Psalm 39 Speech Act

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Psalm 39/Speech Act
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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

YHWH David I decided to keep silent, but it was no good. Look, my hope is in you! I did not speak up,I, just like every person, am no more than a breath. REPORT(vv. 2–6b) SPEAKER ADDRESSEE SPEECH ACT SECTIONS LAMENT(vv. 8–12) Hear my prayer,Give me some respite from your discipline PLEA(vv. 13–14) I am no more than a guest in your land—​I will die soon. Truly people are no more than a breath and shadow, who heap up possessions without knowing who will gather them. REFLECTION(vv. 6c–7) "Teach me how short my life is! Look, it is like nothing in your eyes." I spoke up: because I may recover before I pass away. so that it was you who disciplined me. because

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.
Verse Text (Hebrew) Text (CBC) Sentence type Illocution (general) Illocution with context Macro speech act Intended perlocution (Think) Intended perlocution (Feel) Intended perlocution (Do) Speech Act Notes
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ *לִֽידוּת֗וּן* מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃   Fragment Assertive Informing concerning the purpose, musical arrangement, and author of the psalm          
2 אָמַ֗רְתִּי   Declarative Assertive Reporting his previous decision to stay silent Reporting his commitment to silence and later decision to speak        
  אֶֽשְׁמְרָ֣ה דְרָכַי֮ מֵחֲט֪וֹא בִלְשׁ֫וֹנִ֥י   Imperative Commissive Committing to avoiding sin by staying silent The hearer will conclude that speaking under these circumstances would have been sinful for the psalmist.      
  אֶשְׁמְרָ֥ה לְפִ֥י מַחְס֑וֹם   Imperative Commissive Committing to staying silent while the wicked are in his presence        
  בְּעֹ֖ד רָשָׁ֣ע לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃          
3 נֶאֱלַ֣מְתִּי ד֭וּמִיָּה   Declarative Assertive Reporting his silence        
  הֶחֱשֵׁ֣יתִי מִטּ֑וֹב   Declarative Assertive Reporting his silence and the lack of positive result The hearer will infer that the psalmist expected a good result from his silence.      
  וּכְאֵבִ֥י נֶעְכָּֽר׃   Declarative Expressive Complaining about his pain being stirred up in his silence        
4 חַם־לִבִּ֨י ׀ בְּקִרְבִּ֗י   Declarative Expressive Lamenting his ongoing suffering        
  בַּהֲגִיגִ֥י תִבְעַר־אֵ֑שׁ   Declarative Expressive Lamenting his ongoing suffering        
  דִּ֝בַּ֗רְתִּי בִּלְשֽׁוֹנִי׃   Declarative Assertive Reporting his decision to speak The hearer will understand that the psalmist could not keep his words in any longer.      
5 הוֹדִ֘יעֵ֤נִי יְהוָ֨ה ׀ קִצִּ֗י   Imperative Expressive Complaining about how short his life is   The hearers will feel sober about their ephemeral nature. YHWH will give the psalmist understanding of his transience.
YHWH will have compassion on the psalmist's afflction.		 "the psalmist is really not asking for information as such (after all, the psalmist knows that life is brief); rather he is protesting the unfairness of it all" (Bratcher & Reyburn 1991, 375) as a complaint (Ḥakham 1979, 224) or simply resignation (Böhler 2021, 713).
  וּמִדַּ֣ת יָמַ֣י מַה־הִ֑יא   Interrogative Expressive Complaining about how short his life is        
  אֵ֝דְעָ֗ה   Imperative Expressive Complaining about his frailty        
  מֶה־חָדֵ֥ל אָֽנִי׃          
6 הִנֵּ֤ה טְפָח֨וֹת ׀ נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י   Declarative Expressive Complaining that his life is as short as a few handbreadths        
  וְחֶלְדִּ֣י כְאַ֣יִן נֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ   Declarative Expressive Complaining that his life is like nothing in YHWH's estimation        
  אַ֥ךְ כָּֽל־הֶ֥בֶל כָּל־אָ֝דָ֗ם נִצָּ֥ב סֶֽלָה׃   Declarative Assertive Confirming the transient nature of all people Reflecting on the transient nature of people and the vanity of their labor The hearer will conclude that there is not one truly "standing firm."      
7 אַךְ־בְּצֶ֤לֶם ׀ יִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־אִ֗ישׁ   Declarative Assertive Confirming the transient nature of all people        
  אַךְ־הֶ֥בֶל יֶהֱמָי֑וּן   Declarative Assertive Confirming the vanity of people's labor The hearer will question the purpose of earthly pursuits.      
  יִ֝צְבֹּ֗ר   Declarative Assertive Explaining the futility of earthly prosperity        
  וְֽלֹא־יֵדַ֥ע          
  מִי־אֹסְפָֽם׃          
8 וְעַתָּ֣ה מַה־קִּוִּ֣יתִי אֲדֹנָ֑י   Interrogative Assertive Confirming his hope in YHWH Lamenting his discipline under YHWH's hand YHWH will recognize that the psalmist has hoped in him.   The hearer will put their hope in YHWH.  
  תּ֝וֹחַלְתִּ֗י לְךָ֣ הִֽיא׃   Declarative Assertive Confirming his hope in YHWH        
9 מִכָּל־פְּשָׁעַ֥י הַצִּילֵ֑נִי   Imperative Directive Requesting that YHWH rescue him from all his offenses The hearer will realize the psalmist has sinned.   YHWH will rescue the psalmist from all his offenses.  
  חֶרְפַּ֥ת נָ֝בָ֗ל אַל־תְּשִׂימֵֽנִי׃   Imperative Directive Requesting that YHWH not make him the object of fool's scorn     YHWH will not allow fools to scorn the psalmist.  
10 נֶ֭אֱלַמְתִּי   Declarative Assertive Reporting his silence        
  לֹ֣א אֶפְתַּח־פִּ֑י          
  כִּ֖י אַתָּ֣ה עָשִֽׂיתָ׃          
11 הָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י נִגְעֶ֑ךָ   Imperative Directive Requesting that YHWH take YHWH's affliction away from him     YHWH will take away his affliction.  
  מִתִּגְרַ֥ת יָ֝דְךָ֗ אֲנִ֣י כָלִֽיתִי׃   Declarative Expressive Lamenting his state under the hostility of YHWH's hand        
12 בְּֽתוֹכָ֘ח֤וֹת עַל־עָוֺ֨ן ׀ יִסַּ֬רְתָּ אִ֗ישׁ   Declarative Expressive Lamenting the discipline he is undergoing        
  וַתֶּ֣מֶס כָּעָ֣שׁ חֲמוּד֑וֹ   Declarative Expressive Complaining about the futility of his earthly prosperity        
  אַ֤ךְ הֶ֖בֶל כָּל־אָדָ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃   Declarative Assertive Confirming the transient nature of all people        
13 שִֽׁמְעָ֥ה־תְפִלָּתִ֨י ׀ יְהוָ֡ה   Imperative Directive Begging YHWH to hear his prayer Begging for respite from YHWH's discipline     YHWH will hear the psalmist's prayer.  
  וְשַׁוְעָתִ֨י ׀ הַאֲזִינָה֮   Imperative Directive Begging YHWH to listen to his cry for help     YHWH will listen to the psalmist's cry for help.  
  אֶֽל־דִּמְעָתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ   Imperative Directive Begging YHWH not to keep silent in the face of his weeping     YHWH will attend to the psalmist's weeping.  
  כִּ֤י גֵ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י עִמָּ֑ךְ   Declarative Assertive Explaining that he is a sojourner with YHWH ➞ he will die soon The hearers will also identify themselves as sojourners and temporary residents, that is, mortal.      
  תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב כְּכָל־אֲבוֹתָֽי׃   Declarative Assertive Explaining that he is a temporary resident ➞ he will die soon        
14 *הֶשַׁ֣ע* מִמֶּ֣נִּי   Imperative Directive Begging that YHWH give him some respite from his discipline     YHWH will alleviate his discipline  
  וְאַבְלִ֑יגָה          
  בְּטֶ֖רֶם אֵלֵ֣ךְ   The hearer will conclude that the psalmist's hope was only temporary alleviation from discipline, not an undoing of mortality.      
  וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃