Psalm 16 Story Behind

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Delights forever

Psalm 16

About the Story Behind Layer

The Story Behind the Psalm shows how each part of the psalm fits together into a single coherent whole. Whereas most semantic analysis focuses on discrete parts of a text such as the meaning of a word or phrase, Story Behind the Psalm considers the meaning of larger units of discourse, including the entire psalm.

The goal of this layer is to reconstruct and visualize a mental representation of the text as the earliest hearers/readers might have conceptualized it. We start by identifying the propositional content of each clause in the psalm, and then we identify relevant assumptions implied by each of the propositions. During this process, we also identify and analyze metaphorical language (“imagery”). Finally, we try to see how all of the propositions and assumptions fit together to form a coherent mental representation. The main tool we use for structuring the propositions and assumptions is a story triangle, which visualizes the rise and fall of tension within a semantic unit. Although story triangles are traditionally used to analyze stories in the literary sense of the word, we use them at this layer to analyze “stories” in the cognitive sense of the word—i.e., a story as a sequence of propositions and assumptions that has tension.

  Story Behind Explainer

Summary Triangle

The story triangle below summarises the story of the whole psalm. We use the same colour scheme as in Participant Analysis. The star icon along the edge of the story-triangle indicates the point of the story in which the psalm itself (as a speech event) takes place. We also include a theme at the bottom of the story. The theme is the main message conveyed by the story-behind.

  Legend

Story Triangles legend
Propositional content (verse number)	Propositional content, the base meaning of the clause, is indicated by bold black text. The verse number immediately follows the correlating proposition in black text inside parentheses.
Common-ground assumption	Common-ground assumptions are indicated by gray text.
Local-ground assumption	Local-ground assumptions are indicated by dark blue text.
Playground assumption	Playground assumptions are indicated by light blue text.
	The point of the story at which the psalm takes place (as a speech event) is indicated by a gray star.
	If applicable, the point of the story at which the psalm BEGINS to take place (as a speech event) is indicated with a light gray star. A gray arrow will travel from this star to the point at which the psalm ends, indicated by the darker gray star.
	A story that repeats is indicated by a circular arrow. This indicates a sequence of either habitual or iterative events.
	A story or event that does not happen or the psalmist does not wish to happen is indicated with a red X over the story triangle.
	Connections between propositions and/or assumptions are indicated by black arrows with small text indicating how the ideas are connected.
Note: In the Summary triangle, highlight color scheme follows the colors of participant analysis.

• Background
• Paraphrase
• Story Triangles
• Imagery

Background ideas

Following are the common-ground assumptionsCommon-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/Ancient Near Eastern background. which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm.

Background situation

The background situation is the series of events leading up to the time in which the psalm is spoken. These are taken from the story triangle – whatever lies to the left of the star icon.

Expanded Paraphrase

The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

  Legend

Expanded paraphrase legend
Close but Clear (CBC) translation	The CBC, our close but clear translation of the Hebrew, is represented in bold text.
Assumptions	Assumptions which provide background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences are represented in italics.

Text (Hebrew)	Verse	Expanded Paraphrase
מִכְתָּ֥ם לְדָוִ֑ד שָֽׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֝֗ל כִּֽי־חָסִ֥יתִי בָֽךְ׃	1	A miktam. By David. YHWH, you alone are my God, and I am your servant. Show loyalty to me, because I have been loyal to you. Protect me from harm, God, because I have taken refuge in you.
*אָמַ֣רְתִּ* לַֽ֭יהוָה אֲדֹנָ֣י אָ֑תָּה ט֝וֹבָתִ֗י בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ׃	2	I have taken refuge in you by entrusting myself completely to your care. I have said to YHWH, "You are my Lord, and I submit to your authority. You are my benefactor; I recognize you as the source of all my good; for me, there is no one above you; I have no higher Lord and no greater good."
לִ֭קְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֣רֶץ הֵ֑מָּה וְ֝אַדִּירֵ֗י כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָֽם׃	3	By contrast, other people take refuge in other gods. They are not devoted to you like I am. Instead, when they are on the side of underworld deities, the so-called holy ones who are buried in the earth, the ones of whom people say,"all-my-pleasure-is-in-them", the so-called mighty ones. When people are in danger and want to get advice from the divine realm, they consult these underworld deities (cf. 1 Sam 28).
יִרְבּ֥וּ עַצְּבוֹתָם֮ אַחֵ֪ר מָ֫הָ֥רוּ בַּל־אַסִּ֣יךְ נִסְכֵּיהֶ֣ם מִדָּ֑ם וּֽבַל־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁ֝מוֹתָ֗ם עַל־שְׂפָתָֽי׃	4	Their idols, by which they serve their gods, increase; they have acquired yet another god, in the same way that a man acquires a bride. I will not participate in the worship of these gods. I will not try to summon them from the earth by pouring out their drink offerings made of blood, and I will not try to summon them by uttering their names with my lips as part of a ritual incantation.
יְֽהוָ֗ה מְנָת־חֶלְקִ֥י וְכוֹסִ֑י אַ֝תָּ֗ה תּוֹמִ֥יךְ גּוֹרָלִֽי׃	5	Instead, I am devoted to YHWH alone. YHWH, you assigned lands to the nations and divided up the human race. You established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in your heavenly court (Deut 32:8). And, in so doing, you took Israel for yourself; you made us your portion. You are our God, and we are your people. And so, YHWH is the portion I possess and my cup which has been given me to drink, a symbol of my portion in life. You, YHWH, are holding my lot; you have determined my fate—where I live and, therefore, which god I serve.
חֲבָלִ֣ים נָֽפְלוּ־לִ֭י בַּנְּעִמִ֑ים אַף־*נַ֝חֲלָ֗תִ* שָֽׁפְרָ֥ה עָלָֽי׃	6	I cannot be happier about the portion that has been allotted to me! Property lines have fallen for me in the most delightful places. Yes, my inheritance —a place among the people of Israel, who have YHWH as their god— is beautiful to me. Other Israelites reject their inheritance and commit spiritual adultery with other gods (cf. vv. 3–4). But I rejoice in my lot and take refuge in you, YHWH, by gladly entrusting myself to your care.
אֲבָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְעָצָ֑נִי אַף־לֵ֝יל֗וֹת יִסְּר֥וּנִי כִלְיוֹתָֽי׃	7	YHWH has granted by request for protection (v. 1)! I was in a dangerous situation, and I did not know what to do. So, I sought YHWH's advice, and he answered me! He showed me the way to life and kept me safe! I will gratefully bless YHWH, who has advised me. Yes, he spoke to me throughout the night. As I prayerfully reflected on my situation, he made it clear what I should do; as I deliberated throughout the night, my kidneys, the seat of my conscience, instructed me.
שִׁוִּ֬יתִי יְהוָ֣ה לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִ֑יד כִּ֥י מִֽ֝ימִינִ֗י בַּל־אֶמּֽוֹט׃	8	I have placed YHWH before me as my trusted adviser; I will always seek his counsel. Because he is at my right side, where he will always advise me and protect me, I will not be affected by difficult circumstances and shaken from my position of stability.
לָכֵ֤ן ׀ שָׂמַ֣ח לִ֭בִּי וַיָּ֣גֶל *כְּבֵדִ֑י* אַף־בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶֽטַח׃	9	Therefore, convinced of YHWH's constant protection, my heart rejoices, and my liver, the seat of my emotions, is glad. What's more, not only will my internal, emotional self experience a state of well-being, but my body too will dwell securely.
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־תַעֲזֹ֣ב נַפְשִׁ֣י לִשְׁא֑וֹל לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן חֲ֝סִידְךָ֗ לִרְא֥וֹת שָֽׁחַת׃	10	For you will preserve my life forever! You will not abandon my life to the power of Sheol, the underworld; you will not let me, your loyal one, experience decay and rot in the grave.
תּֽוֹדִיעֵנִי֮ אֹ֤רַח חַ֫יִּ֥ים שֹׂ֣בַע שְׂ֭מָחוֹת אֶת־פָּנֶ֑יךָ נְעִמ֖וֹת בִּימִינְךָ֣ נֶֽצַח׃	11	Instead, you will preserve my life. You will continue to advise me and show me the way to life – you will make me experience fullness of joy in your presence, delights in your right hand – and you will do so forever.

Story Triangles

(Click diagram to enlarge)

"Their idols increase; they have acquired another" (v. 4a)
	Marriage	Idolatry
Participant 1	husband	person, worshipper
Participant 2	bride	idol, god
Nature of relationship	covenantal (cf. Gen 2:24; Mal 2:14)	covenantal
Means of initiating relationship	bride-price: payment made to the family of the bride by the groom (SDBH), as an indeminity for her family (HALOT) (cf. Gen 34:12; Exod 22:15; 1 Sam 18:25)	offering (v. 4b) and oath (v. 4c)
Blend	Bride-price drink offering
Implicatures	People who pour out drink offerings to other gods are entering into a covenant with these gods and violating their covenant relationship with YHWH (cf. Isa 57:4–8). They are committing spiritual adultery.
Prominence	MEDIUM The "bride-price" imagery is only briefly evoked with the word מָ֫הָ֥רוּ in v. 4a. Nevertheless, given the uniqueness of this particular image, it is relatively prominent. Although other passages use the language of marriage to describe the relationship between gods and people (cf. Isa 54; Jer 2:1; 3:6; Ezek 23; Hosea; see esp. Isa 57:4–8), only this passage uses the language of "bride-price" (מהר). The only other occurrence in the Bible of the verb "pay a bride-price >> acquire" (מָהַר) is in Exodus 22:16: “If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price..." (NIV). Interestingly, the very next law in Exodus 22 says, "Do not allow a sorceress to live" (Exod 22:18, NIV). Sorceresses were associated with death cults (cf. Deut 18:10; 1 Sam 28), which is exactly what Psalm 16:3–4 is describing. Perhaps the word מהר in Psalm 16:4 is a deliberate allusion to Exodus 22:16–18.

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