And I shall answer a word to those who disgrace me, for I trusted in Your word. Psalm 119:42 Chabad Shall answer a word – Are you ready to reread the text in vav-conversive? As you can see in the translation of Chabad, this verb (ʿānâ) is treated as a future tense, that is, “I…
I have told of my ways, and You have answered me; teach me Your statutes. Psalm 119:26 NASB My ways – God’s history isn’t the only history. You have one too. A personal, very private, history of your ways. All of them. Most of which you probably wouldn’t want to share in public. But that…
Attend to me, and listen to me; I was vexed in my pondering and was troubled by the noise of an enemy and by the affliction of a sinner . . . Psalm 54:3-4a LXX Listen – Compare this version in the LXX with the MT (translated, of course): Give Your attention to me and answer me;…
He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. I will satisfy him with a long life, and show him My salvation. Psalm 91:15-16 NASB Call upon – “Even personal prayers for our own needs are not necessarily selfish in nature. God feels the…
Do not hide Your face from me on the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; On the day when I call answer me quickly. Psalm 102:2 NASB I call – Do you remember the introduction of this psalm? “The afflicted man when he pours out. . .” šāpak. Then there’s the first verse…
A Prayer of the afflicted when he is weak and pours out his complaint before the Lord. Psalm 102 NASB Afflicted – The Hebrew word ʿānî comes from a root that means “to force,” or “to try to force submission,” and “to punish or inflict pain upon.”[1] Here the noun describes someone who is feeling the…
In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. Psalm 120:1 ESV Answered – Tell me about the last time that God answered your distress call. Did you hear His voice? Did you see His mighty arm defeating your enemy? Did you smell the aroma of His presence? What was it that…
So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:23 (NIV) Petitioned – Ezra’s statement shows us the proper protocol for answered prayer. It does not guarantee that the answer we receive is the answer we hope to receive, but it tells us that answers do come. The proper…
For the sake of Your name, O LORD, may You forgive my crime, which is great. Psalm 25:11 Robert Alter translation For the sake of – Why does God forgive? What benefit accrues to Him for this act? He has nothing to gain by forgiving those who despise and resist Him. There is no guarantee…
Happy those who keep justice, who do righteousness at all times. Psalm 106:3 (Robert Alter translation) At all times – “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you’re happy and you know it then your life will surely show it.” So…
