Psalm 11 Discourse

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About the Discourse Layer

Our Discourse Layer includes four additional layers of analysis:

  • Participant analysis
  • Macrosyntax
  • Speech act analysis
  • Emotional analysis


For more information on our method of analysis, click the expandable explanation button at the beginning of each layer.

Participant Analysis

  What is Participant Analysis?

Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? It is often helpful for understanding literary structure, speaker identification, etc.

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

There are 6 participants/characters in Psalm 11:

Profile List

David (v. 1abc)
David and his entourage (v. 1d)
"Birds" (v. 1d)

YHWH (vv. 1b, 4-7)

Advisors (v. 1c)

The righteous (vv. 3b, 5a)
The upright/The upright in heart (vv. 2c, 7c)

The wicked (vv. 2, 3a, 5b, 6)
"Who loves violence" (v. 5b)

Profile Notes

  • The psalmist is identified as David in the superscription. He seeks refuge in YHWH. David and his entourage (=his people) are called "birds"[1] and advised to flee (v. 1). By calling David and his entourage "birds," the advisors imply that David and his people are about to be trapped like birds in a cage, an image of a king and his entourage under siege. David, however, will not flee; he declares that his refuge is in YHWH.
  • YHWH is presented as enthroned in heaven, with his eyes observing and his eyelids testing humans (v. 4). YHWH loves and refines the righteous (v. 5). By contrast, he does not refine the wicked; instead, he hates them (v. 5). YHWH is further described as righteous and as one who loves righteous acts (v. 7).
  • The identity of the group being quoted is not made explicit. However, their presence is implied by the 2mp verb in v. 1c (תֹּאמְר֣וּ), and they occur only in the direct speech addressed to David and his entourage (vv. 1d-3). It seems likely that they are David’s military advisors, who have gathered military intelligence and concluded that the best course of action is for David to flee. [2] Their counsel portrays David and his entourage as vulnerable birds about to be trapped.
  • The righteous in Psalm 11 are identified as the upright in heart whom YHWH refines (vv. 2 and 5). They are also described as the ones who will look upon YHWH’s face (v. 7). This designation most likely refers to righteous people generally, including David and his people (cf. note on v. 5).
  • The wicked in Psalm 11 are described as those who bend the bow and put their arrows on the string to shoot in darkness at the upright in heart (v. 2). They stand in contrast to the righteous, for YHWH does not refine them. They love violence, and YHWH hates them (v. 5).
Hebrew Verse English
לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ לְדָ֫וִ֥ד v. 1a For the director, by David.
בַּֽיהוָ֨ה ׀ חָסִ֗יתִי v. 1b I have sought refuge in YHWH.
אֵ֭יךְ תֹּאמְר֣וּ לְנַפְשִׁ֑י v. 1c How can you say to me,
נ֝֗וּדוּ הַרְכֶ֥ם צִפּֽוֹר׃ v. 1d "Flee to your mountain, birds!
כִּ֤י הִנֵּ֪ה הָרְשָׁעִ֡ים יִדְרְכ֬וּן קֶ֗שֶׁת v. 2a For look! The wicked people are about to bend the bow.
כּוֹנְנ֣וּ חִצָּ֣ם עַל־יֶ֑תֶר v. 2b They have put their arrows in place on the string
לִיר֥וֹת בְּמוֹ־אֹ֝֗פֶל לְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃ v. 2c in order to shoot in deep darkness at the upright in heart.
כִּ֣י הַ֭שָּׁתוֹת יֵֽהָרֵס֑וּן v. 3a For the foundations are about to be destroyed.
צַ֝דִּ֗יק מַה־פָּעָֽל׃ v. 3b What has the righteous person done?"
יְהוָ֤ה ׀ בְּֽהֵ֘יכַ֤ל קָדְשׁ֗וֹ v. 4a YHWH is in his holy temple;
יְהוָה֮ בַּשָּׁמַ֪יִם כִּ֫סְא֥וֹ v. 4b YHWH – his throne is in heaven.
עֵינָ֥יו יֶחֱז֑וּ v. 4c His eyes observe;
עַפְעַפָּ֥יו יִ֝בְחֲנ֗וּ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָֽם׃ v. 4d his eyelids test humans.
יְהוָה֮ צַדִּ֪יק יִ֫בְחָ֥ן v. 5a YHWH refines the righteous person,
וְ֭רָשָׁע וְאֹהֵ֣ב חָמָ֑ס שָֽׂנְאָ֥ה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ v. 5b but his soul hates the wicked person, who loves violence.
יַמְטֵ֥ר עַל־רְשָׁעִ֗ים פַּ֫חִ֥ים v. 6a May he rain traps on wicked people!
אֵ֣שׁ וְ֭גָפְרִית וְר֥וּחַ זִלְעָפ֗וֹת מְנָ֣ת כּוֹסָֽם׃ v. 6b May the portion in their cup be fire, brimstone, and a scorching wind!
כִּֽי־צַדִּ֣יק יְ֭הוָה צְדָק֣וֹת אָהֵ֑ב v. 7a For YHWH is righteous; he loves righteous acts;
יָ֝שָׁ֗ר יֶחֱז֥וּ פָנֵֽימוֹ׃ v. 7b the upright people will look at his face.
  • vv. 1d-3. Translations disagree on the extent of the quotation which began in v. 1d. Some translations limit the quotation to v. 1d (ELB), some extend it through v. 2 (NGÜ), and most extend it all the way through v. 3 (NIV, NLT, CEV, ESV, GNT, NET, LUT, HFA, GNB). There is good reason to conclude with the majority of modern translations that the quotation continues all the way through v. 3. The "for" (כִּי) clauses in vv. 2a, 3a are most naturally understood as providing the grounds for the advice to "flee" in v. 1d: "Flee... for (1) the wicked people are about to bend the bow... for (2) the foundations are about to be destroyed."[3]
  • Verse 1 presents multiple textual and grammatical issues which affect interpretation and translation. For an in-depth exploration of the issues involved, see The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Psalm 11:1d. In short, in terms of the text, we conclude with Barthélemy that the MT ketiv reading (נודו) along with the MT reading הַרְכֶם ("your mountain") is the better reading.[4] In terms of grammar, we interpret "birds" (צִפּוֹר) as a vocative and as a collective ("birds" instead of "bird"). We also interpret the phrase "your mountain" (הַרְכֶם) as indicating the location to which the psalmist is advised to flee.[5]
  • v. 5: The identity of the righteous person.
The righteous person (צַדִּיק) could refer to (1) David, (2) righteous people more generally, or (3) YHWH. In light of the fact that the word "righteous one" (צַדִּיק) in the Psalms almost always refers to a person or to people, it is unlikely that the word here refers to YHWH. Furthermore, the mention of "upright in heart" in v. 2c makes it likely that this same participant is in view in v. 3b. This makes option 2 the most likely: righteous people generally, which would include David. The interpretation of verse 5 is also influenced by how its lines are divided. See The Division of Psalm 11:5 for an in-depth discussion of the issue.

Participant Relations Diagram

The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:

Participant Analysis Summary Distribution

  • Verses 1d–3 present the embedded speech addressed to David and his entourage. The advisors are the speakers of this speech, and notably, they never mention YHWH. YHWH is not a factor in their advice to flee; their counsel is based entirely on the perceived threat posed by the wicked. By contrast, David’s response (vv. 4–7) is focused completely on YHWH. Thus, whenever David speaks, YHWH is mentioned, whereas the advisors’ speech contains no reference to YHWH.
  • The righteous and the wicked are presented side by side in Psalm 11, but only the righteous remain in view at the end of the Psalm. The distribution of these participants may serve to illustrate the psalm’s final outcome: the righteous will look at YHWH’s face (v. 7), experiencing his pleasure and protection, while the wicked will be completely destroyed, so that only the righteous remain.

Macrosyntax

  What is Macrosyntax?

Macrosyntax Diagram

  Legend

Macrosyntax legend
Vocatives Vocatives are indicated by purple text.
Discourse marker Discourse markers (such as כִּי, הִנֵּה, לָכֵן) are indicated by orange text.
The scope governed by the discourse marker is indicated by a dashed orange bracket connecting the discourse marker to its scope.
The preceding discourse grounding the discourse marker is indicated by a solid orange bracket encompassing the relevant clauses.
Subordinating conjunction The subordinating conjunction is indicated by teal text.
Subordination is indicated by a solid teal bracket connecting the subordinating conjunction with the clause to which it is subordinate.
Coordinating conjunction The coordinating conjunction is indicated by blue text.
Coordination is indicated by a solid blue line connecting the coordinating clauses.
Coordination without an explicit conjunction is indicated by a dashed blue line connecting the coordinated clauses.
Marked topic is indicated by a black dashed rounded rectangle around the marked words.
The scope of the activated topic is indicated by a black dashed bracket encompassing the relevant clauses.
Marked focus or thetic sentence Marked focus (if one constituent) or thetic sentences[6] are indicated by bold text.
Frame setters[7] are indicated by a solid gray rounded rectangle around the marked words.
[blank line] Discourse discontinuity is indicated by a blank line.
[indentation] Syntactic subordination is indicated by indentation.
Direct speech is indicated by a solid black rectangle surrounding all relevant clauses.
(text to elucidate the meaning of the macrosyntactic structures) Within the CBC, any text elucidating the meaning of macrosyntax is indicated in gray text inside parentheses.

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.
(Click diagram to enlarge)




  • vv. 1-3. The כִּי clauses in vv. 2-3 are syntactically subordinated to the clause in v. 1d, and together vv. 1d-3 constitute direct speech.
  • vv. 4-5. Verse 4 introduces a new topic ("YHWH"). The fronting of the noun phrases in vv. 4bcd-5a (YHWH...YHWH...his eyes...his eyelids...YHWH), together with the repetition of YHWH's name (v. 4ab, 5a), binds this section together. The occurrence of YHWH at the beginning and end of vv. 4–5 further marks the boundaries of the paragraph. Moreover, this paragraph contains the only instance of a waw functioning at the clause level with a contrastive meaning ("but").
  • v. 6. Verse 6 introduces a new paragraph and is characterized by the presence of deontic modality ("May he rain").
  • v. 7. The discourse marker supports this paragraph division.
  • v. 1b. The prepositional phrase בַּיהוָה ("in YHWH") is in marked focus.[8] "I have sought refuge in YHWH (and in nothing else)" (cf. Pss 7:2; 31:2; 71:1; 141:8). Whereas David's advisors are focused on the protection offered by the city's fortifications (v. 3a), David has sought refuge in YHWH.
  • vv. 2a, 3a. The כִּי clauses in vv. 2a, 3a have subject-verb word order, marking the clauses as thetics, which provide the grounds for the advice to "flee" in v. 1d: "Flee... for (1) the wicked people are about to bend the bow... for (2) the foundations are about to be destroyed."[9]
  • v. 3b. The noun phrase צַדִּיק ("the righteous person") is fronted as a marked topic ("and as for the righteous one").[10] The noun phrase even occurs before the interrogative pronoun, which might suggest it is left dislocated (but see footnote in JM 155pb).
  • v. 4. YHWH becomes the topic of the discourse (vv. 4-7). The fronting of the noun phrases in vv. 4bcd-5a (YHWH...YHWH...his eyes...his eyelids...YHWH) along with the repetition of YHWH's name (v. 4ab, 5a) dramatically underscores this shift in topic. Whereas his advisors never mention YHWH, David responds by drawing their attention to YHWH and thereby reorienting them to the situation.
  • v. 4b. Left dislocation for the purpose of topic identification.[11] The prepositional phrase בַּשָּׁמַ֪יִם ("in heaven") is fronted for marked focus ("as for YHWH – his throne is [not on earth, but] in heaven").
  • v. 4cd. S-V // S-V-O. Lunn regards the word order in these clauses as pragmatically marked.[12] The fronting is probably topical, as in v. 4b. It may be an example of listing (cf. Ps 1:3).
  • v. 5. Both clauses in this verse have marked word order.[13] In the first clause, צַדִּיק ("the righteous person") is fronted for marked focus. It is the righteous person whom YHWH (loves and) refines. Cf. Prov 3:12 – כִּ֤י אֶ֥ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶאֱהַ֣ב יְהוָ֣ה יוֹכִ֑יחַ. By contrast, he does not refine the wicked. Instead, he hates them. The contrast is sharpened by the fronting of the noun phrases in v. 5b (cf. Ps 1:6) (See The Division of Psalm 11:5). The fronting of "YHWH" in the first clause looks like an instance of marked topic, but since there is no reason why "YHWH" should be marked as a topic at this point, it is probably better to explain it as poetic-structural (either marking a new strophe [cf. v. 1, v. 4] or binding v. 5 together with v. 4).
  • v. 7ab. Lunn regards the word order of both verbal clauses in this verse as pragmatically marked.[14] The fronted object in v. 7aβ צְדָק֣וֹת ("righteous acts") is probably in marked focus: YHWH loves righteous acts (=deeds), not acts of violence (cf. v. 5b, 2ab). The fronted subject in v. 7b יָשָׁר ("the upright people") may be either topic ("as for the upright...") or focus ("it is the upright who will look at his face"). The grammatical discord (singular subject, plural verb) may suggest that יָשָׁר is topical ("as for the upright – they will look at his face").
  • Verse 1 presents multiple textual and grammatical issues which involves the vocative צִפּוֹר ("bird/birds"). For an in-depth discussion, see The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Psalm 11:1d. We have interpreted צִפּוֹר as a collective noun ("birds") rather than a singular ("a bird"). In this reading, David’s advisors address David and his entourage as "birds" and urge them to flee to the mountain. The vocative contributes to the imagery of David and his entourage as vulnerable birds who are about to be trapped, evoking the situation of a king and his entourage under siege.
  • v. 2a. The כִּי at the beginning of this verse provides the grounds for the speech act in v. 1d. "Flee... because."[15] Moreover, the discourse marker הִנֵּה (look!), the primary function of which is "to call attention to something,"[16] indicates that what the speaker is about to say is noteworthy and, in this case, urgent: "The wicked people are about to bend the bow."
  • vv. 2a, 3a. The כִּי ("for") clauses in vv. 2a, 3a are most naturally understood as providing the grounds for the advice to "flee" in v. 1d: "Flee... for (1) the wicked people are about to bend the bow... for (2) the foundations are about to be destroyed."[17] (See The Semantics of Psalm 11:3 and expanded paraphrase).
  • v. 7a. The discourse marker כִּי ("for") in v. 7 grounds the whole psalm (cf. Pss 1:6; 5:13). "The reason why I can say all of this is because 'YHWH is righteous...'" Footnote: [18]
  • v. 5. The meaning of this verse depends on how the lines are divided. For an in-depth discussion, see The Division of Psalm 11:5. We understand the waw (וְ) prefixed to רָשָׁע ("the wicked person") as functioning at the clause level with a contrastive meaning, "but." This reading contrasts how YHWH deals with the righteous and the wicked: "It is the righteous whom YHWH examines, but his soul hates the wicked person, who loves violence."


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

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.

Emotional Analysis

  What is Emotional Analysis?

This layer explores the emotional dimension of the biblical text and seeks to uncover the clues within the text itself that are part of the communicative intent of its author. The goal of this analysis is to chart the basic emotional tone and/or progression of the psalm.

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


Emotional Analysis Chart

  Legend

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.

Summary Visual

(Click visual to enlarge).


Affective Circumplex

  What is the affective circumplex?

The affective circumplex locates emotions on two axes: (1) positive vs. negative valence; and (2) active vs. passive activation. Since emotional terminology often carries unintended cultural connotations, the purpose of the circumplex is to ease translation of emotions across different languages and cultures.



Bibliography

Barthélemy, Dominique. 2005. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament. Vol. Tome 4: Psaumes. Fribourg, Switzerland: Academic Press.
Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.
Bekins, Peter. 2017. “Definiteness and the Definite Article.” In “Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?”: A Grammatical Tribute to Professor Stephen A. Kaufman, edited by Hélène Dallaire, Benjamin J. Noonan, Jennifer E. Noonan, and Stephen A. Kaufman, 21–36. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns.
Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. ICC. Edinburgh: T & T Clark.
Calvin, John. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Translated by James Anderson. Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1–50. WBC 19. Waco, TX: Word.
Creach, Jerome F. D. 1996. Yahweh as Refuge and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter. A&C Black.
Dahood, Mitchell. 1966. Psalms. Vol. 1. Anchor Bible Commentary. New York: Doubleday.
De Wette, Wilhelm Martin Leberecht. 1829. Die Psalmen. Heidelberg: J.C.B. Mohr.
Delitzsch, Franz. 1883. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 1. Translated by David Eaton. Vol. 1. New York: Funk and Wagnalls.
Ehrlich, Arnold B. 1905. Die Psalmen; neu Übersetzt und Erklärt. Berlin: Poppelauer.
Eph'al, Israel. 2013. The City Besieged: Siege and Its Manifestations in the Ancient Near East. Jerusalem: Hebrew University Magnes Press.
Fokkelman, J.P. 2000. Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible: At the Interface of Prosody and Structural Analysis (Vol 2: 85 Psalms and Job 4–14). Vol. 2. Studia Semitica Neerlandica. Assen: Van Gorcum.
Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm. 1863. Commentary on the Psalms. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.
Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 1993. Die Psalmen I: Psalm 1–50. Neue Echter Bibel. Würzburg: Echter.
Keel, Othmar. 1997. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns.
Josephus, Flavius. “The Wars of the Jews,” 6.15ff. In The Works of Flavius Josephus. 1895. Translated by William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley.
Labuschagne, Casper J. 1973. “The Particles הֵן and הִנֵּה.” Oudtestamentische Studiën 18: 1–14.
Lugt, Pieter van der. 2006. Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry: With Special Reference to the First Book of the Psalter. Vol. 1. 3 vols. Oudtestamentische Studiën 53. Leiden: Brill.
Lunn, Nicholas P. 2006. Word-Order Variation in Biblical Hebrew Poetry: Differentiating Pragmatics and Poetics. Paternoster Biblical Monographs. Milton Keynes: Paternoster.
Olshausen, Justus. 1853. Die Psalmen. Leipzig: S. Hirzel.
Pritchard, James B., ed. 1969. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament with Supplement. 3rd ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Quine, Cat. 2017. “The Bird and the Mountains: A Note on Psalm 11.” Vetus Testamentum 67: 470–79.
Ross, Allen. 2011. A Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 1: 1-41. Kregel Exegetical Library. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic & Professional.
Ryken, Leland, et al. eds. 1998. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press.
Schwartz, Mark. 2018. “Warfare in the World of the Bible.” In Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts, edited by Jonathan S. Greer, John W. Hilber, and John H. Walton, 506–14. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Sumner, Stephen. 2019. “A Reanalysis of Psalm 11.” ZAW 131 (1): 77–90.
Waltke, Bruce K., J. M. Houston, and Erika Moore. 2010. The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Yadin, Yigael. 1963. The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands: In the Light of Archaeological Study. Vol. 1. New York: McGraw-Hill.


Footnotes

  1. ↑ Verse 1 presents multiple textual and grammatical issues, including the interpretation of the vocative צִפּוֹר ("bird/birds"). For an in-depth discussion, see The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Psalm 11:1d.
  2. ↑ "Surveillance and reconnaissance were also conducted by the ancient Israelites to determine the number, location, and movements of enemy soldiers" (Schwartz 2018, 511).
  3. ↑ On speech-act כִּי, see Locatell 2019, 86-88.
  4. ↑ Barthélemy 2005, 43.
  5. ↑ When verbs of motion (including verbs of fleeing) are followed by an adverbial accusative, the accusative usually indicates the direction in which someone flees (e.g., 1 Kgs 12:18; 2 Kgs 9:27; Hos 12:13; Isa 37:38; etc.; cf. GKC §118d).
  6. ↑ When the entire utterance is new/unexpected, it is a thetic sentence (often called "sentence focus"). See our Creator Guidelines for more information on topic and focus.
  7. ↑ Frame setters are any orientational constituent – typically, but not limited to, spatio-temporal adverbials – function to "limit the applicability of the main predication to a certain restricted domain" and "indicate the general type of information that can be given" in the clause nucleus (Krifka & Musan 2012: 31-32). In previous scholarship, they have been referred to as contextualizing constituents (see, e.g., Buth (1994), “Contextualizing Constituents as Topic, Non-Sequential Background and Dramatic Pause: Hebrew and Aramaic evidence,” in E. Engberg-Pedersen, L. Falster Jakobsen and L. Schack Rasmussen (eds.) Function and expression in Functional Grammar. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 215-231; Buth (2023), “Functional Grammar and the Pragmatics of Information Structure for Biblical Languages,” in W. A. Ross & E. Robar (eds.) Linguistic Theory and the Biblical Text. Cambridge: Open Book Publishers, 67-116), but this has been conflated with the function of topic. In brief: sentence topics, belonging to the clause nucleus, are the entity or event about which the clause provides a new predication; frame setters do not belong in the clause nucleus and rather provide a contextual orientation by which to understand the following clause.
  8. ↑ So Lunn 2006, 297.
  9. ↑ Locatell 2019, 86-88. See Ps 3: 6b for similar case of subject-verb word order, marking the clause as a thetic.
  10. ↑ Cf. Lunn 2006 "MKD".
  11. ↑ BHRG 48.2.2.
  12. ↑ Lunn 2006, 297.
  13. ↑ So Lunn 2006, 297.
  14. ↑ Lunn 2006, 297.
  15. ↑ Cf. Locatell 2019, 86-88.
  16. ↑ Labuschagne 4.
  17. ↑ On speech-act כִּי, see Locatell 2019, 86-88.
  18. ↑ The structure of Psalm 11 is similar to the structure of both Psalm 1 and Psalm 5. Each of these three psalms has two main sections and a final verse beginning with כי that summarizes and grounds the entire psalm. These three psalms also have similar themes (e.g., strong contrast between righteous and wicked).