Psalm 134 Semantics

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Psalm Overview

About the Semantics Layer

Semantics is the study of how language is used to represent meaning. The goal of semantic analysis for interpreting and translating the Bible is to understand the meaning of words and how they relate to each other in context. We want to understand what is implicit about word meaning – and thus assumed by the original audience – and make it explicit – and thus clear for us who are removed by time, language, and culture. The semantics layer is composed of three major branches: lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics and verbal semantics.

Semantics Visuals for Psalm 134

Lexical and Phrase-level Semantics Diagram

Visualization Description
3 Legends - Prepositional Phrase.png
 The prepositional phrase is indicated by a solid green oval.
3 Legends - Construct Chain.png
 The construct chain is indicated by a solid yellow oval.
3 Legends - phrase-level ו.png
 When the conjunction ו appears at the phrase-level (not clause-level), it is indicated by a solid light purple oval.
3 Legends - Article.png
 The article is indicated by a solid blue oval.

v. 1

Image (6) v1.png

  • The superscription tells us that this is a (song) of ascents. For more information about this special group of psalms, see our page Psalms of Ascent.
  • The particle glossed as Come on! (הִנֵּה) is a common attention-drawing device in biblical Hebrew. It is often translated "Look!" or "Here!" or something similar, but when it appears with an imperative (as is the case here with "bless") it has the sense of "Come" or "Come on".[1] For a more detailed look at the possible interpretations of this word, along with our reasoning for arriving at our interpretation, see our | exegetical issue on this topic. It is also worth noting that Psalm 133, which has many parallels with this psalm, begins with the same word (after the superscription).
  • What does it mean to bless YHWH? God blesses people by conferring good on them; we bless God by praising the good in him.[2]. See the Venn diagram below for a comparison and contrast of the ancient Hebrew and modern English understanding of the idea to bless.

Psalm 134 - BARAK.jpg

  • It is not clear who the servants of YHWH (עַבְדֵי יְהוָה) are. Some scholars think this refers to the whole congregation of Israel. For a full treatment of this issue, see our page Who are the "servants of YHWH" in Ps. 134:1? In short, the phrase probably refers to the priests/Temple and not the entire congregation of pilgrims. The "servants of YHWH" are referred to with an appositive in the following line (v. 1c): the ones who stand in the house of YHWH. Stand could refer to literal standing in the Temple (house of YHWH), or it could be a figurative way to say those who serve in the Temple[3]. See the Venn diagram below for a comparison and contrast between the ancient Hebrew and modern English understanding of this idea of servant.

Psalm 134 - EBED.jpg

  • The noun "night" in the Hebrew phrase by night (בַּלֵּילוֹת) is plural, but English uses the singular in this case to indicate habitual or regular action. Night vigils were held in the temple in Jerusalem for the purpose of prolonged festive celebration (cf. Isa 30:29)[4], much like the festival gatherings that drew the people of Israel to the Temple. In general, night vigils were common in the Ancient Near East [5]. Some have speculated that this psalm displays a formulaic greeting or leave-taking, with the pilgrims either finally arriving at Jerusalem at night before the festival, or leaving before dawn after the festival is over.

v. 2

Image (7) v2.png

  • The command to lift up your hands is a parallel to the command to bless YHWH. Lifting of hands was a gesture associated with addressing Yahweh in prayer (Ps 28:2; cf. Ps 77:3) or, as here, in praise (Ps 63:5).[6].
  • Holy place (קֹדֶשׁ) can signify the temple together with its precincts or the temple itself, or its nave/inner chamber.[7]. We have analyzed the adverbial accusative "holy place" as implying motion toward the holy place, which probably indicates that the priests, the congregation, or both, were standing in the courtyard and surroundings of the Temple, and that the priests were being instructed to lift their hands toward the Most Holy Place, inside the Temple where YHWH's presence resided. (For more details on our interpretation, see our exegetical issue on this Hebrew word.)

v. 3

Image (8) v3.png

  • The verb bless in this verse, though a repeated root, is unique in the psalm, because it is the only verb that is not an imperative or participle. It has jussive modality, meaning it expresses a third-person wish rather than a second- or first-person command. This makes sense given the shift of speaker and addressee that occurs in this verse: now the priests are speaking to the congregation, and they are invoking a blessing from YHWH onto the people.
  • Zion was another name for Jerusalem and/or the Temple, where God's presence resided. See the table below for more details on the use of this imagery.

img-class=fluid

  • Why would the psalmist choose to describe YHWH using the phrase the maker of heaven and earth? Many Ancient Near Eastern peoples understood the entire created universe to consist of two parts: heaven/the heavens (God's space), and earth (humans'/the natural world's space).[8] Thus, this phrase is an artful way to describe YHWH as the creator of the entire universe. What is more, this phrase could hint at the coming together of heaven and earth that happened at Zion (see imagery table).
  • Maker (עֹשֵׂה) is functioning as an adjectival participle.

Verbal Semantics Chart

Conjugations
qatal yiqtol-jussive
wayyiqtol (following qatal)* cohortative
yiqtol participle
wayyiqtol (following yiqtol)* wayyiqtol (following participle)*
weyiqtol inf. construct
weqatal inf. absolute
*Wayyiqtol is colored a darker version of the conjugation it follows.
Relative tense arrows
Relative tense arrows (placed within the appropriate 'Fut/Pres/Past' column) are color coded according to the conjugation of the verb. The arrows in the table below are colored according to the typical uses of the conjugations.
After/posterior/future Imminent future Simultaneous/right now Recent past Before/anterior/past
←
←		 ↤ ↓↓↓ ↦ →
→
Aspect
Continuous Habitual or iterative Stative Perfective
Encoded in words ⟲ ⟲⟲⟲ ⎯ •
Inferable from context ⟲ ⟲⟲⟲ ⎯ •
Reference point movement
Movement No movement
⇐ ⇍
Modality
indicative purpose/result
jussive necessity
imperative possible
cohortative probable
wish ability
(past) conditional interrogative, etc.

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.

Psalm 134 - Verbal Semantics.jpg

  • The verbs in this short psalm are interesting and unique: 3 imperatives (vv. 1b, 2ab), one jussive with imperative force (v. 3a), and two participles that serve as appositives for the participants (vv. 1c, 3b). This means that the commands given by the imperatives shape how we understand the psalm--in terms of an exchange of (commanded/requested) blessings. In verse 1, we have an imperative ("bless") followed by the participle functioning as an attributive ("[the ones who] stand").

References

  1. ↑ Allen 2002, 231.
  2. ↑ NIDOTTE, 764.
  3. ↑ NIDOTTE, 432; BDB, 764.
  4. ↑ De-Claisse Walford 2014, 940.
  5. ↑ Matthews and Walton 2000.
  6. ↑ Allen 2002, 238.
  7. ↑ Cf. BDB; Allen 2002, 238.
  8. ↑ Keel 1997, 30.