Tremble, and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah Psalm 4:4 NASB Tremble – Do you suppose that Paul had this verse in mind when he wrote, “ Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” (Ephesians 4:26). Commentators seem to think so. Perhaps that’s…
But know that the Lord has set apart the godly person for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him. Psalm 4:3 NASB Set apart – “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, . . .” The famous line from every Mission Impossible episode. It seems appropriate here as well. God may set you apart, but you still have to…
But know that the Lord has set apart the godly person for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him. Psalm 4:3 NASB The godly person – Wait a minute! If God holds the righteous man in such high regard, what about Job? Did the psalmist simply ignore that story? Doesn’t this verse imply that God responds to the “godly…
You sons of man, how long will my [d]honor be treated as an insult? How long will you love what is worthless and strive for a lie? Selah Psalm 4:2 NASB Worthless – “How long will you love what is worthless?” asks God. What does He mean? It’s rather important to know, don’t you think? Don’t we all need a catalog of those…
Answer me when I call, God [b]of my righteousness! You have [c]relieved me in my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1 NASB Relieved – You will recall the Chabad translation of the prior verse (Psalm 3:8). Following Rashi, Chabad interprets Psalm 3:8 as: It is incumbent upon the Lord to save, and it is incumbent…
It is incumbent upon the Lord to save, and it is incumbent upon Your people to bless You forever. Psalm 3:8 Chabad after Rashi Upon the LORD – You will recall the recent discussion of this verse regarding YHVH’s saving character. The NASB translation added the copula, suggesting the salvation is an attribute of God. …
Salvation belongs to the Lord; May Your blessing [h]be upon Your people! Selah Psalm 3:8 NASB To the LORD – It goes without saying that the Psalms consistently ascribe salvation to YHVH. So do the prophets. No one would argue this point. Therefore, we are pressed to ask, “If the Tanakh views YHVH as the source of salvation, why does Christianity…
Arise, Lord; save me, my God! For You [d]have struck all my enemies on the [e]cheek; You [f]have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Psalm 3:7 NASB Have struck – If you wanted to rid yourself of all your enemies, would you be satisfied to simply strike them each on the cheek? I don’t think so. You and I would probably want…
