Psalm 17 Story Behind
YHWH, hear a righteous case!
Psalm 17
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 visualise a mental representation of the text as the earliest hearers/readers might have conceptualised 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 analyse 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 visualises the rise and fall of tension within a semantic unit. Although story triangles are traditionally used to analyse stories in the literary sense of the word, we use them at this layer to analyse “stories” in the cognitive sense of the word—i.e., a story as a sequence of propositions and assumptions that has tension.
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.
| 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[1] are indicated by gray text. |
| Local-ground assumption | Local-ground assumptions[2] are indicated by dark blue text. |
| Playground assumption | Playground assumptions[3] are indicated by light blue text. |
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The point of the story at which the psalm takes place (as a speech event) is indicated by a gray star. |
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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. |
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A story that repeats is indicated by a circular arrow. This indicates a sequence of either habitual or iterative events. |
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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. |
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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 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.
- It was the prerogative of those considered to be upright by the standards of YHWH's law to "assume the privilege of the righteous and pray for vindication" (Craigie 2004, 163; TWOT, 752-753). Moreover, it was expected that those who lived a righteous life would, therefore, be heard by God, especially when they entreated him for justice (Pss 5; 7:4-6, 9-11; 34:16-18; 66:18-19; 84:12; Prov 15:8-9; 29; 2 Chron 7:14) (Delitzsch 1883, 291-293).
- Appealing to YHWH to punish one's enemies involved presenting a convincing depiction of one's enemies with regard to egregious nature of the evil they were guilty of (Keel 1997, 85, 96-97). Vivid descriptions of the treacherous ways of the wicked are seen to accompany the imprecations spoken against them (Pss 5:10-11; 28:3-5; 56:2-3, 6-7; 58:3-6; 109:2-5, 16-20) (Keel 1997, 97).
- "The experience of God in the temple is described as 'seeing God' or 'the face of God' (Pss 42:2; 63:2; 84:7)" (Keel 1997, 201). However, there is no firm indication in Psalm 17 that David is taking part in an incubation ritual of some sort.
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.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד שִׁמְעָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ צֶ֗דֶק הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה רִנָּתִ֗י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה תְפִלָּתִ֑י בְּ֝לֹ֗א שִׂפְתֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃ | 1 | A prayer. By David. YHWH, hear a righteous case which I bring because of my enemies who threaten me! Pay attention to my cry because I have been wronged, though I am upright! Listen to my prayer which is made without deceitful lips! |
| מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ | 2 | May my judgment come from you because you are just and discerning. I am aligning with you in asking this. May your eyes see and act upon uprightness. |
| בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י ׀ פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י בַּל־יַעֲבָר־פִּֽי׃ | 3 | You who see into human hearts have examined my heart; you have inspected [my heart] at night when human behavior is less constrained; you have tested me in order to determine whether I am at fault; yet, you find nothing blameworthy because I live uprightly before you. What I say is not different from what I think. |
| לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת אָ֭דָם בִּדְבַ֣ר שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ אֲנִ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אָרְח֥וֹת פָּרִֽיץ׃ | 4 | As for what other people may do, whether good or bad, I have restrained my violent behavior and that of others by the words of your lips because it enables me to know and do what is right, even as |
| תָּמֹ֣ךְ אֲ֭שֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ בַּל־נָמ֥וֹטּוּ פְעָמָֽי׃ | 5 | my steps have continually been persisting in your ways. My feet have not slipped. |
| אֲנִֽי־קְרָאתִ֣יךָ כִֽי־תַעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל הַֽט־אָזְנְךָ֥ לִ֝֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי׃ | 6 | I have called out to you, God, for you answer me because you made a covenant with me and are faithful to it. Incline your ear to me! Hear what I am saying because you hear and respond to those who are righteous! |
| הַפְלֵ֣ה חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ חוֹסִ֑ים מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃ | 7 | Carry out your covenant acts wondrously like you did when you freed your people from the tyranny of Pharaoh, deliverer of those who take refuge at your right hand from their adversaries. |
| שָׁ֭מְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן בַּת־עָ֑יִן בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃ | 8 | Because of your covenant relationship with your chosen people, you treat them as the “apple of your eye,” meaning that they are extremely valuable and that you take special care of them. So, Guard me like the apple of your eye because we are in covenant relationship! You must hide me in the shade of your wings as you did in the past for your people Israel when they were journeying through the wilderness toward the Promised land after you delivered them from their slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt. |
| מִפְּנֵ֣י רְ֭שָׁעִים ז֣וּ שַׁדּ֑וּנִי אֹיְבַ֥י בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ יַקִּ֥יפוּ עָלָֽי׃ | 9 | Hide me from wicked people who have been violent toward me without just cause, [from] my numerous ravenous enemies who gather around against me to attack me again! |
| חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ סָּגְר֑וּ פִּ֝֗ימוֹ דִּבְּר֥וּ בְגֵאֽוּת׃ | 10 | They have enclosed their [heart with] fat, resolving to show me no mercy; they have spoken arrogantly with their mouths intimidating and threatening me. |
| *אִשְּׁרֻנִי* עַתָּ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנׅי עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ | 11 | They have tracked me down; now they surround me. They fix their eyes to scan over the land so that I cannot move without them seeing and pursuing me. |
| דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ כְּ֭אַרְיֵה יִכְס֣וֹף לִטְר֑וֹף וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ | 12 | The chief of my enemies is particularly threatening. He is like a lion eager to maul and I am the prey he is after; and he is like a young lion lurking in hiding places so that he can ambush me unexpectedly. |
| קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃ | 13 | Arise, YHWH because I am not able to deliver myself! Confront his face! Cause him to bow down! Deliver my life from wicked people by your sword. |
| מִֽמְתִ֥ים יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ *וּֽצְפוּנְךָ֮* תְּמַלֵּ֪א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 14 | Deliver me from mortal men, by your hand, YHWH, from worldly people who do not care about living for you whose chosen portion is in this life which they live aloof from you. May you fill their belly with what you have stored up for them which is your judgment of them because of their wicked deeds! May the children eat their fill of your just punishment and have some of your continued punishment on them for their ancestors' wickedness left over for their little ones so that even they also experience your judgment, YHWH, on account of their forebears evil deeds! |
| אֲנִ֗י בְּ֭צֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶ֣ה פָנֶ֑יךָ אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ | 15 | After being vindicated by you, God, because you see that my cause is righteous, may I see your face. That is, may I experience you more fully. And may I be more deeply satisfied with seeing your likeness when I awake. |
Story Triangles
(Click diagram to enlarge)
Assumptions Table
There are currently no Imagery Tables available for this psalm.
Bibliography
Footnotes
- ↑ Common-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/ANE background - beliefs and practices that were widespread at this time and place. This is the background information necessary for understanding propositions that do not readily make sense to those who are so far removed from the culture in which the proposition was originally expressed.
- ↑ Local-ground assumptions are those propositions which are necessarily true if the text is true. They include both presuppositions and entailments. Presuppositions are those implicit propositions which are assumed to be true by an explicit proposition. Entailments are those propositions which are necessarily true if a proposition is true.
- ↑ Whereas local-ground assumptions are inferences which are necessarily true if the text is true, play-ground assumptions are those inferences which might be true if the text is true.