Qere/Ketiv

I arose early, when it was still night, and I cried out; I hoped for Your word. Psalm 119:147  Chabad For Your word – Compare these three Hebrew renditions of this verse: קדמתי בנשף ואשועה לדבריך יחלתי קִדַּ֣מְתִּי בַ֖נֶּשֶׁף וָֽאֲשַׁוֵּ֑עָה לִדְבָֽרְךָ֥ (כתיב לִדְבָֽרְיךָ֥) יִחָֽלְתִּי קִדַּ֣מְתִּי בַ֭נֶּשֶׁף וָאֲשַׁוֵּ֑עָה (לדבריך) [לִדְבָרְךָ֥] יִחָֽלְתִּי Aside from the fact that the first version…

999.9

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…

Take Two Aspirin

I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, Lord, according to Your word.  Psalm 119:107  NASB Revive – By this time it will come as no surprise that the verb here is ḥāyâ (to live, have life).  The choice of “revive” comes from the tone of the verse, not from the literal translation.  As you can see in the…

Nun

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  Psalm 119:105  NASB נֵר־לְרַגְלִ֥י דְבָרֶ֑ךָ וְ֜א֗וֹר לִנְתִֽיבָתִֽי   105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי וָֽאֲקַיֵּ֑מָה לִ֜שְׁמֹ֗ר מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ 106 I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous judgments. נַֽעֲנֵ֥יתִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד…

Ears and Eyes

My eyes fail with longing for Your word, while I say, “When will You comfort me?”   Psalm 119:82  NASB Fail – Do you long for God’s Word?  Well then, just pick up the Bible and read.  Right?  That’s what we might assume is the intent of the poet’s cry.  After all, it his eyes that fail.  Perhaps he’s just…

Teth – Keep Your Eyes Open

You have treated Your servant well, Lord, according to Your word.  Psalm 119:65  NASB טוֹב עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִם־עַבְדְּךָ֑ יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ ט֚וּב טַ֣עַם וָדַ֣עַת לַמְּדֵ֑נִי כִּ֖י בְמִצְו‍ֹתֶ֣יךָ הֶֽאֱמָֽנְתִּי טֶ֣רֶם אֶֽ֖עֱנֶה אֲנִ֣י שֹׁגֵ֑ג וְ֜עַתָּ֗ה אִמְרָֽתְךָ֥ שָׁמָֽרְתִּי טוֹב אַתָּ֥ה וּמֵטִ֗יב לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ טָֽפְל֚וּ עָלַ֣י שֶׁ֣קֶר זֵדִ֑ים אֲ֜נִ֗י בְּכָל־לֵ֚ב | אֶצֹּ֬ר פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ טָפַ֣שׁ כַּחֵ֣לֶב לִבָּ֑ם אֲ֜נִ֗י תּוֹרָֽתְךָ֥ שִֽׁעֲשָֽׁעְתִּי טֽוֹב־לִ֥י כִֽי־עֻנֵּ֑יתִי…

The Psychology of Exegesis

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…

The True Foundation

Establish Your [m]word to Your servant as that which produces reverence for You.  Psalm 119:38  NASB [m]word – Notice the footnote attached to this translation.  That note is to tell you that the usual Hebrew isn’t what we have in this verse.  Instead of dābār we find ʾimrâ, both translated “word” in English so you wouldn’t…

First Things Last

Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me Your Law.  Psalm 119:29 NASB False way – dĕrĕk šĕqĕr.  We know dĕrĕk, the common Hebrew word for the pathway of life, the journey we travel from birth to death, and, in particular, the right road of God.  Now we add šĕqĕr.  “šāqar [the root…

The Bible at Large – Rewind

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8 NASB Word – Western paradigms focus on answers.  Experience is reduced to principles in order that we may predict and control.  In fact, the entire enterprise of science, a principal characteristic of the Western mind, is an effort to…