Trouble and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight. Psalm 119:143 NASB Trouble and anguish – Sometimes English has difficulty capturing the full range of Hebrew even if multiple words are used. ḥesed is an example. But sometimes that fact that Hebrew uses one word when English requires more than one is just as…
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Law is truth. Psalm 119:142 NASB Everlasting – How long is everlasting? Wait, don’t give me a naïve answer, “Well, forever, of course.” Think deeper. The word is ʿôlām. Macrae makes the following remark about this Hebrew word: Probably derived from ʿālam I, “to hide,” thus pointing to what…
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…
Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, . . Joshua 8:30-31 NASB Then – The Torah is not a chronological account of Israel’s exploits. In fact,…
Your word is very pure, therefore Your servant loves it. Psalm 119:140 NASB Pure – Think of the ways we use the word “pure.” “Pure as the driven snow.” “Pure white.” “Guaranteed pure.” “Pure breed.” Then there’s the jeweler’s view. When is something “pure gold”? 24 karat and 999.9 fineness are considered pure gold, but in fact…
We’ve been investigating the 119th Psalm since the 30th of June. Nearly half a year now, and we still have 37 verses to go. But this is the end of the year, so I’m taking a break and providing something else to think about at this moment. I want to share some citations from Avivah…
My zeal has consumed me, because my enemies have forgotten Your words. Psalm 119:139 NASB Because – ṣāmat – put an end to, cut off, destroy.[1] The opening verb in the verse. “The verb is a very strong word for destruction or for completely silencing someone.”[2] What has been cut off, completely destroyed? “Zeal– qinʾâ.” The Hebrew…
You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness and great faithfulness. Psalm 119:138 NASB In righteousness – Even in Hebrew this sentence doesn’t seem to work very well. The English just makes it worse. Chabad translates it as “You commanded Your testimonies, [which are] righteousness, and they are exceedingly faithful.” The translators have to add “which are” to…
You are righteous, Lord, and Your judgments are right. Psalm 119:137 NASB צַדִּ֣יק אַתָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֑ה וְ֜יָשָׁ֗ר מִשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ You are righteous, O Lord, and Your judgments are upright. צִוִּיתָ צֶ֣דֶק עֵֽדֹתֶ֑יךָ וֶֽאֱמוּנָ֥ה מְאֹֽד You commanded Your testimonies, [which are] righteousness, and they are exceedingly faithful. צִמְּתַ֥תְנִי קִנְאָתִ֑י כִּי־שָֽׁכְח֖וּ דְבָרֶ֣יךָ צָרָֽי My zeal incenses me, for my adversaries…
My eyes shed streams of water, because they do not keep Your Law. Psalm 119:136 NASB Streams – The idiom is obvious. We have no problem understanding the poet’s description of “crying your eyes out” (our version of the idiom). But until we investigate the Hebrew word for “streams,” we might not see the deeper possibilities. That…
