Introduction: Poetic Theology of the Righteous in the Psalter
Psalm 64 ends with a powerful triadic expression of righteous response to divine justice. Following a description of God’s intervention against evildoers, verse 11 highlights the joy, trust, and praise that result among the faithful. The verse reads:
יִשְׂמַ֬ח צַדִּ֣יק בַּ֭יהוָה וְחָ֣סָה בֹ֑ו וְ֝יִתְהַֽלְל֗וּ כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃
The righteous shall rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
The verse features a poetic chain of imperfect verbs (יִשְׂמַח, וְחָסָה, וְיִתְהַלְלוּ) functioning as volitional expressions within a hymn of trust. The grammatical choices here contribute to a theology of righteous flourishing in response to divine justice and protection.
Grammatical Feature Analysis: Imperfect Verbs as Volitives
The verse opens with יִשְׂמַח צַדִּיק בַּיהוָה, where יִשְׂמַח (“shall rejoice”) is a qal imperfect 3ms of שׂ־מ־ח. Although imperfect in form, it functions here as a jussive or modal expression, reflecting a desired or expected reaction: “Let the righteous rejoice in YHWH.” The imperfect expresses an ongoing or future orientation, suited to liturgical or moral exhortation.
The subject צַדִּיק (“righteous one”) is singular but representative. In biblical poetry, such singulars often serve as collective nouns, encompassing the community of the faithful. The prepositional phrase בַּיהוָה (“in YHWH”) indicates the object of joy, possibly implying both the source and sphere of rejoicing.
The second clause וְחָסָה בֹו (“and he shall take refuge in Him”) continues the sequence. The verb חָסָה is a qal perfect 3ms in form, but because of the waw and poetic context, it is best understood as a waw-consecutive or parallel imperfect, conveying a coordinated volitive: “and let him take refuge in Him.” The verb חָסָה connotes trust, specifically the kind of covenantal reliance seen throughout the Psalter (cf. Ps. 2:12; 34:9).
The third clause expands to a plural subject: וְיִתְהַלְלוּ כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵב (“and all the upright in heart shall boast/glory”). The verb יִתְהַלְלוּ is a hitpael imperfect 3mp of ה־ל־ל, expressing reflexive rejoicing or exultation. The hitpael here implies not arrogant boasting but communal exultation in YHWH’s justice (cf. Jer. 9:23–24).
The plural subject כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵב (“all the upright of heart”) introduces a moral category that recurs across wisdom and psalmic literature. יִשְׁרֵי־לֵב emphasizes not merely ethical behavior but inner alignment with divine will. The switch to plural brings inclusivity and communal emphasis to what began as an individual statement.
Exegetical Implications: Volition and Praise in Response to Justice
This verse culminates a psalm that begins with the cry of the oppressed and ends with praise for divine deliverance. The verbs describe not what is, but what should or will be the proper response of the righteous. This structure reinforces a theology of praise as the fitting end of justice.
Each verb builds on the next: rejoicing leads to trust, and trust issues in public glorification. The progression moves from emotion (יִשְׂמַח) to faith (חָסָה) to proclamation (יִתְהַלְלוּ), showing the transformation of suffering into celebration.
Traditional Jewish commentators such as Radak and Ibn Ezra see in this verse a vision of eschatological reversal: when the wicked are judged, the righteous will respond with renewed trust and rejoicing. The grammar encodes this transformation.
Cross-Linguistic and Literary Parallels
The poetic sequence of volitive imperfects is common in Biblical Hebrew praise literature. For example, Psalm 5:12 uses a similar structure: וְיִשְׂמְחוּ כָל־חֹסֵי בָךְ (“Let all who take refuge in You rejoice”). The volitive imperfect in Psalms often overlaps with imperative force, reflecting Hebrew’s flexible mood system.
In Ugaritic poetry, sequences of imperfect verbs are also used for liturgical or cultic instruction, with each line building toward a climactic declaration of divine power or human devotion.
The Septuagint translates the Hebrew verbs into future indicatives: εὐφρανθήσεται δίκαιος ἐν κυρίῳ καὶ ἐλπιεῖ ἐπ’ αὐτόν, preserving the predictive-volitional sense. The verb ἐλπιεῖ (“shall hope”) captures the nuance of חָסָה as active trust.
Theological and Literary Significance of Imperfect Volitives
The repeated use of imperfect forms in this verse is not merely poetic—it is theological. It conveys habitual, communal, and desired responses to divine action. The righteous do not merely survive injustice—they flourish, taking refuge and glorifying the God who delivers.
The literary effect of beginning with the singular צַדִּיק and ending with the plural כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵב emphasizes that while praise may begin with one, it expands to include the many. This is communal doxology born from covenant justice.
From Rejoicing to Refuge: Syntax as Response in Psalm 64:11
Psalm 64:11 uses coordinated imperfects to construct a grammar of the righteous response. Joy, trust, and praise are not separate acts but sequential stages of faithful recognition. The syntax serves theology: the righteous rejoice in YHWH because He acts. They trust because He is worthy. They glory not in self, but in His justice. Through imperfect verbs, the psalmist invites the community into enduring response.
