Choose a PsalmNavigate Psalm 45

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 6 participants/characters in Psalm 45:

Psalmist

God (vv. 3, 8)

The king (vv. 2, 6, 12, 15)

"God" (v. 7)

The king's ancestors (v. 17)

The king's sons (v. 17)

Enemies (v. 6)

"Peoples" (v. 6)

Bride

"Daughter" (v. 11)

"Princess" (v. 14)

The queen mother (v. 10)

Young women/companions (v. 15)

Foreign allies

Peers (v. 8)

The daughter's "people" and "father's house" (v. 11)

"Daughter Tyre, the riches of people" (v. 13)

"Peoples" (v. 18)

The psalmist belongs to the "sons of Korah" (v. 1), appearing in first-person speech only in vv. 2, 18.
God is mentioned only twice in the psalm, in the similar encouragements "Therefore, God has blessed you forever" (v. 3) and "Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you" (v. 8).
The king is unidentified, yet is the addressee throughout the psalm, with the exception of vv. 11-13. He is addressed as divine by the psalmist (v. 7), who promises to profess his name throughout all generations (v. 18), since in place of the king's ancestors, his sons will be appointed as princes (v. 17).
The enemy peoples are entirely generic and unspecified. The are only said to fall under the king as his arrows pierce their hearts (v. 6).
The bride is exhorted concerning her preparations for marriage in vv. 11-13, which are then described in vv. 14-16. Some scholars have suggested she is the same person as the queen mentioned in v. 10 (see the note accompanying the text table). It is preferable, however, to understand the queen as exhorting the future bride throughout vv. 11-13. Later, the bride also has companions who accompany her in her entrance.
The foreign allies consist of the king's peers (other kings), the bride's people and household (v. 11) and Tyre, stereotyped as a rich nation, who will seek both the king's and her favor with a gift (v. 13). The peers are most likely fellow kings of other lands.^[1] They were "colleagues,"^[2] "associates...of like rank" (BDB), with the significant caveat that the others had not enjoyed YHWH's anointing. ANE kings often referred to themselves as "brothers" in the Late Bronze Age,^[3] of which חָבֵר is a comparable term. The peoples in general are then incorporated into this treaty-seeking and praise/tribute-offering people in the last verse. If they are to be identified with the enemy peoples of v. 6, their function in the psalm has radically transformed from those being slain by the king to those who submit to his rule and praise him forever.

Hebrew	Verse	English
לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־שֹׁ֭שַׁנִּים לִבְנֵי־קֹ֑רַח מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל שִׁ֣יר יְדִידֹֽת׃	1	For the director. According to "Lilies." By the sons of Korah. A maskil. An ode.
רָ֘חַ֤שׁ לִבִּ֨י ׀ דָּ֘בָ֤ר ט֗וֹב	2a	My heart has been stirred by a good theme;
אֹמֵ֣ר אָ֭נִי מַעֲשַׂ֣י לְמֶ֑לֶךְ	2b	I am about to recite my verses to a king.
לְ֝שׁוֹנִ֗י עֵ֤ט ׀ סוֹפֵ֬ר מָהִֽיר׃	2c	My tongue is a pen of a skillful scribe.
יְפֵיפִיתָ מִבְּנֵ֬י אָדָ֗ם	3a	You are the most attractive of all people;
ה֣וּצַק חֵ֭ן בְּשְׂפְתוֹתֶ֑יךָ	3b	kindness has been poured out by your speech.
עַל־כֵּ֤ן בֵּֽרַכְךָ֖ אֱלֹהִ֣ים לְעוֹלָֽם׃	3c	Therefore, God has blessed you forever.
חֲגֽוֹר־חַרְבְּךָ֣ עַל־יָרֵ֣ךְ גִּבּ֑וֹר	4a	Strap your sword upon [your] thigh, great one,
ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ וַהֲדָרֶֽךָ׃	4b	your splendor and your majesty.
וַהֲדָ֬רְךָ֨ ׀ צְלַ֬ח רְכַ֗ב	5a	And in your majesty, victoriously ride
עַֽל־דְּבַר־אֱ֭מֶת וְעַנְוָה־צֶ֑דֶק	5b	for the cause of truth and humility [and] righteousness,
וְתוֹרְךָ֖ נוֹרָא֣וֹת יְמִינֶֽךָ׃	5c	and let your right hand show you awesome deeds.
חִצֶּ֗יךָ שְׁנ֫וּנִ֥ים	6a	Your arrows are sharp
עַ֭מִּים תַּחְתֶּ֣יךָ יִפְּל֑וּ	6b	— peoples will fall under you —
בְּ֝לֵ֗ב אוֹיְבֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃	6c	in the heart of the enemies of the king.
כִּסְאֲךָ֣ אֱ֭לֹהִים עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד	7a	Your throne, God, is forever and ever;
שֵׁ֥בֶט מִ֝ישֹׁ֗ר שֵׁ֣בֶט מַלְכוּתֶֽךָ׃	7b	scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
אָהַ֣בְתָּ צֶּדֶק֮ וַתִּשְׂנָ֫א רֶ֥שַׁע	8a	You love righteousness and you hate wickedness.
עַל־כֵּ֤ן ׀ מְשָׁחֲךָ֡ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֱ֭לֹהֶיךָ	8b	Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you
שֶׁ֥מֶן שָׂשׂ֗וֹן מֵֽחֲבֵרֶֽיךָ׃	8c	with oil that results in rejoicing, to the exclusion of your peers.
מֹר־וַאֲהָל֣וֹת קְ֭צִיעוֹת כָּל־בִּגְדֹתֶ֑יךָ	9a	All your clothes are myrrh and aloes [and] cassia.
מִֽן־הֵ֥יכְלֵי שֵׁ֝֗ן מִנִּ֥י שִׂמְּחֽוּךָ׃	9b	From ivory palaces, stringed instruments have made you glad.
בְּנ֣וֹת מְ֭לָכִים בְּיִקְּרוֹתֶ֑יךָ	10a	Daughters of kings are among your treasures;
נִצְּבָ֥ה שֵׁגַ֥ל לִֽ֝ימִינְךָ֗ בְּכֶ֣תֶם אוֹפִֽיר׃	10b	queen mother has taken a stand at your right hand in the gold of Ophir.
שִׁמְעִי־בַ֣ת וּ֭רְאִי וְהַטִּ֣י אָזְנֵ֑ךְ	11a	"Listen, daughter, and look and incline your ear,
וְשִׁכְחִ֥י עַ֝מֵּ֗ךְ וּבֵ֥ית אָבִֽיךְ׃	11b	and forget your people and your father’s household,
וְיִתְאָ֣ו הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יָפְיֵ֑ךְ	12a	and let the king desire your beauty,
כִּי־ה֥וּא אֲ֝דֹנַ֗יִךְ	12b	because he is your husband,
וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לֽוֹ׃בַֽת־צֹ֨ר ׀ בְּ֭מִנְחָה	13a	and the people of Tyre will bow down to him with a gift;
פָּנַ֥יִךְ יְחַלּ֗וּ עֲשִׁ֣ירֵי עָֽם׃	13b	richest of people will seek your favor."
כָּל־כְּבוּדָּ֣ה בַת־מֶ֣לֶךְ פְּנִ֑ימָה	14a	princess is in her chamber with all kinds of valuable goods;
מִֽמִּשְׁבְּצ֖וֹת זָהָ֣ב לְבוּשָֽׁהּ׃	14b	her clothing [is made] from gold settings.
לִרְקָמוֹת֮ תּוּבַ֪ל לַ֫מֶּ֥לֶךְ	15a	In embroidered cloth she will be led to the king,
בְּתוּל֣וֹת אַ֭חֲרֶיהָ רֵעוֹתֶ֑יהָ	15b	young women after her, her companions,
מ֖וּבָא֣וֹת לָֽךְ׃	15c	being brought to you.
תּ֭וּבַלְנָה בִּשְׂמָחֹ֣ת וָגִ֑יל	16a	They will be led with joy and gladness;
תְּ֝בֹאֶ֗ינָה בְּהֵ֣יכַל מֶֽלֶךְ׃	16b	they will go into the royal palace.
תַּ֣חַת אֲ֭בֹתֶיךָ יִהְי֣וּ בָנֶ֑יךָ	17a	In succession to your ancestors will be your sons;
תְּשִׁיתֵ֥מוֹ לְ֝שָׂרִ֗ים בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃	17b	you will appoint them as governors over all the earth.
אַזְכִּ֣ירָה שִׁ֭מְךָ בְּכָל־דֹּ֣ר וָדֹ֑ר	18a	I shall profess your name in all generations.
עַל־כֵּ֥ן עַמִּ֥ים יְ֝הוֹדֻ֗ךָ לְעֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃	18b	Therefore peoples will praise you forever and ever.

v. 2 – Though it is slightly vague who the psalmist is addressing in v. 2, it is possible that he is speaking to himself or to the wedding guests. However, because the king is clearly the addressee in v. 3 onwards, it seems simpler to understand the king as the addressee also in this verse as well. One objection may be the third-person mention of the king in the verse, but the same phenomenon also appears in vv. 6 and 15, so is common in this psalm.
vv. 11-13 – As argued by Schroeder and as evident from the ANE parallels of royal marriage and the role of the mother-in-law (see the notes at story behind), the speaker throughout vv. 11-13 is the שֵׁגַ֥ל "queen mother" exhorting the future queen.^[4] She takes a stand (נצב) at the right hand of the king, in a position of authority comparable to that given Bathsheba in 1 Kgs 2:19 and the "gods" in Ps 82:1.^[5] Schroeder further notes that the singer "does not intrude into the fictive reality of his own poem,"^[6] but rather just observes the scene, as throughout vv. 14-16. We find plausible Schroeder's assertion that "there can be no doubt that in Ps 45:11-13 it is the queen mother who admonishes the bride,"^[7] with the uniquely distinct speaker matching the passage of the psalm with a uniquely distinct addressee. Note that the majority position is that the psalmist is the speaker throughout,^[8] as maintained explicitly by Blankesteijn^[9] after weighing up Schroeder's arguments.^[10]

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.

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^[11] are indicated by bold text.
	Frame setters^[12] 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)

The major discourse discontinuities are indicated by the concluding discourse marker עַל כֵּן in vv. 3, 8 and 18.
vv. 10-11 are distinguished by the vocative, "daughter," in v. 11, representing the addressee throughout these verses, and the pattern of waw conjunction throughout vv. 11-13.
vv. 13-14 are distinguished by the sudden lack of waw conjunction replaced by focus-fronting in vv. 14a-b, 15a.

v. 2b – The order participle-pronoun in אֹמֵ֣ר אָ֭נִי creates a pattern of phonetic repetition with the previous line's רָ֘חַ֤שׁ לִבִּ֨י. (This could perhaps also explain the pausal form on אָ֭נִי). The reversal of this pattern in the following line's לְ֝שׁוֹנִ֗י concludes the pattern and the verse's three-line structure. Alternatively, the syntax may not be pragmatically marked at all, if of late Aramaic influence (in which we expect participle + subject), suggested also by the only other instance of סֹפֵר מָהִיר appearing in Ezra 7:6.
v. 5a – The initial placement of הֲדָ֬רְךָ֨ provides a tail-head linkage with the previous line's final ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ וַהֲדָרֶֽךָ, which both function syntactically as nominal adverbs.
v. 5b – The post-verbal order of וְתוֹרְךָ֖ נוֹרָא֣וֹת יְמִינֶֽךָ places the subject יְמִינֶֽךָ at the end of the line, to provide an inclusio וַהֲדָ֬רְךָ֨ ... יְמִינֶֽךָ for the verse, which is immediately followed by the tail-head linkage of another 2ms-suffixed noun, חִצֶּ֗יךָ, in v. 6a.
v. 6b – The most plausible Information Structure explanation for the double fronting of עַ֭מִּים תַּחְתֶּ֣יךָ יִפְּל֑וּ is as topic "peoples" followed by focus "under you." This analysis is, however, quite unsatisfying. Preferable, then, is the recognition of the pattern of symmetry between these first two constituents and those of the previous line:

חִצֶּ֗:יךָ שְׁנ֫וּנִ֥ים

עַ֭מִּים תַּחְתֶּ֣יךָ

v. 7b – The order of the verbless clause, שֵׁ֥בֶט מִ֝ישֹׁ֗ר שֵׁ֣בֶט מַלְכוּתֶֽךָ׃, if read with שֵׁ֣בֶט מַלְכוּתֶֽךָ as the topic/grammatical subject, would indicate a comment-topic order and, as our preferred interpretation, indicates the marked focal nature of שֵׁ֥בֶט מִ֝ישֹׁ֗ר. On the other hand, if the topic/grammatical subject was determined to be שֵׁ֥בֶט מִ֝ישֹׁ֗ר, we would have the specificational clause "As for the scepter of righteousness—that's the scepter of your kingdom" ➞ "It's the scepter of your kingdom that is a scepter of righteousness." Both are grammatically possible, and variation even exists according to grammatical definiteness in Greek translations (compare the LXX's ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου with Heb 1:8's καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς εὐθύτητος ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου).
v. 9a – The comment in the predicational מֹר־וַאֲהָל֣וֹת קְ֭צִיעוֹת כָּל־בִּגְדֹתֶ֑יךָ is מֹר־וַאֲהָל֣וֹת קְ֭צִיעוֹת, which is thus to be read as marked focus (cf. v. 7b).
v. 9b – The double fronting in מִֽן־הֵ֥יכְלֵי שֵׁ֝֗ן מִנִּ֥י שִׂמְּחֽוּךָ is best interpreted as Information Structural, with a locative frame setter followed by narrow focus, as suggested by the expanded CBC.
v. 13b – The fronting of פָּנַ֥יִךְ functions as additive focus, i.e., foreign people will not only seek to do homage and appease the king, but also the new queen.
vv. 14-15a – These three clauses are focus fronted with a scalar interpretation to make clear the lavish and luxurious circumstances around the wedding preparations.
v. 17a – The fronted תַּ֣חַת אֲ֭בֹתֶיךָ indicates a locative (though, by extension, temporal) frame setter of origin from which to interpret the appearance of the king's offspring.
v. 18b – The fronted עַמִּ֥ים indicates an additive focus interpretation of this constituent, in addition to the "I" of the previous clause (note, also, the parallel nature of both אַזְכִּ֣ירָה שִׁ֭מְךָ and יְ֝הוֹדֻ֗ךָ, the latter rendered as יהודון שמך "they will praise your name" in Targum Psalms; and בְּכָל־דֹּ֣ר וָדֹ֑ר and לְעֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד)—see, e.g., 'aussi les peuples (TOB).

v. 4 – The vocative גִּבּ֑וֹר, "great one," is placed after the clause-nucleus "to provide rhetorical highlighting, though of a less specific nature [than focus]."^[13]
v. 7 – The vocative אֱ֭לֹהִים, "God," is the second constituent, suggesting the preceding entity, "your throne" (כִּסְאֲךָ֣) is focused.^[14]
v. 11 – The vocative בַ֣ת, "daughter," introduces a previously unaddressed participant and delays the following sequence of imperatives. The feminine singular form of the preceding imperative, שִׁמְעִי, avoids ambiguity in any case, as the king has previously been addressed in masculine singular.

(There are no notes on discourse markers for this psalm.)

(There are no notes on conjunctions for this psalm.)

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

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.

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.