Let my soul live that it may praise You, and let Your ordinances help me. Psalm 119:175 NASB Live/ help – We don’t need to mention the mistaken translation “soul.” You certainly know that nepeš isn’t “soul,” which is the Greek term psyche. But we should note the idea that praise can only happen while we…
Hearken to my voice according to Your kindness; O Lord, according to Your custom sustain me. Psalm 119:149 Chabad Custom – This translation might lead us to believe that the psalmist anticipates a typical response from God. He enlists the protocol of ḥesed, establishing the required connection. He asks God to listen, using a verb…
Revive me according to Your faithfulness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. Psalm 119:88 NASB Revive – We’ve been at this for quite a while. Perhaps “revive” is the right term for the halfway point. Halfway through the longest psalm, we should pause and ask ourselves, “Why is the poet spending…
This is my comfort in my misery, that Your word has [s]revived me. Psalm 119:50 NASB Comfort/misery – The NASB translation renders the Hebrew ʿŏnî as misery. This derivative comes from the root (ʿānâ) III, afflict, oppress, humble.[1] “The primary meaning of ʿānâ III is ‘to force,’ or ‘to try to force submission,’ and ‘to punish or…
Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me through Your righteousness. Psalm 119:40 NASB Long – Well, it’s not exactly a hapax legomenon, but it might as well be. tāʾeb, translated “long for,” is used only twice; once here and once in verse 174 (which we will eventually examine). Since it is only found in this…
My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word. Psalm 119:25 NASB Clings – Before we start the next “chapter” of this poem, let’s take a quick look at the letter Daleth. Here’s the text of this section: דָּֽבְקָ֣ה לֶֽעָפָ֣ר נַפְשִׁ֑י חַ֜יֵּ֗נִי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ דְּרָכַ֣י סִ֖פַּרְתִּי וַֽ֜תַּֽעֲנֵ֗נִי לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ דֶּֽרֶךְ־פִּקּוּדֶ֥יךָ הֲבִינֵ֑נִי וְ֜אָשִׂ֗יחָה בְּנִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ דָּֽלְפָ֣ה נַ֖פְשִׁי…
The lowly have seen and rejoiced, those who seek God, let their hearts be strong. Psalm 69:33 [Hebrew Bible] Robert Alter Let – There are at least two ways to read this verse. It depends on which meaning you attach to the wide umbrella Hebrew word ḥāyâ. Here are some choices: “live, have life, remain…
However, Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Joshua 6:25 NASB Spared – English nuances often make big differences in translated Hebrew. In this verse, the Hebrew…
You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Psalm 71:20 NASB Revive – Don’t jump too quickly to those comforting thoughts about revival. Pay attention to the beginning of this verse. Who is the one who showed the poet’s many troubles…
For the sake of Your name, LORD, give me life, in Your bounty bring me out from the straits. Psalm 143:11 Robert Alter Give me life – The NASB translates this single Hebrew word as “revive me,” but that implies I only need resuscitation. Alter’s translation is more fundamental. “Give me life,” implies that I…
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