(This section continues from Notes on the Psalms I and contains Psalms 23-43)

Psalm Twenty-Three

Vs. 1: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Here YHWH is associated with being a shepherd, rahah, a rich word from which is also derived raheyah, love, as found in nine places in the Song of Songs, for instance, 2.10, "Rise up, my love, my fair one." There comes to mind the obvious "I am the good shepherd" of Jn 10.11. With this identification in mind, the psalmist can say "I shall not want," chasar, as in Ps 34.10: "The young lions suffer want and go hungry."

Vs. 2: He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. The reason for the psalmist's sufficiency is green pastures, the noun being na'ah, from the verbal root meaning to dwell, to be suitable: "Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green" [Jl 2.22]. Here green is the same adjective as in vs. 1, deshe', more specifically intimating tender grass. It is in such places as these that YHWH/raheyah causes the psalmist to lie down, ravats, a verb used of quadrupeds who gather their feet under their bodies: "As he [Jacob] looked, he saw a well in the field, and lo, three flocks of sheep lying beside it" [Gen 29.2]. Jacob rolled away the stone over this well's mouth for Rachel's flocks, a superhuman task (cf. vs. 8). It was this well besides which Jesus said "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst" [Jn 4.13-4].

This leading or nahal suggests receiving something as one's own; nachal or stream is derived from the same verbal root. Cf. Is 49.10: "By the springs of water shall he guide them" which may be contrasted with the (Hebrew) "waters of quietness," menuchah, from the verbal root nuach which is related to na'ah in the paragraph above. "Like cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest" [Is 63.14]. Note this verb used with cattle who rest according to the above mentioned verb ravats. The Lord who leads the psalmist by such menuchah implies no stopping or perhaps briefly to take refreshment and then move one, that is, to continue nahal.

Vs. 3: He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. To restore one's soul, shuv, is a recovery of what had been lost in what the Cistercians had called the "land of unlikeness." This shuv is effected in the green pastures and still waters of vs. 1. Perhaps these two elements may be symbolic of Eden: "A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden" [Gen 2.10], river having a parallel with the still waters. Compare shuv with its equivalent in Mt 17.11: "Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things;" apokatasteso being the verb and used by the Greek Fathers as the culmination of all creation in Jesus Christ. Also, "Return [shuv], O my soul, to your rest [menuchah]" [Ps 116.7].

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Such leading, nachah, tells more about the restoration of the psalmist's soul above; it consists in proceeding along paths, mahgal (singular), or more specifically, ruts made by cart wheels. "The tracks of your chariot drip with fatness" [Ps 65.13]. For both a positive and a negative sense, "Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path" [Prov 2.9]. And, "For her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the shades" [Prov 2.18]. In Ps 23, mahgal is associated with righteousness, tsedaqah. Note the plural use of paths indicating that tsedaqah is not monolithic but has a variety of approaches.

Here the leading or nachah is because of the divine name, shem, in order to glorify God. "Your name is as ointment poured forth" [Sg 1.3].

Vs. 4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Contrast this walking, halak, with the leading of vs. 3; the former is done under divine guidance, whereas the latter has the psalmist on his own. The valley of which he speaks is marked by tsalmaweth, composed of two words, tsel (shadow) and maweth (death). The former is derived from the verbal root which also means image, as in Gen 1.27: "God created man in his image and likeness," that is, his shadow, which is reason for the psalmist not to fear evil, rah. Hence his confidence is saying "you are with me," himady, from the verbal root meaning to stand and hence an enduring presence.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Two objects with one effect, comfort or nacham which can also mean to lament, take vengeance. "I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your hanger turned away, and you did comfort me" [Is 12.1]. And, "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God" [Is 40.1]. The first agent to effect such nacham is shevet, rod, tribe, the latter after the leader of such a tribe. The second agent is mishhan, staff, as in Ps 18.18 ("But the Lord was my stay"). Note that the rod associated with Moses is mateh which also means spear, twig. Mateh can also mean tribe, so we may imply that when Moses used this rod to effect plagues on the Egyptians, it was the tribes of Israel who were indirectly involved.

Vs. 5: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Such a table shulchan can apply to Jesus and his disciples in the upper room at the Last Supper. Note that the Book of Exodus goes into some detail describing the preparation of the shulchan for divine worship: "He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table, and overlaid them with gold" [37.14]. Such a shulchan is divinely prepared, harak, implying set in order. "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover" [Mt 26.17]?, words addressed to Christ by his disciples where such preparation is associated with the Passover.

You anoint my head with oil. As applied to Christ, just prior to the Passover: "A woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at table" [Mt 26.7, also note table here]. Such anointing, dashan, fundamentally means to be fat as in Ps 20.3, "May he remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices!" Also, cf. Prov 28.25, "but he who trusts in the Lord will be enriched," i.e., made fat. Thus the act of making dashan implies preparation for sacrifice and hearkens back to the woman who anointed Christ: "In pouring this ointment on my body she has done it to prepare me for burial" [Mt 26.12]. By the psalmist's head being anointed with oil, it can refer to Christ, "the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior" [Eph 5.23]. The cup, kus, is none of than that of salvation, yeshuah as in Ps 116.13. It overflows, rewayah, akin to rawah, to satiate.

Vs. 6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. After being led (passively) in paths of righteousness and having walked (actively) through the valley of death, the psalmist is qualified, as it were, to have goodness (tov) and mercy (chesed) follow him, radaph, basically meaning to pursue almost in a hostile sense. Thus tov and chesed are actively in the psalmist's train for the rest of his life.

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. These final words of Ps 23 see the psalmist at rest, dwelling (shavat, from which comes Sabbath). "And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day" [Gen 2.2]. From this statement derives the Jewish Sabbath; we may say that the psalmist took six days of work to attain this divine rest in the Jerusalem temple ("house of the Lord"). He does so forever or "for length of days," 'orek meaning indefinite temporal extension not so much eternity. However, 'orek as applied to the seventh day on which God rested may be said to be a foretaste of the Heavenly Jerusalem.

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Psalm Twenty-Four

Vs. 1: The earth is the Lord's and its fulness, the world and those who dwell therein. The psalmist makes a distinction between the earth ('erets) and its fulness (melo'), former referring to the planet itself and the latter to what lives on it. He makes a further distinction between the world (tevel) and those dwelling (yashav) on it. More specifically, tevel refers to the inhabitable world, human situations or oikonomia, opposed to the desert or midbar. "In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit" [Is 27.6]. This verse alludes to its dwellers, yoshvey (from yashav) in the person of Jacob/Israel who fill it; cf. melo' above.

Vs. 2: For he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers. Allusion to the Genesis account, "and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters" [1.2], found being associated with this Spirit-ual moving, rachaph (in the sense of brooding); yasad suggesting the establishment of a building as in Is 14.32, "The Lord has founded Zion." This Psalm's verse has yasad on the seas, yamym, which hearken back to the same water of Gen 1.2. Note that this verse makes a distinction between "darkness upon the face of the deep" and "Spirit...over the face of the waters." The addition of face or peny suggests a vaguely outlined surface here at the very beginning of divine creation, whereas Ps 24.2 simply has "earth upon (hal) the seas."

For rivers, nahar (singular), refer to Gen 2.10: "A river flowered out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers," namely, sources of water emanating from the deep, tehom, which then expanded to the four corners of the world; tevel is implied here in that people inhabited or lived by such rivers. We get a picture of the destructive aspect of these rivers in Jon 2.3: "For you did cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood was round about me."

Vs. 3: Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Probable reference to ascending Mt. Zion and the Jerusalem temple. Note the use of these two high places after mention of the seas and rivers located in lowly places. The first ascent (halah) reads "in (v-) the hill;" similarly, with regard to the second act of standing, qum, it is "in his holy place." Note use of qum whose basic meaning is to rise as though there were a second ascent within the holy place. Meqom is the word for place. The two rhetorical questions of vs. 3 can refer to any person who has emerged from the chaos symbolized by the above mentioned seas and rivers; cf. Christ's emergence from the Jordan River after having been baptized by John (Mt 3.16).

Vs. 4: He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. The verbal root for clean, naqah, implies being free or to pardon. "The wicked shall not be unpunished" [Prov 11.21]. Perhaps this word as applied to hands suggests that these hands had been manacled and are now free. The hands represent external activity whereas heart is the inner person which is pure, bar; alternate meanings are son, beloved, field.

This harmony between outer and inner cleanliness is carried over to the second half of vs. 4: lifting of soul, nasa' (which is a silent gesture) and refraining from a false oath. False or shawe' fundamentally means to lay waste; vanity is a noun. "In vain have I smitten your children, they took no correction" [Jer 2.30]. The verbal gesture of not "swearing deceitfully," mirmah, is the external gesture.

Vs. 5: He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from the God of his salvation. The blessing or verakah is a generalized one received on the "hill of the Lord" and in "his holy place," the two high places of vs. 3 after the waters of vs. 2. Such verakah is reminiscent of Noah's after the flood: "Then Noah built an altar to the Lord...and offered burnt offerings on the altar" [Gen 8.20]. The second gift received from God is more specific in that it consists of vindication or better, righteousness, tsedaqah; it's source is the "God of his salvation," i.e., of "Jesus."

Vs. 6: Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah. Despite the positive attitude towards the (current) generation, dor (alternate meaning, circuit of life), the Bible recounts the propensity towards evil manifested by every generation starting from the first man and woman. Blessedness consists in seeking God, darash, not necessarily finding him, the very act of which counters the that tendency towards evil. Note the first part of vs. 6 has darash (implying a treading down as in Ps 9.10) whereas the second part has baqash for the same English word; it suggests making a petition which here is in conjunction with the divine face. Even more specifically, such face is associated with the "God of Jacob," notably his wrestling with a mysterious divine being: "So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel (face of God), saying, 'For I have seen God face to face and yet my life is preserved'" [Gen 32.30]. Note inclusion of that "divine (liturgical) pause" or selah.

Vs. 7: Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors that the King of glory may come in! A verse reminiscent of 2 Sam 6.12-2: "'The Lord has blessed the household of Obededom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.' So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom to the city of David with rejoicing." The New Testament context is Christ's entry into Jerusalem (i.e., Palm Sunday): "And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest'" [Mt 21.9]! In both instances the gates, shahar (singular), are not assailed by an attacking enemy but welcome the Messiah. "On the top of the walls she [Wisdom] cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks" [Prov 1.21]. Wisdom is there to welcome Jesus Christ; she has no need of this with regard to the heavenly Jerusalem which has three gates on each of its four sides (cf. Rev 21.12-3).

Note that vs. 7 has "lift up" (active) and "be lifted up" (passive); the former which refer to gates are younger, as it were, whereas the ancient doors are older and require assistance in being lifted up. The former gates, is derived from shahar, to cleave, to divide, whereas the latter, doors, comes from patach, to open. Such doors are ancient, hulam, whose verbal root meads to hide implying that olden times were concealed or not present in living memory except perhaps vaguely.

The king who enters is marked by glory, kavod, which as noted earlier, is the prime attribute of God. Because this king (Christ) has entered the city, there was no need for a temple there "for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" [Rev 21.22].

Vs. 8: Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Instead of ignorance with regard to this king, it appears more as a refrain in his honor. This is evident by acknowledging him by two qualities, strong and mighty.

Vs. 9 continues the refrain with regard to (Jerusalem's) gates and ancient doors, only here the latter are in the active mode, lift up as opposed to the passive mode. Vs. 10 concludes the psalm with words similar to vs. 8 only reading "Lord of hosts" and a statement that the Lord "is the king of glory" instead of a rhetorical question which brings Ps 24 to a fitting conclusion. This conclusion is enhanced by the closing (liturgical) word selah, pause. We could add that selah has a mystical sense in that it invites reflection upon the king's entry.

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Psalm Twenty-Five

Vs. 1: To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Note the act of lifting, nasa', a verb we saw in vss. 7 and 9 of Ps 24 with respect to gates and doors. It is as though the king upon entering Jerusalem now lifts up his soul once these entry ways have been lifted to receive him. Consider this in light of King Solomon's prayer of dedication with regard to the temple, 1 Kg 8. This nasa' suggests an almost universal perception of the divinity being "up there" to which a person assents.

Vs. 2: O my God, in you I trust, let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. The three-fold desire of the psalmist spells out that nasa' or lifting just discussed. The expression of trust, batach, implies waiting or expectation. "And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards" [Ezk 28.6]. In vs. 2 the psalmist perceives a threat of being shamed, bush, which involves a failure of hope or that batach just mentioned. In the meantime, he has his soul lifted up to God (vs. 1), suspended, as it were, between heaven and earth much like Christ on the cross.

The exulting of enemies, halats, fundamentally is an expression of joy as in this positive sense: "I will be glad and rejoice in you" [Ps 9.2]. It is kind of upward movement just like the psalmist's nasa' of his soul of vs. 1, so we see a struggle between two types of upward gestures where the outcome is not yet certain.

Vs. 3: Yes, let none that wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Waiting or qawah forms a basic theme to all genuine religious expression, and this example is no exception; qawah almost suggests strength, and from it is derived qaw, rope, cord; in Ps 19.4 this word reads "yet their voice goes out through all the earth," voice being (measuring) line. We may envision the persons of which the psalmist speak as hanging or being suspended on such a qaw which is open to shame by others, bush.

To shame or bagad also means to oppress from which is derived beged, a covering, so we get the idea of being veiled in disgrace. The following verse applied to Christ's suffering on the cross suggests this twofold meaning: "They parted my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots" [Ps 22.18, Jn 19.24]. Reyqam, treacherous, intensifies this bagad, for it means vanity. "You shall sow your seed in vain" [Lev 26.16].

Vs. 4: Make me know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Two examples of passage, ways (derek) and paths ('orach) which comprise two types of comprehension, a desire to know (yadah) and a desire to be taught (lamad). This wish for instruction in the psalmist eyes pertains to something with which he is unfamiliar; both courses are in the plural and imply a multiplicity of goals.

Vs. 5: Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. An amplification of derek in vs. 4 with the verbal form, darak, to lead, that is, with respect to truth, 'emeth, not just truth but "your truth," God's. Instead of a desire to be taught in divine paths (again, vs. 4), vs. 5 has a desire for being directly taught by God whom the psalmist identifies with salvation, yeshuah, "Jesus." I.e., leading and teaching are brought in line with "the God of my Jesus."

For you I wait all the day long. Here waiting, qawah, (cf. vs. 3) applies to kal-hayom, all the day long, "day" being a kairos expression of time as event.

Vs. 6: Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Often the Psalter has the psalmist speaking about the necessity to remember (zakar) God, etc, but here his wish is applied to God himself or more specifically, his mercy, rechem (cf. Ps 18.1 for a note on the former). In vs. 6 an alignment, as it were, is brought between rechem and zakar (mindful) together with chesed, steadfast love. The psalmist is quick to note their ancient quality, "from of old," holam, which refers to indefinite temporal extension however long. Perhaps he has in mind not only God's favoring of Israel but holam as extending back to the Genesis account of creation. As noted earlier, zakar is the verbal root for male; it is as though the psalmist wants God to propagate the two qualities of mercy in the sense of making them an inheritance for extension into the future.

Vs. 7: Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord! Note the continued insistence upon remember, zakar, only here applied to the psalmist's sins, chata'ah (singular), or better, "from my youth," nehurym, which is plural in form. "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" [Gen 8.21], words uttered after the flood. This chapter of Genesis begins with "But God remembered Noah," another instance of zakar, that is, he takes steps to insure propagation of Noah into the future. In addition to the psalmist's sins, he wishes that God also not zakar his transgressions, pesheh (singular), which connotes rebellion. "My transgressions were bound into a yoke" [Lam 1.14].

According to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord! An association of zakar with chesed. Note the connection of the psalmist with God in relation with this chesed according to the Hebrew: zekar-ly-'atah, "remember-me-you" with the psalmist sandwiched in between. He ties in chesed here with divine goodness, using the general tov.

Vs. 8: Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. Two general attributes, tov and yashar, applied to God; while familiar to readers of the Psalter, their frequent usage acts as a reminder and as words of introduction to a more particular facet of the divinity. In this instance, it is God's faculty of instructing, darak, the verbal root for the noun way frequently used thus far. For sinners we have hanawym, a word associated with those who are afflicted, not necessarily by sinfulness (cf. Ps 22.26).

The second part of vs. 8 contains the word derek, way, which here is unspecified but assumed to be the divine Torah; also applicable to Jesus Christ as the way. Sinners are instructed, lamad, the verb from which Talmud is derived; also note that in the Syriac version of the New Testament Christ's disciples are called talmydim.

Vs. 9: He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. Continuation of the theme of leading and the way discussed just above, only here with respect to the humble, hanawym, who are mentioned twice. The second example is in conjunction with lamad; note the different use of hanawym here as opposed to sinners of vs. 8.

Vs. 10: All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. Paths or 'orek (singular) are "of the Lord," not to the Lord, indicating those qualities he wishes to manifest which here are steadfast love, chesed, and truth, 'emeth. A person becomes attuned to this divine outflow, as it were, by keeping, natsar two things: the divine covenant and testimonies, beryth and hed. Cf. Ps 12.7 for mention of natsar as watching; while suggesting a keeping, it also involves watching in that one can loose them as well as gain further insight into them. First mention of beryth is Gen 6.18: "But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your sons' wives with you." The last mention is Mal 3.1: "Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts." With these two covenants in mind, it is interesting to observe the various usages of beryth in between, as it were, them. Hedothayu (his testimonies) are more specific rules or features of the general beryth.

Vs. 11: For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Not so much as for YHWH himself but for his name which we may assign as the person of Jesus Christ; better, "for your Word's sake," Logos. This incarnation of the divine shem, name, or Jesus-as-salvation is directed toward extending pardon, salach, which has the notion of lightness, of lifting up (for example, on the cross of Christ).

Vs. 12: Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. A rhetorical question which can be taken as addressed to a crowd, fear or yir'ath being the first step on the road to acquire wisdom. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" [Prov 1.7]. Here beginning, re'shyth, is used in the sense of embracing all other aspects; it is a kind of Alpha implying an Omega (cf. Rev 22.13).

Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. Here the choice is up to the person, after which the Lord will instruct him, yarah, which can also mean to lay foundations, to sprinkle, both which have the basic meaning of casting something: "Behold, the pillar which I have founded" [Gen 31.51]. And, "He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth" [Hos 6.3]. Implied is human free will (bachar) which makes choices under divine inspiration after which comes yarah which has a specific path, way or derek.

Vs. 13: He himself shall abide in prosperity, and his children shall possess the land. Nephesh or the common word for soul is used for "he himself," one's inmost being. Such prosperity, tov, is contingent upon the vs. 12, fear of God, which implies a continuous state signified by the word abide, lun; used more specifically for spending the night as in Gen 32.21: "and he himself [Jacob] lodged that night in the camp." Such lun was a preparation for Jacob's wrestling bout with the mysterious divine being who bestowed upon him a change of names, i.e., to Israel. Compare with Sg 1.13: "He shall lie all night between my breasts." In the case of Jacob, his new name of Israel suggests the presence in his person of future generations, the children of vs. 13 who "shall possess the land," yarash, in the sense of becoming inheritors.

Vs. 14: The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. Those who enjoy divine friendship, sod, stem from Jacob/Israel discussed in the preceding verse; it requires that fear of Prov 1.7. Sod also means a couch, assembly, therefore an abiding relationship; the notion of reclining may be associated with sharing a meal as Christ with his disciples at the Last Supper. At a sod there is often intimate conversation, reminiscent of Christ's discourse on his mission and coming of the Holy Spirit, that is, Christ divulged to the disciples his covenant, beryth: "for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" [Mt 26.28]. The act of making known, yadah, suggests an indirect disclosure where one must do active work or searching to realize what is being done.

Vs. 15: My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. In God's relation with Moses, he never disclosed himself but only spoke with Moses: "and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen" [Ex 33.23]. In light of this, how can the psalmist's eyes gaze upon YHWH? Toward, 'el, suggests in-the-direction-of, not necessarily in the sense of direct gaze; perhaps the psalmist had in mind God's words to Moses just mentioned, namely, that God's back can be seen, not his face. In this light, his gaze is following God as he is in the act of moving.

This gaze fixed towards God thus directs a person's actions signified by feet which God will pluck from a snare, yasta' and resheth. Once liberated, the psalmist can then follow God's back. "Draw me after you, let us make haste" [Sg 1.4].

Vs. 16: Turn to me and be gracious to me; for I am lonely and afflicted. Perhaps the desire for God to turn, panah (from which is derived face), is a wish to see God in light of Moses' wish discussed in the previous verse. God can turn about but this would kill Moses who is well aware of the fact which is why vs. 16 can be put in Moses' mouth, be gracious, chanan, which implies an inclining gesture.

The psalmist appeals to God for this chanan by stating his miserable condition, lonely or yachyd and hany (from hanah, same verbal root for eyes of vs. 15).

Vs. 17: Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distresses. Troubles derive from the verb tsarar which pertains to something which is pressed, and applied to the heart or center of feeling connotes extreme distress. The psalmist wishes relief from such constraints, rachav, to be spacious. "For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land" [Gen 26.22].

And bring me out of my distresses. The two verbs here are vivid descriptions of the psalmist's predicament, for they are similar sounding, mimtsuqothay and hotsy'eny; matsoq can mean column and comes from the same verbal root as tsuq, to be narrow which is similar in meaning to tsarar.

Vs. 18: Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. Haneny (again, hanah) is the word for affliction which the psalmist wishes God to consider, ra'ah, or more accurately, to see, which is his way of having God reciprocate his words in vs. 15, "My eyes are ever toward the Lord." The second object the psalmist wishes God to ra'ah is his trouble, hamal, more specifically, labor. This word is frequently used in Ecclesiastes to reveal the vanity of human endeavors: "What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun" [1.3]? With this verse in mind, the psalmist intimates that God should consider his vanity, havel.

Finally vs. 18 has the psalmist beseeching God not simply to cast a look upon his situation but to actively step in and forgive his sins (chete', singular), nasa', more fundamentally, to take them up as though removing that havel from his eyes.

Vs. 19: Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. Another instance of ra'ah for consider, i.e., to see, this time with respect to the psalmist's foes, 'eyvah (singular); the first ra'ah seems to concern his own inner turmoil, whereas this second one is external. Their hatred, sin'ah, is intensified by the wording of the Hebrew, "They hate me with cruel hatred," sin'ah being used twice. Chamas, violent, a frequently used word in the Psalter; this term is situated in between the two words, sin'ah

Vs. 20: Oh guard my life and deliver me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. When nephesh is used for life, almost always it suggests soul which here the psalmist wishes God to both guard (shamar) as well as to deliver ("me"), natsal which implies a pulling out of a dangerous situation. Note use of natsal in conjunction with me, not nephesh, perhaps signifying a more pointed or urgent request for assistance from God.

The act of taking refuge, chasah, is bound up with the notion of fleeing, of hurried flight from a dangerous situation; it also means to trust: "under whose wings you have come to trust" [Rt 2.12]. Although in vs. 20 the psalmist bids God to deliver him-thereby implying a chasah-he nevertheless adds the statement of already having accomplished this same chasah.

Vs. 21: May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. Tom and yosher are two elements which preserve (natsar) the psalmist, the former signifying fulness or completion and the latter straightness. It is the function of natsar to effect these two types of protection; it signifies a type of watching as in Jer 31.6: "There shall be a day when the watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim." Actually vs. 21 expresses a wish of the psalmist, not its accomplishment and his based upon his expectation or waiting, qawah. Vs. 5 above specifies this qawah by saying it is "all the day long."

Vs. 22: Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. This concluding verse of Ps 25 shifts attention away from the psalmist's personal woes to the larger community in which he belongs, Israel whom he wants God to redeem, padah, which means a setting free. "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing" [Is 51.11]. This notion of setting free is enhanced by "out of all his troubles," tsar; cf. vs. 17: "Relieve the troubles of my heart."

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Psalm Twenty-Six

Vs. 1: Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. The psalmist wishes God to vindicate or judge him, shapat, a desire implying certainty of a favorable outcome on his behalf. Note the connection of shaphat with motion or walking, halak; perhaps the psalmist has been delayed en route or has seen something which gives him confidence, for he speaks of "my integrity," tom, which connotes perfection or completeness; here it can be in reference to the divine Torah or Law. Action is in the past tense or indicative that the psalmist has culminated his walk or journey. Tom also means Thummim or sacred lots used by the levitical priests: "And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord" [Ex 28.30].

And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Such wavering, mahad, implies slipping or losing one's balance. "Trust in a faithless man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips" [Prov 25.19], the opposite of which is trust, batach. Applied to the psalmist's walking of vs. 1, such steadiness is suggestive of 1 Sam 6.12: "And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh...they turned neither to the right nor to the left."

Vs. 2: Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. Three desires associated with the psalmists's walking of the previous verse: prove, try and test; the last two are applicable to his heart and mind, and all three may apply after the psalmist has completed his walk. Bachan for prove suggests watching (cf. Ps 7.9). With Ps 11.4 in mind, we may say it is God's eyelids which do this bachan: "His eyelids try the children of men." Furthermore, bachan is connected with nasah, to try, in the sense of to tempt: "I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test" [Is 7.12].

Both bachan and nasah pertain to the psalmist himself as opposed to his heart and mind in the second half of vs. 2 where he uses the verb tsaraph. This word applies to refining as a goldsmith: "I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy" [Is 1.25]. Thus tsaraph melts the psalmist's "reins" (Hebrew text) and "heart," reins or kidneys, kilyah (singular), traditionally the seat of affections. "My soul will rejoice when your lips speak what is right" [Prov 23.16]. In addition to kilyah, the psalmist bids God to nasah his mind or in Hebrew, heart, lev.

Vs. 3: For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you. Another example of chesed, steadfast love, with a specific place-whereness, that is, "before (neged) my eyes." Such chesed is not interior but acts as a guide for the psalmist's walking of vs. 1 which he specifies again as in (Hebrew), "in your faithfulness," 'emeth, not that of the psalmist. While chesed is "exterior," 'emeth is "interior" (i.e., "in your faithfulness").

Vs. 4: I do not sit with false men, nor do I consort with dissemblers. To sit (yashav) implies a being-with, active participation, here in the negative sense as with Ps 1.1: "Nor sits in the seat of scoffers." Note use of methey, men; this term has a possible relationship with the verb to die (moth), so with this in mind, it can be assumed that the psalmist intensifies his contempt for "false men" by using methey to indicate their mortality. Methey is joined with shawe', wickedness or more precisely, nothingness. "Take not the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain" [Ex 20.7].

The second group which the psalmist mentions his dissociation is dissemblers, from the verbal root halam, to hide, implying something like a conspiracy of evildoers. For an inverse meaning, cf. Ps 55.2: "Hide not yourself from my supplication." The psalmist states that he does not consort with such people, bo', the simple verb for to enter; the preposition b- (in) is prefixed to dissemblers meaning a full participation.

Vs. 5: I hate the company of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. Qahal for company, the exact opposite of that sacred qahal gathered to worship God: "In the midst of the congregation I will praise you" [Ps 22.22]. This term represents the collective nature of Israelite society, and not to share in quahal-ness is a fate worse than death. Thus in a sense that of evildoers is preferable to banishment or separation.

The second group which the psalmist mentions is wicked, reshahym, a general term which could be taken as not belonging to the qahal (evildoers); the latter can apply to those sitting (yashav) outside the sacred qahal of Israel.

Vs. 6: I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O Lord. A liturgical act as in Dt 21.6: "And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley." The verb used is rachats, as in Sg 5.12: "His eyes are...washed with milk." Such washing is a clear dissociation with that qahal of evildoers of vs. 5 among whom may be counted Pontus Pilate: "He took water and washed his hands before the crowd saying, 'I am innocent of this man's blood'" [Mt 27.24]. That innocence or niqayon is ritual purity done prior to going about (savav) the altar of sacrifice, the opposite of which is "And they limped about the altar which they had made" [1 Kg 18.26], ritual dance by priests of Baal on Mount Carmel with whom the prophet Elijah contended. The altar or mizbeach of vs. 6 most likely refers to the one in the Jerusalem temple.

Vs. 7: Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving and telling all your wondrous deeds. A continuation of vs. 6 with respect to the Jerusalem altar and part of the psalmist's savav of it. The Hebrew of the first part of vs. 7 reads, "That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving," the verb being shamah, to hear (or "may cause to be heard"). I.e., he wants his voice to be heard as part of the ritual savav. "Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them" [Am 4.5]. Note use of same words, shamah and todah, in both verses.

The psalmist also adds that he tells, saphar, as in "I will tell of your name to my brethren" [Ps 22.22]; as has been pointed out, this verb implies the act of writing or inscribing. Perhaps saphar may be applied to God writing the "two tables of the testimony" [Ex 34.29] after which the psalmist's face, like Moses, "shone because he had been talking with God" [Ex 34.29]. "Your wondrous deeds," niphel'otheyka, suggest God's numerous interventions on behalf of Israel.

Vs. 8: O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. Note the object of love here-not just house but "habitation of your house," mehon, dwelling in a general sense. ""Look down from your holy habitation" [Dt 26.15]. As situated within house, bayth, mehon suggests a central spot such as the holy of holies or devyr (cf. 1 Kg 6.5; also cf. Ps 20.2 for notes on this term); while divine holiness is certainly present within the context of vs. 8, the association with bayth intimates the intimacy of a household. Kavod or glory has a different location from what we just considered, having as its position a place, meqom, which dwells, shakan. "But now, if your land is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land where the Lord's tabernacle stands and take for yourselves a possession among us" [Jos 22.19]. Again, "As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple" [Ezk 43.4].

Vss. 9 & 10: Sweep me not away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, men in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. Four types of people whom the psalmist beseeches God to avoid: sinners, bloodthirsty men, men with evil devices and those full of bribes. Sweep or 'asaph also means to take away in the sense of making a collection; the implication is that the psalmist does not want to join that "company, qahal, of evildoers" of vs. 5, of which these men are members.

Vs. 11: But as for me, I walk in my integrity; redeem me and be gracious to me. The words "but as for me" (wa'any) separate the psalmist from the above mentioned qahal of four types of evildoers; he associates himself again with tom, integrity, as in vs. 1: "I have walked in integrity." Note past tense whereas vs.11 is in the present (same verb). This tom or perfection achieves fullest realization when a person grasps that he or she is made in God's image and likeness.

Despite his tom, the psalmist makes two requests from God: 1) for redemption, padah, a setting free or liberation, and 2) for God to be gracious, chanan, as in Ps 6.2. Surely the psalmist must have realized that God can be chanan to whomever he wants: "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy" [Ex 33.19].

Vs. 12: My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the Lord. This level ground or myshor also means righteousness. "Every valley shall be lifted up and every mountain be made low; the uneven ground shall become level and the rough places a plain" [Is 40.4]. Also, "Let your good spirit lead me on a level path" [Ps 143.10]! Contrast this standing, hamad, with the walking of vs. 3 which is in righteousness, 'emeth.

Then the psalmist mentions (in Hebrew) the congregations, qahal, whose multiplicity offsets that of evildoers as mentioned in earlier verses. Also, each of the twelve tribes of Israel may be considered a qahal; they are transformed as part of the heavenly Jerusalem which has three gates on each of its four sides (cf. Rev 21.12-3) on which were the "twelve names of the twelve apostles (i.e., qahal) of the Lamb" [vs. 14]. "I will bless:" action is in the future, much like the future coming of the heavenly Jerusalem just mentioned. Contrast this future intent with the present "my foot stands on level ground."

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Psalm Twenty-Seven

Vs. 1: The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Two qualities of YHWH: light ('or) and salvation (yashah or "Jesus"); note that 'or precedes "Jesus." "I [i.e., Jesus] am the light of the world" [Jn 9.5]. Such confidence in these two qualities leads the psalmist to exclaim, "whom shall I fear, yara'," which as noted earlier (Ps 19.9), bears a resemblance in certain forms to the verb ra'ah, to see. This confidence at the beginning of Psalm 27 continues throughout all fourteen verses.

In the second sentence which is a rhetorical question, the psalmist mentions a verb similar to yara', pachad, to be afraid, which connotes a trembling motion. "And they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days" [Hos 3.5]. Only here he transforms the light and salvation into a stronghold or mahoz: "O Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble" [Jer 16.19]. Not only is YHWH this mahoz but he is thus with respect to his life.

Vs. 2: When evildoers assail me, uttering slanders against me, my adversaries and foes, they shall stumble and fall. Such evildoers or merehym are the first and foremost group whom the psalmist mentions as lacking fear which he boldly asserts in vs. 1. Here they are identified with assailing, qarav, more precisely, to draw near, almost in the sense of becoming familiar with the psalmist. Instead of the words, "uttering slanders against me," the Hebrew text reads "to devour my flesh" much like dogs. "And anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat" [1 Kg 14.11].

This qarav or insinuation by human dogs is thwarted by stumbling (kashal) and falling (naphal). Perhaps alluding to the four legs of a dog, such tripping up is a more remarkable sight and for that reason, humiliating. Note that the psalmist divides the evildoers into two classes, adversaries (tsar) and foes ('ayav), the former coming from the same verbal root from which rock is derived. With this in mind, there can be a connection between dogs assailing the psalmist much like a fortress, another derivative of tsar's verbal root.

Vs. 3: Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. To encamp, chanah, implies a bowing motion (as if to pitch a tent); the words for prayer, mercy, also derives from this verbal root possibly because God bends down to the suppliant. In vs. 3 a host or machaneh does this chanah against the psalmist, which derives from chanah. Such a hostile force takes position "against me," literally, "on (hal-) me" suggesting an overwhelming assault. Despite this, the psalmist's heart does not fear because as vs. 4 says, he seeks to "dwell in the house of the Lord." Even this not yet attained reality suffices to give supreme confidence in the midst of a violent onslaught.

The psalmist continues with his confidence or batach in God despite war breaking out against him, milchamah being a more general and widespread type of hostility as opposed to the specific machaneh just noted. Such machaneh is hal-, on the psalmist as the host's attack.

Vs. 4: One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. In the face of attack (vs. 3), one would expect urgent entreaty for divine protection; instead, the psalmist remains tranquil, making a simple request (sha'al), which he seeks after (baqash), a verbal root implying the sense of touch, of groping. "Upon my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves" [Sg 3.1]. Such is the one thing ('achath). "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful" (henos chreia, Lk 10.41).

In the case of vs. 4, this henos chreia is to "dwell in the house of the Lord," yashav, as in Ps 22.3: "You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." Thus the psalmist wishes to participate in this divine sitting which is "in the house of the Lord" or bayth, the general word for a dwelling. He does not simply wish to yashav there temporarily but "all the days of my life" or the rest of his temporal existence. "She [Anna] did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day" [Lk 2.37].

It should be pointed out that the 'achath which the psalmist requests consists of three parts: 1) that yashav just discussed, 2) "to behold or chazah the Lord's beauty," i.e., taking in this beauty or noham all at once. This word implies loveliness which concurs with the more inclusive nature of noham. "Her ways are ways of pleasantness" [Prov 3.17]. 3) to extend his initial seeking or baqash through a more intense inquiring, baqar, which suggests a cleaving; also the word morning is derived from this same verb, the morning being a time when the dawn cleaves the night. "In the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch" [Ps 5.3]. Such "cleaving" takes place in God's temple, heykal, presumably at Jerusalem.

Vs. 5: For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent, he will set me high upon a rock. Such is a result of that baqar or cleaving, with three results: hide, conceal, set on high; they occur during the day, more specifically, "in the day of trouble," rahah, the common word for evil.

The first act of protection is hiding, tsaphan, or a storing up as if for a siege or famine. "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright" [Prov 2.7]. It occurs "in God's shelter," sukah. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, God commanded them "to dwell in booths for seven days...that your generation may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt" [Lev 23.42-3]. Note the purpose, to know or realize God's action on behalf of Israel.

The second act of protection is concealing the psalmist in his tent; the latter is derived from the former, satar which implies defense against an enemy. "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff" [Sg 2.14]. More specifically, vs. 5 has "under the cover of his tent," 'ohel, the tent being the place of worship for the Israelites when they were wandering in the desert after their deliverance from Egypt. 'Ohel thus symbolizes a nomadic existence, of an imperfect dwelling waiting for full attainment. "These all died in faith, not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth" [Heb 11.13].

The third and final act of protection situates the divine shelter and tent "high upon a rock" or tsur, safe from assault. Cf. Ps 18.2: "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer."

Vs. 6: And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about me; and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. The words "and now" infer completion, namely, the three forms of protection discussed in the previous verse. Because of divine protection, the psalmist is confident to look up, rather, have his head lifted up or subject himself to this lifting or exultation by God. More specifically, it is his head, r'osh, peering, as it were, from "high upon a rock." Note that the psalmist's head "shall be lifted up," i.e., at a future time; furthermore, there is implied that the rest of his body remains concealed (cf. references in vs. 5). Applied to Jesus Christ as "head of the church" [Eph 5.23], he is lifted up on the cross whereas the rest of his body, the church, is in the sense of it not actually accomplishing Christ's saving work but participating in it. This lifting takes place in the context of "enemies round about me," indicative of Christ's enemies.

And I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy. The simple and indicates continuous or successive action after the first words of this verse. Note that the action of offering, zavach (more precisely, it pertains to the actual slaying of the offering), transpires within God's tent, 'ohel, a word encountered "He will conceal me under the cover of his tent" which in light of Christ's sacrifice noted in the paragraph above, may be taken as his human condition; its concealment is stressed further by mention of "under the cover of his tent." The current use of zavach is plural and united with "shouts of joy" or as the Hebrew reads, "sacrifices of joy," teruhah, which can also means the sound of a trumpet: "Then you shall send abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall send abroad the trumpet throughout all your land" [Lev 25.9].

I will sing and make melody to the Lord. Shyr or to sing is a vocal act, whereas zamar or make melody (alternate meaning, to prune) implies dancing as well as singing.

Vs. 7: Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! The Hebrew reads, "Hear, O Lord, my voice when I cry." Obviously crying or qara' gets attention, something the psalmist wishes to do with respect to God. Such qara' has two objects, for God to be gracious (chanan) and to answer (hanah), two words examined earlier. The shortness and direct nature of vs. 7 is refreshing in that it comes straight from the heart.

Vs. 8: You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, Lord, do I seek." Now the psalmist puts himself in a position to bargain with God by recalled earlier words spoken to him, namely, "Seek my face," baqash, last examined in the context of vs. 4, "One thing...that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord." There baqash equals "house of the Lord" whereas here it is tied in with God's face, panah. Actually, the psalmist...rather, his heart...is simply carrying out God's command to do this baqash which as noted elsewhere, suggests feeling or even groping without clear perception of the object sought. Heart seems to take on an identity independent from the psalmist which is acceptable in this context because its beating motion is ideal for perceiving...feeling...God.

This verse seems contradictory to the command of Ex 33.23, "You shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen." Here you refers to Moses and can apply to the psalmist but not necessarily to the heart which as just noted, is independent from you. Also, the Exodus injunction is indirect, "shall not be seen," not "you shall not see" (as with God's back).

Vs. 9: Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Cast me not off, forsake me not, O God of my salvation! Me is the psalmist, not his heart which keeps on going in its baqash. This use of satar, to hide, was first encountered in Ps 13.1, "How long will you hide your face from me?" Compare this use of satar with Elijah at Mount Horeb, 1 Kg 19.13: "And when Elijah heard it [still, small voice], he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave." Here lut is a type of hiding which implies secrecy as opposed to not being manifest.

Turn not your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Anger or

'aph derives from the same verbal root as face and which is different from the same word discussed in vs. 8, panah. Natah or turn away; cf. Ps 13.6 for a different use but with the same notion of inclining: "Incline your ear to me, hear my words." Thus natah is a divine attribute which can either move towards the psalmist or away from him. In vs. 9 he identifies himself as God's servant or heved, that is, as one who is submissive with the intention of gaining divine help, hazar. Note the play on words here, hazar and heved; this heved the psalmist places in the past tense as if to remind God of past instances when he had assisted him.

Cast me not off, forsake me not, O God of my salvation! By appealing to God as his salvation, his "Jesus," the psalmist is bound to get a positive response, that is, for him not to cast off nor forsake him, presumably while God moves on ahead to other matters.

Vs. 10: For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me up. Perhaps the psalmist is speaking of actual abandonment by his parents, but the main point is that this intimate human relationship pales in comparison to God. This being forsaken is the second instance of hazav, vs. 9 being the last, in quick succession. In contrast to this hazav the psalmist is convinced that God will take him up, 'asaph, which suggests a gathering together or collection. "The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard [lit., 'gather you up', Is 58.8]."

Vs. 11: Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. The way (derek) which the psalmist wishes to be taught (yarah, also to lay foundations) can be taken as a desire for this road to be laid out by God himself. With Christ identified as the way, God instructs him in Christ.

In addition to this divine derek, the psalmist speaks of a "level path," 'orach, which is a more poetic word; 'orach is level or myshur, namely, just, this word coming from the same verbal root yashar. "I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground" [Is 42.16]. And, "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" [Prov 3.6]. While the psalmist's way may be level or just, certainly this is not true for his enemies who are not just. Such straightness is reminiscent of the Red Sea through which the Israelites passed safely (cf. Ex 14.22).

Vs. 12: Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. Another verse applicable to Jesus Christ in his sufferings. Will or nephesh more fundamentally means soul; to be handed over to hostile souls is the worst fate imaginable for the psalmist, for this word suggests partaking in their very nature of evil.

In addition to the adversaries or tsary, the psalmist confronts "false witnesses," hed (singular) whose chief characteristic is being false, sheqer. "The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely" [Dt 19.18]. Such witnesses are vividly described as "breathing out violence," yaphach, which stresses the exhaling of air in the sense of sighing. Compare it with the noun ruach, breath; while also connoting the same exhalation, this word does not involve expenditure of energy. Chamas is a good result of that yaphach by the psalmist's foes as opposed to the creative breath of ruach.

Vs. 13: I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! The opening words in the Hebrew read "Unless I had believed" which is somewhat unclear. Nevertheless, action is in the past with regard to believe, 'aman, verbal root for amen. To express this faith implies past occasions when the psalmist experienced divine goodness. Here the object of 'aman is transferred into a seeing, ra'ah, which in Hebrew is "in (b-) the goodness; i.e., seeing becomes a being-in divine goodness (tov).

This tov has a location, "in (b-) the land of the living" which may be associated with the nation of Israel.

Vs. 14: Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord! The waiting is for YHWH and can be in the "land of the living" or at least at its gates. The verb here is qawah which implies being strong; compare it with 'aman just mentioned. "For you I wait all the day long" [Ps 25.5]. The following verse stresses the hope dimension of qawah: "We set our hope on you, for you do all these things" [Jer 14.22].

Be strong or chazaq which also means to seize; it is an intimation that qawah will attain full realization. 'Amats also implies strength or courage: "Be strong and of good courage" [Jos 10.25]. Note the singular heart of what most likely applies to more than one person; can apply to Israel. The psalmist concludes this verse with the same exhortation to qawah with which he began it.

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Psalm Twenty-Eight

Vs. 1: To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the Pit. Instead of a simple calling (qara'), the psalmist calls to ('el-) or in the direction of the Lord, signifying distance. By designating God as "my rock," tsur, such distance is implied or better, the psalmist being in a lower position and the Lord in a higher one. He also bids God not to be deaf, charash, which also means to inscribe and to plow; the noun means an engraver and is thus associated with the fabrication of idols: "The workman melts a graven image" [Is 40.19]. We could say that the psalmist thereby wishes God to plow or cultivate him. "See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed" [Gen 27.27]!

The psalmist is quick to warn God that if he remains charash, he will be cut off. To be like or mashal such condemned persons comes from the same verb meaning to rule: "Let them [presumptuous sins] not have dominion over me" [Ps 19.13]. The Pit or bor also means a sepulcher and cistern, thereby connoting a confined, underground place. "Come now, let us kill him [Joseph] and throw him into one of the pits" [Gen 37.20]. Note that vs. 1 says "like those who go down to the Pit," with emphasis on the going down, yarad, an action more terrible than being in the Pit in that it is freighted with anticipation.

Vs. 2: Hear the voice of my supplication as I cry to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. These words may be addressed from the edge of that Pit of vs. 1, beseeching God not to enter it. Note "voice (qol) of my supplication," with emphasis upon the psalmist's cry which is further accentuated by "as I cry for help," these words in Hebrew being contained in the verb shawah which is akin to yashah, the root for "Jesus." We may therefore take this "as I Jesus to you;" again, not direction towards-which, "to you," 'el-.

In addition to "Jesus-ing" God, the psalmist raises his hands towards that holiest of places, the devyr. Cf. Ps 11.4 for notes on this important term, devyr being the only occasion in the Psalter. Yet another occasion of towards-which, 'el-.

Vs. 3: Take me not off with the wicked, with those who speak peace with their neighbors while mischief is in their hearts. Such taking off may be into the Pit of vs. 1, from the verb mashak which more fundamentally means to draw as if God would grab the psalmist by the neck and drag him along the ground.

The wicked or reshahym may be in reference to such persons or those speaking a false peace. Note here the Hebrew reads "with the workers of iniquity," the verbal root pahal indicating a carefully contrived fabrication.

Peace or shalom implies fullness and here is associated with the speaking (davar; contrast with the sacred devyr of vs. 2, of falsehood; this exterior action is an expression of an interior, evil (hearts) intent.

Vs. 4: Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; requite them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. Note the important word according, ke- which occurs three times: work, evil of deeds, work of hands. I.e., such ke- is associated with the accomplishment of something as signified by three different words: work (pahal), deeds (halal), work (mahseh). In conclusion, the psalmist beseeches God to take direct action, that is, to give them not according but their due reward, from the verb gamal with its fundamental positive meaning or recompense.

Vs. 5: Because they do not regard the works of the Lord or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more. Such regarding, byn, is an understanding or comprehension which here is neglected as a result of that threefold action of the previous verse. Contrast pehuloth with the pahalam of vs. 4, one of YWHH and "his hands" and the other of evildoers. To break down or haras something pertains to a building or something made: "So I will break down the wall" [Ezk 13.14].

Vs. 6: Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my supplications. Such an exclamation is the result of a divine intervention as noted in the previous verse, however, note that there action is in the future: "will break them down" and "(will) build them up no more." In vs. 2 the psalmist requests "Hear the voice of my supplication," the same words used here in vs. 6 with emphasis (as there) on his voice; vs. 6 has the plural, supplications.

Vs. 7: The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and with my song I give thanks to him. Strength (hoz; also, glory as in Ps 8.3) and shield (magen) have military overtones, of inner divine might. "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield" [Gen 15.1]. And, "Above all, taking the shield of faith" [Eph 6.16].

The very act of having God as strength and shield enables the psalmist, rather his heart, to trust, batach; it results in his being helped, hazar; this action may be attributed to being function of a similar word, yashah ("Jesus") enabling the psalmist to thank God "with my song," shyr which we may designate as Psalm 28 in its entirety.

Vs. 8: The Lord is the strength of his people, he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Another instance of hoz only this time as applied to Israel, whereas vs. 7 has it applied to the psalmist alone; he wishes to have this divine hoz transferred to God's people, not keep it for himself. Mahoz is a variant reading of hoz, this time with respect to yeshuhoth ("Jesus" again as saving); the inference to Jesus Christ is further enhanced by anointed, meshych. While the first part of vs. 8 clearly refers to people, the second part refers to the person (singular) who effects this meshych.

Vs. 9: O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever. A final plea to God with four parts to it, the first one, save or "Jesus" being the most important. While applied to people or Israel, the words of St. Paul may be inferred: "He is the head of his body, the Church" [Col 1.18]. The object of divine blessing or barak is God's heritage, nachalah, from the verb to possess; the notion here is that God will extend into the future this gesture of saving or "Jesus."

When the psalmist bids God to be Israel's (the Church's) shepherd or more accurately, "to shepherd them" (rahah), he hearkens back to Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd." Note there in vs. 1 the meaning of rahah as the verbal root which can mean to love. "My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens" [Sg 6.2]. Thus we may apply vs. 9's words as an appeal for God to rahah in "his garden" and "in the gardens."

To carry or nasa' (Israel) can be associated with the garden(s) of Sg 6.2, i.e., God's perpetual act of going there (forever); contrast it with that going down to the Pit, bor, of Ps 28.1.

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Psalm Twenty-Nine

Vs. 2: Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy array. A third instance of yahav which attributes the kavod mentioned in vs. 1 to the divine name, shem. We may assume that the psalmist again is exhorting the sons of gods; by referring to the divine name, YHWH (it was mentioned already), he may be implying its revelation to Moses: "What is his name?...I am who am" [Ex 3.13-4].

"And before the Lord your God, in the place which he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain" [Dt 14.23]. Note the place-whereness with regard to the divine shem. This verse is within the wider context of the Torah, so it has a certain liturgical overtone. Such an association makes sense with the second command of vs. 2, worship, shachah, which connotes a sense of bowing down. "The two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth" [Gen 19.1].

The liturgical nature of vs. 2 is amplified by "holy attire," hadar being the verbal root. Cf. Ps 8.5 for an example, "You have crowned him [man]...with glory and honor." With this notion of hadar in mind, we may say that the (priestly) attire is closely affiliated with that innate hadar which is part and parcel of man being made in the divine image and likeness.

Vs. 3: The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, upon many waters. Attention now shifts from exhortation to a description of God's creative word manifest through the imagery of a storm. Here the divine qol (first of seven references in this psalm) is "upon the waters, hal, reminiscent of Gen 1.2: "and the Spirit of God was moving over (hal) the face of the waters." Both examples have the same insight; Genesis has the Spirit moving, rachaph, in the sense of brooding. Furthermore, Gen 1.2 speaks of "darkness was upon the face of the deep," another instance of hal, which may be contrasted with the "rachaph-ness" of the Spirit's hal.

The God of glory thunders, the Lord, upon many waters. In other places I mentioned the fundamental notion of heaviness associated with kavod, glory, which here is an agent for thundering, raham, which connotes trembling. It can be applied as an image of human emotions: "And her rival used to provoke her sorely, to irritate her" [1 Sam 1.6]. With respect to the verse under consideration, we may draw a parallel between the divine voice and glory whose raham takes place "upon (hal) many waters," many being an image of chaos.

Vs. 4: The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. A continuation of the storm theme begun in the last verse. The paramount manifestation of God to Israel took place on Mount Sinai which is described in similar violent terms (cf. Gen 19.16+). Perhaps the opening words of Ps 29 regarding holy attire is intended as covering to protect its readers from being consumed by such a dreadful manifestation of God as intimated in these words of Psalm 29 describing a tempest.

Note the primary point of identification with regards to the storm, "voice of the Lord," qol, from which issues God's words; the plurality of these words achieve full revelation Jesus Christ as the Word or Logos. Most likely Matthew had in mind the storm-like theophany under consideration when describing Christ's transfiguration: "his face shone like the sun," "his garments became white as light," "a bright cloud overshadowed them," "a voice from the cloud," 17.2 & 5. While Christ bade his disciples to remain silent with regard to this vision (vs. 9), what struck them most directly was the divine voice ("This is my beloved Son," vs. 5).

The divine qol has two qualities, powerful and "full of majesty;" the Hebrew has prefixed to each word the preposition b-, in, indicating place-where with respect to these qualities.

Vs. 5: The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. Here the divine qol moves from being "upon the waters" to the land; it is as though the loftiness of cedars, symbolic of human pride, were an image of that watery chaos. Note the distinction: cedars, 'arazym, and "cedars of Lebanon." "For the Lord of hosts has a day...against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up" [Is 2.12-3]. The association of pride with Lebanon cedars may be due in part to their odor as well as lofty appearance. When the bride says that "the beams of our house are cedar" [Sg 1.17], perhaps he had in mind Ps 29.5. Shavar or to break means that such cedars are reduced to power in order to reveal their pleasant odor. Also, vs. 5 makes a distinction between the "voice of the Lord" doing this breaking and "the Lord" performing the same act.

Vs. 6: He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf and Sirion like a young wild ox. To skip or raqad can mean to dance: "There is a time to mourn and a time to dance" [Eccl 3.4], so it has a joyful connotation. Applied to Lebanon as a calf, source of cedars for Solomon's construction of the Jerusalem temple (cf. 1 Kg 5), this verse can infer the joyful cutting of its cedars for such a purpose.

The second half of vs. 5 refers to Sirion, another term for Mount Hermon in Lebanon which is frequently covered in snow. "Does the snow of Lebanon leave the crags of Sirion" [Jer 18.14]? When Sirion skips or raqad, it scatters this beneficial snow on the plains below. Sirion is a "young wild ox" or untamed in its inaccessibility, whereas Lebanon is a "calf" which is domesticated.

Vs. 7: