Psalm 28 Participant Analysis
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Psalm 28/Participant Analysis
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Don't be deaf to me!
Psalm 28
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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 28:
| David |
| "YHWH's anointed" |
| YHWH |
| "My rock" |
| "My strength" |
| "My shield" |
| "Saving refuge" |
| The people |
| "YHWH's possession" |
| Enemies |
| "Wicked people" |
| "Evildoers" |
| "those who speak peace with their neighbors but [speak] evil in their hearts" |
- David (the psalmist): Psalm 28 is traditionally attributed to David, and he is named as the author in the superscription. Others have argued that Psalm 28 was written by Jeremiah[1] or Josiah,[2] but these proposals have not gained traction. A number of historical events may have prompted David's lament, e.g., David's flight from Absalom,[3] a time of war,[4] duplicitous behavior from enemies,[5] and even illness or despair.[6] The setting of the psalm remains vague which contributes to the psalm's wide-ranging application. What can be known for certain is that the psalmist cried out to God for help, and God heard the sound of his cries.
- "YHWH's anointed": Scholars have debated whether מְשִׁיחוֹ (his [YHWH’s] anointed) refers to a king or to YHWH’s chosen people. We prefer the view of most scholars that the מָשִׁיחַ refers to a king. David, the speaker, is probably referring to himself at this point. See The Identity of the "Anointed" in Ps 28:8b for a detailed discussion.
- YHWH is referred to as the psalmist's rock, strength, shield, saving refuge, and the strength of his people. Throughout, YHWH is depicted as the one in whom the psalmist can take refuge and find protection (cf. Pss 61:2-4; 62: 6-8; 91:2; 144:1-2; etc.).
- The people referred to in the psalm are most likely Israel because they are described as "YHWH's possession" (Deut 4:20, 9: 26, 29; Exod 34:9; cf. also Barnes 1869, 246).
- Although they are not named, the enemies in this psalm are referred to as "wicked people" and "evildoers". They are also described as "those who speak peace with their neighbors but [speak] evil in their hearts." That is, they pretend to care for the well-being of their neighbors, but they secretly wish harm upon them. Thus, the enemies are duplicitous, masking their true intentions with friendly speech. Their fate is to be destroyed by YHWH. All of the above descriptors most likely refer to the same group of people.[7]
- Neighbor (v. 3) is not a participant in this psalm, but it is used to refer to those who have "some level of association" with the psalmist's enemies.[8] The association may be geographical, circumstantial, social, or even personal.[9]
- In this psalm, the phrase "Those who go down to the Pit" (v. 1) does not represent a participant for it does not function as an agentive subject of a verb. Instead, the phrase represents an outcome which the psalmist wishes to avoid. He recognizes that without God's help he will be unable to escape death. In fact, David employs the same phrase in Ps 30:3 to acknowledge that God has saved him from death: "O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit" (Ps 30:3, ESV. See participant analysis of Ps 88 in which the phrase "those who go down to the Pit" is part of the participant set list).
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| לְדָוִ֡ד | 1a | By David. |
| אֵ֘לֶ֤יךָ יְהוָ֨ה׀אֶקְרָ֗א | 1b | To you, YHWH, I cry out; |
| צוּרִי֮ אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַ֪שׁ מִ֫מֶּ֥נִּי | 1c | my rock, do not be deaf to me, |
| פֶּן־תֶּֽחֱשֶׁ֥ה מִמֶּ֑נִּי | 1d | lest you be silent to me, |
| וְ֝נִמְשַׁ֗לְתִּי עִם־י֥וֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃ | 1e | and I become like those who go down to the Pit. |
| שְׁמַ֤ע ק֣וֹל תַּ֭חֲנוּנַי | 2a | Hear the sound of my supplications |
| בְּשַׁוְּעִ֣י אֵלֶ֑יךָ | 2b | when I cry to you for help, |
| בְּנָשְׂאִ֥י יָ֝דַ֗י | 2c | when I lift up my hands |
| אֶל־דְּבִ֥יר קָדְשֶֽׁךָ׃ | 2d | toward your holy inner sanctuary. |
| אַל־תִּמְשְׁכֵ֣נִי עִם־רְשָׁעִים֮ | 3a | Do not drag me away with wicked people, |
| וְעִם־פֹּ֪עֲלֵ֫י אָ֥וֶן | 3b | with evildoers, |
| דֹּבְרֵ֣י שָׁ֭לוֹם עִם־רֵֽעֵיהֶ֑ם | 3c | those who speak peace with their neighbors |
| וְ֝רָעָ֗ה בִּלְבָבָֽם׃ | 3d | but [speak] evil in their hearts. |
| תֶּן־לָהֶ֣ם כְּפָעֳלָם֮ | 4a | Give to them that which is according to their deeds |
| וּכְרֹ֪עַ מַֽעַלְלֵ֫יהֶ֥ם | 4b | and according to the evil of their practices! |
| כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְ֭דֵיהֶם תֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֑ם | 4c | Give to them that which is according to the work of their hands! |
| הָשֵׁ֖ב גְּמוּלָ֣ם לָהֶֽם׃ | 4d | Repay them their dealings! |
| כִּ֤י לֹ֤א יָבִ֡ינוּ אֶל־פְּעֻלֹּ֣ת יְ֭הוָה | 5a | Since they do not regard the deeds of YHWH |
| וְאֶל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדָ֑יו | 5b | and the work of his hands, |
| יֶ֝הֶרְסֵ֗ם וְלֹ֣א יִבְנֵֽם׃ | 5c | he will tear them down, and he will not build them up. |
| בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֑ה | 6a | Blessed be YHWH! |
| כִּי־שָׁ֝מַע ק֣וֹל תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃ | 6b | For he has heard the sound of my supplications. |
| יְהוָ֤ה׀עֻזִּ֥י וּמָגִנִּי֮ | 7a | YHWH is my strength and my shield. |
| בּ֤וֹ בָטַ֥ח לִבִּ֗י וְֽנֶ֫עֱזָ֥רְתִּי | 7b | In him my heart trusted, and I was helped, |
| וַיַּעֲלֹ֥ז לִבִּ֑י | 7c | and my heart exulted, |
| וּֽמִשִּׁירִ֥י אֲהוֹדֶֽנּוּ׃ | 7d | and with my song I will praise him. |
| יְהוָ֥ה עֹֽז־לְעַמּוֹ | 8a | YHWH is the strength of his people, |
| וּמָ֘ע֤וֹז יְשׁוּע֖וֹת מְשִׁיח֣וֹ הֽוּא׃ | 8b | and he is the saving refuge for his anointed. |
| הוֹשִׁ֤יעָה׀אֶת־עַמֶּ֗ךָ | 9a | Save your people |
| וּבָרֵ֥ךְ אֶת־נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ | 9b | and bless your possession, |
| וּֽרְעֵ֥ם וְ֝נַשְּׂאֵ֗ם עַד־הָעוֹלָֽם׃ | 9c | and shepherd them and carry them forever! |
Participant analysis notes related to the speaker(s)
- The shift from addressing YHWH directly to referring to him in the third person along with the progression from desperate prayer (vv. 1-4) to confidence (v.5) and praise (v.6) have led scholars to disagree on the speaker for vv. 5-9.
- vv.5-9. The psalmist or a priest or temple servant as the speaker(s)?
- According to Craigie, David is the speaker for vv.1-4 and vv. 6-7, and a priest or temple servant is the speaker for vv. 5, 8-9. On this view, the psalmist presents his prayer to YHWH in vv. 1-4. Then, in v.5, the priest or temple servant declares divine judgment against the psalmist’s enemies. In vv. 6-7, the psalmist offers thanksgiving and praise to YHWH. The priest or temple servant concludes Psalm 28 with a declaration and prayer for YHWH's people (vv.8-9) (Craigie 2004, 237). However, the text itself does not present any indication that an oracle occurred, and this assumption is not necessary to make sense of the psalm; therefore, we have favored the view that the psalmist is the speaker for the whole psalm (cf. Alexander 1864, 131; Delitzsch 1883, 441; Berry 1915, 211; Kidner 1973, 122-124; Futato 2009, 118; Ross 2011, 648; Selderhuis 2015, 221; etc.).
Participant analysis notes related to the addressee(s)
- Psalm 28 concludes as it began, with prayer. In vv. 1-4, the psalmist prays for himself, and in v. 9 he prays for the people. Therefore, YHWH is addressed directly in vv. 1-4, 9.
- vv.5-8: The people, YHWH, or the psalmist as the addressee(s)?
- The shift from addressing YHWH directly to referring to him in the third person has led scholars to disagree on the addressee for vv. 5-8.
- The people the addressee for vv. 5-8 is the simplest and our preferred option. After praying to YHWH (vv.1-4), the psalmist addresses The people ( vv. 5-8). Ross explains, "V. 5 is an expression of confidence delivered to the congregation and may fit with the praise section which also addresses the congregation (vv. 6-8)" (Ross 2011, 640; Broyles 1999, 148-149).
- However, some scholars challenge the view that the addressee is the people and propose that the addressee is either a prophet or a priest.
- In contrast to the above position, scholars who see the speaker in vv. 5-9 as a priest or a temple servant propose a change in addressee in vv. 5-8 (Craigie 2004, 237; Jacobson and Tanner 2014, 273). The priest or temple servant hears the psalmist's prayer and receives an oracle of divine judgment on the psalmist's enemies. He then delivers this oracle to The psalmist (v. 5). Next, the psalmist directs thanksgiving and praise to YHWH in vv. 6-7 (YHWH would be spoken of in the third person). Finally, the priest prays to YHWH on behalf of the people (vv.8-9 - YHWH would be spoken of in the third person in v. 8, but he would be addressed directly in v.9). This alternative is based on a liturgical interpretation of the psalm in which an oracle of salvation occurred. Nevertheless, the text of Psalm 28 does not contain evidence of an oracle, nor is one necessary in order to make sense of the psalm. One alternative is that the psalmist was so confident in YHWH's future answer that he wrote with certainty of being heard. Or, what is more likely is that the psalmist recalled God's answer to his prayer and recorded it after the fact.
Participant Relations Diagram
The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:
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Participant Analysis Summary Distribution
