Psalm 11 Poetic Features
Trapped birds
Psalm 11
Poetic Features
In poetic features, we identify and describe the “Top 3 Poetic Features” for each Psalm. Poetic features might include intricate patterns (e.g., chiasms), long range correspondences across the psalm, evocative uses of imagery, sound-plays, allusions to other parts of the Bible, and various other features or combinations of features. For each poetic feature, we describe both the formal aspects of the feature and the poetic effect of the feature. We assume that there is no one-to-one correspondence between a feature’s formal aspects and its effect, and that similar forms might have very different effects depending on their contexts. The effect of a poetic feature is best determined (subjectively) by a thoughtful examination of the feature against the background of the psalm’s overall message and purpose.
Birds and Traps
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. |
Feature
The psalm begins (v. 1) with bird imagery: "Flee from your mountain, birds!" By calling David and his entourage "birds," the advisors imply that David is (or is about to be) trapped like a bird in a cage – an image for a king under siege.[1] The body of the psalm (vv. 1-6) ends with the same image in v. 6: "May he rain [bird] traps." The word for "[bird] traps" (פַּחִים) sounds like the word for "coal" (פֶּחָם).[2]
Effect
The poet has creatively chosen a word in v. 6 that forms a connection with v. 1 ("traps") and yet fits the immediate context of "fire" and "brimstone" (v. 6b) by virtue of its sounding like the word "coal".
The connection between v. 1 and v. 6 is significant. Whereas David appears (in v. 1) to be in the position of a trapped bird, he prays (in v. 6) that the situation would be reversed and that his enemies would be like trapped birds instead.
Fire
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. |
Feature
The image of "fire" subtly pervades the second major section of the psalm (vv. 4-6). "Testing" (בחן) (v. 4d) involves fire (cf. Zech 13:9), as does "refining" (same word: בחן) (v. 5a). Verse 6b mentions "fire" explicitly.
Effect
In terms of structure, the image of fire unites vv. 4-6.
In terms of message, Psalm 11 teaches that all people experience YHWH's fire. Like a goldsmith who puts gold in the fire to examine its quality, he exposes everyone to testing to see what they are made of (v. 4d). YHWH's fire has different results for the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are refined (v. 5a), and the wicked are destroyed (v. 6).
Face To Face
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. |
Feature
Nearly every word/root in the last verse of the psalm (v. 7) is used elsewhere in the psalm (vv. 1-6).
- "righteous" (vv. 3a, 5a)
- "YHWH" (vv. 1a, 4ab, 5a)
- "loves" (v. 5b)
- "upright" (v. 2c)
- "looks at" (v. 4c)
The only exception is the word "face" (v. 7b), though v. 4cd does mention components of a face ("eyes" and "eyelids").
Among these repeated words, the word חזה ("look at") is the most unique (only 9 times in Psalms).
Effect
Verse 7, which begins with כִּי and repeats words from throughout the psalm, has the character of a final summary (cf. Ps 1 and Ps 5, which are also structured in two parts with a final summary beginning with כִּי). This verse both summarizes and grounds the entire psalm.
The repetition of the word חזה (vv. 4c, 7b) is especially significant. In v. 4, it is YHWH who "looks at" all people. In v. 7, the roles are reversed and it is the upright who will "look at" YHWH (cf. the same feature in Ps 17:2, 15). The upright whom God has "looked at" (=examined) will "look at" his face (=experience his pleasure and protection).
The word/concept which is not repeated in v. 7 is "the wicked." They have been completely destroyed (cf. v. 6), so that only the righteous remain.
Repeated Roots
The repeated roots table is intended to identify the roots which are repeated in the psalm.
| Repeated Roots legend | |
|---|---|
| Divine name | The divine name is indicated by bold purple text. |
| Roots bounding a section | Roots bounding a section, appearing in the first and last verse of a section, are indicated by bold red text. |
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Roots occurring primarily in the first section are indicated in a yellow box. |
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Roots occurring primarily in the third section are indicated in a blue box. |
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Roots connected across sections are indicated by a vertical gray line connecting the roots. |
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Section boundaries are indicated by a horizontal black line across the chart. |
Notes
- The meaning of v. 5 is influenced by how its lines are divided. For a discussion of this verse, see The Division of Psalm 11:5.
- The root צדק, the most frequently occurring root in this psalm (except for YHWH [5x]), appears four times (vv. 3b, 5a, 7ab).
- The verbs בחן and חזה, relatively infrequent elsewhere - בחן (32x), חזה (55x), but repeated in this psalm - are part of what makes this psalm unique. The other repeated roots are to be found in many other psalms.
- The repetition of חזה is significant. In the first instance, it is YHWH who "observes" or "looks at" humanity in order to examine their character. At the end of the psalm, it is the upright who "will look at" YHWH's face.
- Every word of v. 5a (יְהוָה֮ צַדִּ֪יק יִ֫בְחָ֥ן) is repeated elsewhere in the psalm, making this verse, and this line in particular, thematically prominent.
- David's advisors draw attention to danger posed the wicked people (הָרְשָׁעִ֡ים), and they bemoan the fate of the upright (לְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב). In his reply, David says that YHWH hates and will destroy the wicked (v. 5b). The upright, on the other hand, will see YHWH's face (v. 7b).
- ↑ Cf. ANET 288; Quine 2017.
- ↑ Cf. Symmachus and several modern translations.