Psalm 34 Emotional
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Psalm 34
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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.
Emotional Analysis Chart
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. |
| Verse | Text (Hebrew) | Text (CBC) | Proposition (Emotional Analysis) | The Psalmist Feels | Emotional Analysis Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לְדָוִ֗ד בְּשַׁנּוֹת֣וֹ אֶת־טַ֭עְמוֹ לִפְנֵ֣י אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וַֽ֝יְגָרֲשֵׁ֗הוּ וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃ | By David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, and Abimelek drove him out, and he went. | |||
| 2 | אֲבָרֲכָ֣ה אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת | I will bless YHWH at all times. | David blesses YHWH. | • strong desire to praise YHWH | • cohortative: "The cohortative express the will or strong desire of the speaker" (IBHS 34.5.1). • SDBH on "praise" — "action by which humans express their appreciation, admiration, respect, and/or gratitude to deities about who they are and what they do" |
| תָּ֝מִ֗יד תְּֽהִלָּת֥וֹ בְּפִֽי׃ | His praise will continually be in my mouth. | David praises YHWH. | • gratefulness/appreciation • admiration/respect | ||
| 3 | בַּ֭יהוָה תִּתְהַלֵּ֣ל נַפְשִׁ֑י | My soul boasts in YHWH. | David boasts in YHWH. | • pride/confidence (intense) • satisfaction (intense) |
• SDBH on "boast" — "action by which humans express their pride and satisfaction about themselves, their actions, certain circumstances they find themselves in, or a deity that they consider responsible for those circumstances" • "Nepesh is frequently used in connection with the emotional states of joy and bliss" (TWOT). • The use of נפש indicates intensity of emotion. |
| יִשְׁמְע֖וּ עֲנָוִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָֽחוּ׃ | May the afflicted hear and be glad! | The afflicted hear and are glad. | • joy (שׂמח) | • Presumably, the psalmist's call for the afflicted to "be glad" (שמח) reflects his own emotional state. • SDBH on "glad" — "state in which humans and deities feel and show great joy" | |
| 4 | גַּדְּל֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה אִתִּ֑י | Extol YHWH with me, | David and the afflicted praise YHWH. | • admiration/respect • joy • satisfaction • confidence • strong desire to praise YHWH | |
| וּנְרוֹמְמָ֖ה שְׁמ֣וֹ יַחְדָּֽו׃ | and let us exalt his name together! | • admiration/respect • joy • satisfaction • confidence • strong desire to praise YHWH |
• "in first person plural [cohortatives], the speakers usually seek to instigate or encourage each other to some action" (IBHS 34.5.1). | ||
| 5 | דָּרַ֣שְׁתִּי אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה וְעָנָ֑נִי | I sought YHWH and he answered me | David seeks YHWH. YHWH answers David. | • relief • gratefulness | |
| וּמִכָּל־מְ֝גוּרוֹתַ֗י הִצִּילָֽנִי׃ | and he rescued me from all my terrors. | YHWH rescues David. | • relief • gratefulness |
• Instead of feeling "terror" (מגורה), David now feels the relief of one who has been rescued from all terrors. | |
| 6 | *הַבִּיטוּ* אֵלָ֣יו *וּנְהָרוּ* | Gaze at him and glow, | The afflicted trust in YHWH. The afflicted are joyful. | • confidence • joy |
• Gazing at YHWH implies confidence: "to look with confidence towards Is 22:8 51:1f Jon 2:5 Zech 12:10 Ps 34:6" (HALOT) • "Glowing" implies joyful amazement. Isa. 60:5, "Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy (וְנָהַרְתְּ); the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come" (NIV). |
| *וּפְנֵיכֶם* אַל־יֶחְפָּֽרוּ׃ | and do not let your faces be ashamed! | The afflicted are ashamed. | • confidence • joy | ||
| 7 | זֶ֤ה עָנִ֣י קָ֭רָא וַיהוָ֣ה שָׁמֵ֑עַ | This is a poor man who called out and YHWH heard | David called out.YHWH heard. | • relief • gratefulness | |
| וּמִכָּל־צָ֝רוֹתָ֗יו הוֹשִׁיעֽוֹ׃ | and saved him from all his troubles. | YHWH saved David. | • relief • gratefulness |
• "Troubles" lead to "severe anxiety" (SDBH). Presumably, declaring his freedom from all troubles, the psalmist feels the opposite of severe anxiety. | |
| 8 | חֹנֶ֤ה מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָ֓ה | YHWH’s angel encamps | YHWH's angel protects those who fear YHWH. | • confidence • joy | |
| סָ֘בִ֤יב לִֽירֵאָ֗יו וַֽיְחַלְּצֵֽם׃ | all around those who fear him and he delivers them. | YHWH's angel delivers them. | • confidence • joy | ||
| 9 | טַעֲמ֣וּ וּ֭רְאוּ כִּי־ט֣וֹב יְהוָ֑ה | Taste and see that YHWH is good! | The afflicted discover that YHWH is good. | • confidence • joy • admiration | |
| אַֽשְׁרֵ֥י הַ֝גֶּ֗בֶר יֶחֱסֶה־בּֽוֹ׃ | Happy is the man who seeks refuge in him. | A man is protected by YHWH. | • confidence • joy • admiration |
• a pronouncement of "blessing" is typically "accompanied by an attitude of admiration" (SDBH) | |
| 10 | יְר֣אוּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה קְדֹשָׁ֑יו | Fear YHWH, you holy ones of his! | YHWH's people fear YHWH. | • confidence • joy • admiration | |
| כִּי־אֵ֥ין מַ֝חְס֗וֹר לִירֵאָֽיו׃ | For those who fear him have no lack. | Those who fear YHWH lack. | • confidence • joy • admiration | ||
| 11 | כְּ֭פִירִים רָשׁ֣וּ וְרָעֵ֑בוּ | Young lions have suffered want and been hungry, | Others suffer want and are hungry. | • confidence in YHWH's provision | |
| וְדֹרְשֵׁ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה לֹא־יַחְסְר֥וּ כָל־טֽוֹב׃ | but those who seek YHWH will not lack any good. | Those who seek YHHW lack good. | • confidence in YHWH's provision | ||
| 12 | לְֽכוּ־בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י | Come, children! Listen to me! | People come. People listen. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident |
• SDBH on "children" — "title used to address a person (male if in singular) who is regarded with some degree of affection" • "The use of a kinship term as a vocative implies that speaker and addressee have a close and friendly relationship, equivalent to the ideal form of the family relationship named (parent, child, or sibling). Where there is no blood relationship, a kinship term is typically used in address where the speaker is trying to persuade the addressee to some course of action" (Revell 1996:329). • The summons to "come" and "listen", together with the subject matter "the fear of YHWH", implies a relatively sober/solemn/serious mood—a lower level of activation than as in vv. 2-11. |
| יִֽרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הוָ֗ה אֲלַמֶּדְכֶֽם׃ | I will teach you the fear of YHWH. | David teaches people the fear of YHWH. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 13 | מִֽי־הָ֭אִישׁ הֶחָפֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים | Who is the person who desires life, | Someone desires life, loves days and loves to see good. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident |
• "The rhetorical question is used to grab the audience’s attention" (NET note). |
| אֹהֵ֥ב יָ֝מִ֗ים לִרְא֥וֹת טֽוֹב׃ | who wants to live a long time, who loves to see good? | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |||
| 14 | נְצֹ֣ר לְשׁוֹנְךָ֣ מֵרָ֑ע | Keep your tongue from evil | Someone refrains from speaking evil and deceit. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ מִדַּבֵּ֥ר מִרְמָֽה׃ | and your lips from speaking deceit! | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |||
| 15 | ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב | Turn away from evil and do good! | Someone rejects evil and does good. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| בַּקֵּ֖שׁ שָׁל֣וֹם וְרָדְפֵֽהוּ׃ | Seek peace and pursue it! | Someone seeks peace. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 17* | פְּנֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה בְּעֹ֣שֵׂי רָ֑ע | YHWH’s face is against those who do evil, | YHWH opposes those who do evil. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| לְהַכְרִ֖ית מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃ | so as to remove the memory of them from the earth. | The evildoers are not remembered. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 16* | עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה אֶל־צַדִּיקִ֑ים | YHWH’s eyes are directed towards the righteous, | YHWH sees the righteous. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וְ֝אָזְנָ֗יו אֶל־שַׁוְעָתָֽם׃ | and his ears are attentive to their cries for help. | YHWH hears the righteous. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 18 | צָעֲק֣וּ וַיהוָ֣ה שָׁמֵ֑עַ | They called for help, and YHWH heard, | The righteous call for help. YHWH hears. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וּמִכָּל־צָ֝רוֹתָ֗ם הִצִּילָֽם׃ | and he delivered them from all their troubles. | YHWH delivers the righteous. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 19 | קָר֣וֹב יְ֭הוָה לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵ֑ב | YHWH is near to the broken-hearted | YHWH stands ready to hear the afflicted. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וְֽאֶת־דַּכְּאֵי־ר֥וּחַ יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ | and he saves the crushed in spirit. | YHWH saves the afflicted. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 20 | רַ֭בּוֹת רָע֣וֹת צַדִּ֑יק | The hardships of the righteous are many, | The righteous experience many hardships. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וּ֝מִכֻּלָּ֗ם יַצִּילֶ֥נּוּ יְהוָֽה׃ | but YHWH rescues him from all of them. | YHWH rescues the righteous from his hardships. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 21 | שֹׁמֵ֥ר כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָ֑יו | He protects all his bones. | YHWH protects the righteous. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| אַחַ֥ת מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּה לֹ֣א נִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃ | Not one of them has broken. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |||
| 22 | תְּמוֹתֵ֣ת רָשָׁ֣ע רָעָ֑ה | Hardship finishes off a wicked person, | Hardship results in the death of the wicked. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וְשֹׂנְאֵ֖י צַדִּ֣יק יֶאְשָֽׁמוּ׃ | and those who hate a righteous person bear their guilt | The wicked bear their guilt. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | ||
| 23 | פּוֹדֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה נֶ֣פֶשׁ עֲבָדָ֑יו | YHWH redeems his servants’ lives, | YHWH redeems his servants' lives. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident | |
| וְלֹ֥א יֶ֝אְשְׁמ֗וּ כָּֽל־הַחֹסִ֥ים בּֽוֹ׃ | and no one who seeks refuge in him will ever bear guilt. | Those protected by YHWH bear guilt. | • affectionate • solemn/serious • confident |
Summary Visual
(Click visual to enlarge).
