Psalm Forty-Four

(This section contains Psalms 44 through 68)

Vs. 1: We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old. "With our own ears" stresses the continuity which exists down through generations between the present one (listening) and the first one which had received God's revelation, for example, Moses and those Israelites who lived through the wandering in the Sinai desert. This is emphasized by "our fathers have told us," saphar, which as noted elsewhere, means to write. I.e., these fathers have "written" to the present generation of Israelites those divine deeds done "in the days of old," qedem, which can also mean the east. "And the Lord god planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed" [Gen 2.8]. Perhaps the saphar in vs. 1 can apply to this direction, going all the way back to Adam.

Vs. 2: You with your own hand did drive out the nations, but them you did plant; you did afflict the peoples, but them you did set free. A clear reference (as well as vs. 3) to the generation after Moses which began the conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership. The proper name Joshua is the Hebrew version of "Jesus" who may be considered God's "own hand," yad; this yad is diametrically opposed to the goym or nations, hostile to God. Driving out or garash can also mean to divorce: "They shall not marry a harlot or a woman who has been defiled; neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God" [Lev 21.7]. I.e., Israel "divorces" the goym from their native land. In their place, Israel is planted, natah, which can also mean to pitch a tent: "stretching out the heavens land laying the foundations of the earth and saying to Zion, 'You are my people'" [Is 51.16]. Here natah and Israel as finding divine favor are united.

You did afflict the peoples, but them you did set free. In addition to suffering expulsion, we have another class of native inhabitants, peoples, la'om, a term which may apply more to a nation of united people. In contrast, God sets free Israel, shalach, which can also mean to expel, similar to garash above. The notion of sending implied in shalach intimates the divine mandate Israel has received to possess the Promised Land. We may say that this shalach originated in the Exodus through the Red Sea, an event which has governed Israel ever since.

Vs. 3: For not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm give them victory; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance; for you did delight in them. Two contrasts: human sword and arm on one hand and divine right hand, arm and light of countenance on the other. Since this and the preceding verse are related to the Book of Joshua, cf. 1.3: "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses." Note that God's promise is in the past tense; the human fulfillment is in the future tense.

The Hebrew for give victory is yashah, "Jesus," which aptly fits in with the "Book of Jesus" (Joshua). As the second part of vs. 3 says, such yashah is not through human achievement but by divine action. Note that God's countenance (panym) is included as a means of subjection. Such is the blessing of Moses: "The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" [Num 6.26], that is, give Israel his yashah or "Jesus." The reason for such "Jesus" is God's delight, ratsah: "The Lord takes pleasure in his people" [Ps 149.4].

Vs. 4: You are my King and my God who ordains victories for Jacob. This verse continues the theme of divine assistance noted in vs. 3; here God is called king, melek, which he later frowned upon as noted in 1 Sam 8.7: "But they have rejected me from being king over them." Contrast this with Israel's desire to have a king "to govern us like all the nations," [vs. 5], i.e., to be like the goym Israel was commanded to uproot as noted in vs. 2.

The second part of vs. 4 in an imperative in Hebrew: "Ordain victories for Jacob." Perhaps mention of this patriarch has in mind his later years when his son Joseph was ruler over Egypt. Joseph commanded that his father join him in Egypt (cf. Gen 46.28-47-47.12) which set the stage for Israel's exodus some four hundred years later. Note that Joseph brought Jacob's body up from Egypt to bury him (cf. Gen 50.7) to "await" Israel's arrival after the Exodus and after his own Exodus.

Vs. 5: Through you we push down our foes, through your name we tread down our assailants. Two types of military assault: "through you" (literally, in you) and "through your name (shem)." Pushing down or nagach connotes striking with an animal's horn. "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned" [Ex 21.28]. And, "His firstling bull...shall push the peoples with his horns" [Dt 33.17].

The second assault is done with the help of God's shem; the preposition b- (in; the English has "through"). In light of New Testament revelation, shem can be taken as Jesus Christ; the assailants in Hebrew reads as "those who rise up" or qum. "Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness" [Ezk 7.11]. The upward ascent in the sense of rebellion is contrasted with treading down, bus. "Our adversaries have trodden it (sanctuary) down" [Is 63.18].

Vs. 6: Yet you have cast us off and abased us, and have not gone out with our armies. This verse commences a series of complaints against God; the others are as follows in the succeeding verses:

1) made us like sheep for slaughter

2) scattered us among the nations

3) vs. 12: sold your people

4) vs. 13: made us the taunt of neighbors

5) derision and scorn

6) vs. 14: made us a byword among nations

7) laughing stock

Then the psalmist turns attention to his own person:

1) vs. 15: disgrace before me

2) taunters and revilers

3) vs. 16: before the enemy and avenger

Vs. 17: All this has come upon us though we have not forgotten you or been false to your covenant. Here the psalmist unites the first group of complaints pertaining to Israel as a nation with his own grievances as listed just above. The point of contention centers around the lack of forgetfulness, shakach, as related to God. I.e., both Israel and he have remembered God, yet evil has afflicted them. Thus shakach is synonymous with oblivion: "For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces" [Hos 8.14].

In addition to shakach, the psalmist mentions shaqar, to be false in the sense of deception. The latter verb is found often in the Book of Jeremiah, for example, "They are prophets to you a lying vision, worthless divination and the deceit of their own minds" [14.14]. Shaqar is more grievous than shakach inasmuch as it is related to the divine covenant, beryth. The questioning as to this beryth is seen in light of Ex 2.24: "And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob." Note here the association of remember with beryth as well as the three patriarchs of Israel.

Vs. 18: Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way. This verse is a reminder to God that his people have remained faithful to his prophets who often complain about infidelity. Heart or lev is singular for the plurality of Israel, and represents the nation's intent as a whole to remain faithful to God, i.e., the singular lev has not turned back or sug; an alternate meaning of this word is dross which occurs only once: "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me" [Ezk 22.18].

In addition to the singular lev, the psalmist speaks of Israel's steps or 'ashur (singular) which is related to 'ashry as noted with regard to Ps 1.1, that is, in the sense of blessedness and of forward movement. An 'ashur transforms into action the intent of lev. In vs. 18 these steps follow God's way, 'orech, which is a more poetic form than the other word for this term, derek. The former implies a whole manner of living: "That he may teach us his ways" [Is 2.3]. 'Orech combined with natah, to depart, is thus more significant in that this verb suggests an active stretching forth to something.

Vs. 19: That you should have broken us in the places of jackals and covered us with deep darkness. This verse is a continuation of the previous one and is the completion of a sentence. The Hebrew reads for "places of jackals" "place of dragons," tanym, more precisely, a sea monster. "Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams" [Ezk 29.3]. This reference to Pharaoh is appropriate with regard to vs. 19 in that reference may be applied to Israel's exile in Egypt.

The deep darkness or tsalmaweth is composed of two words, shadow and death. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" [Ps 23.4]. With reference to Pharaoh in mind just above, such tsalmaweth may be summed up by Ex 1.8: "Now there arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph." This lacking of knowing can be willed, and it extended from Joseph's lofty position in Egypt to the Israelites living there.

Vs. 20: If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread forth our hands to a strange god. On behalf of the congregation ("we") the psalmist brings up two transgressions which they did not commit yet had suffered calamity: forget or shakach (cf. remarks in vs. 17) and spread forth hands or paras, a verb suggesting the dispersion of resources. Here it refers to 'el zar, strange god, or an idol; the adjective zar can refer to a stranger in the sense of one not belonging to Israel and by implication, the gods that person worships. "Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence aliens devour your land" [Is 1.7].

Vs. 21: Would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. A continuation from vs. 21; by itself, the question heightens the tension. Discover or chaqar suggests digging. "Go, search the land" [Judg 18.2]. In light of the secret forgetting of God and spreading out of hands to alien gods in light of which the psalmist protests, consider the verb chaqar as implied in Gen 3.9: "But the Lord called to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?'"

The word secret or tahalumah derives from halam, to hide. "When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you" [Is 1.15]. The "where" of Gen 3.9 is a discovery, an uncovering of this halam; its secret nature is emphasized by its association with heart.

Vs. 22: No, for your sake we are slain all the day long and are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Vs. 22 is quoted in Rom 8.36, especially in light of Paul's question, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ" [vs. 35]. "All the day long" may be designated a kairos, a special time or occasion during which the psalmist and Israel are slain, harag, as by enemies. "The Lord slew all the first born in the land of Egypt" [Ex 13.15].

Tavach is used to slaughter men as opposed to animals for sacrifice; its association with sheep suggests not so much this notion as wholesale, wanton destruction. Referring back to Romans, those who perform this tavach may be said to be "death, life, angels, principalities, things present, things to come, powers, height, depth" (vss. 38-9).

Vs. 23: Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Awake! Do not cast us off forever! This first question is the first of two (vs. 24) posed to God. To rouse, hur, fundamentally means to be hot, to be awake. "I slept, but my heart was awake" [Sg 5.2]. In Ps 44 hur is used in connection with yashan, to sleep, as noted in the Song verse just quoted. The second command is awake, quts; three other meanings from the same verbal root are to be weary, to cut off, to pass the summer. "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake" [Dan 12.2]. The object of the three commands just delineated are centered upon a desire not to be cast off, zanach, which implies something abominable. "O Samaria, your calf is an abominable thing" [Hos 8.5]. The psalmist's complaint in not so much in being cast off but suffering this fate forever, netsach; another meaning of this word is perfection but in the sense of totality. "Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins" [Ps 74.3].

Vs. 24: Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? The second of two questions which the psalmist brings to God. Satar for to hide refers to God, whereas Ex 3.6 uses satar in reference to Moses' natural response when confronted with God: "And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God." Cf. Ps 13.1 for the same question.

Two objects of supposed divine forgetfulness, shakach: 1) affliction or hany and 2) oppression or lachats. Both may apply to Israel's experience in Egypt as well as later aggression by enemies in the Promised Land.

Vs. 25: For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body cleaves to the ground. Note the singular soul (nephesh) for the plural "we," another instance of Israel's collective nature. This being bowed down or shachah is a gesture of prostration, of submission to one's enemies; it can also apply to worship of God: "Then Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the ass; I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come back to you'" [Gen 22.5]. The collection nature of nephesh similarly cleaves to the ground as a singular body or beten; this word also means womb, so implied is the very source of collective life of Israel.

The severe affliction which as experienced collectively is emphasized by nephesh or soul being associated with the dust; it is a prostration worse than the beten being pressed to the earth.

Vs. 26: Rise up, come to our help! Deliver us for the sake of your steadfast love! Compare rise up (qum) with rouse (hur) of vs. 23; the former implies more a standing up as opposed to hur's arousal from sleep. Qum has in mind deliverance or hazar with respect to the above mentioned collective soul and body; the psalmist appeals to God's chesed which he earlier complained was asleep.

+

Psalm Forty-Five

Vs. 1: My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. This psalm is interesting to read in conjunction with the Song of Songs, for it deals with a royal wedding. The psalmist's heart overflows, rachash, which fundamentally means to boil or bubble up; vs. 1 is the only instance of this verb in the Bible. The Hebrew for "goodly theme" has "good word," devar, which may be translated as expression and is similar in meaning to the Greek logos. This devar takes on the form of verses or "the things which I made" and is directed to the king who may be David or Solomon.

My tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. Scribes were secretaries, and the psalmist's tongue is like a pen in the hand of one of these men. Het for pen more specifically refers to an instrument for inscribing on rock: "Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were graven in the rock forever" [Job 19.23]! With this in mind, we may say that the psalmist's tongue is endowed with a special gift for writing on stone; it is ready, mahyr, in the sense of being quick with respect to a hard object such as stone.

Vs. 2: You are the fairest of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. To be fair, yaphah, suggests brightness; for an alternate meaning, cf. Sg 4.10: "How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride!" In the psalm such yaphah is applied to "sons of men," masculine, as opposed to the usual feminine use of this word.

After praising the king, the psalmist turns attention to his lips upon which grace (chen) is poured (yatsaq) and which implies the flow of liquid. "And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it" [Gen 35.14]. With this verse in mind which connotes a lasting monument to Jacob's vision, we may say that the king, as a result of divine chen, is "blessed forever" much like a monument.

Vs. 3: Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, in your glory and majesty! A play on words: gird (chagor, imperative form) and mighty one (gibor) with respect to cherev, sword. I.e., the sword and its girding are one. "Behold, the litter of Solomon! About it are sixty mighty men of the mighty men of Israel, all girt with swords" [Sg 3.7-8].

Glory (hod) and majesty (hadar) are two royal as well as divine characteristics often found in the Bible; the latter is found in the next verse. Compare Rev 19.15 which speaks of a sword, this time from Christ's mouth as opposed to the king's thigh of vs. 3: "From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations." Compare this verse towards the end of the New Testament with one at the beginning of the Old: "At the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword" [Gen 3.24].

Vs. 4: In your majesty ride forth victoriously for cause of truth and to defend the right; let your right hand teach you dread deeds! In vs. 3, glory and majesty are applied to the king, whereas in this verse majesty (hadar) alone accompanies the king as he "rides forth victoriously," tsalach, whose verbal root also means to attack. An interesting use of this verb is the coming of the Spirit upon a person: "And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him [Samson," Judg 14.19]. The purpose for such (spiritual) tsalach: truth, meekness (Hebrew text, hanwah) and righteousness.

Let your right hand teach you dread deeds. Here the king's right hand, yemyn, teaches himself in a self-reflective manner, yarah. "I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go" [Ps 32.8]. The object of such teaching is dread deeds, nora'oth, most likely referring to military accomplishments. In light of this, consider Ps 110.1: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool," the sitting itself being a form of teaching.

Vs. 5: Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you. Arrows (chets, singular) implies that the king is an expert bowman even though mention was made of his sword. "He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away" [Is 49.2]. Note singular use of heart, lev, for the plural enemies. This corporate unity was pointed out with respect to Ps 44.25 above. Here peoples can refer to those nations whom Israel subjected as recorded in the Book of Joshua. "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you" [Jos 1.5]. I.e., subjection depends upon this "face to face" relationship which Moses enjoyed with God.

Vs. 6: Your divine throne endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity. The Hebrew text lacks "endures" or any verb. I.e., God's throne or kise' is thus equivalent with eternity ("forever and ever"). It is symbolic of divine kingship and judgment. Throne plays a significant role in the Book of Revelation, for example, "At once I was in the Spirit, and lo, a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne" [4.2]!

The scepter or shevet is symbolic more of kingship than of judgment; it also means staff and tribe, a reference to the latter being Jud 20.2: "And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God." Such a royal scepter is one of "equity" or in Hebrew, "the scepter of your kingdom is a right scepter."

Vs. 7: You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows. Two extremes: love ('ahav) and hate (sana'), righteousness (tsedeq) and wickedness (reshah), all of which were examined in varied contexts in the Notes. In vs. 7 this contrast leads to therefore, hal-ken, i.e., it produces a result delineated in the next sentence. Note twofold mention of God: "God" and "your God," as if to exhibit special delight. This divine good pleasure expresses itself through an anointing, mashach, a verb from which is derived the name Christ. Mashach can apply to the ordination of a priest or the coronation of a king. In this verse, mashach is connected with oil of gladness, two words with similar sounds, shemen sason. Because it is "above your fellows," vs. 7 can apply more to the anointing of a king. "Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers" [1 Sam 16.13].

Vs. 8: Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad. Although an anointing takes place by pouring oil over one's head, vs. 8 suggests that when this oil spreads over the anointed person's robes or beged (singular), it is transformed into three spices reminiscent of the gifts of the wise men: gold, frankincense and myrrh (cf. Mt 2.11). "Your shoots are an orchard of...nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes" [Sg. 4.13-4]. Note the context of an orchard, a cultivated place as opposed to these spices growing in the wild.

From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad. Such "ivory palaces" signify opulence, heykal, and can refer to God's temple: "The Lord is in his holy temple" [Ps 11.4]. The plurality of such palaces is reminiscent of Jn 14.2: "In my Father's house (singular) are many rooms (plural)." The Hebrew of this part of vs. 8 reads, "whereby they have made you glad," samach.

Vs. 9: Daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. Such "daughters of kings" may refer to those nations in good standing with Israel; they are yaqar (singular), ladies of honor, in the sense of being precious or costly. "She (wisdom) is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her" [Prov 3.14]. One such outstanding lady is the queen of Ophir, possibly from Phoenicia, who is at the king's right hand, lymynka, a place of honor as in Ps 110.1: "The Lord said to my lord: 'Sit at my right hand.'" As for Ophir, cf. 1 Kg 10.11: "Moreover the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones." The word for queen in vs. 9 is shegal, from the verbal root shagal meaning to lie with a woman usually in a negative or immoral sense. "Their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished" [Is 13.16].

Vs. 10: Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father's house. Four commands to the daughter or possibly the queen of Ophir:

1) hear (shamah) or pay attention. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord" [Dt 6.4].

2) consider (ra'ah, to see), that is, the king's splendor. "But I (queen of Sheba) did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it" [1 Kg 10.7].

3) "incline your ear" (natah) in the sense of extending the just mentioned hearing in a specific direction; also implies a turning away. "Incline your ear to me, rescue me speedily" [Ps 31.2]!

4) forget (shakach) which has two objects related to the daughter's origin: her people and father's house. "God from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you" [Gen 12.1].

Vs. 11: And the king will desire your beauty. Since he his your lord, bow to him. The first sentence culminates from the fourfold commands of the previous verse. The queen's beauty or yephy, whose root as noted elsewhere in these Notes means to shine, be bright. Such is the object of the king's desire, 'awah: "You have given him his heart's desire" [Ps 21.2].

The second sentence depicts the queen's submission, bow or shachah which can apply to divine worship. "I (Abraham) and the lad will go yonder and worship" [Gen 22.5].

Vs. 12: The people of Tyre will sue your favor with gifts, the richest of the people with all kinds of wealth. The Hebrew reads "daughter of Tyre," a city on the seacoast and whose king was Hiram who furnished King David with supplies for building the Jerusalem temple. "And Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold, as much as he desired" [1 Kg 9.11]. Such are the gifts given to David.

The second part of vs. 12 continues into vs. 13; "richest of the people" can refer to Tyre as well as other lands acknowledging the construction of the Jerusalem temple. The Hebrew has face (panym) for "favor," this word signifying the fuller sense of the king's presence.

Vs. 13: The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes. The Hebrew reads: "All glorious (kavod being the verbal root) is the king's daughter within, gold embroidery is her clothing." Within or peneymah refers to the walls of a house or court which is opposite the door and the first room you enter. The king's daughter thus awaits her bridegroom; her kavod may be taken to be a participation in the divine kavod: "for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord" [1 Kg 8.11]. "Behold, its blood (sin offering) was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary" [Lev 10.18].

The "gold-woven robes," mishbetsoth, can also mean sockets (for precious stones): "As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; you shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree" [Ex 28.11]. This engraving is reminiscent of the heavenly Jerusalem: "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations and on them the twelve names of the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" [Rev 21.14].

Vs. 14: In many-colored robes she is led to the king with her virgin companions, her escort in her train. The Hebrew reads "in raiment of needlework," riqmah being the word used which signifies a type of embroidery. Note that riqmah is used several times in Ezk 16 & 17 where God adorns his unfaithful wife, Jerusalem, for example, 16.10: "I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with leather, I washed you in fine linen and covered you with silk."

Not only is the princess so bedecked, she is accompanied by a virgin train or as the Hebrew text reads, "the virgins, her companions, that follow her shall be brought to you." For an example (and definition) of virgin or betulah, cf. Gen 24.16 with reference to Rebekah: "The maiden was very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known." Such virgins are companions or rehah (plural form); the verbal root is rahah, to pasture, from which is derived shepherd as in Ps 23.1: "The Lord is my shepherd."

Vs. 15: With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. Note the passive form of the verb to lead; it is not specified who does the leading, but it is done in joy (semachah) and gladness (gyl), both verbs prefixed by the preposition in, b- as "in the place." The word here is heykal (cf. vs. 8, "ivory palaces") which as noted, can refer to God's temple. "For the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God" [1 Chron 29.1].

Vs. 16: Instead of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. Mention of fathers implies that the princess has relinquished her inheritance in favor of the king, her husband, a fact emphasized by the possessive pronoun your. Apparently the princess has the capacity to appoint rulers worldwide, "in all the earth." While not kings, such sons are princes, sar (singular), which can also apply to a military leader. For this term as evocative of the spiritual realm, cf. Dan 8.25: "Without warning he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes; but by no human hand he shall be broken."

Vs. 17: I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever. Unlike here, usually the male ruler is celebrated as opposed to the female; the verb is zakar, to remember, a noun from this verbal root being male. I.e., there is close association with such remembrance and the princess' (unidentified) name, shem. Another noun is zikaron, memorial: "So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever" [Jos 4.7]. The generations or dor may apply to "in all the earth" of the previous verse, a term often associated with the keeping of divine commandments or covenant. Note how the following verse combines zikaron with dor: "This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance forever" [Ex 12.14].

Therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever. Peoples (hamym) may include nations other than Israel who have received the princes of vs. 16, i.e., those "in all the earth." While the princess may be dead, her zikaron or memorial will endure, signifying her identity with future descendants.

+

Psalm Forty-Six

Vs. 1: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The Hebrew wording has "God to us...", no verb is present, even the simple "to be," as if to show his identity with refuge (machaseh) and strength (hoz), two military terms signifying a lofty position capable of being defended; the former has for a verbal root chasah, to hide. Another reference with these two words: "But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel" [Jol 3.16].

In addition to God being a machaseh and hoz, he is help or hezrah, from the verbal root hazar. "To whom will you flee for help" [Is 10.3]? Note that trouble or tsarah derives from a verbal root with an alternate meaning tsur or rock which can also signify a defensive position. "He is the rock, his work is perfect" [Dt 32.4].

The Hebrew has exceedingly found for "very present help," nimtsa' me'od, signifying a certain identity between trouble and divine presence.

Vs. 2: Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea. Both earth and mountains signify stability and are a traditional image of divine eternity. The former is subject to change or mur and the latter to shaking or mut furthermore they are capable of being uplifted and cast into the sea. Note two plurals in the Hebrew text: mountains and waters. "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" [Mt 18.6].

Vs. 3: Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah. Another mention of enduring features of creation which can resemble that which is divine. Both verbs associated with waters, hamah and chamar, can signify human emotions respectively; chamar implies a swelling or boiling. "Though they roar (waves), they cannot pass over it" [Jer 5.22]. "My face is red with weeping" [Job 16.16].

Tumult or ge'oth derives from ga'ah, to lift up; it suggests pride and arrogance of which mountains are symbolic. Another noun derived from this verb is ga'on, majesty, as applied to God. "In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries" [Ex 15.7].

The conclusion of vs. 3 contains selah, pause, the first of three such words.

Vs. 4: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. Another mention of water, this time as a river and streams, not the symbolic waters of the previous verse. Peleg is the latter, being a small channel of the larger river. "He is like a tree planted by streams of water" [Ps 1.3]; cf. that verse for more information. In vs. 4 the peleg are plural, that is, they have the function to "gladden (samach) the city of God," Jerusalem. While Jerusalem is the goal, it is more general; habitation or mishkan being more specific which signifies God's dwelling or tabernacle. "According to all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle and of all its furniture, so you shall make it" [Ex 25.9].

Vs. 5: God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early. Mention here is made of midst, qerev, which can represent the mishkan, spiritual and cultural center of Jerusalem. Qerev signifies the very interior of a physical place or building as well as the human heart: "For there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is destruction" [Ps 5.10]. Thus this word implies hiddenness as applied to God. "The Lord has set the sun in the heavens, but has said that he would dwell in thick darkness" [1 Kg 8.12], words applying to God's habitation of the newly dedicated temple. Despite the manmade building, it is not subject to moving, mut, a word noted in vs. 2: "though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea."

God will help her right early. A specific time of day, right or lipnoth more suggestive of something before, in the presence of; it is combined with the word for morning, boqer, or the time of daybreak. The word for ox or bull is derived from the same verbal root (baqar, to cleave open) implying that the sun's rising is a process of cleaving open light from darkness.

Vs. 6: The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. It seems that nations rage (hamah) and kingdoms totter (mut), two words examined in vs. 3 above with respect to waters and mountains; such tumult serves to activate God's voice (Hebrew, "gives his voice") resulting in a melting or mug of the earth. "The mountains quake before him, the hills melt; the earth is laid waste before him, the world and all that dwell therein" [Nah 1.5]. The following demonstrates the power of the divine voice, "The Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen" [Is 30.30].

Vs. 7: The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. This verse does not speak of the Lord or YHWH by himself but as with his hosts, tseva'oth, accompanied by divine beings or angels who form the divine court. "I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him" [1 Kg 22.19]. In the dramatic context of Ps 46, these hosts serve to enhance God's majesty.

Vs. 7 next shifts from an exalted picture of the Lord to a more humble, earthly one, where he is associated with Jacob, a fact carried over into the New Testament: "The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob...glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate" [Acts 3.13]. This more accessible association of God with humanity is termed a refuge, misgav, which implies a lofty place or rock. "And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down" [Is 25.12].

Third mention of selah or pause, most likely to give the reader a chance to absorb the dramatic nature of this psalm.

Vs. 8: Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has wrought desolations in the earth. Such works or miphal (singular) manifest God. "The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old" [Prov 8.22]. Prior to beholding or chazah, a verb often associated with prophetic vision ("the burden which Habakkuk saw," Hab 1.1), the psalmist says come as if to invite people who are not aware of God's works.

Next this verse associates God's miphal with desolations, shamah (singular), which can also mean astonishment: "I mourn, and dismay has taken hold on me" [Jer 8.21]. In vs. 8 the plural shamoth is preceded by a word which rhymes with it, sam, to wrought in the sense of setting it in place.

Vs. 9: He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire! The first word of vs. 9 carries over the rhyming of shamoth and sam just mentioned through the word mashbyth, from shavath, cause to cease in the sense of bringing rest. This verb is the root for sabbath, thus implying that the divine sabbath extends "to the end of the earth," not just the earth but its end or qetseh: "The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth" [Is 40.28]. Note the plural use of qetseh here with the singular of vs. 9.

The psalmist expands on the military tone of vs. nine by describing how God extends his "sabbath:" 1) breaks bow, 2) shatters spear and 3) burns chariots.

Vs. 10: "Be still and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth!" Here God speaks for the first and only time in Ps 46. He presents the gate to knowledge, yadah (verb), through the command be still or raphah which implies a casting down; it can also refer to cessation of any activity and therefore relaxation. "Refrain from anger and forsake wrath" [Ps 37.8]. And, "I held him and would not let him go" [Sg 3.4]. Such raphah is all the more meaningful in the dramatic context of Ps 46 which deals with extraordinary events.

In contrast to the "downward" motion of raphah, vs. 10 continues with the "upward" motion of divine exultation or rum (verb); it also applies to the offering of a sacrifice. "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple" [Is 6.1]. Such rum is twofold in the context of vs. 10: "in (b-) the nations" and "in the earth;" such "in-ness" implies that both nations and earth share in God's rum by participation.

Vs. 11: The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. A refrain to conclude this psalm; the same words as in vs. 8. After the "in-ness" as delineated in vs. 10 (nations and earth), we have "with-ness" which enhances God's presence.

+

Psalm Forty-Seven

Vs. 1: Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! This psalm continues the theme of divine exultation described in the previous one. The psalmist gives two commands:

1) "clap hands" or taqah which has liturgical connotations; this verb can also mean to fasten: "And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place" [Is 22.13]. Taqah means to pledge: "A man without sense gives a pledge." With this latter sense in mind, the act of clapping can suggest the making of a commitment with God. Note that taqah applies to "all peoples," not just Israel.

2) shout or ruah, another liturgical word and can be associated with a trumpet blast: "And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting" [Num 10.3]. In the context of vs. 1, ruah is combined with rinah, shout of joy. "But joy comes with the morning" [Ps 30.6].

Vs. 2: For the Lord, the Most High, is terrible, a great king over all the earth. Here we have the reason for the clapping and shouting: YHWH as Most High or Helyon (cf. Ps 46.10 above, "I am exalted"); compare the verbal root of this divine name, halah, with exalted, rum. In vs. 2, YHWH is terrible or yara' (verb) in the sense of being an object of fear; yara' may be better understood in conjunction with raphah of Ps 46.10, Be still. Furthermore such fear belongs to God as a king, melek, "on all the earth" in the sense of pressing down on (hal-) the earth.

Vs. 3: He subdued peoples under us and nations under our feet. Here the verb for to subdue is davar, which fundamentally means to speak; i.e., God accomplishes acquiescence through speaking. "There is no speech nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth" [Ps 19.3-4]. Such davar-as-subduing can apply to the apostolic message: "And you shall be my witnesses (i.e., the task of a witness is to speak) in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and to the end of the earth" [Acts 1.8].

In addition to this special character of davar related to peoples (ham), vs. 3 continues with nations (le'om) who have a different position, "under our feet," that is davar here assumes a role of conquering, of bringing nations into defeat.

Vs. 4: He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah. Note the identity between heritage (nachalah) and pride (ge'on). While the latter can mean arrogance, here it implies majesty. "In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel" [Is 4.2]. Applied to Jacob, ge'on may be seen in light of the blessing of his twelve sons who formed the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Gen 49). Vs. 4 concludes with selah; i.e., it offers a pause as to contemplate the relationship between this human association with God and his majesty as depicted in vss. 1-3.

Vs. 5: God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. There is no (spacial) location mentioned to where God has ascended, halah, presumably means to heaven; note use of past tense. However, his halah occurs "with (b-, in) a shout," teruhah; i.e., this shout contains (b-) God. Teruhah is a loud noise whether of joy or of battle; it comes from ruah, the verbal root already examined, Ps 47.1. "So Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting" [1 Chron 15.28]. The Church has traditionally ascribed the words of vs. 5 to Christ's ascension, Acts 1.

Often the Psalter interchanges God and Lord as in the second half of this verse. In this half God has ascended "with the sound (voice) of a trumpet," shophar, whose verbal root (shaphar) means to be beautiful. "On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightening, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast" [Ex 19.16]. Note that in this context God descends from Mount Sinai as opposed to his ascent in vs. 5.

Vs. 6: Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! Four commands to zamar, another liturgical term. They are directed to God as king, a common designation of the divinity. The first two words literally read "sing, God, sing," i.e., a close identity between the act of zamar and God. The second use of zamar has the preposition l- prefixed to king which is an attribute of God as opposed to God in himself.

Vs. 7: For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! Here king and earth are identified which could be termed divine immanence as opposed to transcendence. Again zamar is used for sing praises; this time it is more specific in reference to a psalm or maskyl whose verbal root sakal means to behold, to be prudent. "If they were wise, they would understand this" [Dt 32.29].

Vs. 8: God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. The verb here is malak (to reign) from which melek (last verse) is derived; it is used with reference to nations or goym which as noted earlier, applies to those peoples not belonging to Israel. The site of such malak is God's "holy throne," kise'; verbal root is kasah, to cover, signifying that this throne has a canopy. Thus kise' may be associated with mitah or litter which was used when the king is traveling: "Behold, it is the litter of Solomon" [Sg 3.7]! In vs. 8, such a throne is holy, standing apart from all other thrones; the basic notion of qadesh means to be apart.

Vs. 9: The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted! After mention of God as king, we have princes or nadyv (singular), who form the divine retinue. This word also means an (free will) offering: "Take from among you an offering to the Lord" [Ex 35.5].

The second half of this first sentence to vs. 9 literally reads "the people of God of Abraham;" Abraham may be taken as Israel's first nadyv-for he offered his son Isaac (cf. Gen 22.9-14)-"and his descendants will be multiplied exceedingly" [Gen 17.2].

For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted! Shields or magen (singular) is another term for earthly rulers and imply defense. These shields may be found in God's trophy room, as it were: "There hang a thousand bucklers, all of them shields of warriors" [Sg 4.4]. God as being "highly exalted," halah, is akin to the "tower of David" in Sg 4.4.

+

Psalm Forty-Eight

Psalm Forty-Nine

Psalm Fifty