Psalm 121 Speech Act

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Psalm 121/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 Song of the Ascents I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?
DECLARING TRUST
(vv. 1–2)
 Israel(ite)
v. 2 My help is from YHWH, the one who made heaven and earth.

Who will I trust to help me?
I will trust in YHWH alone!

v. 3 May he not let your foot slip! May the one who guards you not doze off!
BLESSING
(v. 3)

May YHWH never fail to guard you!

v. 4 Indeed, the one who guards Israel will not doze off and will not fall asleep.
ENCOURAGEMENT
(vv. 4–8)
v. 5 YHWH is the one who guards you. YHWH is your shade over your right hand.

YHWH will guard you from all harm.

v. 6 During the day, the sun will not strike you, nor the moon at night.
v. 7 YHWH will guard you from all harm. He will guard your life.
v. 8 YHWH will guard your going out and your coming in from now until forever.

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) Sentence type Illocution (general) Illocution with context Macro speech act Intended perlocution (Think) Intended perlocution (Feel) Intended perlocution (Do) Speech Act Notes
1 שִׁ֗יר לַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת Song of the Ascents
אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Declarative Assertive Describing what he is doing in the moment, i.e., lifting his eyes toward the mountains Declaring trust in YHWH alone Israel will recognize that YHWH is the one who made heaven and earth and that he alone can be trusted for help. The listener will feel suspense at the psalmist's question. (To whom will the psalmist look for help? Will he look to other gods who are associated with "the mountains"?) Israel will follow the psalmist's example of rejecting other gods and trusting in YHWH alone. For more details on the rhetorical function of v. 1, see https://psalms.scriptura.org/w/The_Mountains_in_Ps_121:1.
מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃ Where will my help come from? Interrogative Expressive Asking (rhetorically) where his help will come from; setting the stage for an affirmation of trust For a rhetorical question with a similar effect, see Ps 4:7.
2 עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃ My help is from YHWH, the one who made heaven and earth. Declarative Assertive Answering his own question: affirming that his help is from YHWH and not from any other divine being The listener will feel the resolution of the suspense.
3 אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ May he not let your foot slip! Imperative Directive Invoking YHWH to not let the Israelite's foot sliip Blessing an Israelite by invoking YHWH's protection over him The Israelite will recognize that YHWH guards him from all harm. The Israelite will feel safe and secure under YHWH's protection. The Israelite will trust in YHWH for protection. The directives "may he not..." in v. 3 are best described as a "blessing" (ברכה): "causative action by which deities grant a special favor to humans, objects, or events, or by which humans invoke a deity to do the same" (SDBH; see further Aitken 2007).
אַל־יָ֝נ֗וּם שֹֽׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ May the one who guards you not doze off! Imperative Directive Invoking YHWH to not doze off
4 הִנֵּ֣ה לֹֽא־יָ֭נוּם וְלֹ֣א יִישָׁ֑ן שׁ֝וֹמֵ֗ר יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ Indeed, the one who guards Israel will not doze off and will not fall asleep. Declarative Assertive Denying the possibility of YHWH dozing off or falling asleep Encouraging the Israelite that YHWH guards him The rest of the psalm (vv. 4–8) consists of a series of affirmations and denials, the global purpose of which is encourage the addressee regarding YHWH's protection.
5 יְהוָ֥ה שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָ YHWH is the one who guards you. Declarative Assertive Affirming that YHWH is the one who guards the Israelite
יְהוָ֥ה צִ֝לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ׃ YHWH is your shade over your right hand. Declarative Assertive Affirming that YHWH is the shade over the Israelite's right hand
6 יוֹמָ֗ם הַשֶּׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹֽא־יַכֶּ֗כָּה During the day, the sun will not strike you, Declarative Assertive Denying the possibility that the sun would strike the Israelite
וְיָרֵ֥חַ בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃ nor the moon at night. Declarative Assertive Denying the possibility that the moon would strike the Israelite
7 יְֽהוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָרְךָ֥ מִכָּל־רָ֑ע YHWH will guard you from all harm. Declarative Assertive Affirming that YHWH will guard the Israelite from all harm
יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ He will guard your life. Declarative Assertive Affirming that YHWH will protect the Israelite's life
8 יְֽהוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָר־צֵאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵֽ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ YHWH will guard your going out and your coming in from now until forever. Declarative Assertive Affirming that YHWH will guard the Israelite in all things and at all times