Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
0.98LIKELY
Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
0.56LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
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Anger
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Preliminary Observation
This psalm is broken down into two major sections.
Verses 1-3 introduce the issue at hand as the nay-saying advisors exhort the poet to flee because of the imminent danger of an unknown attack from his enemies.
Verse 4 acts as a hinge as the speaker shifts to the poet from his advisors.
He speaks of the greatness of the Lord and how He will protect and avenge the righteous from the wicked.
Preliminary Translation of Psalm 11
*1*To the director, from David.
In the Lord I take refuge.
How can you say to me,
“Flee to the mountain like a sparrow!
*2*For look, the wicked are taking out their bows,
their arrows are formed on the strings,
to shoot in the darkness at the pure of heart
*3*When the foundations are in ruins,
what can the righteous do?”
*4*The Lord is in his holy temple,
the Lord’s throne is in the heavens.
His eyes look;
his eyes test the sons of man.
*5*The Lord examines the righteous and the wicked,
but he hates the one whose heart loves destruction.
*6*May the Lord rain down fire and brimstone on the wicked!
A raging wind is the gift in their cup!
*7*Surely the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteousness;
the upright will see his face.
I don’t see step 2, analysis of parallelism.
Textual~/Exegetical Analysis & Commentary
11:1
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ
This verb consists of lahmed preposition def.
article mem prefix piel ptcp ms from the root נצח meaning “to direct.”
The participial usage is substantival referring to “the one who directs” as the addressee of the Psalm.
2.
חָסִ֗יתִי
This verb is qal pf 1cs from the root חסה meaning “to take refuge~/shelter.”
The perfect verbal form is functioning as a characteristic perfect with a progressive nuance denoting that the action was taken in the past but has continuing effect to the present.
HALOT provides only one translation for this word, “to take refuge” specifically with God in this verse.
3.
תֹּאמְר֣וּ
This verb is qal impf 2ms from the root אמר meaning “to say~/speak.” 3 root letters with תּ prefix and וּ ending on the imperfect denote 2ms PGN.
The use of the imperfect seems to be conveying a present time frame, so present progressive seems to be the best classification.
This usage also adds congruence with the progressive nuance of the preceding verb.
4.
לְנַפְשִׁ֑י
This noun is functioning as the accusative direct object of the preceding verb אמר.
It is in construct with lahmed preposition and has 1cs ps.
HALOT (712-13) offers several possible translations for this noun; the best translation here is “soul” or possibly “heart.”
| 5. נ֝֗וּדִ֯ו or נוּדוּ |
| |
*TC*: The MT usage of this verb is qal impv mp, while the variant reading is qal impv, fs both from the root נוּד, meaning “to wander~/flee.”
HALOT (678) provides the possible translations as “to sway,” “to be aimless~/homeless,” and “to indicate cooperation” for the qal usage.
This is usage is categorized with the translation “to be aimless~/homeless” referring to the birds later mentioned in this verse.
In agreement with numerous Hebrew manuscripts the Qere (fs usage) is read here instead of the MT.
The feminine singular reading is also in agreement with the preceding fs noun לְנַפְשִׁ֑ and is not intended to be associated in any way?
with the following masculine plural noun הַרְכֶ֥ם.
* *
6. הַרְכֶ֥ם
*TC*: The Hebrew noun is ms in construct with 2mp ps.
This noun is classified as a dative indirect object.
Huh?
This sounds like a Greek, not Hebrew, classification.
This classification is given because of the previous decision to classify the preceding verb as fs instead of mp, associating the verb directly with the fs noun preceding it.
The variant reading of this text has very strong support (LXX, Syriac, & Targums) and is worth noting.
The Hebrew translation of the Greek variation should be כְּמֹו/ /הַר and can be explained by a misdivision in words.
This seems to be the more likely original reading because of supporting manuscript evidence and it provides a clearer translation within the immediate context.
The reading for MT would be translated, “flee to your (pl.) mountain, O bird.”
The 2mp ps with הַר, does not seem to fit grammatically.
Using the more accurate, variant reading the passage can be translated, “flee to the mountain, like a bird.”
7.
צִפֹּֽור
This Hebrew noun functions as the object of the preceding prepositional phrase (assuming that the variant reading for the previous TC issue is the original).
11:2
1. הָרְשָׁעִ֡ים
This adjective is functioning substantively with the definite article to define the subject of the following verb.
This word begins the chiastic structure of the Psalm and can be connected with the similar word usage in 11:5-6.
The idea being portrayed here is one of wickedness associated with guilt.
BDB provides three possible translations to the word while HALOT (1295) gives two broad categories with special instances also provided (4 total categories).
The general theme of both dictionaries is the understanding of guilt associated with the person being described as one who is an offending party.
The offense is generally one toward God or his people; the idea being conveyed is that the “wicked” person is a criminal.
The Hebrew root word—רשׁע—spelled incorrectly is used frequently throughout the Psalms and is generally referring to those who are slanderers, liars, and sinners who have a particularly offended God or his people.
I’d like to see a survey of usage here designed to develop character profile of this group.
2.
יִדְרְכ֬וּן
Qal impf 3mp with paragogic nun ending from the root דרכ meaning “to go out~/walk over.”
The imperfect verbal form here is demonstrating a present progressive nuance of the action being done by the “wicked.”
BDB classifies this usage with the fourth possible translation, specifying a person who “treads” or “stands” upon a bow in order that they may easily bend it~/pull it back.
The word is describing the wicked as they are preparing to launch an assault upon the righteous.
3.
קֶ֗שֶׁת
This noun is functioning as the accusative direct object of the previous verb.
The noun is feminine singular but will render a plural nuance because of the potential plurality of the “wicked” and to allow for a smoother translation.
4.
כּוֹנְנ֣וּ
Polel pf 3cp from the root כון meaning “to form.”
The perfect usage of the verb here has a present progressive this is not a category for the perfect; better: simple present or characteristic present nuance similar to the previously mentioned imperfect form in this verse.
5.
כּוֹנְנ֣וּ חִצָּ֣ם עַל־יֶ֑תֶר
This phrase is literally translated “they form their arrow on a string.”
The verb’s 3cs classifications is congruent with the 3mp ps on חִצָּ֣ם, while the second noun (יֶ֑תֶר) agrees with the first in gender and number (ms).
This phrase is providing a continued description of the action being taken by the “wicked” as they prepare to attack.
For a smoother reading it is best read, “they put their arrows on the strings.”
6.
לִיר֥וֹת
Lahmed preposition qal infinitive construct mp from the root ירה, meaning “to throw.”
The infinitive is functioning to introduce the following clause that describes the purpose or result of the “wicked” preparing their bows.
7.
בְּמֹו־אֹ֝֗פֶל
*TC:* The apparatus provides a variant reading for his phrase.
Each word is given its own note in BHS, but the variant readings work best if read together.
The first variant changes בְּמֹו to כְּמֹו.
This would change the translation from “in the darkness” to “like the darkness.”
The second variant witches עוֹף for the place of אֹ֝֗פֶל.
This would alter the translation from “in the darkness” to “in a bird.”
Taking both variant readings would render a translation “like a bird” similar to the phrase at the end of 11:1.
Since there are very few, if any, manuscripts supporting both variants it is unlikely they were original.
They are explained by conjectural emendation by an editor possibly trying to create parallelism with the similar phrase at the end of 11:1.[1]
The similarity in the letters that differ is also worth noting as a possible explanation for how the variant readings came about.
Even still, the MT reading is still preferred.
The phrase does not seem to make much sense and does not flow with the passage if the variants are read here.
The only addition that the variants make is the possible parallelism, which is not a strong enough argument to include the variant readings over MT.
This phrase is crucial to the passage as it helps further define the “wicked” and it provides a vivid picture of the fear that the poet was experiencing.
In note 1 for 11:2 the wicked were described as being slanderers, liars, cheaters, and criminals.
These are the types of characters who would do such a thing as mounting an attack in the darkness.[2]
The poet is experiencing great fear as he waits for the attack to happen.
Since this event is taking place “in darkness” he is unaware of when his enemies will attack.[3]
8.
לְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב
Within this construction we see the lahmed preposition mp adjective functioning attributively providing a description of לֵב.
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