Jehovah's love for Jeru salem The loyal exiles Jehovah's regard for citizenship in Zion Behold, O God, and look upon the face of thine anointed. I would rather lie on the threshold in the house of my God 11For a sun and a shield is Jehovah, my God; Grace and glory Jehovah ever giveth, No good thing doth he withhold from those who walk uprightly. 120 Jehovah of hosts, blessed is the man who trusteth in thee. § 74. The Privilege of Citizenship in Zion, Ps. 87 Ps. 87 1Jehovah founded it on the holy mountain; 2Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob." "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. 4I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon because of those who know me; Behold of Philistia and Tyre,a "This one was born there.' "And of Zion I will say, 'Mother! This and that man was born in her; And the Most High, Jehovah himself will establish her.' From mortal peril V PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING FOR PERSONAL DELIVERANCES § 75. Gratitude for Deliverance from Death, Ps. 30 Ps. 30 1I exalt thee, O Jehovah, for thou hast drawn me forth, a And thou hast not permitted my foes to rejoice over me, O Jehovah. 2My God, I cried to thee for help and thou hast healed me; 8410 This rendering of the Heb. is supported by the Gk. and by the Lat. The current Eng. translation is be a doorkeeper. 8410 I. e., in the land of the heathen even though they offer large opportunity. § 74 Like Ps. 84, this ps. probably comes from the Gk. period. Its outlook includes the lands of the dispersion. The text is obscure and the exact meaning a little doubtful. The unifying thought is that wherever the scattered members of the Hebrew race may be found they glory in their common citizenship in Zion. Even in the mind of Jehovah, citizenship in Zion is regarded as a great distinction. 1871 The abrupt opening, his foundation, suggests that the original read as above. This reading is also supported by the metre and parallelism of the vs. y 872 I. e., all the other places where the Jews dwell. 1874 The symbolic name of Egypt, used in Is. 307 and Ezek. 293 to describe that land as a monster that swallows up the nations. a874 A scribe has added with Ethiopia. The reference in this vs. is probably to the Jews dwelling in these lands and possibly also to the proselytes found there. b875 So Gk. Heb. omits mother. 877 Gk. and Lat., dwellings. The Heb., fountains, probably means all who have sprung from Zion. $75 This ps. bears the superscription, A Psalm: Sung at the Dedication of the House of David. This title suggests that it was later used in connection with the feast of dedication of the temple in 165 B.C. The presence of such phrases as go down to the pit, 3, 9, and the familiarity of the 301 Lit., draw out water. GRATITUDE FOR DELIVERANCE FROM DEATH 30 Jehovah, out of Sheol thou hast brought up my soul, From among those who go down to the pit thou hast quickened me.b "For his anger is momentary, but in his favor is full life." Significance At eventide weeping cometh to lodge, but in the morning a glad shout;d of Je"And in my prosperity I said, 'I shall never be moved.'e 70 Jehovah, by thy favor thou didst make me stand as a strong mountain; When thou didst hide thy face, I was filled with dismay. To thee, O Jehovah, I call and make supplication: "What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit? Can the dust give thee praise, make known thy faithfulness? 10Oh hear and be gracious, become to me a helper. "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing, Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, 12That to thee my hearts may sing praise and not be silent. O Jehovah my God, I will give thanks to thee forever. § 76. Gratitude for Deliverance from Great Peril, Jon. 22-9 hovah's favor Jon. 2 2I cried out of my distress to Jehovah, and he answered me; psalmist with such late passages as Is. 547, 8 and Jer. 3113, and the references to the great afflictions in 2. 3 indicate that the ps. is post-exilic. The psalmist, however, still holds the primitive conception of the future life as a joyless, impersonal existence, 9. He is also unfamiliar with the teachings of the book of Job. The language of the ps., especially in 2, 3, 6-10, is strongly individualistic. It is possible that it may have been later used by the community as a public hymn, but there is little doubt that its foundation is the poet's own personal experience. Its thought and its place in the Psalter indicate that it probably was written about the middle of the Persian period. b303 It is exceedingly probable that the following lines: are secondary, for they anticipate the thought of 12 and are in the three-beat rather than in the prevailing four-beat measure. Their language and thought are also alien to the context. 305 Lit., for a moment in his anger, lives in his favor. d305 This beautiful figure of sorrow coming into the heart to lodge overnight, as the shades of twilight gather, and of the relief and joy which come at sunrise is marvellously true to human experience. 306 Possibly this line is secondary. 1307 This line is evidently corrupt. The above rendering is based upon a slight emendation of the text and is strongly supported by the context. The Heb. adds unto my Lord. Certain MSS. have Jehovah and the Gk., my God. It is probably a scribal addition, for it destroys the metrical and logical symmetry of the vs. Gk. translates the vs. in the past tense rather than as imperatives. 83012 Here, as frequently in the pss., the Heb. word for liver, which was thought to be the seat of the emotions (Assyr., kabittu), has evidently been mistaken for the more common and very similar Heb. word meaning glory. § 76 This ps., inserted in the story of Jonah, but with no close connection with the context, was probably placed there by some later editor of the prophetic book because certain of its figures recalled the experiences of the Hebrew prophet. It is not entirely clear whether it was originally intended to express the experiences of the Jewish race or of the psalmist. The points of contact with Ps. 30 are many and close. Probably the author of Jon. 2 was familiar with the older ps. His figures, however, are more hyperbolic and varied. In any case they are not to be interpreted literalistically. As in Ps. 30, the poet probably has primarily in mind his own experiences as an exile in a foreign land. His zeal for the temple service is strong, cf. 4, 7-9, and indicates that he probably lived during the Greek period. For critical notes, cf. § 202k-a, Vol. III. An exile's distress His restora tion and vows to Jehovah The fulfilment of a VOW The cause of the poet's thanksgiving Doxology All thy breakers and thy waves passed over me. "Then I said, 'I am driven out from before thine eyes; How shall I ever again look towards thy holy temple?' 5The waters surrounded me even to the quenching of my life, the abyss engulfed me, The sea weeds were wrapped about my head; I went down to the roots of the mountains; The earth with its bars was behind me forever. Yet thou hast brought up my life from destruction, O Jehovah my God. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is Jehovah's. § 77. Thanksgiving for Personal Deliverance, Ps. 6613-20 14 Even those which my lips have uttered,h 15I will offer to thee burnt offerings of fatlings, I will offer bullocks with goats. 160 come, hear, and let me relate,i 17To him I cried with my mouth,i He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Bless Jehovah, Who hath not turned away my prayer, Nor his lovingkindness from me. §77 This appendix to the national hymn found in the first part of the ps. was evidently intended to be used by a grateful offerer as he came up to the temple to present to Jehovah the offering which he had promised in connection with a vow. The second stanza describes in general terms the reason for his gratitude: because Jehovah has answered the prayer uttered with his vow. The psalmist's own experience is, without reasonable doubt, the occasion of this poem, although it doubtless found a place in the Psalter because it was adapted to use by others who in the same way came to present their sacrifice which they had vowed. It may even have been used by the community in connection with some great deliverance. There are no clear indications regarding its date. The strong repetitious and liturgical note suggests the Gk. or Maccabean age. b6614 Lit., which parted my lips. 16616 The current Eng. translations do not follow the Heb. order in this vs. 16617 So Syr., supported in part by Lat. 6618 This vs. destroys the close connection between 17 and 19 and is possibly secondary. DELIVERANCE FROM GREAT AFFLICTION §78. Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Great Affliction, Ps. 116 Ps. 116 1I love Jehovah because he hath heard The voice of my supplications;1 Exordium 78 This composite ps. was probably written to be used by those who brought votive offerings to the temple. The refrain which appears originally to have been introduced at the end of every three lines has been restored in 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 16, 19. As Cobb has pointed out, 7, 10s are not intelligible without the refrain which is itself inferred. The refrain may, as Duhm suggests, have been uttered by the offerer, while the rest of the ps. was chanted by the temple singers. The liturgical form, the Aramaic words, and the strong emphasis on the ceremonial type of religion point to the Gk. period. The interest and value consist in the prominent place which the ps. undoubtedly occupied in the worship of the common people. 11161 So Gk., Lat., and Syr. Heb., my voice and my supplications. m 1162 The Heb. is evidently corrupt and the versions have various readings, which point, however, to the refrain which has been restored above. a1167 Heb., my resting place. 1168 So Gk., Lat., and certain Syr. MSS. Heb., thou hast delivered. P1168 So Syr. A scribe has added in the Heb. the duplicate phrase mine eyes from tears, but this is clearly secondary. Vss. 8, 9 are taken from 5613. Jeho vah's gra cious care and provi sion Protes tation of loyalty to him The immemorial service of song VI LITURGICAL HYMNS Pss. 811-5, 100, 115, 134, 135, 136, 146, 1471-11, 12-20, 148, 149, 150 § 79. Summons to Praise Jehovah at the Passover, Ps. 811-5 Ps. 81 'Sing aloud to God our strength, Shout to the God of Jacob. 2Raise a song, and sound the timbrel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob. "He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, 411613 Heb. repeats here 18, but it is properly omitted in the Syr. 11619 The last line in the Heb. reads, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem, which is probably a corruption of the refrain which has been restored above. §79 The prominent liturgical motive in this ps. points to a date at least as late as the Gk. period. The reference to the exodus in 5 leaves little doubt that the feast in connection with which this little hymn was sung was that of the Passover. The remainder of the ps. deals with an entirely different theme and was, without reasonable doubt, added by a later editor. Cf. § 174. a814 Lit., judgment, but a divine decision was intended which is best translated in Eng. by the word law or ordinance. b815 So Gk. and Lat. and the demands of the context. Heb., over. |