Psalm 119 - parts 1 to 4 - verses 1-32

Overall, Psalm 119 is a restful adoration of God and God's promises. So one would expect an overall tenor of A. I have scheduled these posts every 3 days for the next 2 weeks.

Psalms 119: Syllables: 2837; Longest recitation: 11; Tenor:  A  23.30%;

Ornament density: 7.3%; Average phrase length: 8.7.

The tenor of each part varies. 

I think of each reciting note as having a characteristic sense. 

The high C, I consider as appeal and sometimes emotions like grief. The B, the harmonic dominant and the first natural harmonic of the shophar or a natural brass instrument, is for proclamation and story telling. The A is for rest, a note of stability. The g, the third degree of the scale is often the tenor in the poetry but rarely in the prose. I think it may have associations with adoration in this psalm. What do you think? The f#, the note of the supertonic and the cadence on the ole-veyored to me is pending, telling us there is something more to come.

The low e, the tonic, has the tonal sense of home, and it is the place where a verse starts if it is not overridden by another accent. Every place where the silluq occurs inside a verse I have verified from the Aleppo codex. The ones that remain are in the earliest manuscript we have. What do the musical shapes of each line suggest to you? I think we must sing them, even if to ourselves, to imagine what we are listening to and how the psalmist thought about these words.

E.g. in verse 1 the return to e on the second word temimei in bar 3 brings low tessitura to the sense of completeness. To be at home 'completes' each verse. So the e fits. The way, derek, is on the rest note, A. The way is stable. The one who walks is recited on the A also. So the walk is stable. It enters into rest. We return quietly to the tonic by way of the subdominant. The verse begins e f# and ends f# e. It is not announcement as it would be if the melody included the B; or appeal, or complaint, or grief as it would be if a high C was used. Notice in part 1 how the first seven verses are connected by the music.

Law -- God's 'law' which here I render as instruction (and never as law) -- is a beautiful thing. And this acrostic celebrates it in response to the previous psalm 118. All acrostics celebrate the psalm just prior to them. This I have shown to be a key structural aspect of the psalter as a whole. Click the acrostic label for more on the acrostics. I had better schedule psalm 118 soon.

Psalms 119: (Verses 1 to 16) Syllables: 234; Longest recitation: 9; Tenor: f# 28.33%;
Ornament density: 8.6%; Average phrase length: 8.6.

(Verses 1 to 8) Syllables: 113; Longest recitation: 9; Tenor: f# 38.94%;
Ornament density: 8%; Average phrase length: 8.7. 

(Verses 9 to 16) Syllables: 121; Longest recitation: 7; Tenor: A 28.10%;
Ornament density: 9.2%; Average phrase length: 8.6.

  

1 All joy for the complete of the way, who walk in the instruction of Yahweh. (1-4-1)
א אשר֥י תמֽימי־ד֑רך הֽ֝הלכ֗ים בתור֥ת יהוֽה	6 8		a awri tmimi-drç hholcim btort ihvh
2 ♪g All joy for those observing his testimonies. With a whole heart they search him out. (g-1-1)
ב א֭שרי נצר֥י עדת֗יו בכל־ל֥ב ידרשֽוהו	14		b awri noxri ydotiv bcl-lb idrwuhu
3 ♪g Also they do not work injustice, in his ways they walk. (g-1-4-1)
ג א֭ף לא־פעל֣ו עול֑ה בדרכ֥יו הלֽכו	6 6		g af la-pylu yvvlh bdrciv hlcu
4 ♪g And you commanded your precepts to keep in full. (g-1-1)
ד א֭תה צו֥יתה פקד֗יך לשמ֥ר מאֽד	13		d ath xivvit piqudiç lwmor maod
5 ♪g Ah that established were my ways to keep your statutes. (g-1-1)
ה א֭חלי יכ֥נו דרכ֗י לשמ֥ר חקֽיך	14		h aklii iiconu drcii lwmor kuqiç
6 ♪f And then I would not be ashamed, to take note of all your commandments. (~1-4-1)
ו א֥ז לא־אב֑וש ב֝הביט֗י אל־כל־מצותֽיך	3 10		v az la-abow bhbiTi al-cl-mxvotiç
7 ♪g And I will thank you with an upright heart, when I learn the judgments of your righteousness. (g-1-4-1)
ז א֭ודך בי֣שר לב֑ב ב֝למד֗י משפט֥י צדקֽך	7 9		z aodç biowr lbb blomdi mwpTi xdqç
8 And your statutes I will keep. Do not forsake me in full for ever. (1-4-1)
ח את־חק֥יך אשמ֑ר אֽל־תעזב֥ני עד־מאֽד	6 8		k at-kuqiç awmor al-tyzbni yd-maod
9 But how will a youth clear his path, to keep it according to your word? (1-4-1)
ט במ֣ה יזכה־נ֭ער את־ארח֑ו ל֝שמ֗ר כדברֽך	10 6		T bmh izch-nyr at-aorko lwmor cdbrç
10 By all my heart I have searched you out. Do not let me stray from your commandments. (1-4-1)
י בכל־לב֥י דרשת֑יך אל־ת֝שג֗ני ממצותֽיך	8 9		i bcl-libi drwtiç al-twgni mmxvotiç
11 ♪g By my heart I have treasured your promise, in order that I will not sin against you. (g-1-4-1)
יא ב֭לבי צפ֣נתי אמרת֑ך ל֝מ֗ען ל֣א אחטא־לֽך	10 8		ia blibi xpnti amrtç lmyn la akTa-lç
12 Blessed are you Yahweh. Teach me your statutes. (1-1)
יב בר֖וך את֥ה יהו֗ה למד֥ני חקֽיך	12		ib bruç ath ihvh lmdni kuqiç
13 By my lips I have recounted, all the judgments of your mouth. (1-4-1)
יג בשפת֥י ספ֑רתי כ֝֗ל משפטי־פֽיך	6 5		ig bwptii siprti col mwpTi-piç
14 By the way of your testimonies I joy as above all value. (1-1)
יד בד֖רך עדות֥יך ש֗שתי כע֣ל כל־הֽון	13		id bdrç ydvotiç wwti cyl cl-hon
15 By your precepts I will ponder, and I will take note of your paths. (1-4-1)
טו בפקד֥יך אש֑יחה ו֝אב֗יטה ארחתֽיך	8 8		Tv bpiqudiç awikh vabiTh aorkotiç
16 By your statutes I will revel, nor will I forget your word. (1-4-1)
טז בחקת֥יך אֽשתעש֑ע ל֭א אשכ֣ח דברֽך	9 7		Tz bkuqotiç awtywy la awck dbrç

Psalms 119: (Verses 17 to 32) Syllables: 255; Longest recitation: 9; Tenor: A 25.98%;
Ornament density: 7.1%; Average phrase length: 8.7.

(Verses 17 to 24) Syllables: 130; Longest recitation: 9; Tenor:  e  21.54%;

Ornament density: 7%; Average phrase length: 9.2.

(Verses 25 to 32) Syllables: 125; Longest recitation: 9; Tenor:  A  31.20%;

Ornament density: 7.3%; Average phrase length: 8.3.

17 Grow your servant. I will live and keep your word. (1-1)
יז גמ֖ל על־עבדך֥ אֽחי֗ה ואשמר֥ה דברֽך	16		iz gmol yl-ybdç akih vawmrh dbrç
18 Give discovery to my eyes, and I will take note of wonders in your instruction. (1-4-1)
יח גל־עינ֥י ואב֑יטה נ֝פלא֗ות מתורתֽך	7 8		ik gl-yinii vabiTh nplaot mtortç
19 ♪B Guest I am on the earth, do not hide from me your commandments. (B-1-4-1)
יט ג֣ר אנכ֣י בא֑רץ אל־תסת֥ר מ֝מ֗ני מצותֽיך	7 10		iT gr anoci barx al-tstr mmni mxvotiç
20 Ground down is my being for longing, for your judgments at all times. (1-4-1)
כ גרס֣ה נפש֣י לתאב֑ה אֽל־משפט֥יך בכל־עֽת	8 8		c grsh npwi ltabh al-mwpTiç bcl-yt
21 ♪g Giving, you rebuke the presumptuous, cursed, straying from your commandments. (g-1-4-1)
כא ג֭ערת זד֣ים ארור֑ים ה֝שגים ממצותֽיך	8 8		ca gyrt zdim arurim hwogim mmxvotiç
22 ♪B Get from me reproach and contempt, for your testimonies I have observed. (B-1-4-1)
כב ג֣ל מֽ֭עלי חרפ֣ה וב֑וז כ֖י עדת֣יך נצֽרתי	8 8		cb gl mylii krph vbuz ci ydotiç nxrti
23 ♪C Grand sultans sat. Against me they spoke. Your servant will ponder on your statutes. (C-1-4-1)
כג ג֤ם יֽשב֣ו ש֭רים ב֣י נדב֑רו ע֝בדך֗ יש֥יח בחקֽיך	9 10		cg gm iwbu wrim bi nidbru ybdç iwik bkuqiç
24 Grand your testimonies and my revel. They are my personal counsels. (1-1)
כד גֽם־ע֭דתיך שעשע֗י אנש֥י עצתֽי	14		cd gm-ydotiç wywuyii anwi yxti
25 Dust-cleaved is my being. give me life according to your word. (1-4-1)
כה דֽבק֣ה לעפ֣ר נפש֑י ח֝י֗ני כדברֽך	7 7		ch dbqh lypr npwi kiini cdbrç
26 Declared have I my ways and you answered me. Teach me your statutes. (1-1)
כו דרכ֣י ס֭פרתי וֽתענ֗ני למד֥ני חקֽיך	17		cv drcii siprti vtynni lmdni kuqiç
27 Direct my discernment in the way of your precepts, and I will ponder on your wonderful works. (1-4-1)
כז דֽרך־פקוד֥יך הבינ֑ני ו֝אש֗יחה בנפלאותֽיך	10 10		cz drç-piqudiç hbinni vawikh bnplaotiç
28 Drips my being with sadness. Raise me according to your word. (1-4-1)
כח דלפ֣ה נ֭פשי מתוג֑ה ק֝ימ֗ני כדברֽך	7 7		ck dlph npwi mtugh qiimni cdbrç
29 Deceitful way put aside from me, and with your instruction grace me. (1-4-1)
כט דֽרך־ש֭קר הס֣ר ממ֑ני וֽתורתך֥ חנֽני	9 7		cT drç-wqr hsr mmni vtortç konni
30 Deliberated have I a way of faith. With your judgments I have agreed. (1-4-1)
ל דֽרך־אמונ֥ה בח֑רתי משפט֥יך שוֽיתי	8 7		l drç-amunh bkrti mwpTiç wivviti
31 Determined I cleave to your testimonies. Yahweh, do not put me to shame. (1-4-1)
לא דב֥קתי בעֽדות֑יך י֝הו֗ה אל־תבישֽני	8 7		la dbqti bydvotiç ihvh al-tbiwni
32 Directed by your commandments I will race, for you enlarge my heart. (1-4-1)
לב דֽרך־מצות֥יך אר֑וץ כ֖י תרח֣יב לבֽי	8 5		lb drç-mxvotiç arux ci trkib libi

The music in these posts is derived from the accents in the Hebrew Bible. Introductions - letters, music, text and music, and terminology, are here.