Under My Thumb
A Prayer of the afflicted when he is weak and pours out his complaint before the Lord. Psalm 102 NASB
Afflicted – The Hebrew word ʿānî comes from a root that means “to force,” or “to try to force submission,” and “to punish or inflict pain upon.”[1] Here the noun describes someone who is feeling the consequences of these actions. I’m guessing we can relate, at least to some degree, with the psalmist. Even if we live in the relative comfort of affluent Western society, life has a way of acquainting us with grief, trials and helplessness. Perhaps our compassion for those who are truly oppressed is born out of our own brief encounters with ʿānâ. Certainly any one of us who identifies with the Messiah must feel the heartache of affliction. In fact, it’s just possible that affliction is a necessary experience in becoming human. At least the Genesis Garden story seems to imply that.
What’s fascinating about this particular Hebrew word is the other meanings. ʿānâ has four different lexical envelopes: ʿānâ I, answer; II, occupy; III, to force; IV, sing. In addition, the phonetic vocalization of ʿānî, spelled with an Ayin, is indistinguishable from ʾănî, spelled with an Aleph (אֲנִי). And that spelling means “I.” Maybe affliction really is part of the human condition.
Think about the connections here. ʿānî (“to force”) is somehow related to “answer, occupy” and “sing.” It also sounds exactly like referring to myself as “I.” If I were inclined toward midrash, I might conclude that feeling afflicted is like not getting an answer, like experiencing living in occupied territory. I might recognize that my becoming human means dealing with these things, and dealing with them leads me to singing. In fact, my recollection of the history of slavery is filled with what were once called Negro spirituals, those powerful songs of hope when people have nowhere to turn except to God. Today it’s politically insensitive to speak about the treasury left to all humanity as a result of slavery’s oppression, but I suspect all of humanity was given an incredible gift by the people who lived through such times, whether they were from Africa or from Israel. Forced oppression seems to birth amazing human creation. Perhaps we become our best when our lives are in jeopardy. All I know is that when Aretha Franklin’s voice sings the lyrics of “God Will Take Care Of You,” I can’t help but weep.
Before we examine the numbered verses of this great psalm, we need to enter into its mood and tone. We need to recognize how much of humanity experiences the affliction that led the psalmist to inscribe these words. We need to find that same place in us, where we connect to the universal human language of pain. And we need to notice that in Hebrew the idea of affliction branches out to other essential human experiences that make us who we are. Then we will be ready for the psalmist’s journey.
Topical Index: ʿānî, force, answer, occupy, sing, Psalm 102
[1] Coppes, L. J. (1999). 1652 עָנָה. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 682). Chicago: Moody Press.
