Psalm 1 Speech Act

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Psalm 1/Speech Act
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Speech Act Analysis

What is Speech Act Analysis?

The Speech Act layer presents the text in terms of what it does, following the findings of Speech Act Theory. It builds on the recognition that there is more to communication than the exchange of propositions. Speech act analysis is particularly important when communicating cross-culturally, and lack of understanding can lead to serious misunderstandings, since the ways languages and cultures perform speech acts varies widely.

For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Speech Act Analysis Creator Guidelines.

Summary Visual

Speaker Verses Macro Speech Acts Addressee
Psalmist v. 1 Happy is the one who has not walked in the counsel of wicked people, has not taken a stand in the way of sinful people, and has not settled in the dwelling place of insolent people!
Celebration
(vv. 1–3)
 Community
v. 2 Instead, his delight is in YHWH's instruction, and he meditates on his instruction day and night. "Happy is the one...!"
v. 3 And he will become like a tree transplanted beside water channels that gives its fruit in its season and whose leaves do not wither. And he will cause all that he does to flourish.
Specification (vv. 1–2)
... who follows YHWH's instruction!
Supporting description (v. 3)
He will flourish like a tree.
v. 4 Not so the wicked people! Instead, they will be like chaff that the wind drives away.
Claim
(vv. 4–5)
v. 5 Therefore, wicked people will not stand firm in the judgment, and sinful people [will not stand] in the group of righteous people. "Not so the wicked people!"
Supporting description (vv. 4–5)
They will be like chaff, and, therefore, will not survive the judgment.
v. 6 Because YHWH cares for the way of righteous people, and the way of wicked people will come to an end.
Summary Explanation
(v. 6)
"Because YHWH cares for the way of righteous people, and the way of wicked people will come to an end."

Speech Act Analysis Chart

The following chart is scrollable (left/right; up/down).

  Legend

Verse Hebrew CBC Sentence type Illocution (general) Illocution with context Macro speech act Intended perlocution (Think) Intended perlocution (Feel) Intended perlocution (Do)
Verse number and poetic line Hebrew text English translation Declarative, Imperative, or Interrogative

Indirect Speech Act: Mismatch between sentence type and illocution type		 Assertive, Directive, Expressive, Commissive, or Declaratory

Indirect Speech Act: Mismatch between sentence type and illocution type		 More specific illocution type with paraphrased context Illocutionary intent (i.e. communicative purpose) of larger sections of discourse

These align with the "Speech Act Summary" headings		 What the speaker intends for the address to think What the speaker intends for the address to feel What the speaker intends for the address to do



If an emendation or revocalization is preferred, that emendation or revocalization will be marked in the Hebrew text of all the visuals.

Emendations/Revocalizations legend
*Emended text* Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is indicated by blue asterisks on either side of the emendation.
*Revocalized text* Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is indicated by purple asterisks on either side of the revocalization.
Verse Text (Hebrew) Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is designed to be "close" to the Hebrew, while still being "clear." Specifically, the CBC encapsulates and reflects the following layers of analysis: grammar, lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics, and verbal semantics. It does not reflect our analysis of the discourse or of poetics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources. Sentence type Illocution (general) Illocution with context Macro speech act Intended perlocution (Think) Intended perlocution (Feel) Intended perlocution (Do) Speech Act Notes
1 אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים Happy is the one who has not walked in the counsel of wicked people, Fragment Expressive Celebrating the righteous person, describing what he has not done Celebrating the righteous person The hearer will see that YHWH's instruction leads to true and ultimate flourishing "The hearer will admire the righteous person who follows YHWH's instruction;
The hearer will delight in YHWH's instruction"		 The hearer will imitate the righteous person and commit to following YHWH's instruction People declare someone to be "happy" (אַשְׁרֵי) when they admire that person's condition and consider it to be desirable (cf. Janzen 1965, 215-226; SDBH). See lexical semantics.
וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֭טָּאִים לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד has not taken a stand in the way of sinful people,
וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב לֵ֝צִ֗ים לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב׃ and has not settled in the dwelling place of insolent people!
2 כִּ֤י אִ֥ם בְּתוֹרַ֥ת יְהוָ֗ה חֶ֫פְצ֥וֹ Instead, his delight is in YHWH's instruction, Declarative Assertive Describing what the righteous person delights in
וּֽבְתוֹרָת֥וֹ יֶהְגֶּ֗ה יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה׃ and he meditates on his instruction day and night. Declarative Assertive Describing the righteous person's commitment to YHWH's instruction
3 וְֽהָיָ֗ה כְּעֵץ֮ שָׁת֪וּל עַֽל־פַּלְגֵ֫י מָ֥יִם And he will become like a tree transplanted beside water channels Declarative Assertive Describing the result of the righteous person's commitment to YHWH's instruction: depicting the righteous person as a fruitful tree in YHWH's garden
אֲשֶׁ֤ר פִּרְי֨וֹ ׀ יִתֵּ֬ן בְּעִתּ֗וֹ that gives its fruit in its season
וְעָלֵ֥הוּ לֹֽא־יִבּ֑וֹל and whose leaves do not wither.
וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יַצְלִֽיחַ׃ And he will cause all that he does to flourish. Declarative Assertive Describing the comprehensive flourishing of the righteous person
4 לֹא־כֵ֥ן הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים Not so the wicked people! Declarative Assertive Claiming that the wicked do not ultimately flourish and therefore should not be celebrated Claiming that the wicked, who are going to be destroyed, should not be celebrated The hearer will see that, although the wicked might seem to flourish in the present, in the end they will be destroyed The hearer will despise the way of the wicked The hearer will reject the way of the wicked "Despise" in the following sense: "to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful" (Merriam-Webster)

"With what was said above he prompted everyone to the practice of virtue; with his present words he discourages them from vice, and by the comparison with dust [=chaff] he brings out the complete worthlessness of the godless, regarded as they are as undeserving of any esteem..." (Theodore, trans. Hill, 2006, 11)."

כִּ֥י אִם־כַּ֝מֹּ֗ץ אֲֽשֶׁר־תִּדְּפֶ֥נּוּ רֽוּחַ׃ Instead, they will be like chaff that the wind drives away. Declarative Assertive Describing the fate of the wicked: depicting the wicked as chaff to be driven away by the wind
5 עַל־כֵּ֤ן ׀ לֹא־יָקֻ֣מוּ רְ֭שָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט Therefore, wicked people will not stand firm in the judgment, Declarative Assertive Concluding that, because the wicked are like chaff, they will not survive the coming divine judgment
וְ֝חַטָּאִ֗ים בַּעֲדַ֥ת צַדִּיקִֽים׃ and sinful people [will not stand] in the group of righteous people. Declarative Assertive Concluding that sinners will be condemned in the judgment, distinguished from those who are declared righteous
6 כִּֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הוָה דֶּ֣רֶךְ צַדִּיקִ֑ים Because YHWH cares for the way of righteous people, Declarative Assertive Explaining, in sum, why it is that the righteous flourish and, therefore, are to be celebrated Explaining, in sum, why the righteous and not the wicked are to be celebrated The hearer will be fully convinced that the way of the righteous is worth walking
וְדֶ֖רֶךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֹּאבֵֽד׃ and the way of wicked people will come to an end. Declarative Assertive Explaining, in sum, that wickedness will be dealt with and, therefore, that the wicked are not to be celebrated