Translation/BigPictureQuestions
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Psalms Across Cultures
1. Purpose
- Question
What’s the intention underlying this Psalm?
- Notes
- Some examples:
- To teach (Psalm 19)
- To ask for help (Psalm 13)
- To mourn (Psalm 88)
- To express confidence (Psalm 62)
- To praise (Psalm 100)
- Note: Different sections may have slightly different communicative functions.
- Example: Psalm 13 starts with complaint, then moves into an appeal for help, then moves into trust/confidence in God.
- Application
- What are the local cultural communication forms (dramatic, poetic, musical, or other genres) that match the same communicative function?
---
2. Emphasis
- Question
What is the main message of the Psalm?
- Notes
- What parts/ideas of the Psalm receive the most emphasis in the original Hebrew?
- What are some ways your expressive tradition shows emphasis?
- How can you use those techniques to bring out the relevant parts in your creation?
---
3. Emotions
- Question
What emotion(s) are communicated in the Psalm?
- Notes
- What range of emotions are suggested?
- How do they shift throughout the Psalm?
- In what ways can you convey emotions and shifts in emotion with the expressive elements available in your tradition?
---
4. Sections
- Question
What are the major segments of the Psalm?
- Notes
- Possible clues:
- Changes in audience (speaking to God, about God, to self, to the community)
- Changes in imagery or topic
- Changes in underlying emotion
- What is the primary communicative purpose of each section?
- Might the sections need to be reordered to reflect the information flow common to your community?
- What are the ways your tradition shows sections (breaks and continuity)?
- How can you represent the original Hebrew sections with those conventions?
---
5. Connections
- Question
What associations are made within the Psalm?
- Notes
- What words, lines, or sections are connected in the original Hebrew?
- How do your local artistic/linguistic conventions connect pieces?
- How can you use those to help your audience make the same connections?
---
Application
You can take these concepts and apply them to other poetic or non-narrative parts of Scripture!
---
Questions / Comments / Request Consultation
Contact: katie_frost@diu.edu
---
Community Feedback Questions
(Modify according to cultural conventions in requesting and giving feedback)
- What purpose does this Psalm seem to have?
- What is the main message (most emphasized part)?
- What primary emotion(s) and shifts in emotion do you feel in this artistic rendition?
- What kinds of shifts in topic or section breaks do you notice?
- What kinds of connections do you see between parts of the Psalm?
- What parts, if any, do you not understand?
- With whom would you like to share this song?
- (Evaluates likeability/shareability: Do they want to share it with your intended audience or a different demographic?)
- What would make this Psalm even more enjoyable for you?
If your audience is getting the primary (1) purpose, (2) message, and (3) emotions of the Psalm, you have communicated the most essential ingredients.
---
Digging into a Psalm
- Study the Psalm (ideally with a group for more input/insights) by interacting with it (e.g., reading aloud, singing, embodying, visualizing).
- Talk about the sections you relate to and those you don’t understand as well.
- Explore the questions above regarding purpose, emphasis, emotions, sections, and connections.
- After developing your own tentative conclusions, consult the exegetical work of a Hebrew expert and refine your understanding.
- Your time spent interacting with the Psalm will help you grasp more quickly what others say about the structure.
- Start internalizing/creating according to the sections, emphasis, emotions, and connections identified!
---