Psalm 119 Story Behind

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Walking the way of YHWH's word

Psalm 119

Please note: Resources for Psalm 119 are in the process of being reformatted for visual consistency and improved functionality.

About the Story Behind Layer

The Story Behind the Psalm shows how each part of the psalm fits together into a single coherent whole. Whereas most semantic analysis focuses on discrete parts of a text such as the meaning of a word or phrase, Story Behind the Psalm considers the meaning of larger units of discourse, including the entire psalm.

The goal of this layer is to reconstruct and visualise a mental representation of the text as the earliest hearers/readers might have conceptualised it. We start by identifying the propositional content of each clause in the psalm, and then we identify relevant assumptions implied by each of the propositions. During this process, we also identify and analyse metaphorical language (“imagery”). Finally, we try to see how all of the propositions and assumptions fit together to form a coherent mental representation. The main tool we use for structuring the propositions and assumptions is a story triangle, which visualises the rise and fall of tension within a semantic unit. Although story triangles are traditionally used to analyse stories in the literary sense of the word, we use them at this layer to analyse “stories” in the cognitive sense of the word—i.e., a story as a sequence of propositions and assumptions that has tension.

  Story Behind Explainer

Summary Triangle

The story triangle below summarises the story of the whole psalm. We use the same colour scheme as in Participant Analysis. The star icon along the edge of the story-triangle indicates the point of the story in which the psalm itself (as a speech event) takes place. We also include a theme at the bottom of the story. The theme is the main message conveyed by the story-behind.

  Legend

Story Triangles legend
Propositional content (verse number)	Propositional content, the base meaning of the clause, is indicated by bold black text. The verse number immediately follows the correlating proposition in black text inside parentheses.
Common-ground assumption	Common-ground assumptions are indicated by gray text.
Local-ground assumption	Local-ground assumptions are indicated by dark blue text.
Playground assumption	Playground assumptions are indicated by light blue text.
	The point of the story at which the psalm takes place (as a speech event) is indicated by a gray star.
	If applicable, the point of the story at which the psalm BEGINS to take place (as a speech event) is indicated with a light gray star. A gray arrow will travel from this star to the point at which the psalm ends, indicated by the darker gray star.
	A story that repeats is indicated by a circular arrow. This indicates a sequence of either habitual or iterative events.
	A story or event that does not happen or the psalmist does not wish to happen is indicated with a red X over the story triangle.
	Connections between propositions and/or assumptions are indicated by black arrows with small text indicating how the ideas are connected.
Note: In the Summary triangle, highlight color scheme follows the colors of participant analysis.

• Background
• Paraphrase
• Story Triangles
• Assumptions
• Imagery

Background ideas

Following are the common-ground assumptionsCommon-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/Ancient Near Eastern background. which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm.

• YHWH disciplines those he loves (Deut 8:5; 2 Sam 7:14; Jer 30:11; 31:18-20; Prov 3:12; Ps 32:3-5; 94:12).
• The instrument of his discipline will not go unpunished (Jer 30:11, 16; Hab 3:1-16).
• The same authority expressed when YHWH established his creation is the authority expressed when YHWH established his word (Ps 24:1-2; 119:152).
• YHWH's enduring faithfulness to his creation implicates his enduring faithfulness to his people (Gen 8:22; Jer 31:36; Ps 96:10).
• As a metonymical extension, devotion to YHWH's word amounts to devotion to YHWH himself (Reynolds 2010, 34ff., Procházková 2021, 81; see also Isa 42:21, Ps 97:8).
• Obedience to YHWH's word is impossible without YHWH's help (Jer 32:39-40; Ezek 36:24-28).
• An ingathering of kings will seek and learn YHWH's word (Isa 2:1-4; 60:3; Ps 2:10-12; Ps 102:19-23; Ps 148:11 and especially Ps 138:1-5).

Background situation

The background situation is the series of events leading up to the time in which the psalm is spoken. These are taken from the story triangle – whatever lies to the left of the star icon.

Expanded Paraphrase

The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

  Legend

Expanded paraphrase legend
Close but Clear (CBC) translation	The CBC, our close but clear translation of the Hebrew, is represented in bold text.
Assumptions	Assumptions which provide background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences are represented in italics.

This resource is forthcoming.

Story Triangles

(Click diagram to enlarge)

Assumptions Table

(Click diagram to enlarge)

There are currently no Imagery Tables available for this psalm.

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Bibliography

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