Psalm 82

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Unjust Judgment Rebuked MT Intro A Psalm of Asaph	A Plea For Justice	Liturgy of the Lord's Judgment on pagan gods	God the Supreme Ruler	Against the Judge of the Nations
82:1-4	82:1-4	82:1-4	82:1-4	82:1
				82:2-3
				82:4
82:5-8	82:5	82:5	82:5-7	82:5-7
	82:6-7	82:6-7
	82:8	82:8	82:8	82:8

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. The real question about this Psalm is "to whom is it addressed"?

1. Israeli judges (Elohim used of Israeli judges, Exod. 21:6; 22:8-9; also note Targums and possibly Ps. 58:1)

2. pagan judges (NRSV and NJB readings possibly alluded to in Ps. 81:8) or pagan kings (NASB Study Bible, p. 825)

3. pagan gods (NET Bible, p. 953; AB, p. 268, using Ezek. 28:1-10 as a parallel; and NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 216)

4. national angels (cf. Deut. 4:19; 32:8, angels of the nations, cf. Dan. 10:13)

5. angels of the heavenly council (i.e., "sons of Elohim, cf. Ps. 8:5; 95:3; 96:4; 97:7; 138:1; Job 1:6; 38:7

B. The judgments of Elohim (i.e., the One) are contrasted with the judgments of elohim (i.e., judges or the angels). Psalm 82:7 demands angels!

C. Jesus uses this Psalm in John 10:31-38, in which He sees it as referring to human judges. I think Jesus is quoting Psalm 82 but alluding to Exod. 21:6; 22:8-9. His point is that "elohim" can be used in several senses!

The NASB Study Bible asserts that Jesus is using a known rabbinical interpretation to confound the charges against Him (p. 825).

D. It seems that the imagery of a Canaanite pantheon, which included an angelic assembly, is being used to assert YHWH's

1. moral character

2. universal reign

The OT often uses imagery from the ANE to communicate truth without affirming the reality of pagan mythology (i.e., [1] defeat of chaos, watery monsters, [2] tree of life; [3] actions and titles of Ba'al, etc.). Imagery communicates reality in ways so that fallen mankind can grasp the central truths! YHWH is much greater than humans can imagine and separation from Him is much worse!

It is difficult to know for sure what is ANE imagery and what is biblical, doctrinal truth. Westerners tend to be literalists whereas the Bible has a literary quality. Literal does not always adequately or accurately convey the original author's intent.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 82:1-4
¹God takes His stand in His own congregation;
He judges in the midst of the rulers.
²How long will you judge unjustly
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.
³Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
⁴Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

82:1 "God" This is the title Elohim (BDB 43, see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY). It is used twice in this verse and again in Ps. 82:6 and 8.

The general term El (BDB 42) is the common name for deity in the ANE.

▣ "takes His stand" Here, this term (BDB 662, KB 714, Niphal participle) is used of Elohim (the One, using singular participle) taking the authoritative position (same term is used in the sense of "presiding over" in 1 Sam. 19:20) in "the congregation of El." This refers to the heavenly council (cf. 1 Kgs. 22:19; 2 Chr. 18:18; Job 1:6; 2:1), possibly made up of

1. worshiping angels

2. national angels, Deut. 32:8; Ps. 89:5-8; Isa. 6:1; 24:19

3. servant angels, Job 38:7; Dan. 7:9-10

82:2-4 these verses represent YHWH's revealed will in the Pentateuch (i.e., Genesis - Deuteronomy). YHWH is the speaker in Ps. 82:2-4.

1. show no partiality to the wicked (cf. Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:17; 16:19; this is because YHWH judges impartially, Deut. 10:17)

2. vindicate the weak - BDB 1047, KB 1622, Qal imperative

3. vindicate the fatherless (implied imperative from #2, cf. Deut. 24:17)

4. do justice to the afflicted - BDB 842, KB 1003, Hiphil imperative

5. do justice to the destitute - implied imperative from #4

6. rescue the weak - BDB 812, KB 930, Piel imperative

7. rescue the needy - implied imperative from #6

8. deliver them out of the hand of the wicked (ties back to Ps. 82:2b) - BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil imperative

Human judges, even Israel's judges, acted unfairly in their judgments. Apparently they are influenced by the angelic rebellion and fall. Psalm 82:5-7 refers to inappropriate angelic actions and God's judgment of them (cf. Ps. 82:7a).

82:2 There is an obvious contrast set up between the Elohim (i.e., the one true God) and the plural elohim (i.e., the angelic council). This implies that the national angels also ignored YHWH's covenant revelations to Israel, especially the powerless and needy of society. God loves human beings made in His image, all human beings!

▣ "show partiality" This verb (BDB 669, KB 724, Qal imperfect) is literally "to lift the face." It was a way to see if you recognized a person and accepted them (cf. Gen. 32:20; Job 42:8-9). However, for a judge it became an act of showing favor or partiality and was condemned (cf. Deut. 1:17; 16:19; Lev. 19:15; Job 13:8; 32:21; 34:19; Pro. 17:15; 18:5; 24:23; 28:21).

▣ "Selah" See notes at Psalm 3:2.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 82:5-8
⁵They do not know nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
⁶I said, "You are gods,
And all of you are sons of the Most High.
⁷Nevertheless you will die like men
And fall like any one of the princes."
⁸Arise, O God, judge the earth!
For it is You who possesses all the nations.

82:5-8 This strophe cannot refer to humans but must refer to angels.

1. "all the foundations of the earth are shaken"

2. You are gods (i.e., elohim)

3. sons of the Most High (see Special Topic: The Sons of God [Genesis 6])

4. you will die like men

5. fall like one of the princes ("princes" used of national angels in Dan. 10:5,20; but humans in Isa. 3:13-14)

6. judge the earth. . .possess all the nations

82:5 Those addressed by the Psalm are characterized as

1. they do not know

2. they do not understand

3. they walk in darkness

These, like Ps. 82:2-4, can refer to Israelis. This is why some commentators take "elohim" in Ps. 82:1b and 6a to refer to human judges (cf. Exod. 21:6; 22:8-9). I think the evidence of the Psalm as a whole points to national angels.

If Ps. 82:2-4 shows YHWH speaking, who is speaking in Ps. 82:5-7? It must be the psalmist himself as the first words of Ps. 82:6, 7, and 8 as a whole, seem to demand. However, it must be admitted that they could also reflect the words of YHWH Himself (UBS Handbook, p. 730).

▣ "They walk about in darkness" The verb "walk about" (BDB 229, KB 246, Hithpael imperfect) denotes lifestyle action.

The "darkness" is a metaphor for evil or rejection of God's revelation. The concept is expressed in several idioms.

1. ways of darkness - Pro. 2:13; 4:19; Isa. 9:2; 50:10; John 3:19-20

2. works of darkness - Job 24:13-17; Jer. 23:12

3. grope in darkness - Deut. 28:29; Job 5:14; 12:25; Isa. 59:9-10

4. call light darkness - Job 17:12; Isa. 5:20

Spiritual, intentional blindness is a terrible thing. Both angels and humans purposefully choose not to see (cf. Isa. 24:21)! They put out their own spiritual eyes!

▣ "the foundations of the earth are shaken" This could be taken in two senses.

1. the moral foundations, cf. Ps. 11:3; Isa. 24:7-13, esp. Ps. 82:18

2. the physical foundations, cf. Ps. 93:1; 96:10; 104:5

82:6 "sons of the Most High" See the Special Topic: The Sons of God, where I discuss the phrase in Genesis 6. I think it refers to angels there also.

For "Most High" see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY.

82:7 "fall" AB asserts this refers to falling into Sheol and uses Isa. 14:12-15 and Ezek. 28:1-10 as examples (p. 270). Again, notice the confusion between an angel (i.e., Satan) and humans (i.e., king of Babylon and king of Tyre). There is mystery here! The OT is using imagery, analogy, and idioms in ways moderns do not fully understand. In the ANE there was no division between the spiritual realm and the physical realm.

82:8 These last two Qal imperatives ("arise" and "judge") have a universal focus. God is not only creator but also judge. He reigns over all creation (cf. Ps. 2:8; Rev. 11:15).

As Jesus functioned as YHWH's agent in creation (cf. John 1:3,10; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2), He is also YHWH's agent in judgment (cf. John 5:22-23,27; 9:39; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:5).

The last verb is a Qal imperfect, not a Qal imperative. It asserts that YHWH does possess, not should possess. It is a statement of truth!

If the angelic interpretation is true (and there is some doubt because of Jesus' usage in John 10), then the psalmist is praying that YHWH would defeat the pagan gods or national angels and set up His righteous system on all the earth as He originally intended in Eden (before the Fall, the flood and/or the tower of Babel). One day it will be so (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28)!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. Explain the concept of a heavenly council. Is it made up of righteous or wicked angels?

2. Explain the two different usages of "elohim."

3. List the elements in this Psalm that point toward "humans" and those that point toward "angels."

4. What do we mean when we say God created a moral universe?

5. Do the psalmist and Jesus use Ps. 82:6 in the same way?

6. Who are "the princes" of Ps. 82:7?

7. Explain how the universal thrust of Ps. 82:8 fits the rest of the Psalm.

8. Does Scripture use ANE imagery and mythology?

Psalm 83

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
God Implored to Confound His Enemies MT Intro A Song, A Psalm of Asaph	Prayer To Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel	Prayer for Deliverance From National Enemies	Prayer for the Defeat of Israel's Enemies	Against the Enemies of Israel
83:1-8	83:1-4	83:1-8	83:1-4	83:1-2
				83:3-4
	83:5-8		83:5-8	83:5-8
83:9-12	83:9-12	83:9-12	83:9-12	83:9-12
83:13-18	83:13-18	8:13-18	83:13-18	83:13-18

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. YHWH is intimately linked to His covenant people. The planning and scheming of the surrounding ANE nations to attack Israel, is a plan to attack Him (cf. Ps. 83:5 and note Ps. 83:12).

B. Several nations and people groups are mentioned.

1. Edom

2. Ishmaelites

3. Moab

4. Hagrites

5. Gebal

6. Ammon

7. Amalek

8. Philistia

9. Tyre (i.e., Phoenicia)

10. Assyria

11. Midian (Numbers 11-14 refer to events in Israel's past where YHWH helped them)

12. Sisera and Jabin

13. Oreb and Zech

14. Zebah and Zalmunna

C. This Psalm of prayer (5 imperatives) for the destruction of Israel's enemies is characterized by a large number of imperfects used in a jussive sense.

1. Ps. 83:1 - two stated but three implied

2. Ps. 83:15-18 - six (possibly eight with Ps. 83:15)

D. This Psalm uses several names for Deity.

1. God, Ps. 83:1a, 12b - Elohim (BDB 43)

2. God, Ps. 83:16 - El (BDB 42)

3. God, Ps. 83:13a - Eloah (BDB 43)

4. Lord, Ps. 83:16b, 18a - YHWH (BDB 217)

5. Most High, Ps. 83:18b - Elyon (BDB 751)

See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY

E. This Psalm has a strong

1. evangelistic thrust (i.e., Ps. 83:16b, 18)

2. universal focus (Ps. 83:18b)

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 83:1-8
¹O God, do not remain quiet;
Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
²For behold, Your enemies make an uproar,
And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
³They make shrewd plans against Your people,
And conspire together against Your treasured ones.
⁴They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation,
That the name of Israel be remembered no more."
⁵For they have conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant:
⁶The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites;
⁷Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
⁸Assyria also has joined with them;
They have become a help to the children of Lot. Selah.

83:1-8 This strophe describes the inappropriate activities of the surrounding nations. The psalmist requests that God act on Israel's behalf.

1. do not remain quiet - BDB 198, no verb but parallel to #2, #3

2. do not be silent - BDB 361, KB 357, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense, cf. Ps. 28:1; 35:22; 50:3; 109:1

3. do not be still (i.e., inactive) - BDB 1052, KB 1641, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

The fact that the surrounding nations planned and acted out their aggression (Ps. 83:2-8) caused the covenant people to wonder at YHWH's apparent inactivity.

Notice the activity of the surrounding nations.

1. make un uproar - BDB 242, KB 250, Qal imperfect, cf. Ps. 46:6 and very similar to Ps. 2:1-2

2. exalted themselves (lit. raised their heads) - BDB 669, KB 724, Qal perfect, cf. Jdgs. 8:28; Zech. 1:21

3. made shrewd plans - BDB 791, KB 886, Hiphil imperfect, only here in Hiphil in the OT

4. conspire together - BDB 419, KB 421, Hithpael imperfect, used in the sense of "determine" in 2 Chr. 30:23

a. come - BDB 229, KB 246, Qal imperative

b. wipe them out - BDB 470, KB 469, Hiphil imperfect used in a cohortative sense, cf. Ps. 74:8

c. that the name of Israel be remembered no more - BDB 269, KB 269, Niphal imperfect, which is an idiom for total destruction and death

The conclusion to this list is stated in Ps. 83:5. An attack on Israel is an attack on YHWH, cf. Ps. 83:2; Ps. 2:2; 74:18,23.

83:3 "Your people. . .Your treasured ones" The second expression (BDB 860, KB 1049, Qal passive participle) has two possible connotations in BDB.

1. treasured (JPSOA), cf. Exod. 19:5; Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 26:18

2. hidden with God, cf. Ps. 27:5; 31:21

The NKJV has "sheltered ones" (#2), while NJB has "those you cherish" (#1).

83:4b "the name of Israel" This is a way of referring to the nation (cf. Ps. 83:4a).

For the meaning of the name "Israel" see Special Topic: Israel (the Name).

83:5 "covenant" See Special Topic: Covenant.

83:6 "tents of. . ." This is an idiomatic anachronism of when Israel lived in "tents," but at this period most of them lived in cities and villages with more permanent housing.

The other possibility is that it is idiomatic for a nation (cf. Ps. 74:51; 120:5).

AB (p. 274) mentions a scroll fragment found at Masada that has "the gods of Edom. . ." This fits well with the imagery of "arm" in Ps. 83:8. It would also link up well with the national angels of Psalm 82. AB lists Yigael Yardin, Israel Exploration Journal, 15 (1965), 104, as the place to see the phrase.

▣ "Edom"

SPECIAL TOPIC: EDOM AND ISRAEL

▣ "Ishmaelites" This refers to the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's first child by Hagar (cf. Gen. 25:12-16). They became the Arab tribes.

▣ "Moab" This is one of the two nations descended from Lot and his daughters (cf. Gen. 19:30-38, esp. Ps. 83:37).

▣ "Hagrites" This is a tribe from Ishmael mentioned in 1 Chr. 5:10,18-22. The name may come from "Hagar," Ishmael's Egyptian mother. They lived to the east of Canaan and some parts of the tribe, more to the southeast.

83:7 "Gebal" This name (BDB 148, KB 174) can have two possible references.

1. from the word for "mountain," may refer to an area in the trans-Jordan area near Petra, thereby connected to Arab tribe

2. from the name of an old Phoenician coastal city and, therefore, would parallel Tyre (Ps. 83:7b), later known as Byblos

▣ "Ammon" See notes on Moab, Ps. 83:6.

▣ "Amalek" A descendant of Esau, who became chief in Edom (cf. Gen. 30:15-16). They were especially problematic to Israel during the wilderness wandering period (cf. Exod. 17:8-16; Num. 24:20; Deut. 25:12-19. Saul was commanded to destroy them (cf. 1 Samuel 15).

▣ "Philistia" The Philistines were apparently Greeks from the Aegean Islands. They were the only group of people in this part of the world who were uncircumcized. They were apparently a mercenary force who tried to attack Egypt in the twelfth century b.c. but were defeated. They then settled on the southern coast of Palestine. They had five major cities which are delineated in Jos.13:3: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gad, and Ekron. They were a major military problem throughout the period of the judges and even throughout the reign of Saul and David. The name "Palestine" comes from the word "Philistine."

▣ "Tyre" This is the famous seaport of the Phoenician Empire north of Israel. The older capital was "Sidon" (and possibly older than that, Gebal).

▣ "Assyria" This was a major empire of the Tigris/Euphrates. It became powerful in about the middle 900's b.c. to 609 b.c., when the capital of Nineveh fell (Nahum). See Special Topic: Survey of the Powers of Mesopotamia (Assyria, Babylon, Persia).

The mentioning of Assyria and not Babylon is a hint of the date this Psalm was written.

83:8 The Assyrians had become a help (lit. "arm") for the trans-Jordan nations that descended from Lot and his two daughters (cf. Gen. 19:30-38).

1. Moab

2. Ammon

▣ "Selah" See notes at Psalm 3:2.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 83:9-12
⁹Deal with them as with Midian,
As with Sisera and Jabin at the torrent of Kishon,
¹⁰Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who became as dung for the ground.
¹¹Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb
And all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
¹²Who said, "Let us possess for ourselves
The pastures of God."

83:9-12 This strophe reminds the current Israelites of YHWH's presence and help in the past when invaders plotted to take Israel's land.

1. as with Midian - Jdgs. 7:22

2. Sisera and Jabin - Jdgs. 4:22-23

3. Oreb and Zeeb - Jdgs. 7:25

4. Zebah and Zalmunna - Jdgs. 8:21

83:10 "as dung for the ground" This refers to the huge number of dead bodies after a battle. The prospect of being improperly buried or eaten by animals would terrify ANE people (cf. 2 Kgs. 9:37; Ps. 79:2-3; Jer. 8:2; 22:19; 36:30). This was a curse formula!

▣ "En-dor" This location is mentioned in Saul's day but not in the book of Judges. The NEB changes it to En-harod, which is mentioned in Jdgs. 7:1 and fits with the historical allusions of Ps. 83:9-11 (i.e., Judges 4-8). The UBS Text Project (p. 341) gives En-dor an "A" rating and rejects the emendation. Though not mentioned by name, it is still in the general area (cf. Jos. 17:11).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 83:13-18
¹³O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like chaff before the wind.
¹⁴Like fire that burns the forest
And like a flame that sets the mountains on fire,
¹⁵So pursue them with Your tempest
And terrify them with Your storm.
¹⁶Fill their faces with dishonor,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
¹⁷Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever,
And let them be humiliated and perish,
¹⁸That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

83:13-18 This strophe is a prayer for YHWH to act in judgment on Israel's behalf.

1. make them - BDB 1011, KB 1483, Qal imperative

a. like whirling dust, cf. Isa. 17:13; 29:5; 41:15-16

b. like chaff before the wind, cf. Isa. 17:13

c. like fire that burns the forest

d. like a flame that sets the mountains on fire

2. pursue them - BDB 922, KB 1191, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

3. terrify them - BDB 96, KB 111, Piel imperfect used in a jussive sense

4. fill their faces with dishonor - BDB 569, KB 583, Piel imperative

5. let them be ashamed - BDB 101, KB 116, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

6. let them be dismayed - BDB 96, KB 111, Niphal imperfect used in a jussive sense

7. let them be humiliated - BDB 344, KB 340, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

8. let them perish - BDB 1, KB 2, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

There are two more which show the intended purpose of judgment, which is to help the nations come to worship YHWH (see Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan).

1. that they may seek Your name, O YHWH - BDB134, KB 152, Piel imperfect used in a jussive sense (Ps. 83:16)

2. that they may know that You alone are the Most High over all the earth - BDB 393, KB 390, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense (Ps. 83:17)

83:17 Notice the parallelism between "forever" and "persists." These reflect on Ps. 83:4, where the nations wanted Israel to cease to exist!

83:18 "over all the earth" This universal element is common in the Psalms of Asaph! It is the obvious necessary conclusion to monotheism (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. Does this Psalm reflect a historical invasion by a coalition of nations or historical imagery?

2. How does Ps. 83:1 reflect the fear and confusion of Israel?

3. How are Ps. 83:4-5 related to YHWH's larger redemptive plan? Is there a Satanic attempt to thwart God's redemptive activity?

Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book IV (Psalms 90-106)

Psalm 84

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Longing For the Temple Worship MT Intro For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah	The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God	Sons Praising Zion as the Longed-for Goal of the Pilgrim	Longing for God's House	Pilgrimage Sons
84:1-4	84:1-2	84:1-2	84:1-4	84:1-2
	84:3-4	84:3-4		84:3
				84:4-5
84:5-7	84:5-7	84:5-7	84:5-7
				84:6-7
84:8-12	84:8-9	84:8-9	84:8-9	84:8-9
	84:10-11	84:10-12	84:10-12	84:10
				84:11
	84:12			84:12

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Many have assumed that this Psalm was written by a Levite, who, for some reason, is estranged from the temple.

1. because of sickness

2. because of banishment

3. because the King has fled (cf. Ps. 84:9) and he has gone with him

B. In this Psalm, fellowship with Israel's God is connected to the temple.

1. Your dwelling places, Ps. 84:1a - BDB 1015, cf. Ps. 43:3; 132:5

2. the courts of YHWH, Ps. 84:2a - BDB 346, cf. Ps. 65:4; 84:10; 96:8 100:4; 116:19; 135:2

3. Your altars, Ps. 84:3c - BDB 258

4. Your house, Ps. 84:4a

5. the highways to Zion, Ps. 84:5b, cf. Ps. 86:11; 122:1

6. appears before God in Zion, Ps. 84:7b, cf Ps. 42:2; Exod. 34:23; Deut. 16:16

7. Your courts, Ps. 84:10a, cf. #2

8. stand at the threshold of the house of my God (Eloah), Ps. 84:10b - BDB 706, KB 765, Hithpoel infinitive construct (used of "gatekeeper" in 1 Chr. 23:5)

C. Notice the different names/titles for Deity.

1. Lord of hosts (YHWH Sabaoth), Ps. 84:1,3,12a

2. Lord (YHWH), Ps. 84:2a,8a,11b

3. the loving God (El), Ps. 84:2b, cf. Deut. 5:26; Ps. 42:2

4. My King, Ps. 84:3d

5. My God (Elohim), Ps. 84:3d

6. God (El - Elohim, lit. "God of gods" or with a change of vowels, "before God"), Ps. 84:7b

7. God (Elohim) of hosts, Ps. 84:8a

8. God (Eloah) of Jacob, Ps. 84:8b, cf. Ps. 46:7

9. God (Elohim), Ps. 84:9a

10. My God (Eloah), Ps. 84:10b

11. Lord God (YHWH Elohim), Ps. 84:11a

Many of the Psalms of Asaph have multiple names/titles of God. See Special Topic: Names For Deity. Each of these, and their combinations, had connotations for Israelites.

D. This Psalm is similar in many ways to Psalm 42. The sons of Korah, apparently a family of Levitical singers, also wrote it. The father was Kohath, the choirmaster under David. They wrote Psalms 42-49; 84-85; 87-88.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 84:1-4
¹How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
²My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
³The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
⁴How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. Selah.

84:1 "lovely" This adjective is literally "beloved" (BDB 391). Jerusalem, the city of the Great God, is beautiful, but even more, it is "beloved," was is Israel (cf. Ps. 127:2).

▣ "Your dwelling places" This is a parallel poetic relationship with Ps. 84:2. Therefore, it must refer to the courts of the temple in Jerusalem (cf. Ps. 43:3; 46:4), where God Himself chose to dwell (cf. Deut. 12:5,11,14,18,21,26; 14:23-25; 15:20; 16:2,6,11,15; 17:8,10; 18:6; 26:2; 31:11).

84:2 This verse has three verbs that describe how the psalmist feels about YHWH. It is very similar to another Psalm of Korah—Psalm 42 (also note Psalm 63).

1. My soul longed - BDB 493, KB 490, Niphal perfect

2. my soul even yearned - BDB 477, KB 476, Qal perfect, cf. Ps. 119:81

3. my heart and my flesh sing for joy - BDB 943, KB 1247, Piel imperfect, cf. Ps. 51:14

This emotive language is very powerful. It reminds faithful followers of the wonderful personal side of fellowship with God. The goal is to be with Him! For Israelites that was linked to the temple. For NT believers it is linked to Jesus, the new temple (cf. John 2:18-22)!

▣ "the living God" This is a word play on the meaning of YHWH ("I Am Who I Am," cf. Exod. 3:14). The God of Israel is the ever-living, only-living God! (cf. Ps. 42:2).

See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY.

84:3 "bird" This can refer to two things, one literal and one symbolic. The symbolic would mean that the psalmist longs to be close to God in the temple—to dwell with God. The small helpless bird symbolizes a person. The literal would mean that the birds have free access even to the holiest places in the temple.

▣ "My King" YHWH was the true "king" of the covenant people (cf. 1 Sam. 8:7). Biblical faith is not a democracy but a theocracy! Jesus put it well in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

84:4 "How blessed are those who dell in Your house" This Psalm is structured around the three uses of the term "blessed" (BDB 80, Ps. 84:4,5,12). It basically means "happy" (cf. Ps. 9:1). It could refer, in this context, to priests or to guests (cf. Ps. 23:6; 27:4-6; 65:4).

▣ "They are ever praising You" Praise characterizes YHWH's true followers (cf. Ps. 42:5,11).

"Ever" (BDB 728) is used often in this section of the Psalms (cf. Ps. 77P:7; 78:17,30,32; 83:4). There is an eternal aspect to fellowship with YHWH!

▣ "Selah" See notes at Ps. 3:2

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 84:5-7
⁵How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion!
⁶Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
⁷They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

▣ "How blessed is the man whose. . ." This is terminology of Wisdom Literature. "Blessed" (BDB 80) is used 26 times in Psalms and 8 times in Proverbs. See note at Ps. 1:1.

▣ "In whose heart are the highways to Zion" Many commentators (and BDB) interpret this as a reference to pilgrims approaching the temple. Male Jews over the age of 21, who lived close enough and were able, were commanded to attend three annual feasts at the temple (i.e., Leviticus 23 and Exodus 23).

▣ "highways" This term (BDB 700) has wonderful connotations of restoration, both physically (i.e., from exile) and spiritually (i.e., coming of YHWH's special deliverer, Messiah).

The following is my note from Isaiah 19:23.

Isaiah 19:23 There will be a free-flowing movement between nations for the purpose of worshiping YHWH. The nations have come!

It is interesting how many times Isaiah uses the imagery of a highway.

1.a highway for the exiled Jews to return, Isa. 11:16; 57:14

2.a highway for Gentile worshipers to come, Isa. 19:23

3.a highway of holiness, Isa. 26:7; 35:8; 43:19; 49:11; 51:10

4. a Messianic highway, Isa. 40:3; 42:16

84:6 "Baca" The term (BDB 113) means "weeping." Some take this literally and apply it to a valley close to Jerusalem (i.e., 2 Sam. 5:22-24). Others take it symbolically as the problems encountered on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem or a return from exile.

▣ "spring" This term (BDB 745), like "Baca," is taken by some as a literal site of water and by others as a metaphor of God's care on the journey.

▣ "early rain" The LXX and the Vulgate translate this (BDB 435) as "lawgiver" (cf. NASB margin note at Joel 2:23), which would be an allusion to YHWH's Sinaitic covenant (cf. Exodus 19-20). In this context it refers to the temple in Jerusalem.

▣ "blessings" The MT has "blessings" (BDB 139), but the KJV has "pools" (BDB 140), parallel to the term "spring." This involves only a vowel change.

84:7 "from strength to strength" The NASB interprets these terms as provisions for the journey. It is possible to translate these consonants as "height to height," meaning ridge to ridge as one approaches Jerusalem. One of my favorite commentators, Derek Kidner, Tyndale OT Commentaries, vol. 116, p. 336, says he thinks it refers to the excitement that pilgrims have as they come to the final phase of the journey to the temple.

▣ "Every one of them appears before God in Zion" Again, the NASB and NKJV are interpreting this as a pilgrim's journey. It is possible to translate these consonants as "The God of gods (lit. El Elohim, NRSV) will be seen in Zion" (LXX, Peshitta).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 84:8-12
⁸O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
⁹Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
¹⁰For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
¹¹For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
¹²O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

84:8-9 There are four imperatives used in two parallel lines.

1. hear - BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal

2. give ear - BDB 24, KB 27, Hiphil

3. behold - BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal

4. look - BDB 613, KB 661, Hiphil

These are prayer requests for YHWH to restore access to temple worship. Notice how the plurals of Ps. 84:4-7 return to the singulars of Ps. 84:2-3!

Psalm 84:8-9 is a prayer for a person's restoration to temple worship and for this to come about by God strengthening and empowering Israel's king (Ps. 84:9b)!

84:8 "God of hosts" "Sabaoth" (BDB 838) usually has a military connotation (i.e., Joshua), "God, the commander of the heavenly army." In a Babylonian astral idolatry context it refers to the "stars." YHWH is the creator and controller of all heavenly lights.

84:9 "our shield" This is a title for God (cf. Gen. 15:1; Deut. 33:29; Ps. 18:2; 115:9-11) or Israel's king.

▣ "Your anointed" This could refer to the High Priest (cf. Lev. 4:3; Zechariah 3-4), but probably the King (cf. Ps. 2:2; 132:17; 1 Sam. 2:35; 16:6; 2 Sam. 19:21). In Ps. 89:18 both "shield" and "king" are used of the King of Israel.

For "anointed" see Special Topic: OT Titles of the Special Coming One.

84:10 "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside" This is the use of the term "thousand" in a symbolic way (see Special Topic: Thousand [eleph]). The comparison is not fully stated, "One day with YHWH in His temple is better than a thousand days anywhere else!" (i.e., Ps. 27:4).

▣ "the threshold" It is true that in the ancient world, the threshold (BDB 706) was viewed as potentially demon filled, especially in Roman culture. However, in this context it seems obvious that this is a comparative statement. The psalmist would rather be at the outskirts of the temple than in the plush comfort and hospitality of the wicked.

Some commentators try to make "threshold" (BDB 706) a title for the Levite gatekeepers (cf. 1 Chr. 9:19,22; 2 Chr. 23:4). I think "threshold" (cf. Jdgs. 19:27; 1 Kgs. 14:17; 2 Chr. 3:7) fits this context best.

▣ "tents of wickedness" This is an anachronism from the nomadic days of Israel. The opposite is expressed in Ps. 27:5-6.

84:11 "a sun" The Aramaic Targums interpret "sun" (BDB 1039) as "bulwark" ("sun," שׁמשׁ, BDB 1039; "battlements," שׁמשׁתיך, BDB 1039, cf. Isa. 54:12). Battlement fits the parallelism with shield better. The OT was reluctant to use "sun" in connection with YHWH because of the widespread worship of the sun in the ANE. If "sun" is original, then it is a metaphor that focuses on light, truth, health, revelation, blessing, etc. Deity is described in this way in Isa. 60:19-20; Mal. 4:2; Rev. 21:23. He is the true, eternal light.

84:11-12 This is a summary of the believer's worldview. God is with us and for us, even when we are physically separated from the designated place of worship. To faithful followers YHWH

1. is sun and shield

2. gives grace and glory

3. withholds no good thing (cf. Ps. 34:10b)

4. blesses those who (conditional element)

a. walk uprightly

b. trust Him

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. Why was the psalmist away from the temple?

2. How is this Psalm related to Psalm 42?

3. Is the reference to "highways" (Ps. 84:5) literal or symbolic?

4. Why is Ps. 84:6 so hard to translate?

5. To whom does the term "anointed" (Ps. 84:9b) refer?

6. In what way(s) is YHWH like the "sun"? Why is this analogy rare in the OT?

7. List the two conditions mentioned in Ps. 84:11-12. Is the covenant conditional or unconditional?

Psalm 85

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Prayer for God's Mercy Upon the Nation MT Intro For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah	Prayer That The Lord Will Restore Favor to The Land	Prayer For Deliverance From National Adversary	A Prayer For the Nation's Welfare	Prayer For Peace and Justice
85:1-3	85:1-3	85:1-3	85:1-3	85:1-2
				85:3
85:4-7	85:4-7	85:4-7	85:4-7	85:4-5
				85:6-7
85:8-13	85:8-9	85:8-9	85:8-9	85:8-9
	85:10-13	85:10-13	85:10-13	85:10-11
				85:12-13

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Notice that

1. Ps. 85:1-3 has all perfects (i.e., completed action, usually past)

2. while Ps. 85:4-7 has all imperfects (i.e., ongoing action, the current state of YHWH's anger toward Israel)

3. Ps. 85:5-6 contain a series of three questions).

B. Several major theological terms are personified in Ps. 85:10-13 (cf. positive in Isa. 58:8; negative in Isa. 59:14-15).

1. lovingkindness, Ps. 85:10 - Special Topic: Lovingkindness (hesed)

2. truth/faithfulness, Ps. 85:10,11 - Special Topic: Believe, Trust, Faith and Faithfulness in the OT

3. righteousness, Ps. 85:10,11,13 - Special Topic: Righteousness

4. peace, Ps. 85:10 (cf. Ps. 85:8) - Special Topic: Peace (OT)

C. The land is affected in both positive and negative ways by how God's people live (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-30). Human choices have consequences, but so do YHWH's grace and mercy!

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 85:1-3
¹O Lord, You showed favor to Your land;
You restored the captivity of Jacob.
²You forgave the iniquity of Your people;
You covered all their sin. Selah.
³You withdrew all Your fury;
You turned away from Your burning anger.

85:1-3 Notice the powerful parallelism which denotes the character and redemptive actions of YHWH.

1. You showed favor - BDB 953, KB 1280, Qal perfect

2. You restored the fortunes - BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal perfect, cf. Ps. 14:7

a. forgiveness

b. restoration to Canaan

3. You forgave the iniquity - BDB 669, KB 724, Qal perfect

4. You covered all their sin - BDB 491, KB 487, Piel perfect

5. You withdrew all Your fury - BDB 62, KB 74, Qal perfect

6. You turned away Your burning anger - BDB 996, KB 1427, Hiphil perfect; notice

a. this same verb in #2

b. the imperative form in Ps. 85:4

c. the Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense in Ps. 85:8

YHWH has kept His covenant promises even when His covenant people did not deserve it. Sin has consequences (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-30), but grace also has lasting effects because of the character of God (cf. Exod. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Deut. 4:31; Neh. 9:27; Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8)!

85:1 "Your land" Notice the different ways to refer to God's people.

1. Your land, Ps. 85:1a

2. Jacob, Ps. 85:1b

3. Your people, Ps. 85:2a

85:2 "Selah" See note at Psalm 3:2.

85:3-4 "all" The use of "all" (BDB 481) is significant. All their sin is covered and all God's fury is withdrawn. What inclusive good news!

85:3 "Your fury" Notice the different words that refer to YHWH's reaction to human disobedience (cf. Ps. 78:49).

1. fury, Ps. 85:3a - BDB 720

2. burning anger, Ps. 85:3b - BDB 354 construct BDB 60 I

3. indignation, Ps. 85:4b - BDB 495

4. angry, Ps. 85:5a - BDB 60, verb

5. anger, Ps. 85:5b - BDB 60, noun

How different these expression of God's character are with

1. Ps. 85:1-2

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 85:4-7
⁴Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your indignation toward us to cease.
⁵Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
⁶Will You not Yourself revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
⁷Show us Your lovingkindness, O Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.

85:4-7 This strophe starts out with two prayer requests ("restore" - BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal imperative; "put away" - BDB 830, KB 974, Hiphil imperative) and ends with a prayer request ("show" - BDB 906, KB 1157, Hiphil imperative).

It then follows with a series of questions related to that call for restoration.

1. Will You be angry with us forever? cf. Ps. 74:1; 79:5; 80:4

2. Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?

3. Will You not Yourself revive us again? cf. Ps. 71:20; 80:18

Israel could not understand how YHWH allowed them to be invaded and exiled (cf. Habakkuk 1)! They were His people and His witness in this world. The problem was covenant disobedience. The wrong message was being communicated to the nations (cf. Ezek. 36:22-36).

85:7 "lovingkindness" See note at Contextual Insights, B.

▣ "Your salvation" In Ps. 85:4 the psalmist calls YHWH "O God (Eloah) of our salvation" (BDB 447). See SPECIAL TOPIC: SALVATION (OLD TESTAMENT TERM) (OT).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 85:8-13
⁸I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
But let them not turn back to folly.
⁹Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
¹⁰Lovingkindness and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
¹¹Truth springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
¹²Indeed, the Lord will give what is good,
And our land will yield its produce.
¹³Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.

85:8-12 This strophe is the answer to the psalmist's prayers. He wants God to speak to him ("Let me hear," BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal cohortative). He will pass on the message/vision.

1. peace to

a. His people

b. His godly ones (BDB 339)

2. His salvation is near

3. glory will dwell in their land (i.e., YHWH's personal presence, like the Shekinah cloud, but here in the temple, cf. Ps. 63:2; 102:15-16)

4. lovingkindness and faithfulness have met together

5. righteousness and peace have kissed each other

6. faithfulness springs from the earth

7. righteousness looks down from heaven

8. YHWH will give what is good

9. righteousness will go before

But notice the conditions.

1. let them not turn back to folly (BDB 493) - BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

2. to those who fear/revere Him (Special Topic: Fear)

It is even possible the "to His godly ones" of Ps. 85:8b is also a condition for peace. There is no peace apart from a right relationship with God and then others.

Also Ps. 85:11 speaks of faithfulness as a condition for God's righteousness (i.e., God Himself) to look from heaven.

Psalm 85:10-11 is such powerful imagery of God's person. These attributes are personified as coming together to accomplish His purposes.

1. restoration from exile

2. breaking a drought

3. eschatological culmination (Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan)

85:8 "God the Lord" This is El plus YHWH. Usually it is YHWH Elohim, as in Gen. 2:4 (YHWH Elohim). The NJB sees these two names for God as introducing parallel lines.

"What is God's message?"

"Yahweh's message is peace."

This same approach is followed by AB (p. 285).

▣ "But let them not turn back to folly" This reflects the MT. The LXX understands the phrase as "and to those who turn to him their hearts." The UBS Text Project (p. 345) gives the MT a "C" rating (i.e., considerable doubt).

85:12 The promise of agricultural abundance was tied to covenant obedience (i.e., Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-30). AB sees the Psalm as a pre-exilic call for rain amidst a drought. The Jewish Study Bible (p. 1377) sees the Psalm as a plea for restoration of God's people to Canaan. This is based on

1. "land" in Ps. 85:1, 9-12

2. "restore the fortunes," as used in Jer. 30:3,18; Amos 9:14

3. Ps. 85:7, referring to a restored temple

▣ "good thing" To what does this refer?

1. deliverance - Exod. 18:9

2. blessings - Ps. 34:10

3. Canaan - Exod. 3:8; Deut. 1:35; 3:25; 4:21-22; 8:7,10; Jos. 23:13

4. unspecified goodness from YHWH to those who obey His covenant - Ps. 84:11

Maybe it is purposeful ambiguity that means God's provision in every needed area. Here, agricultural abundance (cf. Ps. 67:6).

85:13 The OT often uses the imagery of a "way," "road," "highway" to denote the actions of God and humans (i.e., Ps. 25:4,8,9,10,12,15). The spiritual life was characterized as "a way"!

Righteousness is again personified (cf. Ps. 85:10-11) as a herald (cf. Ps. 85:8) who goes before Israel shouting the good news of YHWH's love, care, protection, and presence with His people after exile or drought. The Jerome Bible Commentary (p. 591) sees it as possibly an eschatological reference.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. Is it possible to detect the historical setting? If so, list the three options.

2. How do the verbs of Ps. 85:1-2 relate to the verbs of Ps. 85:3?

3. Does Ps. 85:8 refer to the psalmist or a prophet?

4. Why is Ps. 85:10-11 such powerful, moving, encouraging imagery?

5. How does Ps. 85:11 deal with both divine sovereignty and human free will?

6. Define "good" in Ps. 85:12.

7. Explain the imagery of a "path" or "way."

Psalm 86

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
A Psalm of Supplication and Trust MT Intro A Prayer of David	Prayer for Mercy, with Meditation on the Excellencies of the Lord	Prayer for Deliverance from Personal Enemies	A Prayer For Help	Prayer in Time of Trial (Verse numbers from LXX)
86:1-5	86:1-5	86:1-7	86:1-2	86:1-2b
				86:2c-4
			86:3-5
				86:5-6
86:6-10	86:6-7		86:6-7
				86:7-8
	86:8-10	86:8-11	86:8-10
				86:9-10
86:11-13	86:11-13		86:11-13	86:11
		86:12-13		86:12-13
86:14-17	86:14-15	86:14-17	86:14-17	86:14
				86:15-16a
	86:16-17			86:16b-17
				86:18

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. This is categorized as a "personal lament." A righteous follower of YHWH calls on his righteous God to act on his behalf.

1. righteous author, Ps. 86:1,2,3,4

2. righteous God, Ps. 86:5,6

B. This Psalm has a surprising universal element in Ps. 86:9 (cf. Ps. 22:27; 46:10; 47:9; 57:5,11; 64:9; 65:8; 66:1-7; 67:2-5; 98:23; 99:2-3 102:15). This verse is the theological center of the chiasm (i.e., a Hebrew poetic structure).

C. A possible outline would be:

1. author's theological complaint, Ps. 86:1-7

2. hymn of praise to God, Ps. 86:8-10

a. His transcendence

b. His uniqueness (monotheism)

3. hymn of praise to God, Ps. 86:11-17, for His immanence

D. There are 15 imperatives of request in this Psalm.

1. incline Your ear, Ps. 86:1 - BDB 639, KB 692, Hiphil imperative, cf. Ps. 17:6; 31:2; 71:2; 102:2; same verb in imperfect in Ps. 88:2

2. answer me, Ps. 86:1 - BDB 772, KB 851, Qal imperative

3. preserve my soul, Ps. 86:2 - BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal imperative, cf. Ps. 25:20

4. save, Ps. 86:2 - BDB 446, KB 448, Hiphil imperative, cf. Ps. 28:9; 31:16; 59:2; 71:2

5. be gracious, Ps. 86:3 - BDB 335, KB 334, Qal imperative

6. make glad the soul, Ps. 86:4 - BDB 970, KB 1333, Piel imperative

7. give ear, Ps. 86:6 - BDB 24, KB 27, Hiphil imperative

8. give heed, Ps. 86:6 - BDB 904, KB 1151, Hiphil imperative

9. teach me, Ps. 86:11 - BDB 34, KB 436, Hiphil imperative, cf. Ps. 25:4,12; 27:11

10. unite my heart, Ps. 86:11 - BDB 402, KB 405, Piel imperative

11. turn to me, Ps. 86:16 - BDB 815, KB 937, Qal imperative

12. be gracious to me, Ps. 86:16 - same as #5

13. grant strength, Ps. 86:16 - BDB 678, KB 733, Qal mperative

14. save, Ps. 86:16 - same as #4

15. show me a sign, Ps. 86:17 - BDB 793, KB 889, Qal imperative

E. Notice the vocatives.

1. O Lord (YHWH), Ps. 86:1, 3, 6, 11, 17

2. O You my God (Eloah), Ps. 86:2

3. O Lord (Adon), Ps. 86:4, 5, 8, 9, 15

4. O God (Elohim), Ps. 86:10,14

5. O Lord my God (Eloah), Ps. 86:12; Eloah also in Ps. 86:2

6. O grant (no name/title) giver, Ps. 86:16b

The other names/titles used are

1. God (El), Ps. 86:15

2. Your name (BDB 1027), Ps. 86:9, 11, 12

These all reflect a vibrant prayer for help to Israel's Deity!

F. The structure of individual Psalms is difficult to categorize. If this Psalm is an acrostic (see NASB Study Bible, p. 829), then Ps. 86:9 is the central key verse. To me, Ps. 86:8 is theologically the key verse and Ps. 86:9 is the logical extension. Monotheism was the uniqueness of Israel in the ANE (with two brief exceptions, one in Egypt and one in Assyria). See Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan, and Special Topic: Monotheism.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 86:1-5
¹Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy.
²Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.
³Be gracious to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry all day long.
⁴Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
⁵For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.

86:1 "Incline" This is a metaphor derived from the verb "to bend" or "to turn" (BDB 639, KB 692). It calls on YHWH to hear His servant's plea (cf. Ps. 86:3,4,6,7).

▣ "O Lord" This is YHWH (i.e., the name is defined in Exod. 3:14, see Special Topic: Names for Deity). This is the covenant name for Deity. It is a form of the verb "to be."

There is a play between YHWH (Ps. 86:1,3,6,11), Elohim (Ps. 86:2,10,12) and Adon (Ps. 86:4,8, 9,12). These represent different concepts of deity.

1. YHWH - God as Savior, Redeemer

2. Elohim - God as Creator, Sustainer, Provider

3. Adonai - God as master, owner, husband

▣ "answer" This was not a prayer for information but the assurance of God's personal presence and care. The psalmist has experienced this and, for whatever reason, does not now! It is a plea for God to act in a visible way.

1. to deliver (Ps. 86:7)

2. to witness (Ps. 86:8-10)

▣ "For I am afflicted and needy" This phrase (BDB 776 and BDB 2) could be understood in a spiritual sense to refer to the faithful remnant (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE REMNANT, THREE SENSES, cf. Ps. 34:6; 35:10; 40:17; 70:5). In this Psalm it is possibly a reference to the King.

86:2 "preserve my soul, for I am a godly man" There are two terms used to describe the psalmist.

1. soul - lit. nephesh, BDB 659, cf. Ps. 86:4 (twice), 13,14; see notes online at Ps. 3:2 and Gen. 35:18

2. godly one/man - BDB 339, see notes online at Ps. 16:10; 50:5

This begins a series of reasons why God should act on the psalmist's behalf.

1. he is godly, Ps. 86:2 (hasid, BDB 339, faithful to the covenant, related to hesed, BDB 339)

2. he trusts in YHWH, Ps. 86:2

3. he prays to YHWH, Ps. 86:3,4,5

4. because God is also hesed, Ps. 86:5,15.

In the OT, death was not seen as a reunion with God but a place of silence and joylessness. The psalmist wants to praise God in worship. The concept of what happens in the afterlife is developed (i.e., progressive revelation) in the NT. Thank God for Jesus and the NT!

▣ "save" In the OT this referred to physical deliverance. See SPECIAL TOPIC: SALVATION (OLD TESTAMENT TERM) (OT).

▣ "who trusts in You" See notes online at Ps. 4:5.

86:3 "to You I cry all day long" This referred to prayer throughout the day (cf. Ps. 22:2; 25:5; 88:9).

86:4 "I lift up my soul" This is an idiom for recognizing YHWH's place of power (i.e., on high, in heaven, cf. Ps. 123:1) and offering one's total self to Him (cf. Ps. 25:1; 143:8; Lam. 3:41).

The cultural background could be

1. sacrifices were lifted to YHWH

2. Jewish prayer was offered with the head, eyes, and hands lifted to heaven

86:5 This is a summary of the character of YHWH (cf. Ps. 86:10,15). There are several of these summaries throughout the OT (cf. Exod. 34:6; Jonah 4:2; Neh. 9:17; Joel 2:13; Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8).

Man's hope is in the settled, loving character of YHWH. He is

1. good - BDB 373 II (cf. 1 Chr. 16:34; 2 Chr. 5:13; 7:3; 30:18; Ezra 3:11; Ps. 25:8; 34:8; 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 118:1,25; 135:3; 136:1; Jer. 33:11; Nah. 1:7)

2. ready to forgive - BDB 699, adjective found only here (cf. Neh. 9:17; Ps. 130:4 for usages for the related noun)

3. abundant in lovingkindness - BDB 912 I construct BDB 338 (cf. Exod. 34:6; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2), see SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (HESED)

4. great, Ps. 86:10 - BDB 152 (cf. Ps. 77:13)

5. do wondrous deeds, Ps. 86:10 - BDB 810, see Special Topic: Wonderful Things

6. merciful, Ps. 86:15 - BDB 933

7. gracious, Ps. 86:15 - BDB 337

8. slow to anger, Ps. 86:15 - cf. same parallel verses as #3

9. abundant in faithfulness/truth, Ps. 86:15 - cf. same parallel verses as #3

▣ "to all who call upon You" The scope of YHWH's love and offer of acceptance is surprising in an OT Psalm. The same universal promise is repeated in Ps. 86:9. God welcomes all who approach Him in faith and worship. See Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan.

"Calling upon" God was an act of faith expressed in public worship in Joel 2:32 and quoted by Paul in Rom. 10:9-13. See Special Topic: What Does It Mean to "Receive," "Believe," "Confess/Profess," and "Call Upon?"

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 86:6-10
⁶Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
⁷In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For You will answer me.
⁸There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours.
⁹All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
¹⁰For You are great and do wondrous deeds;
You alone are God.

86:6-7 These are parallel to Ps. 86:1. They express the psalmist's confidence in YHWH's personal presence and care.

86:7 "In the day of my trouble" The psalmist's plight is described further in Ps. 86:14. These enemies are described in several ways.

1. arrogant men have risen up against me

2. an assembly of violent men have sought my life (nephesh, see note online at Gen. 35:18)

3. they have not set You before them

4. those who hate me, Ps. 86:17b

86:8 "There is no one like You" This is an affirmation of monotheism (cf. Ps. 86:10b), see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM. This reflects Exod. 15:11.

▣ "among the gods" This is the Hebrew term elohim, used of spiritual beings (angels). This term is also used of human judges in the OT. See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY.

▣ "Nor are there any works like Yours" YHWH is the God of creation. He is the only creator, all other beings are created. He is the God who acts. The idols of the nations cannot see, hear, or act!

86:9 "All nations whom You have made shall come" If there is only one creator God and all humans are made in His image (Gen. 1:26-27) and God has promised to redeem all fallen humans (Gen. 3:15), then God's love for all humans must be the focus of God's redemptive activities. See Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan.

This verse expresses the assertion that YHWH created the nations (cf. Deut. 32:8 in the LXX, which asserts YHWH gave each nation a national angel, cf. Deut. 29:26; Daniel 10).

▣ "they shall glorify Your name" Gentiles responding in faith and worship will glorify YHWH's love and redemption (cf. Isa. 66:23c).

If Ps. 86:14-15 refers to rebellious Jews, the contrast with believing Gentiles is even more powerful!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 86:11-13
¹¹Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
¹²I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
¹³For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

86:11-13 This stanza calls on YHWH (two imperatives) to provide what His faithful follower needs—instruction and a united, pure heart. In return the follower will "teach," "walk," "fear," "give thanks," and "glorify" YHWH. This is the covenant order: God provides, faithful followers respond.

▣ "Your way. . .Your truth. . .Your name" These are obviously in a parallel relationship. Biblical faith is

1. a daily lifestyle

2. cognitive truth

3. a person to completely trust in/on

I usually say it is a person (Jesus) to welcome; truths about that person to believe (the Bible); and a life like that person's to live! All of these elements are necessary for a full, complete, and mature biblical faith!

86:11,12 "unite my heart. . .with all my heart" This is a Hebrew idiom for total allegiance and dedication (i.e., Jer. 24:7; 32:39; Ezek. 11:33; 18:31; 36:26).

86:12 "I will give thanks. . .I will glorify" These two verbs are cohortatives.

1. give thanks - BDB 392, KB 389, Hiphil imperfect used in a cohortative sense

2. glorify - BDB 457, KB 455, Piel cohortative

▣ "Your name" Calling on YHWH's name (i.e., His person, character) goes back to Gen. 4:26 (cf. Gen. 12:8; 21:33; Ps. 80:18; 145:1-2; Dan. 9:19; Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:9-13). These are acts of faith, worship, and thanksgiving. Faithful followers publicly call out to the invisible God of creation and redemption. See Special Topic at Ps. 86:5 and Special Topic: "The Name" of YHWH.

▣ "forever" See Special Topic: Forever ('olam).

86:13 "delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol" The verb (BDB 664, KB 717) is a Hiphil perfect and, therefore, could be understood as past, present, or future (only context can determine). Sheol is the holding place of the dead. The Jews buried their loved ones, therefore, it was viewed phenomenologically as being in the center of the earth. See Special Topic: Where Are the Dead?

The psalmist's reference has been understood in several ways.

1. sickness

2. covenant enemies (fellow Jews)

3. external enemies (the surrounding nations)

4. future end-time sense (eschatological)

The term "depths" is literally the adjective "lowest" (BDB 1066, cf. Deut. 32:22).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 86:14-17
¹⁴O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And a band of violent men have sought my life,
And they have not set You before them.
¹⁵But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
¹⁶Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid.
¹⁷Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

86:14 God's faithful followers have enemies! Who these are is uncertain. Whoever they are, they do not know nor recognize God or His people (cf. Ps. 54:3, similar in Ps. 36:1).

86:15 See notes at Psalm 86:5.

86:16 This is parallel to Ps. 86:1 and 3.

▣ "save the son of Your handmaid" This is an idiom for a godly family who serves YHWH (i.e., Ps. 116:16).

86:17 Does this verse imply a plea for those of Ps. 86:14 to repent or is it a call for public justice? Psalm 112:10 may relate to this verse.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. How does the psalmist describe himself in Ps. 86:1-3?

2. Explain how Ps. 86:8 fits Israel's unique view of the oneness and onlyness of YHWH.

3. Explain the universal emphasis of Ps. 86:9.

4. List the names for deity used in this Psalm and their theological significance.

5. Define monotheism and its implication to Ps. 86:5 and 9.

6. List the characteristics of YHWH in Ps. 86:5, 10, 15.

Psalm 87

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion MT Intro A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song	The Glories of the City of God	Sons Praising Zion As the Mother of Believers Everywhere	In Praise of Jerusalem	Zion, Mother of Nations
87:1-7	87:1-3	87:1-3	87:1-3	87:1-2
				87:3
	87:4	87:4	87:4	87:4
	87:5-6	87:5-6	87:5-7	87:5
				87:6-7
	87:7	87:7

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. This Psalm praises YHWH's choice of a people to reveal and represent Himself to the other nations.

B. The imagery used is one of nations (cf. Ps. 87:4). YHWH set the boundaries of all the nations (cf. LXX, Deut. 32:8, i.e., He is in control of geography and history).

The covenant nation was made up of

1. descendants of Abraham (cf. Gen. 12:1-3; Deut. 7:6-8)

2. descendants of the Patriarchs (Isaac, Jacob/Israel)

3. a special land, Canaan

4. a special city, Jerusalem

5. a special mountain, Moriah (i.e., the temple, cf. Deut. 12:5,11,21; 14:23,24; 16:2,6,11, etc.)

C. This special nation (cf. Exod. 19:5-6) is crucial for reaching all nations (see Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan.

D. As I read this Psalm I ask myself, "Is this still God's special place?" I struggle with this; please take a moment and read the Special Topic: OT Predictions of the Future vs. NT Predictions. The NT has universalized the OT promises to the world. The gospel, not Israel, is the full revelation of YHWH!

E. Psalm 87:4 implies an eschatological period where all people are part of God's people (i.e., Isa. 2:2-4; 12:4-5; 25:6-9; 42:6-12; 45:22-23; 49:5-6; 51:4-5; 60:1-3; 66:23).

F. The UBS Handbook, p. 757, brings up the question of who the speaker is in Ps. 87:4 and 5. It suggests, and I agree, that Ps. 87:4 must be God (because Deity is mentioned in the first person, "Me"), while Ps. 87:5 is the psalmist (because Deity is mentioned in the third person, also Ps. 87:6).

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 87:1-7
¹His foundation is in the holy mountains.
²The Lord loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
³Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God. Selah.
⁴"I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.'"
⁵But of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her";
And the Most High Himself will establish her.
⁶The Lord will count when He registers the peoples,
"This one was born there." Selah.
⁷Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say,
"All my springs of joy are in you."

87:1 "foundation" This Hebrew root (BDB 414) has several connotations.

1. used in Ezra 7:9 as the beginning of something

2. foundation of a city - Ps. 137:7; Lam. 4:11; Micah 1:6

3. laying a foundation in a figurative sense - Isa. 28:16

4. creation of the earth - 2 Sam. 22:16; Ps. 18:16; 78:69; 82:5; Isa. 24:18; 40:21; Jer. 31:37

5. imagery related to mountains - Deut. 32:22; Ps. 18:7

6. from the day of the foundation of the temple - 2 Chr. 8:16 or its side chambers - Ezek. 41:8

▣ "the holy mountains" Mountains symbolize

1. permanence

2. stability

3. closeness to God (Ps. 121:1)

4. pillars of the earth

In this context it obviously is imagery connected to

1. Jerusalem/Zion (cf. Ps. 2:6; 48:1)

2. the temple

3. the covenant people

The plural may relate to the fact that Jerusalem was built on seven hills. For "Zion" see notes online at Ps. 2:6; 9:11 and 20:2.

YHWH is linked to several mountains.

1. Mt. Sinai/Horeb (Exodus 19-20)

2. Mt. Seir/Paran (Deut. 33:2; Hab. 3:3)

3. Mt. Moriah (Genesis 22; Ezek. 20:40)

4. a mountain in the north (cf. Ps. 48:2; Isa. 14:13; Ezek. 28:14,16)

87:2 This refers to Jerusalem/Zion and Judah (cf. Ps. 78:67-68). Judah was to be the tribe of the Messiah (cf. Gen. 49:8-12). "Jacob" refers to all the tribes that descended from Jacob/Israel. It became a collective term for the covenant people.

▣ "The Lord loves" YHWH's love for Jerusalem is also specifically stated in Ps. 78:68. It is His chosen place (cf. Ps. 132:13).

▣ "city of God" This refers to Jerusalem (cf. Ps. 46:4; 48:8). See Special Topic: Jerusalem.

▣ "Selah" This term seems to close a literary unit, see Ps. 87:6. For full note on the suggested meanings see Ps. 3:2.

87:4 "I shall mention" This verb (BDB 289, KB 269, Hiphil imperfect) can be understood as "record" (BDB 271, #4, as the title of a public officer who records (cf. 2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24; 1 Kgs. 4:3; 2 Kgs. 18:18,37; 1 Chr. 18:15; 2 Chr. 34:8; Isa. 36:3,22), thereby linking it to the idea of a city registry (Ps. 87:5-6).

▣ "among those who know Me" This implies that Gentiles from these countries have become believers and followers of YHWH. They are now citizens of the new eschatological city of God, "New Jerusalem" (cf. Revelation 21).

See Special Topic: Know.

87:4-5 The psalmist lists several nations.

1. Rahab (i.e., Egypt, cf. Ps. 89:10; Isa. 30:7)

2. Babylon (one wonders why Assyria is not mentioned, possibly giving an indication of the date of the Psalm's composition)

3. Philistia

4. Tyre (i.e., Phoenicia)

5. Ethiopia (i.e., Cush)

The purpose of their being mentioned is to compare their origins. In a sense all the nations came from God's sovereignty (cf. LXX, Deut. 32:8), but Israel was His special people (cf. Exod. 19:5-6; Rom. 9:4-5).

87:5 The first line of Ps. 87:5 is difficult but in context of the universal emphasis of Ps. 87:4, I think it refers to believers in YHWH having their citizenship transferred to God's holy city—Zion.

87:6 "registers" The imagery is that of the list of citizens kept by ANE cities. In a symbolic way it will show Israel was from Zion, God's special city, the unique place of the worship of YHWH (cf. Ps. 87:7).

See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TWO BOOKS OF GOD of God.

87:7 "springs" The term (BDB 745) is used in the symbolic sense of origins or the source of God's people (cf. Deut. 33:28).

Psalm 88

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
A Petition to Be Saved From Death MT Intro A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the choir director; according to Mahalath, Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite	A Cry for Help	Desperate Prayer for Healing in Sickness	A Cry for Help	Prayer in Great Distress
88:1-9	88:1-2	88:1-2	88:1-2	88:1-2
	88:3-7	88:3-7	88:3-7	88:3-5
				88:6-7
	88:8-9	88:8-12	88:8-9	88:8-9
88:10-12	88:10-12		88:10-12	88:10-12
88:13-18	88:13-18	88:13-18	88:13-18	88:13-16
				88:17-18

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. This Psalm is characterized by

1. a series of questions related to the author's sense of rejection by God, cf. Ps. 88:10-12,14. This Psalm ends with no hope or relief in sight! This is a "dark" Psalm!

2. a series of titles/names for the afterlife

a. Sheol, Ps. 88:3b - BDB 982, see Special Topic: Sheol

b. the pit, Ps. 88:4a - BDB 92 I

c. among the dead, Ps. 88:5a - BDB 559

d. who lie in the grave, Ps. 88:5b - BDB 868

e. whom You remember no more, Ps. 88:5c

f. cut off from Your hand, Ps. 88:5d, cf. Lam. 3:54

g. the lowest pit, Ps. 88:6a - BDB 1066

h. dark places, Ps. 88:6b - BDB 365

i. the depths, Ps. 88:6b - BDB 846 (g, h, i are parallel)

j. the dead, Ps. 88:10a - BDB 559

k. the departed spirits, Ps. 88:10b - BDB 952 I

l. the grave, Ps. 88:11a - BDB 868

m. the place of destruction, Ps. 88:11b - lit. abaddon - BDB 2

n. the darkness, Ps. 88:12a - BDB 365, cf. 1 Sam. 2:9; Job 10:21; 17:13; 18:18

o. the land of forgetfulness, Ps. 88:12b - BDB 75 construct BDB 674 (unique to this Psalm, cf. Ps. 6:5)

p. darkness, Ps. 88:18b - BDB 365

B. Notice the different words used to describe God's rejection.

1. Your wrath, Ps. 88:7a - BDB 404

2. Your waves, Ps. 88:7b - BDB 991, cf. Ps. 42:7; 69:1,14-15; Jonah 2:3

3. You reject, Ps. 88:14a - verb, BDB 276 I, KB 276, Qal imperfect

4. You hide Your face, Ps. 88:14b - verb, BDB 711, KB 771, Hiphil imperfect

5. Your terrors, Ps. 88:15b - BDB 33

6. Your burning anger, Ps. 88:16a - BDB 354

7. Your terrors, Ps. 88:16b - BDB 130 (only here and Job 6:4)

C. It is hard from this brief Psalm to know if the psalmist is

1. sick (possibly leprosy because of his abandonment by family and friends)

2. suffering from judgment

3. feeling a sense of being alone

4. fearful of life's circumstances

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 88:1-9
¹O Lord, the God of my salvation,
I have cried out by day and in the night before You.
²Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry!
³For my soul has had enough troubles,
And my life has drawn near to Sheol.
⁴I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit;
I have become like a man without strength,
⁵Forsaken among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And they are cut off from Your hand.
⁶You have put me in the lowest pit,
In dark places, in the depths.
⁷Your wrath has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah.
⁸You have removed my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an object of loathing to them;
I am shut up and cannot go out.
⁹My eye has wasted away because of affliction;
I have called upon You every day, O Lord;
I have spread out my hands to You.

88:1 "O Lord" This Psalm uses the covenant name for Deity, YHWH, in a vocative sense three times. See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY.

▣ "the God of my salvation" This title for Deity (cf. Ps. 24:5; 27:9) is descriptive of what the psalmist wants YHWH to do for him, "save," "deliver," "act on his behalf." This opening verse is the most "positive" line of the Psalm. YHWH is the Covenant God and the psalmist prays but senses no response. He even feels God has purposefully caused his plight!

▣ "I" Notice the number of first person singular pronouns and second person singular pronouns ("You"). This is a very personal cry from a believer to his God.

▣ "I have cried out" This verb (BDB 858, KB 1042) is the first of many perfect verbs. The psalmist is asserting his diligent seeking of God but God has not yet responded (cf. Ps. 88:13-18).

▣ "by day and in the night" This phrase is the psalmist's way of asserting his constant prayer (cf. Ps. 22:2; 25:5; 86:3).

88:2 This verse has two parallel requests.

1. let my prayer come before You - BDB 97, KB 112, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense (cf. Ps. 18:6); the psalmist felt his prayer was not being heard (cf. Ps. 88:9,13,14)

2. incline Your ear to my cry - BDB 639, KB 692, Hiphil imperative (cf. Ps. 17:6; 31:2; 71:2; 86:1; 102:2)

88:3-9 The psalmist lists the reasons why God should hear and respond (the perfect describes a settled condition).

1. his soul (BDB 659) is full (another perfect) of troubles, Ps. 88:3a

2. his life (BDB 313) has arrived (another perfect) near to Sheol (see Special Topic: Where Are the Dead?), Ps. 88:3b

3. he is reckoned (another perfect) among those who go down to the pit (cf. Ps. 28:1; 143:7), Ps. 88:4a

4. he has become (another perfect) like a man without strength (i.e., helpless, BDB 33, only here in the OT; Aramaic loan word), Ps. 88:4b

5. he has been forsaken "among the dead"; the adjective translated "forsaken" is lit. "freed," BDB 344, Ps. 88:5a

NKJV "adrift"

TEV, JPSOA "abandoned"

NJB "left alone"

The MT has "freed" and seems to refer to the freedom from all the responsibilities of life (cf. USB Text Project, p. 350).

6. he whom You remember (another perfect) no more, Ps. 88:5c

7. he whom You cut off (another perfect) from Your hand, Ps. 88:5d

8. he whom You have put (another perfect) in the lowest pit, Ps. 88:6a

9. he whom You have put in dark places, in the depths, Ps. 88:6b

10. he on whom Your wrath has rested (lit. "lies heavy," another perfect) Ps. 88:7a (this verb BDB 701, KB 759 is mostly used of YHWH upporting someone but here, the antithesis)

11. he whom You have afflicted (lit. "overwhelmed," another perfect) with all Your waves, Ps. 88:7b

12. he whom You have removed his acquaintances far away (another perfect), Ps. 88:8a

13. he whom You have made an object of loathing (another perfect), Ps. 88:8b

14. he whom You have shut up, Ps. 88:8c

15. his eyes have wasted away (another perfect), Ps. 88:9a

16. he has called upon You every day (another perfect), cf. Ps. 88:1b, 9b

17. he has spread out his hands (i.e., prayer, another perfect) to You, Ps. 88:9c

Notice the combination of

1. the psalmist's acts

2. the things he asserts that God has done to him

88:7 "Selah" See notes at Psalm 3:2.

88:8 "acquaintances" This (BDB 393, KB 390) is a Pual participle from the verb "to know" (see Special Topic: Know). The same form is also in Ps. 88:18 along with

1. lover - BDB 12, KB 17 Qal participle

2. friend - BDB 945

This man felt totally alienated from God and other humans!

88:9 Psalm 88:9 is similar in content to Ps. 88:1 and may be an example of inclusio.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 88:10-12
¹⁰Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah.
¹¹Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
¹²Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

88:10-12 This strophe describes the general OT view of the joyless, silent existence of the conscious soul/person/self in the afterlife.

1. God did not deliver ("save") from the dead

2. the dead do not praise God (cf. Ps. 6:5; 30:9; 115:17; Isa. 38:18)

3. God's faithfulness is not declared in the grave (cf. Isa. 38:18)

4. God's acts of deliverance (BDB 810, see Special Topic: Wonderful Things) are not declared in the darkness

5. God's righteousness (i.e., His acts of salvation) is not declared in the land of forgetfulness

88:10

NASB"the departed spirits"
NKJV, TEV"the dead"
NRSV, JPSOA,
REB"the shades"
NJB"the shadows"

This Hebrew root (BDB 952) has two connotations/usages.

1. race of giants (see Special Topic: Terms Used for Tall/Powerful Warriors or People Groups) - Gen. 14:5; 15:20; Deut. 2:20; 3:11; Jos. 17:15; 1 Chr. 20:4

2. the departed/the conscious dead - Job 26:5-6; Pro. 2:18; 9:18; 21:16; Isa. 14:9; 26:11-19; this usage is common in Wisdom Literature (see SPECIAL TOPIC: WISDOM LITERATURE)

Because of Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 it is possible to see these as departed kings and powerful humans, now in Sheol, their power and prestige gone. There is a detailed discussion of this term in NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 1173-1180.

▣ "Selah" See notes at Psalm 3:2.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 88:13-18
¹³But I, O Lord, have cried out to You for help,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
¹⁴O Lord, why do You reject my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
¹⁵I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on;
I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome.
¹⁶Your burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have destroyed me.
¹⁷They have surrounded me like water all day long;
They have encompassed me altogether.
¹⁸You have removed lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in darkness.

88:13-18 This repeats the emphasis of the previous verses. The psalmist feels estranged from God and family and friends! He is alone! This Psalm ends in despair (cf. Ps. 88:14)! He does not understand what is happening to him, either physically or spiritually!

88:15 Does this verse imply that the psalmist has been sick from his youth and is near death or is this imagery of a prolonged sense of abandonment by God?

The verb in the MT (BDB 806, KB 918, Qal imperfect) can be from one of two roots.

1. אפונה - BDB 67, either (1) "to be helpless," (2) "to be confused," or (3) "very, very much"

2. פון - found only here and meaning uncertain

3. פוג - "to grow numb" (NET Bible)

This verse is difficult to translate because the MT is difficult (JPSOA footnote)

LXX "and after being exalted,

I was humbled and became perplexed"

Peshitta "I have been proud, but now I am humbled and crushed"

88:18 "in darkness" The same consonants can mean "withholding" (Peshitta). JPSOA takes the MT "darkness" and translates it as "cannot see."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. As you read this Psalm what is your first impression?

2. What is the psalmist's problem?

3. Why does he feel God has abandoned him? Does he express any hope? How?

4. Describe the OT view of the afterlife.

5. Why is Ps. 88:4 so painful?

6. Does the psalmist express any hope that God will hear, come, help?

Psalm 89

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
The Lord's Covenant with David, and Israel's Afflictions MT Intro A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite	Remembering the Covenant with David, and Sorrow for Lost Blessings	A King Prays for Deliverance From His Enemies	A Hymn in Time of National Trouble	Hymn and Prayer to God the Faithful
89:1-4	89:1-2	89:1-2	89:1-4	89:1-2
	89:3-4	89:3-4		89:3-4
89:5-10	89:5-10	89:5-18	89:5-14	89:5-6
				89:7-8
				89:9-10
89:11-18	89:11-18			89:11-12
				89:13-14
			89:15-18	89:15-16
			God's Promise to David	89:17-18
89:19-29	89:19-23	89:19-37	89:19-29	89:19
				89:20-21
				89:22-23
	89:24-29			89:24-25
				89:26-27
				89:28-29
89:30-37	89:30-37		89:30-34	89:30-31
				89:32-33
				89:34-35
			89:35-37
			Lament Over the Defeat of the King	89:36-37
89:38-45	89:38-45	89:38-45	89:38-45	89:38-39
				89:40-41
				89:42-43
				89:44-45
89:46-48	89:46-48	89:46-48	89:46-48	89:46-48
89:49-51	89:49-51	89:49-51	89:49-51	89:49-51
89:52	89:52	89:52	89:52	89:52

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. This Psalm affirms YHWH's permanent choice of Abraham and his descendants by covenant promise (cf. Gen. 12:1-3; 15:12-21). These covenant promises are fully embodied in David and his royal Judean seed (cf. 2 Samuel 7; 1 Kgs. 8:16).

B. YHWH is the creator and sustainer of His people (Ps. 89:11-18). He is the leader of the heavenly council (Ps. 89:5-10,19), which exists to accomplish His purposes.

C. But a tragedy has occurred: His people and their leaders are not faithful, not obedient (Ps. 89:38-45). Now there is a problem.

1. God has made promises

2. His people have failed

What will He do (Ps. 89:46-48,49-51)?

D. It is interesting that this Psalm, unlike most Psalms, does not focus on Jerusalem (but Ps. 89:1-2,15 implies temple worship) and the temple, but on the Davidic seed. It is surely drawing from 2 Samuel 7, which is about both

1. the building of the temple

2. the continuing of the Davidic dynasty

Number 1 is not even specifically mentioned in this Psalm.

E. Just a note about how the NT reinterprets these OT promises to Israel. Please see my commentaries online (www.freebiblecommentary.org) on Romans 2:28-29; 9:6; Gal. 3:7-9,26; 6:16; 1 Pet. 3:6! The NT has widened the promises of God to include all the children of Adam (see Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan).

F. On the theological tension between conditional and unconditional covenant promises, see notes at Ps. 89:30-37.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 89:1-4
¹I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
²For I have said, "Lovingkindness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness."
³"I have made a covenant with My chosen;
I have sworn to David My servant,
⁴I will establish your seed forever
And build up your throne to all generations." Selah.

89:1-4 This strophe in NASB is divided into two strophes (Ps. 89:1-2, 3-4) by NKJV, NRSV, NJB because there are two speakers.

1. the psalmist in Ps. 89:1-2

a. I will sing - BDB 1010, KB 1479, Qal cohortative

b. I will make known - BDB 393, KB 390, Hiphil imperfect used in a cohortative sense

c. I have said. . . - BDB 55, KB 65, Qal perfect

2. YHWH Himself in Ps. 89:3-4

a. I have made a covenant - BDB 503, KB 500, Qal perfect

b. I have sworn - BDB 989, KB 1396, Niphal perfect

c. I will establish - BDB 465, KB 464, Hiphil imperfect

d. I will build up - BDB 124, KB 139, Qal perfect with waw (links to perfects in a and b)

89:1 There are three words that occur several times in this Psalm.

1. lovingkindness, Ps. 89:1,2,14,24,28,33,49 - see SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (HESED)

2. forever, Ps. 89:1,2,4,28,37,52 - see Special Topic: Forever ('olam)

3. faithfulness, Ps. 89:1,2,5,8,24,33,49 - see Special Topic: Believe, Trust, Faith and Faithfulness in the OT

They establish the hope of Israel in God's call, grace, protection, and provision forever.

The term "forever" is parallel to "all generations" (Ps. 89:1b, 4b).

89:3 "covenant" See Special Topic: Covenant.

▣ "My chosen. . .David" This probably refers to

1. the choice of David as king over Saul, 1 Samuel 16; 2 Sam. 7:8

2. the promise to David about his descendants, 2 Sam. 7:12-17

▣ "My Servant" This becomes an honorific title (some examples).

1. Moses - Num. 12:7; Jos. 1:2

2. Joshua - Jdgs. 2:8

3. David - 1 Kgs. 8:24,25,26; Ps. 89:20

4. Solomon - 1 Kgs. 8:28

5. Messiah - Isa. 42:1; 52:13-53:12

6. Israel - Isa. 41:8; 42:19; 43:10; 44:1,21

89:4 This is an allusion to 2 Samuel 7. This Psalm has several allusions to YHWH's promise to David and his descendants.

1. Ps. 89:4 - 2 Sam. 7:13,16

2. Ps. 89:22 - 2 Sam. 7:10

3. Ps. 89:23 - 2 Sam. 7:9

4. Ps. 89:29 - 2 Sam. 7:13,16

5. Ps. 89:33 - 2 Sam. 7:15

6. Ps. 89:35 - 2 Sam. 7:8-17

▣ "your throne to all generations" This same promise is made in Isa. 9:7; Dan. 2:44; 7:14,18,27; Luke 1:33. YHWH has an eternal redemptive plan for all humans. See Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan.

The term "generations" is used of

1. promise to Noah - Gen. 9:12

2. promise to Abram - Gen. 17:7,9

3. promise to Israel - Deut. 7:9

4. promise to David - Ps. 89:4 (reflecting 2 Sam. 7:13,16)

▣ "Selah" This occurs at the end of Ps. 89:4, 37, 45, 48. It often serves to close a strophe. On the meaning of the word (BDB 699) see note online at Ps. 3:2.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 89:5-10
⁵The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
⁶For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?
Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord,
⁷A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,
And awesome above all those who are around Him?
⁸O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
⁹You rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
¹⁰You Yourself crushed Rahab like one who is slain;
You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

89:5-10 This strophe has two themes.

1. YHWH is the leader of the angelic council (Ps. 89:5-8)

a. the heavens - personified angelic council, Ps. 89:5a

b. the assembly of the holy ones, Ps. 89:5b - BDB 874 construct BDB 872

c. the sons of gods, Ps. 89:6 - BDB 119 construct BDB 42, see notes at Ps. 29:1 and 82:1

d. the council of the holy ones, Ps. 89:7a - BDB 691 construct BDB 872

e. all those who are around Him, Ps. 89:7b

f. for a good discussion of the Hebrew terminology see Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, 2^nd ed., p. 412

2. YHWH as creator (i.e., over watery chaos) and holy warrior for Israel (i.e., over Egypt and Canaan, Ps. 89:9-10)

There are two Special Topics that help clarify the use of "son"

1. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE SON OF GOD

2. Special Topic: The Sons of God (Genesis 6)

Also note the excellent article in NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 671-677, esp. 676.

89:5 "the heavens" This is either

1. a personification of

a. earth

b. God's abode (parallel to "who in the skies")

2. another way to refer to the angelic council (see note above)

▣ "O Lord" Notice the number of names/titles for Deity in this strophe.

1. Lord, Ps. 89:2, 5, 6 (twice), 8 - YHWH

2. God, Ps. 89:7 - El

3. God of hosts, Ps. 89:8 - Eloah Sabaoth

4. O mighty Lord, Ps. 89:8 - Yah (cf. Ps. 68:4); the adjective "mighty" (BDB 340) is found only here in the OT

89:6-8 These questions are often used in two senses.

1. an affirmation of monotheism, see Special Topic: Monotheism

2. a way of depreciating the pagan idols (possibly Ps. 82:1)

89:8 "Your faithfulness also surrounds You" This phrase is difficult to understand. Some possibilities:

1. faithfulness is like a robe wrapped about YHWH

2. He is faithful in all things (TEV)

3. He is constant (NJB, i.e., to His word)

89:10 "Rahab" This (BDB 923) can refer to

1. watery chaos monster (cf. Ps. 74:12-17, i.e. Babylonian creation accounts, see my notes online on Intro. to Genesis 1-11)

2. Egypt (i.e., it's defeat by YHWH and the exodus, cf. Isa. 51:9-11)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 89:11-18
¹¹The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all it contains, You have founded them.
¹²The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.
¹³You have a strong arm;
Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted.
¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You.
¹⁵How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
¹⁶In Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
¹⁷For You are the glory of their strength,
And by Your favor our horn is exalted.
¹⁸For our shield belongs to the Lord,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

89:11-18 This strophe praises YHWH and expresses how blessed His people are.

1. YHWH

a. the heavens are His

b. the earth is His because He founded them (i.e., YHWH as creator, cf. Ps. 24:1-2; 78:69b; 102:25; Isa. 51:13,16)

c. the north and south were created by Him (imagery similar to Job 26:7)

d. the mountains of Tabor and Hermon are personified and shout at His name (cf. Ps. 65:12; 98:8)

e. His power (i.e., hand or arm, cf. Ps. 89:10, see SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND) to act is praised

(1) He has a strong arm

(2) His hand is mighty

(3) His right hand is exalted

f. four of His characteristics are personified as characterizing His person and reign (cf. Ps. 97:2)

(1) righteousness (see Special Topic: Righteousness)

(2) justice (see Special Topic: Judge, Justice, Judgment)

(3) lovingkindness (see Special Topic: Lovingkindness [hesed])

(4) truth/faithfulness (see Special Topic: Believe, Trust, Faith and Faithfulness in the OT)

g. He is "the Holy One of Israel" (cf. Ps. 71:22; 78:41: Isa. 1:4; see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HOLY ONE)

2. His people

a. blessed are those who hear the trumpet (i.e., temple worship)

b. walk in the light of His countenance (lit. "face," which denotes YHWH's personal presence, cf. Ps. 90:8)

c. rejoice all day in His name (i.e., worship setting or military victory)

d. exalted by YHWH's righteousness (i.e., holy character and revelation)

e. YHWH is their glory and strength (cf. Ps. 28:8)

f. horn (i.e., power, prestige)

g. protection (lit. "shield") is YHWH (cf. Ps. 47:9)

h. the king is also of YHWH

The pronoun "our" in Ps. 89:17-18 shows that YHWH uses the king of Israel as His "protecting/victorious horn and shield" (i.e., f-h).

89:12 "the north and the south" It is possible these two terms are the names of two more mountains (i.e., Zaphon, i.e., the name of the Mt. of Ba'al, north of Ugarit; and Yamin or the emendation linking Amana, a mountain in southern Turkey, cf. Sol. 4:8). This would form a parallel with Tabor and Hermon.

Most translators take them as opposite points of the compass showing YHWH's universal reign as creator.

89:16 "Your name. . .Your righteousness" These are parallel and both refer to YHWH Himself.

9:17 "horn" This is an idiom of power (cf. Ps. 75:10; 89:24; 92:10; 148:14), taken from the animal realm.

89:18 "shield. . .king" These could both refer to YHWH or they could refer to the Davidic king (cf. Ps. 89:19-29; Ps. 84:10), God's anointed one to accomplish His purposes.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 89:19-29
¹⁹Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ones,
And said, "I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
²⁰I have found David My servant;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
²¹With whom My hand will be established;
My arm also will strengthen him.
²²The enemy will not deceive him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
²³But I shall crush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
²⁴My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him,
And in My name his horn will be exalted.
²⁵I shall also set his hand on the sea
And his right hand on the rivers.
²⁶He will cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.'
²⁷I also shall make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
²⁸My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall be confirmed to him.
²⁹So I will establish his descendants forever
And his throne as the days of heaven."

89:19-29 This strophe is specifically about King David and his royal Judean descendants (cf. 2 Samuel 7). He becomes a type/symbol of the Messiah (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH).

YHWH has spoken to His people (lit. Your godly/faithful [BDB 339] ones) about His special choice for the King of Israel (Ps. 89:19).

1. he was exalted, Ps. 89:19

2. he was chosen from among the people, Ps. 89:19

3. he was found, Ps. 89:20

4. he was anointed, Ps. 89:20 (cf. 1 Sam. 16:1-13; this is the Hebrew verb from which the title "Messiah" comes, see SPECIAL TOPIC: OT TITLES OF THE SPECIAL COMING ONE)

5. he was established, Ps. 89:21

6. he was strengthened, Ps. 89:21

7. he will not be deceived (BDB 674 II) or afflicted, Ps. 89:22

8. his adversaries will be crushed, Ps. 89:23

9. YHWH's personified characteristics (i.e., faithfulness and lovingkindness) will accompany him, Ps. 89:24

10. YHWH's name will exalt his horn, Ps. 89:24

11. he will control his territory, Ps. 89:25 (i.e., from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates River, cf. Exod. 23:31; Deut. 1:7-8)

12. he will call God in intimate ways, Ps. 89:26

a. my Father (see SPECIAL TOPIC: FATHERhood of God and SPECIAL TOPIC: FATHER)

b. my God (El)

c. the rock of my salvation (cf. Ps. 95:1)

13. He will be appointed (no sexual generation) the honorific title "My firstborn" (cf. 2 Sam. 7:14; 1 Chr. 17:13; 22:10; 28:6; Ps. 2:7), Ps. 89:27

14. he will be made the highest of the kings of the earth (cf. Ps. 72:11, obviously a Messianic title, cf. 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 1:5; 17:14; 19:16, a title for YHWH from Dan. 2:47; the kingdom will be universal, cf. Micah 5:4), Ps. 89:27

15. like #9, another personified characteristic of YHWH, will keep him forever, Ps. 89:28

16. YHWH's covenant will confirm him, Ps. 89:28 (cf. Ps. 89:3,34)

17. his descendants will be established and reign forever, Ps. 89:29 (cf. Ps. 89:4; 2 Samuel 7)

89:19 "Once You spoke in visions" This refers to Nathan speaking to David in 2 Sam. 7:14-17.

▣ "I have given help" The verb (BDB 1001, KB 1438, Piel perfect) means to set or to place.

The word "half" (עזר, BDB 740 I) is understood by some translators as

1. "diadem" - Godspeed

2. "crown" - NRSV, NAB

The term "crown" would involve an emendation to the MT, by changing the first letter, i.e., נזר, BDB 634, cf. Exod. 29:6; 39:30; Lev. 8:9; 21:12; 2 Sam. 1:10; 2 Kgs. 11:12; Ps. 89:39; 132:18; Pro. 27:24; Zech. 9:16. The UBS Text Project gives "help" an A rating (very high probability, p. 354).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 89:30-37
³⁰"If his sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
³¹If they violate My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
³²Then I will punish their transgression with the rod
And their iniquity with stripes.
³³But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
³⁴My covenant I will not violate,
Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.
³⁵Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
³⁶His descendants shall endure forever
And his throne as the sun before Me.
³⁷It shall be established forever like the moon,
And the witness in the sky is faithful." Selah.

89:30-37 This strophe is the shocking contrast to the wonderful plans and purposes of YHWH for His people (note "if" at Ps. 89:30 and 31).

1. they left His law, Ps. 89:30

2. they did not walk in His judgments, Ps. 89:30

3. they profaned His statutes, Ps. 89:31

4. they did not keep His commandments, Ps. 89:31

Yet YHWH makes a series of statements about what He will and will not do, even in light of Israel's failure to be faithful. He is faithful!

1. I will punish them for their sin, Ps. 89:32

2. but I will not break off My lovingkindness, Ps. 89:33

3. but I will not deal falsely because of My faithfulness, Ps. 89:33

4. I will not violate My own covenant, Ps. 89:34

5. I will not alter My words, Ps. 89:34

6. once I have sworn, I will not lie to David, Ps. 89:35

a. his descendants (lit. "seed") will endure forever, Ps. 89:36

b. his throne is as secure as the sun, moon, sky, Ps. 89:36b-37 (for the secure order of creation see Jer. 31:35-37)

This illustrates the tension between conditional and unconditional promises. I have discussed this issue in two places.

1. See SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

2. Crucial Intro. to Revelation, see Special Topic: OT Predictions of the Future vs. NT Predictions, especially the "third tension"

This same tension between a conditional and unconditional promise is illustrated by the contrast between Isaiah's emphatic statements that Jerusalem would never fall (Isaiah 37) and Jeremiah's insistence that it will fall because of Judah's idolatry and covenant disobedience.

The best guess at the historical crisis that elicited this Psalm is the exile of the Davidic King, either by Pharoah Necho II or Nebuchadnezzar II. This is only a guess; the Psalm itself does not clearly indicate the historical setting. Some kind of divine judgment has affected the Davidic king.

89:30-31 "law. . .judgments. . .statutes. . .commandments" These are all parallel terms for YHWH's revelation in Scripture. See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 89:38-45
³⁸But You have cast off and rejected,
You have been full of wrath against Your anointed.
³⁹You have spurned the covenant of Your servant;
You have profaned his crown in the dust.
⁴⁰You have broken down all his walls;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
⁴¹All who pass along the way plunder him;
He has become a reproach to his neighbors.
⁴²You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
⁴³You also turn back the edge of his sword
And have not made him stand in battle.
⁴⁴You have made his splendor to cease
And cast his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵You have shortened the days of his youth;
You have covered him with shame. Selah.

89:38-45 In light of YHWH's statements about His faithfulness to the covenants (esp. Abraham and David) He has judged His people for their sin (cf. Ps. 89:32). This judgment was severe and seemingly unexplainable to Israel (series of perfects).

1. He cast off His anointed

2. He rejected (rare word, BDB 611, KB 658, cf. Lam. 2:7) His anointed

3. He is full of wrath for His anointed

4. He spurned the covenant of His servant

5. He profaned his crown

6. He broke down the walls (of Jerusalem)

7. He brought his stronghold to ruin

8. He allowed foreigners to plunder him

9. He allowed him to become a reproach to his neighbors

10. He exalted the power of his enemies

11. He made his enemies rejoice

12. He allowed him to be defeated

13. He allowed his splendor to cease (see note below)

14. He cast his throne to the ground

15. He shortened his life (cf. Ps. 102:23)

16. He covered him in shame

Wow! What a judgment! Thank God for Ps. 89:33-37. Thank God for the NT, the gospel, the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus!

89:44

NASB, JPSOA
REB"splendor"
NKJV, Peshitta"glory"
NRSV, TEV
NJB"scepter from his hand"
LXX"purification"

The term (מטהרו, BDB 372, UBS "A" rating) appears only here in the OT. The masculine noun's basic meaning is "clearness" or "luster," which comes from the verb. The UBS Text Project (p. 356) suggests that NASB or LXX be followed. The emendation (מטה) of NRSV fits the parallelism of Ps. 89:44b better.

89:41-48 This strophe asks the questions that have been repeated often in Psalms: "How long?" (cf. Ps. 6:3; 13:1; 74:10; 79:5; 80:4; 90:13; 94:3).

The unique aspect of this strophe is not the questions but the reasons given for YHWH to act (Ps. 89:47-51).

1. remember (Qal imperative) the frailty of human existence, Ps. 89:47-48

2. remember (Qal imperative) Your lovingkindness and faithful oaths to David

3. remember the reproach of Your people among the nations

4. remember that Your anointed has been reproached

There is a larger redemptive plan involving Israel and her Messiah. See Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 89:46-48
⁴⁶How long, O Lord?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire?
⁴⁷Remember what my span of life is;
For what vanity You have created all the sons of men!
⁴⁸What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.

89:46 "fire" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 89:49-51
⁴⁹Where are Your former lovingkindnesses, O Lord,
Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
⁵⁰Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants;
How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
⁵¹With which Your enemies have reproached, O Lord,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.

89:49 "O Lord" This is the term Adon (i.e., Lord, owner, master). Notice it reappears in Ps. 89:50, but is YHWH in Ps. 89:51. The covenant name for God dominates this Psalm (5 times).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 89:52
⁵²Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

89:52 God will work it out! He will be both just and merciful. He will be true to His word!

This phrase is not part of Psalm 89 but the closing doxology of Book III of the Psalter (i.e., the other books also close with doxologies, Ps. 4:14; 72:18-19; 106:48).

▣ "Amen" See SPECIAL TOPIC: AMEN.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. Read this Psalm as a whole; what is the subject of the Psalm?

2. Explain the difference between an unconditional covenant and a conditional covenant.

3. Define "lovingkindness" and "faithfulness."

4. How is this Psalm related to 2 Samuel 7?

5. Does the OT use Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Canaanite mythology? If so, why?

6. How is the Israeli king a son of God?

7. Does this Psalm have a Messianic aspect? If so, how?

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From the series: Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book III (Psalms 73-89) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Psalm 82

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Psalm 83

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Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book IV (Psalms 90-106)

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From the series: Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book III (Psalms 73-89) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Psalm 84

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Psalm 85

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Psalm 86

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Psalm 87

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Psalm 88

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Psalm 89

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From the series: Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book III (Psalms 73-89) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Psalm 82

From the series: Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book III (Psalms 73-89) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book III (Psalms 73-89) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Psalm 83

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Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book IV (Psalms 90-106)

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From the series: Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book III (Psalms 73-89) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Psalm 84

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From the series: Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book III (Psalms 73-89) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Psalm 85

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From the series: Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book III (Psalms 73-89) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Psalm 86

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Psalm 87

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From the series: Psalms: The Hymnal Of Israel, Book III (Psalms 73-89) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Psalm 88

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Psalm 89

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Sinhala-- Basics of Christian Faith

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