Syntax Correction
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! Psalm 57:11 ESV
Over – As we know very well, in languages without punctuation, emphasis is indicated by word order. What matters most usually comes first. So when we translate Hebrew expressions into English, the word order is often rearranged because we use punctuation to create emphasis. Sometimes this is a good thing. It makes the sentence much easier to read in English. But sometimes this is a bad thing since it disguises what the author felt was the crucial point. This seems to be the case here because in Hebrew the first words of this sentence are not “Let your glory be.” In fact, “let” and “be” do not even exist in the Hebrew sentence. In Hebrew the sentence is al kol-ha’aretz kevodeka. Literally, “over all the earth your glory.” The emphasis does not fall on God’s glory. It falls on the distribution of that glory. All the earth sings His praises. All the earth heralds His name. What David’s syntax reveals is the unrestricted habitation of the glory of God in creation. There isn’t even a verb connecting the two thoughts. All the earth = God’s glory.
In fitting summary of this praise song, David shifts our focus from the hole in the ground to the light of day and from the light of day to the magnificence of the creation. If you want to know the God who rescues you, open your eyes! Look around. See what He has done. And be amazed!
The fear that drove us into the cave is insignificant in the extreme when we recognize the immensity of God’s handiwork. Our trepidation in the face of real or potential enemies is of no account whatsoever when we consider what God has already done. His glory exhibited over all the earth reveals the pointlessness of our alarm. God is the Lord of all! Why are we afraid?
The AA boys tell us that FEAR is really False Evidence Appearing Real. “Fear is an evil, corroding thread; the fabric of our lives is shot through with it.”[1] David’s psalm challenges us to unravel the tapestry of life as we know it and weave it again with the blue threads of the mitzvot. The man of the commandments knows no fear for the God of Israel is his guide.
I suggest you go outside now and embrace the day.
Topical Index: fear, over, glory, al, Psalm 57:11
‘The man of the commandments knows no fear for the God of Israel is his guide” – I dont really understand this? To me it should read : the man of the commandments knows that the fear of God is his guide!
Some thoughts om fear I have read recently:
The fear of God is a positive motivator for greatness and the key to all accomplishments in this world. Nothing will stand in your way.
Human fear is painful, uncomfortable and threatening, yet life is boring without it.
Fear can generate superhuman feats.
Fear is only damaging when you run away an don’t confront it. Better to try and fail than to have feared to try.
Fear of God becomes freedom from nonsense, silly fears and pettiness – with fear of God you are free from all other fears in the world.
With everything else God may evaluate whether your request, desire or yearning is good for you, but fear of God is one thing He won’t withhold if you truly desire it – it is always good for you. Fear of God is your preservative, your deal-breaker – It keeps Torah fresh and without it we become comfortable and will eventually rot.
Having some kind of fear ( of God or heights or speed) is like having the yetzer- hara, the spark that gets desire going – we need it in order to perform at our best.
Thank you Skip for this timely reminder.
Skip wrote, “If you want to know the God who rescues you, open your eyes! Look around. See what He has done. And be amazed!”
Amen! This is how I knew to give myself to this Almighty God when I was 6 years old, hiding in a linen closet! He IS the only answer to all questions in life.
AMEN Daria.. if our lives are NOT in HIS HANDS…………then in whose hands are we !
“Our trepidation in the face of real or potential enemies is of no account whatsoever when we consider what God has already done.”
This verse brought to mind, Hebrews 11:35-37. This was the ultimate reason and strength for the early followers of Meshiach in enduring all that cruelty.
This would make this “The man of the commandments knows no fear for the God of Israel is his guide”,
a possibility.
Fear can be a motivating source too, e.g. to be prepared, as Luzette posted above.
I was once rebuked for putting fear into kids, I remarked, then how else do you teach them to cross the road?
Those would be different situations.The fear of Elohim is a good thing, and is emphasized for our good,
as it ensures we obey the protocols of His Kingdom.
This Psalm has been a beautiful study, thank you, Skip.