Psalm 95 Speech Act

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Psalm 95/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

Speaker Verses Speech Act Sections Addressee
Leader v. 1 Come, let us shout for joy to YHWH! Let us cry out to the rock of our salvation!

INVITATION
(vv. 1–5)

“Come, let us approach YHWH with praise.”
because
he is a great God and great king over all gods.
 Congregation
v. 2 Let us approach his presence with praise; in songs we will cry out to him
v. 3 because YHWH is a great God and a great king over all gods,
v. 4 [a God] in whose hand are the unexplored depths of the earth and the peaks of the mountains are his;
v. 5 to whom belongs the sea —he made it— and the dry land which his hands formed.
v. 6 Come, let us bow down and kneel! Let us kneel down before YHWH, our maker,

EXHORTATION
(vv. 6–7b)

“Come, let us bow down before YHWH.”
because
he is our God and we are his flock.
v. 7 because he is our God and we are the people he shepherds, the flock led by his hand. Today, if you want to obey his voice...
YHWH v. 8 Do not harden your heart as [at] Meribah, as [on] the day of Massah in the wilderness,

DECREE
(vv. 7c–11)

Today, if you want to obey his voice... "Do not be like your rebellious ancestors in the wilderness, who put me to the test, so I swore:”
Oath
“They will not enter into my rest!”
v. 9 where your ancestors put me to the test. They tested me. They had even seen my work!
v. 10 For forty years I was disgusted with a generation and I would think: 'They are a people whose heart strays and they do not recognize my ways.
v. 11 [They are a people] about whom I swore in my anger, They will not enter into my place of rest!\"'

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 לְ֭כוּ Come, Imperative Directive Inviting the congregation to the temple Inviting the congregation to worship YHWH The hearer feels encouraged to come and worship in the temple. The hearer feels thankful for YHWH's salvation. The hearer comes to worship in the temple.
נְרַנְּנָ֣ה לַיהוָ֑ה let us shout for joy to YHWH! Imperative Directive Inviting the congregation to shout for joy to YHWH
נָ֝רִ֗יעָה לְצ֣וּר יִשְׁעֵֽנוּ׃ Let us cry out to the rock of our salvation! Imperative Directive Inviting the congregation to cry out to the rock of their salvation
2 נְקַדְּמָ֣ה פָנָ֣יו בְּתוֹדָ֑ה Let us approach his presence with praise; Imperative Directive Inviting the congregation to approach YHWH with praise
בִּ֝זְמִר֗וֹת נָרִ֥יעַֽ לֽוֹ׃ in songs we will cry out to him Declarative Commissive Inviting the congregation to cry out to YHWH in songs
3 כִּ֤י אֵ֣ל גָּד֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה וּמֶ֥לֶךְ גָּ֝ד֗וֹל עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִֽים׃ because YHWH is a great God and a great king over all gods, Declarative Assertive Reminding the congregation why they should worship YHWH—he is the creator of all The hearer agrees that only YHWH is a god worth worshipping. The hearer feels confident in YHWH's sovereignty over creation and any other gods.
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, Imperative Directive Exhorting the congregation to come Exhorting reverent worship of YHWH from the congregation The hearer reflects on the nature of their worship. The hearer feels conscientious and solemn concerning the nature of their worship. The hearer comes to worship reverently in the temple.
נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה let us bow down Imperative Directive Exhorting the congregation to bow down
וְנִכְרָ֑עָה and kneel! Imperative Directive Exhorting the congregation to kneel
נִ֝בְרְכָ֗ה לִֽפְנֵי־יְהוָ֥ה עֹשֵֽׂנוּ׃ Let us kneel down before YHWH, our maker, Imperative Directive Exhorting the congregation to kneel down before YHWH
7 כִּ֘י ה֤וּא אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ because he is our God Declarative Assertive Reminding the congregation why they should worship YHWH reverently—YHWH is their maker and their God The hearer feels confident in their relationship with YHWH, but also conscientious about the past.
וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ עַ֣ם מַ֭רְעִיתוֹ וְצֹ֣אן יָד֑וֹ and we are the people he shepherds, the flock led by his hand. Declarative Assertive Reminding the congregation why they should worship YHWH reverently—they are YHWH's flock The hearer begins to remember the people's history of being led through the wilderness like a flock (Ps 78:52) • See imagery table for "flock." • The image anticipates the Meriba/Massah content, since YHWH shepherded his people through the desert (cf. Ps 78:52). Nevertheless, the desired image would have been that of Ps 23:1-2.
הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אִֽם־בְּקֹל֥וֹ תִשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ Today, if you want to obey his voice... Imperative Directive Decreeing the nature of appropriate worship Decreeing the nature of appropriate worship The hearer realizes that it is possible to not want to obey YHWH's voice. The hearer feels a longing to fulfill this condition. The hearer listens carefully. The hearer examines the nature of their posture in worship before YHWH. • "The rhetorical function of this contrast and consequently of the whole psalm is to warn the readers/listeners and convince them that their association with Yahweh should not be taken for granted. Yahweh's greatness and the people's own history is appealed to in order to do this. The initial recipients, but also all future readers of the psalm, are warned on grounds of the past to be obedient to Yahweh." (Prinsloo 1995, 406)
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, The hearer thinks, "We should not put YHWH to the test like this." The hearer feels ashamed of their ancestors. The hearer feels a longing to worship YHWH reverently and appropriately, hopeful that they will enter into YHWH's rest.
9 אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֭סּוּנִי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם where your ancestors put me to the test. The hearer takes care not to behave like the ancestors. • 1 Cor 10:5-7: "God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were" (NIV) • Idolatry, i.e., not taking v. 3 into account, led to a utilitarian attitude towards YHWH and a longing for comfort and blessings, rather than a covenant relationship with the provider of blessing and rest.
בְּ֝חָנ֗וּנִי They tested me. Declarative Assertive Reminding the congregation of the nature of inappropriate worship.
גַּם־רָא֥וּ פָעֳלִֽי׃ They had even seen my work! Declarative Assertive Explaining the paradox of the ancestors' inappropriate worship.
10 אַרְבָּ֘עִ֤ים שָׁנָ֨ה׀ אָ֘ק֤וּט בְּד֗וֹר For forty years I was disgusted with a generation Declarative Assertive Describing the extent of YHWH's reaction. The hearer thinks the same outcome will fall upon their generation if they put YHWH to the test.
וָאֹמַ֗ר and I would think: Declarative • "Declarative" • "Declarative" • "Declarative" Assertive • "Assertive" • "Assertive" • "Commissive" Describing YHWH's evaluation of the ancestors. • "Evaluating the ancestors' treatment of YHWH." • "Explaining the result of the ancestors' treatment of YHWH." • "Promising the ancestors would not enter the promised land."
עַ֤ם תֹּעֵ֣י לֵבָ֣ב הֵ֑ם 'They are a people whose heart strays
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,
אִם־יְ֝בֹא֗וּן אֶל־מְנוּחָתִֽי׃ "They will not enter into my place of rest!"'" The hearer examines him/herself before resuming worship of YHWH.