Psalm 95 Emotional
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Psalm 95/Emotional
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Obey his voice today
Psalm 95
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) | The Psalmist Feels | Emotional Analysis Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לְ֭כוּ | Come, | ||
| נְרַנְּנָ֣ה לַיהוָ֑ה | let us shout for joy to YHWH! | • Full of joy in the God they are crying out to | ||
| נָ֝רִ֗יעָה לְצ֣וּר יִשְׁעֵֽנוּ׃ | Let us cry out to the rock of our salvation! | |||
| 2 | נְקַדְּמָ֣ה פָנָ֣יו בְּתוֹדָ֑ה | Let us approach his presence with praise; | • Full of awe, caused by YHWH's presence | |
| בִּ֝זְמִר֗וֹת נָרִ֥יעַֽ לֽוֹ׃ | in songs we will cry out to him | • Full of joy, expressed by their songs | ||
| 3 | כִּ֤י אֵ֣ל גָּד֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה וּמֶ֥לֶךְ גָּ֝ד֗וֹל עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִֽים׃ | because YHWH is a great God and a great king over all gods, | • In awe and confident in YHWH's superiority over any other powers | |
| 4 | אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ מֶחְקְרֵי־אָ֑רֶץ | [a God] in whose hand are the unexplored depths of the earth | ||
| וְתוֹעֲפ֖וֹת הָרִ֣ים לֽוֹ׃ | and the peaks of the mountains are his; | |||
| 5 | אֲשֶׁר־ל֣וֹ הַ֭יָּם | to whom belongs the sea | ||
| וְה֣וּא עָשָׂ֑הוּ | —he made it— | |||
| וְ֝יַבֶּ֗שֶׁת יָדָ֥יו יָצָֽרוּ׃ | and the dry land which his hands formed. | |||
| 6 | בֹּ֭אוּ | Come, | • Reverent in their approach | |
| נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה | let us bow down | • The verb חוה is "to bow down; hence: = action by which humans lay themselves down on the ground in front of another human or a deity, ► as an act of submission or respect" (SDBH) | ||
| וְנִכְרָ֑עָה | and kneel! | • The verb כרע is an "action by which humans kneel down in order to show respect" (SDBH) | ||
| נִ֝בְרְכָ֗ה לִֽפְנֵי־יְהוָ֥ה עֹשֵֽׂנוּ׃ | Let us kneel down before YHWH, our maker, | • Solemn and conscientious that it is YHWH, their maker (the same one described in vv. 3-5), to whom they bow the knee | • The verb ברך is an "action by which humans fall on their knees, in order to show respect" (SDBH) | |
| 7 | כִּ֘י ה֤וּא אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ | because he is our God | • Confident that YHWH is their God | |
| וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ עַ֣ם מַ֭רְעִיתוֹ וְצֹ֣אן יָד֑וֹ | and we are the people he shepherds, the flock led by his hand. | • Confident in their position as YHWH's flock, but also conscientious that the hand that shepherds them is the same hand to which belong the unexplored depths of the earth and solemn concerning the fact that YHWH's flocks have not always been faithful or enjoyed their desired end | • See assumptions table and speech act notes. | |
| הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אִֽם־בְּקֹל֥וֹ תִשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ | Today, if you want to obey his voice... | • Pensive and serious about the expectations upon those who would approach YHWH's presence today | ||
| 8 | אַל־תַּקְשׁ֣וּ לְ֭בַבְכֶם כִּמְרִיבָ֑ה כְּי֥וֹם מַ֝סָּ֗ה בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ | "Do not harden your heart as [at] Meribah, as [on] the day of Massah in the wilderness, | • Ashamed of their ancestors' treatment of YHWH | |
| 9 | אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֭סּוּנִי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם | where your ancestors put me to the test. | • Disappointed by their ancestors' treatment of YHWH | |
| בְּ֝חָנ֗וּנִי | They tested me. | |||
| גַּם־רָא֥וּ פָעֳלִֽי׃ | They had even seen my work! | |||
| 10 | אַרְבָּ֘עִ֤ים שָׁנָ֨ה׀ אָ֘ק֤וּט בְּד֗וֹר | For forty years I was disgusted with a generation | • Hesitant and conscientious concerning approaching YHWH in light of his disgust for no less than forty years | • The verb קוט is "to experience a deep loathing for a person or condition" (SDBH) |
| וָאֹמַ֗ר | and I would think: | |||
| עַ֤ם תֹּעֵ֣י לֵבָ֣ב הֵ֑ם | 'They are a people whose heart strays | • Ashamed of their ancestors' tendency to stray • "Disgusted by their tendency to stray" | ||
| וְ֝הֵ֗ם לֹא־יָדְע֥וּ דְרָכָֽי׃ | and they do not recognize my ways. | |||
| 11 | אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי בְאַפִּ֑י | [They are a people] about whom I swore in my anger, | • Worried by YHWH's anger • "Enraged by the people's unfaithfulness" |
• YHWH's anger is "state of extreme displeasure" (SDBH) |
| אִם־יְ֝בֹא֗וּן אֶל־מְנוּחָתִֽי׃ | "They will not enter into my place of rest!"'" | • Worried by their ancestors' end • Pensive and longing concerning their own entrance into YHWH's rest • "Determined to carry out his oath" |
Summary Visual
(Click visual to enlarge).
