Too Close for Comfort (1)
Those who follow after wickedness approach; they are far from Your Law. Psalm 119:150 NASB
Approach – The NIV probably renders this verse with less ambiguity: “Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law.” The verb is qārab, “to come near, to approach, to enter into.” The idea is proximity. It’s a qātal perfect, a finished action. The wicked aren’t coming closer. They have already arrived. The psalmist is in their midst, or at least in close proximity. There’s no escape plan or reinforcements offered in this verse (just wait) but what is provided is a way to recognize who they are. How do I know when the enemy is coming close? I observe people who are far from God’s law. What does that mean?
Not surprisingly, to be far from God’s law is to be separated from Torah. We’ve been with the psalmist long enough now to have expected this, but it isn’t our expectation that is uncomfortable. What’s uncomfortable is the implication that those who are distant from the Torah are zimmâ. What is zimmâ? “When referring to men, both the verb and noun usually speak of evil plans and schemes.”[1] It’s as if the psalmist’s view is digital: on or off. If you’re not aligned with the Torah, then you’re part of the zimmâ. You can’t be sort of in-between. If you reject God’s governance, His oversight, and His history with His people, then you’re in the group that devises evil plans and schemes. We don’t think like this. We’re “bell curve” parishioners. We know lots of “good” people who don’t ascribe to the “Jewish” Torah. We wouldn’t call them zimmâ. They’re decent, hard-working, honest, and generally morally upright. How can the psalmist be so strict, so demanding? That’s a big problem. We want God to be understanding, to be gentle, kind, and tolerant. But then we read this verse, and many more like it in the Tanakh and the apostolic writings, and we’re confronted with a different reality. Maybe the world is a lot more black and white than we would like.
The “black and white” version of spiritual condition scares me. I struggle with the “black” side of the equation. There are lots of things in my life that appear to be associated with the zimmâ. I’m pretty sure that I don’t follow all His instructions, that I’m far too lax in my effort to conform with His governance. I’m one of the “nice” people who allows “tolerance” excuses. When I read a verse like this one, I’m not just confronted. I’m frightened. If I’m going to resolve this, I need to know a lot more about what zimmâ really means.
In Gen 11:6 the extent of human scheming is seen in the plan to build the tower of Babel. The only other occurrence in the Pentateuch is in Deut 19:19, where a false witness earns the punishment he had intended another to receive. In Psalms and Proverbs the wicked plot against the righteous man, gnashing at him with their teeth (Ps 37:12) or scheming to kill him (Ps 31:13 [H 14]; cf. Prov 30:32). Pride drives an evil man to persecute the godly partly because in his thinking (mĕzimmôt) there is no God (Ps 10:4). Job complains about the thoughts of the comforters who are ruining his reputation (Job 21:27).
Twice, the noun is linked with the verb “to do” (Ps 37:7; Jer 11:15) implying that an “evil deed” may be the meaning intended. Yet the idea may be that the wicked are “carrying out” evil schemes, thus preserving the basic mental frame of reference behind zāmam.[2]
The book of Proverbs contains the broadest range of meaning relative to this term. There is a sharp division between the negative concept of “men who devise evil” and the positive notion of “discretion.” The former occurs only in conjunction with the nouns “man” (ʾîš, Prov 12:2; 14:17) and “possessor” (baʿal, Prov 24:8), and in each case the plural mĕzimmôt is used. A “man of schemes” or “who devises evil” is readily condemned and hated (Prov 12:2; 14:17). The singular form mĕzimmâ, however, receives the consistently positive meaning of “discretion” the five times it appears. This use occurs in Prov 1:4; 5:2; 8:12, where it is linked with “knowledge” and “prudence.” In Prov 2:11; 3:21 “discretion,” like her sisters, “understanding” and “sound wisdom,” guards one’s life from harm. Hence, within Proverbs 1–8 “discretion” ranks as one of the key terms for wisdom employed by the author.[3]
What do I learn? Can I conclude that zimmâ is about people who deliberately plot to overthrow God’s order? Certainly the word does not apply to accidents. Perhaps I’m not so guilty since I don’t plan evil deeds. Does this help? Well, maybe—and maybe not. There are times when I do find myself in the temptation of plans that push in the wrong direction. Yeshua’s remarks about intention are relevant, even if I never act on these plans. But the whole idea still scares me. I’ll see if the psalmist offers any other alternative. Tomorrow.
Topical Index: zimmâ, wicked, evil plans, proximity, Psalm 119:150
[1] Wolf, H. (1999). 556 זָמַם. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 244). Moody Press.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
