Choose a PsalmNavigate Psalm 25

About the Discourse Layer

Our Discourse Layer includes four additional layers of analysis:

Participant analysis
Macrosyntax
Speech act analysis
Emotional analysis

For more information on our method of analysis, click the expandable explanation button at the beginning of each layer.

Participant Analysis

What is Participant Analysis?

Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? It is often helpful for understanding literary structure, speaker identification, etc.

For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Participant Analysis Creator Guidelines.

There are 4 participants/characters in Psalm 25:

Profile List

David (v. 1)

Those who hope in YHWH (v. 3)

"sinners" (v. 8)

"afflicted people" (v. 9)

"those who keep YHWH's covenant and his stipulations" (v. 10)

Person who fears YHWH (v. 12)

Offspring of the person who fears YHWH (v. 13)

Israel (v. 22)

YHWH (vv. 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15)

"my God" (v. 1)

"the God who protects me" (v. 5)

"God" (v. 22)

Integrity and justice (v. 21)

Enemies

"my enemies" (vv. 2, 19)

"worthless people who act unfaithfully" (v. 3)

Profile Notes

David (v. 1, superscription), the king of Israel and Judah, is the speaker throughout the psalm. He is "alone and afflicted" (v. 16; cf. v. 15), distressed by many enemies (vv. 2, 19), but he trusts in YHWH to rescue him (vv. 1–2, 5, 15, 20–21).
Just as the psalm begins (v. 1) with a reference to "David," so it ends (v. 22) with a reference to Israel. Besides the divine name, "YHWH," "David" and "Israel" are the only two names in the psalm, and they frame the psalm (vv. 1, 22). There is a clear correspondence between David and Israel; for example, both experience "troubles" (vv. 17, 22) and need God to rescue them.^[1]
Throughout the psalm, the people of God are further described as "those who hope in YHWH" (v. 3), "sinners" (v. 8, i.e., those who recognize that they are sinners in need of YHWH's forgiveness and guidance), "afflicted people" (v. 9), and "those who keep YHWH's covenant and his stipulations" (v. 10). There is also an individualized reference to "the person who fears YHWH" (v. 12). The descriptions in vv. 8–10 seem to represent a progression: "sinners" (v. 8) --> "afflicted" (v. 9) --> those who keep his covenant" (v. 10). YHWH's people begin as "sinners" (v. 8), and their sin leads to their being "afflicted" (v. 9). But YHWH guides them so that they become people who "keep his covenant" (v. 10).
YHWH is David's "God" (v. 1), the God who saves him (v. 5), the God of Israel (v. 22). He is compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in loyalty and faithfulness, keeping loyalty for thousands, forgiving guilt and rebellion and sin (Exod 34:6–7).
Throughout the psalm, YHWH is the one who guides and rescues the psalmist. The only exception is in v. 21, where "integrity and justice" keep the psalmist safe (v. 21). Therefore, there is a correspondence between "integrity and justice" and "YHWH," who is the source of integrity and justice. YHWH keeps the psalmist safe by teaching him to walk in integrity and justice.
Many enemies threaten the psalmist (vv. 2, 19). They are characterized by unfaithfulness (v. 3) and violence (v. 19).

Hebrew	Verse	English
לְדָוִ֡ד	1a	By David.
אֵלֶ֥יךָ יְ֝הוָ֗ה	1b	To you, YHWH,
נַפְשִׁ֥י אֶשָּֽׂא׃אֱֽלֹהַ֗י	1c	I lift my soul, my God.
בְּךָ֣ בָ֭טַחְתִּי אַל־אֵב֑וֹשָׁה	2a	I trust in you; do not let me be disappointed!
אַל־יַֽעַלְצ֖וּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי׃	2b	Do not let my enemies rejoice over me!
גַּ֣ם כָּל־קֹ֭וֶיךָ לֹ֣א יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ	3a	Yes, none who hope in you will be disappointed.
יֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ הַבּוֹגְדִ֥ים רֵיקָֽם׃	3b	Worthless people who act unfaithfully will be disappointed.
דְּרָכֶ֣יךָ יְ֭הוָה הוֹדִיעֵ֑נִי	4a	Show me your ways, YHWH;
אֹ֖רְחוֹתֶ֣יךָ לַמְּדֵֽנִי׃	4b	teach me your paths!
הַדְרִ֘יכֵ֤נִי בַאֲמִתֶּ֨ךָ ׀	5a	Guide me in your truth;
לַמְּדֵ֗נִי כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׁעִ֑י	5b	teach me; because you are the God who saves me.
אוֹתְךָ֥ קִ֝וִּ֗יתִי כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃	5c	I hope in you all day
זְכֹר־רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ יְ֭הוָה	6a	Remember your compassion, YHWH,
וַחֲסָדֶ֑יךָ כִּ֖י מֵעוֹלָ֣ם הֵֽמָּה׃	6b	and [remember] your acts of loyalty, because they have been around forever.
חַטֹּ֤אות נְעוּרַ֨י ׀ וּפְשָׁעַ֗י אַל־תִּ֫זְכֹּ֥ר	7a	Do not remember my youthful sins or my rebellious acts!
כְּחַסְדְּךָ֥ זְכָר־לִי־אַ֑תָּה	7b	Remember me according to your loyalty,
לְמַ֖עַן טוּבְךָ֣ יְהוָֽה׃	7c	because of your goodness, YHWH!
טוֹב־וְיָשָׁ֥ר יְהוָ֑ה	8a	YHWH is good and just;
עַל־כֵּ֤ן יוֹרֶ֖ה חַטָּאִ֣ים בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃	8b	therefore, he instructs sinners in the way.
יַדְרֵ֣ךְ עֲ֭נָוִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט	9a	He guides afflicted people in justice
וִֽילַמֵּ֖ד עֲנָוִ֣ים דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃	9b	and teaches afflicted people his way.
כָּל־אָרְח֣וֹת יְ֭הוָה חֶ֣סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֑ת	10a	All of YHWH's paths are loyalty and faithfulness
לְנֹצְרֵ֥י בְ֝רִית֗וֹ וְעֵדֹתָֽיו׃	10b	for those who keep his covenant and his demands.
לְמַֽעַן־שִׁמְךָ֥ יְהוָ֑ה	11a	Because of your name, YHWH,
וְֽסָלַחְתָּ֥ לַ֝עֲוֺנִ֗י כִּ֣י רַב־הֽוּא׃	11b	forgive my guilt, because it is great!
מִי־זֶ֣ה הָ֭אִישׁ יְרֵ֣א יְהוָ֑ה	12a	Who is the person who fears YHWH?
י֝וֹרֶ֗נּוּ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ יִבְחָֽר׃	12b	He will instruct him in the way he should choose.
נַ֭פְשׁוֹ בְּט֣וֹב תָּלִ֑ין	13a	He himself will stay in a good place,
וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ יִ֣ירַשׁ אָֽרֶץ׃	13b	and his offspring will possess land.
ס֣וֹד יְ֭הוָה לִירֵאָ֑יו	14a	YHWH's personal counsel and his covenant are for those who fear him,
וּ֝בְרִית֗וֹ לְהוֹדִיעָֽם׃	14b	and his covenant are for those who fear him, for teaching them.
פְּנֵה־אֵלַ֥י וְחָנֵּ֑נִי	16a*	Turn towards me and be merciful to me,
כִּֽי־יָחִ֖יד וְעָנִ֣י אָֽנִי׃	16b*	because I am alone and afflicted.
עֵינַ֣י תָּ֭מִיד אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה	15a*	My eyes are always on YHWH,
כִּ֤י הֽוּא־יוֹצִ֖יא מֵרֶ֣שֶׁת רַגְלָֽי׃	15b*	because he will bring my feet out of a net.
צָר֣וֹת לְבָבִ֣י הִרְחִ֑יבוּ	17a	The troubles of my heart have expanded.
מִ֝מְּצֽוּקוֹתַ֗י הוֹצִיאֵֽנִי׃	17b	Bring me out of my distresses!
רְאֵ֣ה עָ֭נְיִי וַעֲמָלִ֑י	18a	Look at my affliction and my hardship,
וְ֝שָׂ֗א לְכָל־חַטֹּאותָֽי׃	18b	and forgive all my sins!
רְאֵֽה־אוֹיְבַ֥י כִּי־רָ֑בּוּ	19a	Look at my enemies, how they have multiplied
וְשִׂנְאַ֖ת חָמָ֣ס שְׂנֵאֽוּנִי׃	19b	and how they hate me with violent hatred!
שָׁמְרָ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי וְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי	20a	Guard my life and rescue me!
אַל־אֵ֝ב֗וֹשׁ כִּֽי־חָסִ֥יתִי בָֽךְ׃	20b	Do not let me be disappointed, because I have taken refuge in you!
תֹּם־וָיֹ֥שֶׁר יִצְּר֑וּנִי	21a	May integrity and justice keep me safe,
כִּ֝֗י קִוִּיתִֽיךָ׃	21b	because I hope in you.
פְּדֵ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל	22a	God, redeem Israel
מִ֝כֹּ֗ל צָֽרוֹתָיו׃	22b	from all their troubles!

v. 7 This verse concludes the opening second-person address to YHWH. The clause-final vocative marks the conclusion of the address (see Macrosyntax). The following verses (vv. 8–10, 12–14) then speak about YHWH in the third person. The addressee in these verses is not specified. The psalmist might still be talking to YHWH, or he might be talking to himself.^[2] He might also be addressing "those who hope in YHWH" (v. 3). In the absence of a clear addressee, we have identified the addressee as "those who hope in YHWH" (v. 3), which could also include David himself.

The sustained third-person reference to YHWH throughout these verses and the clause-final vocative in v. 7 (closing a conversational turn) suggests that YHWH is not the addressee in these verses.

v. 11 The subject of the clause in v. 11b (רַב־הוּא) is ambiguous. It could mean either, "because it (= my guilt) is great" or "because it (= your name) is great." The ambiguity is probably deliberate, such that the clause has a double meaning.^[3] Nevertheless, the more likely subject – the one that would probably first come to mind in a surface reading of the text – is "my guilt." Not only is "my guilt" the immediately preceding noun phrase, but, as Baethgen notes, the adjective רַב works better with "guilt" than with "name." If the poet meant to talk about YHWH's "name" being "great," he could have used the more appropriate adjective גָּדוֹל.^[4]

Participant Relations Diagram

The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:

The Participant Analysis Relations visual is forthcoming.

The Participant Analysis Mini-Story is forthcoming.

Participant Analysis Summary Distribution

This resource is forthcoming.

Notes:

YHWH appears throughout the psalm (every verses except v. 13). He is addressed in the second person in the first seven verses (vv. 1–7) and the last six verses (vv. 17–22).
The psalmist uses first-person language throughout much of the psalm, especially in vv. 15/16–21, where first-person language continues uninterrupted for seven verses.
There is an interesting pattern in the middle of the psalm. Verse 11, which has the psalmist in first person and YHWH in second person, is surrounded on either side with a cluster of three verses describing those who hope in YHWH.
Enemies appear only twice in the psalm, once near the beginning (vv. 2–3) and once near the end (v. 19).

Macrosyntax

What is Macrosyntax?

Macrosyntax Diagram

Legend

Macrosyntax legend
Vocatives	Vocatives are indicated by purple text.
Discourse marker	Discourse markers (such as כִּי, הִנֵּה, לָכֵן) are indicated by orange text.
	The scope governed by the discourse marker is indicated by a dashed orange bracket connecting the discourse marker to its scope.
	The preceding discourse grounding the discourse marker is indicated by a solid orange bracket encompassing the relevant clauses.
Subordinating conjunction	The subordinating conjunction is indicated by teal text.
	Subordination is indicated by a solid teal bracket connecting the subordinating conjunction with the clause to which it is subordinate.
Coordinating conjunction	The coordinating conjunction is indicated by blue text.
	Coordination is indicated by a solid blue line connecting the coordinating clauses.
	Coordination without an explicit conjunction is indicated by a dashed blue line connecting the coordinated clauses.
	Marked topic is indicated by a black dashed rounded rectangle around the marked words.
	The scope of the activated topic is indicated by a black dashed bracket encompassing the relevant clauses.
Marked focus or thetic sentence	Marked focus (if one constituent) or thetic sentences^[5] are indicated by bold text.
	Frame setters^[6] are indicated by a solid gray rounded rectangle around the marked words.
[blank line]	Discourse discontinuity is indicated by a blank line.
[indentation]	Syntactic subordination is indicated by indentation.
	Direct speech is indicated by a solid black rectangle surrounding all relevant clauses.
(text to elucidate the meaning of the macrosyntactic structures)	Within the CBC, any text elucidating the meaning of macrosyntax is indicated in gray text inside parentheses.

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.

(Click diagram to enlarge)

[[File:|class=img-fluid|1110px]]

As discussed throughout the macrosyntax notes, the vocatives help to shape the discourse structure.

v. 1 - The single clause in v. 1 is distributed across two lines, which have an ABAB structure: A. (אליך) B (יהוה) A' (נפשׁי אשא) B' (אלהי). This might be considered a case of "vertical grammar": "to you, YHWH, // I lift my soul, my God" >> "I lift my soul to you, YHWH my God."^[7]
v. 1b - The prepositional phrase "to you" (אֵלֶיךָ) is fronted for the purpose of the acrostic structure. But it seems likely that this fronting also has the pragmatic effect of focusing the content of the prepositional phrase: "it's to you, YHWH, that I lift my soul."^[8]
v. 1b - The object "my soul" (נַפְשִׁי) is preverbal, but the reason for this is not clear. In fact, all of the constituents in v. 1b (נַפְשִׁ֥י אֶשָּֽׂא׃ אֱֽלֹהַ֗י) are placed in the reverse order in which they would be expected (e.g., *אליך יהוה *אלהי אשא נפשי). The poetic (or pragmatic?) effect of this order is not clear. Perhaps the poet wanted to juxtapose the alef words at the end of the alef line: אֶשָּֽׂא׃ אֱֽלֹהַ֗י.
v. 2a - The prepositional phrase "in you" (בְּךָ) is fronted for the purpose of the acrostic structure. But, like the phrase in v. 1, it seems likely that this fronting also has the pragmatic effect of focusing the content of the prepositional phrase: "it's in you that I trust."
v. 3a - The subject "none who hope in you" (כָּל־קֹוֶיךָ) is fronted, probably for marked focus (cf. 2 Chr 20:4): "no one who hopes in you will come to shame – not a single one!"
v. 4a - The object "your ways" (דְּרָכֶיךָ) is fronted for the sake of the acrostic structure. At the same time, the fronting introduces "ways" as the topic of vv. 4–5 (and one of the major themes in the psalm). The same word order sequence is repeated in v. 4b for poetic cohesion (AB//AB).
v. 5d - The object "you" (אוֹתְךָ) is fronted for marked focus: "it's in you that I hope."
v. 6c - The predicate complement "they have been around forever" (lit.: "they are from forever," מֵעוֹלָם) is fronted for marked focus. Because they have been around forever (and not for a little while), they are a reliable basis for his appeal. Notice also the contrast between the antiquity of YHWH's compassion (v. 6) and the psalmist's youthful sins (v. 7).
v. 7a - The compound object "my youthful sins or my rebellious acts" in v. 7a (חַטֹּאות נְעוּרַי וּפְשָׁעַי) is fronted for the sake of the acrostic structure. At the same time, the fronting seems to have the pragmatic effect of marking the topic: "As for my youthful sins and my rebellion..."
v. 7b - The prepositional phrase in v. 7b (כְּחַסְדְּךָ) is fronted for replacing focus: "not according to my sins, but according to your loyalty."
v. 8a - The predicate complement "good and just" in v. 8 is fronted for the sake of the acrostic structure, but it also seems to have a pragmatic effect (focus). The subject, "YHWH," is already discourse active, and the adjectives "good and just" predicate something about him. What is YHWH like? He is good and just (v. 8a). And it's because of these attributes that he instructs sinners in the way (v. 8b).
v. 11a - Again, the fronted phrase "because of your name" (לְמַֽעַן־שִׁמְךָ֥) in v. 11 doubles to fulfill the requirements of the acrostic structure (lamed verse) and focus the content of the phrase: "if because of nothing else than your name, YHWH, would you forgive my guilt." His only appeal is to YHWH's name, i.e., his character.
v. 11b - The predicate complement "great" is fronted for marked focus.
v. 13 - The subjects in v. 13 are fronted for marked topic: "As for his life (i.e., as for he himself)... And as for his offspring..." The clause in v. 13a has double fronting: "as for his life (i.e., as for he himself), he will stay in a good place. The verb "will stay" is presupposed from the journey metaphor (cf. "way" in the previous clause).
v. 16c - The predicate complement in v. 16 is fronted for marked focus. The subject ("I") is discourse active, and the clause says something new about the subject: "I am alone and afflicted (and that's why I need you to turn towards me and have mercy)."
v. 15b - The clause in v. 15b has an overt subject pronoun "he" (הוּא) which is also fronted before the verb. This appears to be a case of marked focus; the psalmist is explaining why his eyes are always on YHWH. It is because YHWH is the one who will rescue him from his distress. Cf. NIV: "for only he will release my feet from the snare."
v. 17a - The subject in v. 17a (צָרוֹת לְבָבִי) is fronted for the sake of the acrostic structure. At the same time, the entire clause ("The troubles of my heart have expanded") could be interpreted as thetic, i.e., the entire utterance is new information. Specifically, it could be an explanative thetic, since it provides the grounds for the following imperative.
v. 17b - The fronting of the prepositional phrase in v. 17b creates a pattern of repetition: A. the troubles of my heart; B. have expanded (verb); A. from my distresses; B. bring me out (verb).
v. 19c - The adverbial "violent hatred" is fronted, probably for marked (scalar) focus: "how they hate me with such violent hatred!" The psalmist wants YHWH to see, not just that his enemies hate him, but that their hatred is intense and ready to spill over into violence.
v. 21a - The subject "integrity and justice" is fronted for the sake of the acrostic structure (taw verse). It could also have the pragmatic effect of introducing "integrity and justice" as the marked topic of the clause: "as for integrity and justice, may they keep me safe."

The vocatives in vv. 1, 4, and 6 help to structure the discourse, each coinciding with the thematic shifts and the beginning of new poetic subunits (see Poetic Structure).
v. 1 - The position of the vocative " YHWH" as the second constituent contributes to the focal status of the phrase "to you."^[9]
v. 4 - The vocative YHWH in v. 4 is in second position, perhaps drawing attention to the poetic-structural (and thematic) significance of דְּרָכֶיךָ. This is the first occurrence of the root דרך in Psalm 25 – the most repeated root in the psalm (six times!).
v. 6 - The vocative YHWH in v. 6 helps to demarcate the end of the poetic line.^[10] Otherwise, if the vocative came after the verb (*זְכֹר יְהוָה רַחֲמֶיךָ וַחֲסָדֶיךָ*), the reading would be likely to group וַחֲסָדֶיךָ with the preceding clause/line.
v. 7 - The clause-final vocative YHWH at the end of v. 7 marks the end of the psalm's opening address to YHWH.^[11] Whereas vv. 1–7 are addressed to YHWH in the second person, vv. 8–14 (with the exception of v. 11) talk about YHWH in the third person. The clause-final vocative in v. 7 helps to mark this shift.
v. 11 - The vocative YHWH in v. 11 helps to focus the preceding phrase.^[12]
v. 22 - The vocative אֱ֭לֹהִים in v. 22 – the only vocative since v. 11 – is in second position. Perhaps it is drawing attention to the following sentence constituent, "Israel."^[13] An emphasis on Israel in this line would make sense, since the whole point of the line seems to be to apply David's prayer (vv. 1–21) to Israel.

v. 3 - The discourse particle גַּם, which fits the requirements of the acrostic structure, appears to have "an affirmative connotation" in this context: "yes" (WEB), "yea" (KJV), "indeed" (ESV, NASB), "certainly" (NET).^[14]

v. 6 - The כִּי clause in v. 6b grounds the request of the previous two clauses. "The reason why I am appealing to your compassion and acts of loyalty is because they have been around forever."
v. 11 - The כִּי clause in v. 11b – "because it [= my guilt] is great" – explains why it is that he needs forgiveness and why he can appeal to nothing less than YHWH's great name (cf. Rashi: נאה לרב לסלוח עון רב).

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
Analysis Chart

Summary Visual

This resource is forthcoming.

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.

This resource is forthcoming.

Emotional Analysis

What is Emotional Analysis?

This layer explores the emotional dimension of the biblical text and seeks to uncover the clues within the text itself that are part of the communicative intent of its author. The goal of this analysis is to chart the basic emotional tone and/or progression of the psalm.

For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Emotional Analysis Creator Guidelines.