Fences and Ladders
Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek Your statutes. Psalm 119:155 NASB
Far from – As you know, English translations often rearrange the Hebrew syntax so that the resulting statements are grammatically correct. When this happens, the emphasis and contrasts of Hebrew are typically lost. In a way, it’s inevitable since transitioning from one language to another always leaves something on the table, but what that means is that careful readers need to recapture the original author’s intention whenever they can. So, let’s put this sentence in Hebrew syntax and see what changes.
רָח֣וֹק מֵֽרְשָׁעִ֣ים יְשׁוּעָ֑ה כִּֽי־חֻ֜קֶּ֗יךָ לֹ֣א דָרָֽשׁוּ
Literally (and without grammatical corrections): Far from wicked salvation for Your statutes not they seek.
The sense is the same, but notice the difference in emphasis. The poet starts with the most important idea, “far from.” rāḥōq is the real issue here. The result is a lack of deliverance, but the problem is distance. In fact, God actually commands His people to employ this kind of distance in Exodus 23:7 when He says, “Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.” In the last few verses, the poet has been concerned with proximity. Now he looks the other way. Distance is the difficulty—and the protection. For the wicked, distance is a curse. For the faithful, it’s a blessing. This theme is developed by the prophets:
Jeremiah uses it once only (2:5) to describe the state of those who have rejected God’s law as “to go far from him.” Isaiah gives the root rāḥaq its most profound meaning in the five occurrences which appear. In the first usage (46:13), God’s righteousness will not “be far,” in the second (49:19) the enemies which had troubled Judah during her affliction shall be “far away” so as not to trouble her anymore. In the third usage (54:14) oppression itself shall be removed “far off.” In the last two occurrences (59:9, 11), God’s judgment is again in view and the root refers to the separation which sin causes to come between God and his people. In these five uses in Isaiah, the verb receives its ultimate meaning for the theology of the ot.[1]
This word becomes the basis for the rabbinic practice of building a fence around the Torah commandments. If a little distance is a good thing, more distance is better (maybe?). But here the poet notes how damning distance can be. As a result of this separation, the wicked (rāšāîm) will not find deliverance or rescue (yĕšûʿâ). The umbrella of meanings for rāšāîm tells us why. Distance equals dismissal, and dismissing God’s statutes equals guilt. Rāšāîm isn’t just the word for “wicked.” It’s also the word for “guilty.” These people do not inquire of God with care. They aren’t interested in the details. They don’t want to look deeper. They have no compassion for the truth. They are deliberately ignorant and congenital liars. And God holds them accountable.
Taken in context, we learn something about those whom God condemns. First, they seek to harm the righteous. They are vicinity terrorists. Second, they show no recognition of God’s history with humanity. They could care less about the past. The Torah, the statutes, and the record is ignored. Third, they force the issue, causing the righteous to raise serious arguments before God. They make even intellectual life difficult. And the result? They themselves will discover, too late, that rescue eludes them. What they have put far off will be their own undoing.
Topical Index: far from, rāḥōq, rāšāîm, guilty, wicked, salvation, Psalm 119:155
[1] White, W. (1999). 2151 רָחַק. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 844). Moody Press.
Both guilty and wicked… in that “these people do not inquire of God with care. They aren’t interested in the details. They don’t want to look deeper. They have no compassion for the truth. They are deliberately ignorant and congenital liars.” This is the self-intentioned distancing from that Holy One, whom they are constrained to elude because they are indeed congenital liars, whereby they are also deliberately ignorant. “What they have put far off will be their own undoing.”
Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to ⌊Abraham’s bosom⌋. And the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes as he was in torment and saw Abraham from a distance, and Lazarus ⌊at his side⌋.
And he called out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he could dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering pain in this flame!’
But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain.
And in addition to all these things, a great chasm has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross over from here to you are not able to do so, nor can they cross over from there to us.’
So he said, ‘Then I ask you, father, that you send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he could warn them, in order that they also should not come to this place of torment!’
But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must listen to them.’
And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent!’
But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone rises from the dead.’ ” (Luke 16:22–31)