‘stronghold’/‘fortress’ would not be a conceptually appropriate solution to ‘need’ or a ‘drought’. It is best, therefore, to analyze בַּצָּרָה as a preposition ב + the (definite) noun צָרָה ‘distress’.
v. 11
v. 12
v. 13
v. 14
v. 15
v. 16
v. 17
v. 18
v. 19
v. 20
v. 21
Full Diagram (vv. 1-21)
- ↑ See Craigie (2004, 114). English versions are split between transliteration (RSV: "according to Muth-labben") and translating (NIV "To the tune of 'The death of the son'").
- ↑ ἐκάθισας ἐπὶ θρόνου, ὁ κρίνων δικαιοσύνην ‘you sat on a throne, you who judge with righteousness’ (NETS).
- ↑ E.g., ‘...as the righteous judge’ (NIV).
- ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991, 86)
- ↑ See Waltke O' Connor, §9.6; BHRG 25.3.1 (c). An example is כְּשִׂמְחַ֣ת בַּקָּצִ֔יר ‘rejoicing at harvest time’ (Isa 9:2).
- ↑ Huehnergard 2015, 51
- ↑ Could the form בַּצָרָה be בצרֶת's biform? Strictly speaking, this is not the case since they reflect two different etymological patterns: בַּצָרָה < *qaṭṭal (-at), whose by-form one would expect to be *בַּצֶּרֶת (<*baṣṣar-t; cf. *ʾaddar-t > אַדֶּרֶת). The o-vowel in בַּצֹרֶת, however, reflects a*qaṭṭul(t) pattern (so <*baṣṣur-t), like *kappur-t > כַּפֹּרֶת. Synchronically, two forms from different patterns can exist with the same meaning, as in Arabic ghawwaṣ (<*qattāl) and ghāʾis (<*qātil) both mean ‘diver’, since both patterns servie to indicate, in this case, agent nouns (Fox 2003, 108). The *qaṭṭal and *qaṭṭul patterns, however, do not seem to have too much overlap. The former is the basis for agent nouns, occupation nouns (e.g., טַבָּחוֹת ‘cooks’), diseases (e.g., דַּלֶּקֶת ‘inflammation’), and abstract nouns (e.g., חַטָּאָה ‘sin’); whereas the later is used for conrete things such as כַפֹּרֶת ‘cover’ and, through its related BH קִטֹּל pattern, substantivised adjectives (e.g., גִבֹּר ‘mighty (one)’, and other concrete nouns (e.g., שִׁבֹּלֶת ‘ear of grain’) (see Huehnergard 2015, 51–54). One should be cautious, therefore, of construing these as biforms.