Psalm 110 Discourse

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Sit at my right side

Psalm 110

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.

• Participants
• Macrosyntax
• Speech Act
• Emotional Analysis

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.

• Tracking Text
• Relations
• Distribution

Participant Relations Diagram

The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:

Participant Analysis Summary Distribution

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Macrosyntax

  What is Macrosyntax?

The macrosyntax layer rests on the belief that human communicators desire their addressees to receive a coherent picture of their message and will cooperatively provide clues to lead the addressee into a correct understanding. So, in the case of macrosyntax of the Psalms, the psalmist has explicitly left syntactic clues for the reader regarding the discourse structure of the entire psalm. Here we aim to account for the function of these elements, including the identification of conjunctions which either coordinate or subordinate entire clauses (as the analysis of coordinated individual phrases is carried out at the phrase-level semantics layer), vocatives, other discourse markers, direct speech, and clausal word order.

For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Macrosyntax Creator Guidelines.

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 are indicated by bold text.
	Frame setters 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)

• Divisions
• Word Order
• Vocatives
• Discourse Markers
• Conjunctions

Paragraph Divisions

The psalm divides into two paragraphs, and each paragraph follows a similar pattern:

• (1) introduction of direct speech (v. 1a // v. 4a)
• (2) direct speech (v. 1b // v. 4b)
• (3) fronted topic (v. 2a // v. 5)

Word Order

• v. 2. The direct object "your strong staff" (מַטֵּה־עֻזְּךָ) is fronted, probably to signal the activation of this entity as the topic of the sentence, in contrast to the "footstool" (also a royal symbol) mentioned at the end of the previous clause: "...until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. (Now, enough with the footstool; let's talk about another royal symbol.) As for your strong staff, YHWH will extend it from Zion."
• v. 3. The word order is chiastic (Subj-Pred-Adjunct // Adjunct-Pred-Subj) such that v. 3 is bound together as a poetic unit (a verse).
• v. 5. "The Lord at your right side" (אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑) is fronted, probably for confirming focus. In v. 1, YHWH said that he was going to subdue the king's enemies. Now, in v. 5, YHWH's role in this action is confirmed: "(Yes), it's the Lord (the one at your right hand) who smashed kings..." This fits well with the overall mood and purpose of the psalm, which is to assure the king that YHWH is going to take care of his enemies for him. Another argument for this view would be the close correspondence between Ps. 110 and Ps. 108—both are לדוד Pss. which mention YHWH’s “right hand” and subduing enemies—which ends in two clauses with clear constituent focus: בֵּֽאלֹהִ֥ים נַעֲשֶׂה־חָ֑יִל וְ֝ה֗וּא יָב֥וּס צָרֵֽינוּ. God is the one who is going to subdue our enemies.
• v. 5b. The post-verbal constituent ביום אפו is fronted before the direct object (מְלָכִים).
• v. 7a. The two prepositional phrases in v. 7a ("from a wadi on the campaign") are fronted and probably pragmatically marked. The fact that the warrior takes a drink of water is not, in an of itself, noteworthy—quenching thirst after battle is assumed (cf. Judges 15:16ff). What is significant is that he takes a drink from a wadi on the campaign (i.e., from water in enemy territory), which signifies the completion of his victory.

Vocatives

There are no vocatives in this psalm.

There are no Discourse Marker notes for this psalm.

Conjunctions

• v. 1b. עַד is here a subordinating conjunction, and it connects two events: (1) "the lord sitting at YHWH's right hand; (2) "YHWH making the lord's enemies a footstool for his feet." The precise temporal relationship between these two events is not immediately clear. Specifically, does the "sitting at YHWH's right hand" cease once all of the lord's enemies have been subdued, or does it continue? The Hebrew conjunction עַד, like the English conjunction "until," often implies cessation of activity in the main (non-subordinated) clause. So, for example, Gen. 38:11 says, “Remain (שְׁבִי) a widow in your father’s house, till (עַד) Shelah my son grows up (יִגְדַּל)” (and then you won't be a widow any more) (Gen. 38:11 ESV). If this applies to Ps. 110, then the sitting of the "lord" will only last until the lord's enemies have been made his footstool; then, he will cease to sit. It's possible that this understanding underlies what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:24-25, 28 — εἶτα τὸ τέλος, ὅταν παραδιδῷ τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρί... δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ... ὅταν δὲ ὑποταγῇ αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα, τότε [καὶ] αὐτὸς ὁ υἱὸς ὑποταγήσεται τῷ ὑποτάξαντι αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα, ἵνα ᾖ ὁ θεὸς [τὰ] πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν (UBS-5th.) Sometimes, however, עַד (or עַד אֲשֶׁר) "sometimes express a limit which is not absolute (terminating in the preceding action), but only relative, beyond which the action or state described in the principal clause still continues." For example, Ps. 112:8 says, "His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until (עַד אֲשֶׁר) he looks in triumph (יִרְאֶה) on his adversaries" (ESV). Similarly, in Greek, the conjunction ἕως, which the LXX uses in Ps. 110:1, can mean either "until," "so long as," or, if the actions are coextensive, "while."
• v. 7b. על כן functions to "Explain the grounds of why something... will happen" In Ps. 110:7, the על כן clause explains the grounds of why YHWH "will lift (his) head": He will lift up his head (a gesture of victory over enemies and a sign of renewed confidence) because he is refreshed from his drink and confident that his victory is complete. See notes on Story Behind.

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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

This resource is forthcoming.

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Speech Act 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) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.	Sentence type	Illocution (general)	Illocution with context	Macro speech act		Intended perlocution (Think)	Intended perlocution (Feel)	Intended perlocution (Do)	Speech Act Notes
1	לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר	A psalm by David.	Superscription
1aα	נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י	YHWH’s oracle to my lord:	Fragment	Assertive	Introducing YHWH's oracle to the king.	Reporting YHWH's oracle to the king.	To assure the king of his certain success.	The future Davidic king will see that YHWH promises to give him universal dominion	The future Davidic king will feel confident in YHWH.	The future Davidic king will trust YHWH's promises.
1aβ	שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י	“Sit at my right side,	Imperative •"Imperative"	Directive • "Directive"	"Inviting the king to sit at his right side and promising to subdue the king's enemies. • "Inviting and promising"
1b	עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃	until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
2a	מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן	YHWH will extend your strong staff from Zion.	Declarative	Assertive	Assuring the king that YHWH will extend his dominion.	Assuring the king that his future success is certain.
2b	רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃	Rule among your enemies!	Imperative	Assertive	Assuring the king that he will rule among his enemies.						Indirect speech act: The imperative is used here (v. 2b), not as a command, but to "to express a distinct assurance... or promise, e.g., ... Ps. 110:2" (GKC 110c; cf. JM114p; IBHS 34.4c). Thus, some translations have a future here (e.g., CEV: "and you will rule over your enemies; cf. Theodotion: κατακυριεύσεις).
3a	עַמְּךָ֣ נְדָבֹת֮ בְּי֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ךָ	Your people will be willing on the day you manifest your power.	Declarative	Assertive	Assuring the king that he will have a willing army.
3b	בְּֽהַדְרֵי־קֹ֭דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר	On holy mountains, from the womb of dawn,	Declarative	Assertive	Comparing the king's army to dew.
3c	לְ֝ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽיךָ׃	The dew, your young men, [will come] into your possession.
4a	נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָ֨ה ׀ וְלֹ֥א יִנָּחֵ֗ם	YHWH has sworn, and he will not change his mind:	Declarative	Assertive	Introducing YHWH's oath to the king.	Reporting YHWH's oath to the king.
4b	אַתָּֽה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם	“You are forever a priest	Declarative • "Declarative"	Commissive • "Commissive"	Swearing that the king will remain a priest forever and thus committing himself to ensuring that the kings remains a priest forever. • "Swearing"
4c	עַל־דִּ֝בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק׃	just like Melchizedek.”									Indirect speech act: In the context of an oath (שבע), the declarative statement "you are forever a priest" (v. 4) implies the speaker's commitment to maintaining the truth of that statement ("you are a priest forever" = "I will do everything in my power to ensure that you continue forever as a priest; I will never reject you"). See, for example, the many oaths in which the commitment of the one swearing is explicit (e.g., Gen 21:23-24; 22:16-18; 26:3; 47:30-31; Ps 89:4-5; 119:106; 132:11; etc). First Kgs. 1 gives a good example of an oath in which, although the sentence type is declarative, the speaker is committing to some action: '[Bathsheba] said to [David], “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.' But now Adonijah has become king..." ... The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place”' (1 Kgs 1:17-18, 29-30 NIV).
5a	אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑	The Lord at your right side	Declarative	Assertive	Reporting that (in his vision) YHWH smashed kings.	Reporting to the king what he saw in his prophetic vision.
5b	מָחַ֖ץ בְּיוֹם־אַפּ֣וֹ מְלָכִֽים׃	smashed kings on the day his anger was unleashed.
6a	יָדִ֣ין בַּ֭גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת	He will rule among the nations whom he filled with corpses.	Declarative	Assertive	Predicting that YHWH (having smashed kings) will rule the nations.
6b	מָ֥חַץ רֹ֝֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה׃	He smashed heads across the wide world.	Declarative	Assertive	Reporting that (in his vision) YHWH smashed heads.
7a	מִ֭נַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה	He will drink from a wadi on the campaign.	Declarative	Assertive	Predicting that YHWH (having smashed heads) will drink from a wadi on the campaign.
7b	עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ׃	Therefore, he will lift [his] head.	Declarative	Assertive	Predicting that YHWH will lift his head.

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.

• Analysis
• Think-Feel-Do

Emotional Analysis Chart

  Legend

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.

Summary Visual

(Click visual to enlarge).

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Bibliography

Alan KamYau, Chan. 2016. ”7 A Literary and Discourse Analysis of Psalm 110.” In Melchizedek Passages in the Bible: A Case Study for Inner-Biblical and Inter-Biblical Interpretation, 97-118. Warsaw, Poland: De Gruyter Open Poland.

Alter, Robert. 2011. The Art of Biblical Poetry. Philadelphia, PA: Basic Books.

Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.

Barbiero, Gianni. 2014. "The non-violent messiah of Psalm 110". Biblische Zeitschrift 58, 1: 1-20.

Barthélemy, Dominique. 2005. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament. Vol. Tome 4: Psaumes. Fribourg, Switzerland: Academic Press.

Booij, Thijs. 1991. "Psalm Cx: Rule in the Midst of Your Foes!" Vetus Testamentum. Vol. 41, no.: 396-407.

Bratcher, Robert G. and William David Reyburn. 1991. A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

Briggs, Charles and Emilie Briggs. 1907. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons.

Caquot, André. 1956. "Remarques sur le Psaume CX." Semitica. Vol. 6: 33-52.

de Hoop, Raymond, and Paul Sanders. 2022. “The System of Masoretic Accentuation: Some Introductory Issues”. The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 22.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1877. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 3. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Driver, G. R. 1964. "Psalm CX: Its Form Meaning and Purpose." In Studies in the Bible: Presented to Professor M.H. Segal by His Colleagues and Students. Edited by J. M. Grintz & J. Liver. Jerusalem: Published for the Israel Society for Biblical: 17-31.

Emadi, Matthew. 2022. The Royal Priest: Psalm 110 in Biblical Theology. New Studies in Biblical Theology. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.

Fokkelman, J. P. 2000. Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible: At the Interface of Hermeneutics and Structural Analysis. Studia Semitica Neerlandica. Assen, The Netherlands: Van Gorcum.

Gentry, Peter J. 2021. “Psalm 110:3 and Retrieval Theology.” Southern Baptist Theological Journal 25, no. 3: 149–168.

Gilbert, Maurice, and Stephen Pisano. 1980. "Psalm 110 (109), 5-7." Biblica 61, no. 3: 343–56.

Goldingay, John. 2008. Psalms 90-150. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm. 1867. Commentary on the Psalms. Vol III. 4th ed. Edinburg: T&T Clark.

Hilber, John W. 2005. Cultic Prophecy in the Psalms. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 2011. Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101-150. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.

Hupfeld, Hermann. 1871. Die Psalmen. Vol. 4. Gotha: F.A. Perthes.

Jenni, Ernst. 2000. Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 3: Die Präposition Lamed. Stuttgart: Verlag W. Kohlhammer.

Lugt, Pieter Van der. 2013. Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry III: Psalms 90–150 and Psalm 1. Vol. 3. Oudtestamentische Studiën 63. Leiden: Brill.

Mitchell, David C. 2003. The Message of the Psalter: An Eschatological Programme in the Book of Psalms. 2nd ed. Glasgow Scotland: Campbell Publishers.

Nissinen, Martti, C. L. Seow, Robert K. Ritner, and H. Craig Melchert. 2019. Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature.

Nordheim, Miriam von. 2008. Geboren von der Morgenröte? Psalm 110 in Tradition, Redaktion und Rezeption. Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener.

Olshausen, Justus. Die Psalmen. Leipzig: S. Hirzel, 1853.

Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra's Commentary on the First Book of Psalms: Chapter 1-41. 2009. Translated and annoted by H. Norman Strickman. Boston: Academic Studies Press.

Reinke, Laurenz. 1857. Die messianischen Psalmen; Einleitung, Grundtext und Uebersetzung nebst einem philologisch-kritischen und historischen Commentar. Gießen: Ferber.

Rogland, Max. 2003. Alleged Non-Past Uses of Qatal in Classical Hebrew. Assen, The Netherlands: Royal van Gorcum.

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Stec, David M. 2004. The Targum of Psalms: Translated, with A Critical Introduction, Apparatus, and Notes. Collegeville: Liturgical Press.

Taylor, Richard, George Kiraz, and Joseph Bali. 2020. The Psalms According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation. 1st ed. Gorgias Press.

Tov, Emanuel. 2022. Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible. 4th edition. Minneapolis: Fortress.

Waltke, Bruce K., J. M. Houston, and Erika Moore. 2010. The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.

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