Psalm 27

Lines Scansion

NASB (Modified in brackets [])

1    The LORD is my light and my salvation;

      Whom shall I fear?

      The LORD is the defense of my life;

      Whom shall I dread?

2    When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,

      My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.

3    Though a host encamp against me,

      My heart will not fear;

      Though war arise against me,

      In spite of this I shall be confident.

4    One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:

      That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

      To behold the beauty of the LORD

      And to meditate in His temple.

5    For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;

      In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;

      He will lift me up on a rock.

6    And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,

      And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;

      I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

7    Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice,

      And be gracious to me and answer me.

8    When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,

      “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.”

9    Do not hide Your face from me,

      Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

      You have been my help;

      Do not abandon me nor forsake me,

      O God of my salvation!

10  [If] my father and my mother [were to forsake] me,

      [Then] the LORD will take me up.

11  Teach me Your way, O LORD,

      And lead me in a level path

      Because of my foes.

12  Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,

      For false witnesses have risen against me,

      And such as breathe out violence.

13  [Surely] I [have come to believe that I [will] see the goodness of the LORD

      In the land of the living.

14  Wait for the LORD;

      Be strong and let your heart take courage;

      Yes, wait for the LORD.

 

Effect of the Metric Center on the Psalm’s Development

 

Craigie (Psalms, 231-233) identifies verses 1-6 as “A statement of confidence” and verses 7-13 “A prayer for divine aid.”  Ross (BKC, I, 814-15) sees the Psalm similarly. Because of the different emphases in verses 1-6 and 7-14, some scholars suggest that two different psalms may have been brought together in Psalm 27. But such a conclusion is unnecessary when the restructuring of the Lament and the centrality of verse 6 is taken into account. Also, any scribe who may have conflated two different psalms would have certainly seen some relationship between the two parts to put them together. See Craigie (Psalms, 230-31) for a defense of the unity of the Psalm.

 

Westermann (Praise and Lament in the Psalms, 64) identifies Psalm 27 as a Lament of the Individual. A formally complete Psalm of this type has the following pattern:

 

·         Invocation

·         Lament (I, They, You)

·         Expression of Confidence

·         Petition (Hear! Turn! Intervene!)

·         Oracle (Stated or Implied)

·         Praise/Vow of Praise

 

Since Psalms represent real-life situations, these formal elements do not always exist nor do they always follow the “pure” pattern of the Lament. The restructuring, when it occurs, alters the Psalm’s feel and application. Whereas the “pure” structure begins with the lament and ends with praise, Psalm 27 begins and ends with positive expressions of confidence and places the vow of praise in the center. It has this pattern:

 

 

·         Praise and Statements of Confidence, 1-5

·         Vow, 6

·         Petitions, 7-12

·         Restatement of Confidence, 13-14

 

The Psalmist expresses his close relationship to the Lord (1-2), who has helped him in the past (2), and gives him confidence in the future (3-5). He fully expects God to help him in the present situation (6a, “and now”), and he is determined to maintain his spiritual relationship with the Lord through worship with God’s people in the temple (6b). Verse 6 embodies the center of the Psalm both metrically and thematically. The statements of confidence beginning the Psalm (1-5) culminates in the assurance of deliverance in the present situation (6a), and includes three cohortatives of resolve (Waltke & O’Connor, Biblical Hebrew Syntax, 573) in verse 6b. Verses 7-12 flow out of a personal relationship with Yahweh in a context of worship petitioning for grace, guidance, and deliverance. The above translation change from the NASB at verse 13 follows the lead of Koehler, Baumgartner, Richardson, and Stamm (The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 524) who classify the word לוּלא as a statement of affirmation that fits the context admirably and coordinates with the sentiment of verse 4. The Psalm ends with this restatement of personal confidence in the Lord and encouragement for the faithful community (13-14).

Finally, the structure of Psalm 27 provides a relevant contemporary application: An ongoing strong personal relationship with the Lord paves the way for confidence in present and future difficulties and reinforces both the desire and need for maintaining a living relationship with the Lord and with His people. Too often, as pastors will attest, many Christians who have encountered difficult or tragic circumstances in life have little to cling to for encouragement because they have neglected their relationship with the Lord during the good times.

 

Summary

 

 

 



Psalm 26

 

 

Lines Scansion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NASB (Modified within brackets [ ])



 

1 Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity,

   And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

2 Examine me, O LORD, and try me;

   Test my mind and my heart.

3 For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

   And I have walked in Your truth.

4 I do not sit with deceitful men,

   Nor will I go with pretenders.

5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,

   And I will not sit with the wicked.

6 I shall wash my hands in innocence,

   [So that I may proceed around] Your altar, O LORD,

7 [To be heard] with the voice of thanksgiving

   And to declare all Your wonders.  

8 O LORD,I love the habitation of Your house

   And the place where Your glory dwells.

9 Do not take my soul away along with sinners,

   Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

10 In whose hands is a wicked scheme,

     And whose right hand is full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;

     Redeem me, and be gracious to me.

12 My foot stands on a level place;

     In the congregations I shall bless the LORD.

Effect of the Metric Center on the Psalm’s Development

A number of striking features leap out of this psalm: (1) The perfect aspect phrase in verse 1 (אֲ֭נִי בְּתֻמִּ֣י הָלַ֑כְתִּי) that is replicated in verse 11 in the imperfect aspect (וַ֭אֲנִי בְּתֻמִּ֥י אֵלֵ֗ךְ) establishing an inclusio and clearly marking an important dimension of the psalm. (2) The polar opposites in verses 5 and 8 (שָׂ֭נֵאתִי / אָ֭הַבְתִּי) that surround the center-focused verses 6 and 7. (3) The chiastic structure of verses 4 and 5 marked by the perfect aspect phrase beginning verse 4 (לֹא־יָ֭שַׁבְתִּי) and the imperfect aspect phrase concluding verse 5 (לֹ֣א אֵשֵֽׁב). The first two features clearly point to a central focus and the third reinforces the negative emotions of the psalmist that appears to be balanced by his positive emotions in verse 8.

Craigie, Psalms, 226, draws attention to verses 6 and 7,

 

Only when the hands were clean,  which in turn symbolized the inner cleansing of heart and mind (cf. v 2b and Ps 24:4), was it possible for the pilgrim to pass beyond the gates into the temple, where he could walk around the altar, the symbol of God’s presence and mercy. The altar was more than just the place of sacrifice; it symbolized God’s table, where his fellowship and presence could be known. Verses 6b-7 are anticipatory; they express the basic desire of the psalmist towards which the entire entrance liturgy was directed, namely admission to God’s house and the particular experience of his presence there, which in turn evoked from the worshiper both ‘praise’ and a recounting of God’s ‘wondrous deeds’ (v 7).

Verse 6a finalizes the psalmist’s declarations of innocence from wrongdoing that pervades verses 1-5, and verses 6b-7 focus attention on the temple, the locus on God’s presence and fellowship with those who are blameless. Not claiming perfect righteousness, the psalmist appeals to Yahweh’s mercy in verses 9-10 and Yahweh’s grace in verse 11b after reasserting his determination to walk in spiritual integrity in verses 11a. Verse 12a echoes the sentiment of verse 1 that he psalmist will not allow any slippage (אֶמְעָֽד) of his personal integrity and faith in Yahweh since he is keeping his foot on a level plane, perhaps implying the twisted thinking of the deceitful men and pretenders in verse 4. The final two elements in verse 12b also have a rearward look: The “congregations” (מַקְהֵלִ֗ים) the psalmist is determined to join contrasts with the “assembly of evildoers” (קְהַ֣ל מְרֵעִ֑ים) he hates, and the concluding statement of praise summarizes his desire expressed in verse 7.

 

In conclusion, the central focus of Psalm 26 provides the impetus for maintaining spiritual integrity

(אֲ֭נִי בְּתֻמִּ֣י הָלַ֑כְתִּי / וַ֭אֲנִי בְּתֻמִּ֥י אֵלֵ֗ךְ) by elevating the importance of worship and fellowship with God.

Summary

Psalm 25

Lines Scansion



NASB

1    To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

2    O my God, in You I trust,

      Do not let me be ashamed;

      Do not let my enemies exult over me.

3    Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;

     Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

4    Make me know Your ways, O LORD;

      Teach me Your paths.

5    Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

      For You are the God of my salvation;

      For You I wait all the day.

6    Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,

      For they have been from of old.

7    Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

      According to Your lovingkindness remember me,

      For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.

8    Good and upright is the LORD;

      Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

9    He leads the humble in justice,

      And He teaches the humble His way.

10  All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth

      To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

 

11  For Your name’s sake, O LORD,

      Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12  Who is the man who fears the LORD?

      He will instruct him in the way he should choose.

13  His soul will abide in prosperity,

      And his descendants will inherit the land.

14  The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him,

      And He will make them know His covenant.

15  My eyes are continually toward the LORD,

      For He will pluck my feet out of the net.

16  Turn to me and be gracious to me,

      For I am lonely and afflicted.

17  The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

      Bring me out of my distresses.

18  Look upon my affliction and my trouble,

      And forgive all my sins.

19  Look upon my enemies, for they are many,

      And they hate me with violent hatred.

20  Guard my soul and deliver me;

      Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.

21  Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,

      For I wait for You.

22  Redeem Israel, O God,

      Out of all his troubles.

 

Effect of the Metric Center on the Psalm’s Development

 

This is an alphabetical psalm with these characteristics: (1) the letters vav (ו) and qoph (ק) are missing and (2) the final verse lies outside of the alphabetical scheme. On this second point Craigie (Psalms, 221-22) writes: 

The last verse is interpreted as a postscript principally because it falls outside the basic alphabetic acrostic pattern which ends in v 21. It is also different in tone, introducing “Israel” into the psalm for the first time. . . . The effect of the postscript is to transform the more individual prayer of the psalm into a prayer suitable for Israel as a nation; the “troubles” (v 17) of the psalmist are analogous to the troubles of Israel.  

 

Also, the alphabetical model “. . . imposes certain limitations on the poet, and as a consequence there is not a clearly developed internal sequence of thought within the psalm” (Craigie, Psalms, 217), but this conclusion may not be sustainable once the “center” of the Psalm is defined.

 The metric center of this psalm is verse 10 where the Mosaic Covenant is mentioned which is central to Israel’s worship. Craigie (Psalms, 220) notes regarding verse 10: 

Again, it is the covenant character of God which dominates this expression of confidence; as is emphasized in the terminology of v 10; the confidence in God’s “lovingkindness” is linked intimately to the prayer for “lovingkindness” in vv 6-7. But all covenants have two parties, and the lovingkindness of God, the senior partner in the covenant (v 10a), was related to the psalmist’s obedience to the covenant stipulations (v 10b).

Davidson also highlights verse 10 (The Vitality of Worship: A Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 91), “This God is bound to his people and they to him by “his covenant” (vv. 10, 14). This is the first occurrence in the Psalms of one of the key theological words in the Old Testament.”

 

The influence of verse 10 as the metric and logical center of the Psalm may be illustrated by the confluence of key words (bold font; following the order of verse 10):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

The first line of verse 10 captures the essence of verses 1-9 reflecting the Psalmist’s spiritual needs of understanding God’s character and paths and turning away from sin in light of his present circumstances. The second line sums up verses 11-21 where the solution to the difficult circumstances of life reside. By determining to keep the Covenant and obey its requirements for integrity and uprightness, the Psalmist finds the courage to trust in the Covenantal promises of divine forgiveness and deliverance. Tesh and Zorn (Psalms, 224) focus these concepts effectively: 

 

The Lord’s paths (ways) are loving and faithful for such as keep his covenant. Expressed negatively, his paths or ways are ineffectual only if I refuse to walk in them; however, sin will block my way and separate me from God. A sudden awareness of this reality is sufficient to prompt the psalmist to pray again: Forgive my iniquity, though it is great—so great that he can only hope for pardon from a God rich in mercy. Consequently, for the sake of your name I ask, for you have a name for mercy. I trust in your loving-kindness! Immediately there follows another affirmation that the Lord will instruct the God-fearing man in the way chosen for him, and it will be a way of blessing. Of this the writer is confident. Once again he has come to the bedrock of his faith.

 

Thus, Psalm 25 has a definite “center” that unites the whole and radiates practical and relevant spiritual applications.

 

Summary