Missing the Introduction

To the choirmaster.  According to Jeduthun.  A psalm of David.  Psalm 62:1 (Hebrew Text)

Jeduthun – Most translations of the psalms put the “introduction” of the text in tiny letters or completely ignore these “preliminary” words.  This is not the case in the Hebrew text.  The introduction is an essential part of knowing what the psalm attempts to communicate.  This “introduction” is a perfect example.

“According to Jeduthun” makes us think that these lyrics were directed to some individual named Jeduthun.  But that would be a grave mistake.  The Hebrew, yeduthun, is a verb (not a name) that describes the act of acknowledging or confessing sin or a way of praising God.  David uses this verb in Psalm 32:5 when he confesses his personal disobedience.  It is also used in connection with national confession on the Day of Atonement.  It is something that John has in mind in his first letter (1 John 1:9), an entirely Hebraic concept of confession.

So this psalm, these lyrics set to music, is really a deep confession, perhaps both personal and national.  The “introduction” sets the stage for everything that follows.  When David uses the word yeduthun, he intends the audience to know that what follows is about sin and its consequences, the need for public declaration both of sin and God’s faithfulness to forgive and the unwavering nature of God’s grace.  Now that we have the context from the introduction, we can look a little deeper into David’s choice of the word.

Yeduthun is not a form of musical expression.  In Hebraic thought, yeduthun is a way of praise.  We might even suggest that for David yeduthun is a way of life.  It’s not something we do when we feel inspired to sing.  It isn’t restricted to the praise and worship allotment of the service.  Yeduthun is how I am related to God.  Whether it is about confession of sin or confession of His character, yeduthun expresses my whole involvement with who God is.  I cannot help but confess, both my sin and His majesty, when I realize the truth about my existence.  Brad Young makes the point that sin in the parables is not so much about broken rules as it is about misunderstanding the character of God.  I sin because I do not truly comprehend who God is.  I fail to see Him as my loving Father.  I mistake Him for an oppressive judge.  I imagine He is distant or unconcerned about the details of my life.  I suppose Him to be the transcendent Other.  Wherever yeduthun is not part of my awakening, I lose sight of God and see only my world.

But Hebraic thought requires re-evaluation of my myopic self-concern.  Yeduthun means that both kinds of confession focus on who God is, not on who I think myself to be.  Luther’s view that we live in a permanent state of repentance isn’t correct.  We live in a permanent state of yeduthun, the awareness of confession, both as a fact of disobedience and a fact of grace.

Today you and I can awaken to the way of life found in yeduthun.  We can confess both our failures and His faithfulness in the same breath.  We can discover the introduction anew.  By God’s grace I confess my sin and by my confession I discover His grace again.

Topical Index:  yeduthun, grace, confession, sin, Psalm 62:1