Why Would It Matter?
I am small and despised, yet I do not forget Your precepts. Psalm 119:141 NASB
Yet – The translators have added this adverb. The text just says, “small I and despised Your precepts not do I forget.” While the NASB treats ṣāʿîr as “small,” Chabad renders is as “young.”
I am young and despised; I have not forgotten Your precepts. Chabad
Both versions recognize bāzâ as “despised.” Before we accept either NASB or Chabad, we should ask, “What does being small or young have to do with not forgetting God’s piqqûdîm?” This seems particularly important when we remember that piqqûdîm is about oversight. Why would my size have anything to do with God’s supervision? The reason the NASB introduces “yet” is because they were uncomfortable with the answer to this question. But their solution is unnecessary, and so is Chabad’s choice of “young” as if age determined God’s oversight. Reflect for a moment on the meaning of piqqûdîm. “The basic meaning is to exercise oversight over a subordinate, either in the form of inspecting or of taking action to cause a considerable change in the circumstances of the subordinate, either for the better or for the worse.”[1] Piqqûdîm is about oversight of someone who is a subordinate. Neither age nor stature has much to do with being a subordinate. When we explore this avenue, we discover that ṣāʿîr has a figurative meaning, and that meaning is “insignificant.” Suddenly the verse makes perfect sense. If we add the fact that bāzâ basically means to “to accord little worth to something,”[2] we realize that this is simply a statement of a slave. “I have no real status, and I am of little worth, but I never forget that You watch over me.” Could it be any clearer?
We learn two things. First, we learn that exegesis often requires appreciating the full range of Hebrew vocabulary. Poets love to play with words and often the usual meaning isn’t the poetic meaning.
Secondly, and more importantly, we learn that God’s oversight is the true comfort of His people. No matter how we feel, no matter what our circumstances, God watches over us. We might consider ourselves unimportant. We may not count for much in anyone else’s book. But that doesn’t matter. God cares.
It usually takes a long time for this fact to sink in. We are so sensitive to social acceptance and personal status that we often allow the evaluation of others to determine our worth. We easily imagine that those difficult things that happen to us are somehow related to God’s displeasure. We are basket-cases of misunderstanding. If we learn anything at all from the biblical text, it is this: God cares. A lot! Tell yourself that over and over the next time you feel ṣāʿîr and bāzâ.
Topical Index: ṣāʿîr, insignificant, bāzâ, despised, Psalm 119:141
[1] Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., Jr., & Waltke, B. K., eds. (1999). In Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 731). Moody Press.
[2] Waltke, B. K. (1999). 224 בָּזָה. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 98). Moody Press.
Repeat after me: “God cares. A lot!” Amen and Amen! O, the potential! If I can only let that sink in, take root, and grow. The struggle of the ages for me — getting it to move those 18 inches from the head to the heart!
Hello Skip, I’m sure I’m not the first person to ask this question, but have you ever considered publishing a Bible based on your studies?
You’re not the first to ask, but the answer is always the same. I not have the skill to do something like that. I’ll have to settle for tiny pieces. I hope that will be enough.
Well, I’m not going anywhere if that’s what you mean by “I hope that will be enough”. I read your daily study just about every day and if I miss I read the prior issues. Your material is what I’m digging into more than anyone else’s. And the folks you reference. Just got Abraham Herschel’s book “God In Search of Man”. I’m kind of afraid to even open it up. Once my friend’s and I started to “pull this string” so to speak, of going back into the Hebrew Aramaic, well, the string just keeps coming. The volume of info and opinions and authors who’ve been studying the scriptures from the Hebrew Aramaic perspective is overwhelming. I remember the study you did on the Hebrew letter G, or “gimmel”. That two page article was like taking the lid off of a cavern. How deep do you want to go? Learning what the letter represented pictographically was so beautiful.
I spent decades accepting others preconceived doctrinal conclusions as my own. Why do you believe X or Y? Well John Piper says it’s true or CJ Mahaney said it’s true, would’ve been my somewhat embarrassed response. Tim Keller’s book “Prodigal God”, when I look back now, was a huge “there’s a detour coming” sign. As much as I value and trust what you’ve done Skip, how do I avoid the same mistake? The only answer seems to be to learn to read the Hebrew alphabet so I can read the scriptures in Hebrew myself. If Reggie White can do it, I think I can too.
What resource do you recommend for accomplishing that task? Thanks for your response to my comment.
My initial response, reflexive I suppose, was “Go talk to a rabbi.” But if you’re reading Heschel, you are already listening to one of the best. Then I would read Zornberg’s books. I have an audio study of each on my other site (Ivebeenskipped.com). And then there’s the group of people who regularly study together on that site. You might try Jonathan Sack’s works too. And stay in touch. 🙂
The goal is not to change my status but to but to bask in my position as a slave and servant of the Most High God! ‘Him it behoveth to increase, and me to become less; [Jhn 3:30 YLT]
“If we add the fact that bāzâ basically means to “to accord little worth to something,” we realize that this is simply a statement of a slave. “I have no real status, and I am of little worth, but I never forget that You watch over me.” Could it be any clearer?”… “No matter how we feel, no matter what our circumstances, God watches over us. We might consider ourselves unimportant. We may not count for much in anyone else’s book. But that doesn’t matter. God cares.” Emet!… and amen.
And it is exclusively because God cares that we may find ourselves not bound “as slaves to sin.” Rather, under his oversight and according to the good pleasure of his will, we may find ourselves “accepted in the beloved”. Moreover, we were chosen, having been predestined to adoption through Jesus Christ to himself to the praise of the glory of his grace that he bestowed on us in the beloved, according to the purpose of the One who works all things according to the counsel of his will— that we who hoped beforehand in Christ should be for the praise of his glory! (Cf. Ephesians 1:5–12)
Hallelujah! “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
One’s “self-image” may only be properly and genuinely reflected as being in the image of God.