For I have heard the slander of many, terror is on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they schemed to take away my life. Psalm 31:13 NASB Slander– Perhaps a pun will help us remember the seriousness of slander. The Hebrew word, dibbâ, seems to be derived from the verb dābab (to move gently or glide over). But from…
I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. Psalm 31:12 NASB Forgotten– The screenwriters of the movieTroy brilliantly captured the great Greek question mark of life. In a conversation between Achilles and his mother, she describes Greek angst perfectly. Listen: What is the worst thing that can befall a…
We take a little break from our examination of Psalm 31 to provide this from Sefer Hasichot 5749, vol. 2, pp. 509-511; Likkutei Sichot, vol. 22, p. 10. Truth is simple, it has no clothes, no neat little box to contain it. But we cannot grasp that which has no box. We cannot perceive Truth…
Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. Psalm 31:11 NASB Reproach– Are you the Mary Mallon of sin? Remember her? She was “the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic…
For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away. Psalm 31:10 NASB Sorrow/ Sighing– “Why can’t you be more positive?” “You seem so discouraged all the time.” “I’m tired of your pessimistic attitude!” “Look on the bright side of things.” Ever hear someone say…
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. Psalm 31:9 NASB Distress– Now comes the plea. David’s psalm begins with acknowledgement of God’s character. He praises the Lord for constancy, faithfulness, and a genuine desire to rescue. He alludes to God’s covenant relationship with…
And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place. Psalm 31:8 NASB Not given me over– What does it mean to fall into the hands of the enemy? Pay attention to David’s parallelism and you will understand just how much Hebrew is a language…
I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul, Psalm 31:7 NASB Have known– It’s an unfortunate unexamined assumption of many believers that Yeshua is our savior because he truly understands our human frailties. After all, he was one of us. And since God…
I hate those who regard vain idols, but I trust in the Lord. Psalm 31:6 NASB Hate– In a age of banal religious convictions, hate is one of those emotions that end up on the psychological chopping block. Hate expresses strong repulsion, and as such, stands in utter opposition to the decree of political tolerance foisted upon the population by…
Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth. Psalm 31:5 NASB I commit my spirit– Exodus 34:7. Yes, that’s right. The infamous verse about “visiting the iniquity of the fathers” uses the same verb we find here, pāqad. Speiser writes, “There is probably no other Hebrew verb that has caused translators…
