For He looked down from His holy height; from heaven the Lord looked upon the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to set free those who were doomed to death, Psalm 102:19-20 NASB Those who were doomed – There’s a little footnote next to these words in the NASB. Read it! Why? Because the Hebrew text is not “those…
For He looked down from His holy height; from heaven the Lord looked upon the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to set free those who were doomed to death, Psalm 102:19-20 NASB Heaven – Early Hebrew thought says almost nothing about heaven or hell. The ideas of eternal bliss in some celestial realm and eternal punishment in a…
This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: Psalm 102:18 NASB To come – The psalms were written thousands of years ago. They reflect a political kingdom culture, a Semitic people, a nomadic cult; in a word, a world totally unlike ours. Yet we read them today…
He has turned His attention to the prayer of the destitute and has not despised their prayer. Psalm 102:17 NASB He has turned His attention to – Isn’t it nice that Hebrew can communicate so many English words in a single verb and paint a tactile picture for us at the same time? One word, pānāh, incorporates…
For the Lord has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory. Psalm 102:16 NASB Has appeared – Reputation! That’s the deciding factor. If God doesn’t fortify His chosen servant/warrior, then God’s reputation among the other kings will be sullied. “Don’t do it for me,” writes the poet. “Do it for Yourself. You will be glorified among the kings…
So the nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth, Your glory. Psalm 102:15 NASB So – When we use the English word “so” as a conjunction, we assume that the statement is the consequence of a previous thought. This is the way Paul uses the Greek gar in Romans. …
Surely Your servants take pleasure in her stones, and feel pity for her dust. Psalm 102:14 NASB Take pleasure/ feel pity – Taken out of the context of metonym, this verse doesn’t make much sense. Consider its surface meaning. When you walk through the City of David (Zion), would you find favor in the stones…
You will arise and have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come. Psalm 102:13 NASB Be gracious – “Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth;’” (Exodus 34:6). What’s number 2 in God’s self-disclosure? The first…
You will arise and have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come. Psalm 102:13 NASB Have compassion – The first description of God’s character in Exodus 34:6 is raḥûm. It comes from the Hebrew verb rāḥam, a verb that means “to love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate.” The importance of this…
But You, Lord, remain forever, and Your name remains to all generations. Psalm 102:12 NASB Remain – God remains forever. In Hebrew, יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם. You’ll notice immediately that David uses the personal name of God, יְהֹוָה , not the word “Lord.” This matters, since he continues the thought with “Your name,” not “Your title.” There were plenty of other divine…
