I have leaned on you since my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; my praise is continually of You. Psalm 71:6 NASB Leaned on – The Hebrew word tāmak means “to grasp.” The word sāʿad means “to sustain.” Neither one is used in this verse, but it’s important to see the difference. Here the word…
For You are my hope; Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth. Psalm 71:5 NASB My confidence – The NASB translation of Hebrew 11:1 is “ Now faith is the certainty of things [a]hoped for, a [b]proof of things not seen” (online version), but in the 1995 edition, the verse reads “ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” You…
Save me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the wrongdoer and the ruthless, Psalm 71:4 NASB Save me – The first thing we should notice in the Hebrew text is that the call of the poet isn’t the first thing in the Hebrew text. The first thing is the…
As you know, my grandson, Malachi, was born a few days ago under difficult conditions. I asked you to pray for him as he was having seizures following birth. Those have stopped. The neurologist has determined that he had a mild hematoma to part of his brain during delivery. While he appears to be responding…
Be to me a rock of dwelling to which I may continually come; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. Psalm 71:3 NASB The commandment – What do you think the poet means when he says that God has given the commandment to save him? Do you think he…
In Your righteousness rescue me and save me; extend Your ear to me and help me. Psalm 71:2 NASB Righteousness – Conformity is almost a dirty word in the modern world. As we discovered yesterday, self-identity and self-concern were pregnant in the idea of the individual, born into a new sense of Man in the…
I just received a call from Skip. His son Michael and his wife Amy just had their baby two days ago. The baby’s name is Malachi. He was born unresponsive for about a minute and a half. Currently, Malachi is in ICU in very serious condition. Needless to say, both sets of parents are incredibly…
In You, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. Psalm 71:1 NASB Put to shame – It isn’t surprising to find out that social media is one of the sources of psychological distress in young people. A recent study confirms the negative effects on teenagers,[1] but I suspect that we adults…
And he said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’” Joshua 4:21 NASB In time to come – By now you certainly realize that theological paradigms determine textual exegesis. What I believe about the text determines what I read in the text. …
And they shall make Me a Tabernacle, that I may abide in their midst. Exodus 25:8 Robert Alter Abide – The Hebrew root describing God’s desire to abide with His people is šākan. Perhaps you’ll recognize that this is precisely the same root of the word miškān, “Tabernacle.” Here the author chooses a nice play…
