.T;v]b;l; rd:h;w“ d/h daoM] T;l]d"G: yh'Ola‘ hwhy hwhyAta,
yvip]n" ykirÄB; .1
Bless YHWH, oh my soul; YHWH,
oh my God, you are very great; you are clothed with majesty and glory.
The first verse contains three
independent clauses. The first two
are clearly parallel to one another.
The third clause introduces the topic that constitutes the major focus
from verse 2 through verse 32.
.yvip]n" ykirÄB; The finite verb of the first clause is an fs
imperative. The author is
exhorting his inner life force – his vp,n<
- to bless YHWH. The basis for
this exhortation is contained in the parallel clause. However, this clause raises a theological issue annunciated
in Hebrews 7:7 – Without a doubt, the greater blesses the lesser – So
how can we bless the Lord? The
form is an fs piel imperative and so active in force. Clearly a mere human has no capacity to
affect the state of God’s eternal blessedness, but we can annunciate his
blessed state and present ourselves in a state of subject adoration.
.daoM] T;l]d"G:
yh'Ola‘ hwhy This passage could be composed of a verbless
clause followed by a second clause composed of a single finite verb and an
adverb. Alternatively, if the
passage is understood as a single clause, then hwhy
constitutes the noun of direct address to God, and yh'Ola‘ as an appositive. Because the first clause constitutes a call to pronounce the
blessedness of hwhy, the rest of the
verse is best understood as the content of this proclamation. Consequently, the second interpretive
option is the better choice.
.daoM] T;l]d"G: The finite verb of this clause is a 2ms qal
perfect. The perfect form of a
stative verb is characteristically used to express a condition that currently
exists. In this case, there never
was a time when YHWH was not great from eternity past, and there never will be
a time in eternity future when YHWH is not great. Such an idea is expressed in English by the simple
present.
.T;v]b;l; rd:h;w“ d/h This clause consists of a 2ms qal perfect
with a compound direct object preceding the verb for emphasis. (Note that T;v]b;l; has the vowel of the middle radical lengthened from
a patach to a qamats because it ends the verse.) The root meaning can be used to express
either an active (put on) or a stative idea (be clothed). The former meaning would imply that YHWH
put on honor and glory at the beginning of creation and would be rendered by a
present perfect form in English; the latter would imply that this is his
perpetual state and would be rendered by a simple present. The clause introduces a specification
for daoM] T;l]d"G:, and the
detailed explanation will be expounded by the next 31 verses – You (YHWH)
are clothed with majesty and glory.
.h[;yrIy“K' μyIm'v; hf,/n hm;l]C'K' r/aAhf,[o .2
Enveloping himself with light like
a garment; stretching out heaven like a curtain
These two clauses are structurally parallel but
semantically different. Both begin
with a qal active participle and end with a comparative predicate
complement. Semantically, the
first clause describes how YHWH presents himself to his material creation; the
second describes his supremacy over his material creation. Each expresses a different aspect of
his glory and majesty.
hf,/n
333 hf,[o The two verb roots
selected provide alliteration as well as a semantic contrast. The root h3f3[
means ‘wrap oneself’ whereas h3f3n
means ‘spread out,’ or the opposite of wrap up.
These two clauses reflect God’s
majesty as it is revealed on the first day of creation in Genesis 1. Evidently, God created the heaven and
the earth in a moment – at least from his perspective. The unformed substance of the earth was
present and distinct from what we now call 'space,' and God was hovering
over the face of the deep when he spoke: rwa
yhy. Then there was light
but nothing yet in the heaven to produce it. This implies that God’s presence was itself the original
source of light, and the light sources created on the fourth day merely derived
their light from him.
.j"WrAypen“K'Al[' ËLeh'm]h' /bWkr“ μybi[;AμC;h' wyt;/Yli[' μyIM'b'
hr<q;m]h' .3
Who set the beams in the water
for its upper chambers? He who
makes the cloud mass to be his chariot.
Who walks about on the wings of the wind?
hr<q;m]h' The form
is an ms piel participle form of the root h3r3q,
which is a denominative verb meaning ‘provide with beams.’ Some translations render the initial Ah' as an interrogative particle and some
as an ordinary definite article. If it was intended to be an article, a daghesh
should be present in the mem. The interrogative he is normally pointed Ah},
but the vowel characteristically is lengthened to a patach when it is
following by a consonant with a sheva.
The vowel pointing is not strictly correct for either interpretation;
however, interpreting this clause as a question is supported by the structure
of the second clause.
wyt;/Yli['
μyIM'b' hr<q;m]h' This clause
reflects the action during the second day of creation, when μyIhiOla‘ separated the water above ["yqir:h; the from the water below ["yqir:h;. This is phenomenological language for the structural support
(beams) necessary to hold the upper water separate from the lower water (the
blue sky above over the blue sea below with a firm separation -- ["yqir:h; -- between the two). Some interpreters have used this
language to support the idea that a physical body of water (or water vapor
canopy) existed in the upper atmosphere prior to the flood. However, Psalm 148:4 (Praise him oh
highest heaven, and the water that is above the heaven) uses the same
expression at least 3000 years after the flood, when the vapor canopy is supposed
to have fallen to the earth.
/bWkr“
μybi[;AμC;h' This is generally
translated as a statement: ‘He who makes the cloud-mass to be his chariot.’ The verb is a definite ms qal
active participle (from μ3y3c
meaning ‘put, place, set, appoint, ordain’) followed by two nouns. The first is an indefinite mp noun; the
second is ms with a 3ms pronominal suffix. The first noun is plural, and so it can only be the direct
object of the verb, which is singular.
The second noun is singular with an ms pronominal suffix, but the verb
is transitive and so demands a personal agent for a subject. Because classical Hebrew did not use
the participle as a finite verb, the common translation does not quite capture
the real force of the expression.
Rather, a form like AμC;h'
would describe a habitual occupation.
These considerations constitute the rationale for the rendering above,
and this type of expression most naturally serves as the answer to a question.
ËLeh'm]h' The third
clause in this verse begins with the same verbal form as that in the first
clause. Since the first clause was
understood as a question, this clause would also be most naturally understood
as a question. However, does the
question end at the silluq, or does it continue on to include the participial
clause in verse 4? Since verse 4 has
neither a finite verb form nor the elements necessary for a verbless clause, it
is most naturally taken as an adverbial predicate complement to ËLeh'm]h'.
.j"WrAypen“K'Al['
ËLeh'm]h' This imagery is fairly common throughout the Hebrew scriptures, and
it is also present in the Genesis 3:8:
ˆG:B' ËLeh't]mi μyhiOla‘ hwhy
l/qAta, W[m]v]YIw"
.μ/Yh' j"Wrl]– ‘And they heard the sound of YHWH God walking about in the garden in the breeze of the day.’ That is, the activity of God among men is likened to the breeze passing over the face of the earth. This similitude is also used by Yeshua during his discussion with Nicodemus in John 3. The expression j"WrAypen“K'Al[' occurs in two other places – 2 Sam 22:11 and Psalm 18:11. Both of these occurrences are songs written by David, and in both instances the expression is a metaphor for the speed or manner in which YHWH travels from one place to another.
.μ/Yh' j"Wrl]– ‘And they heard the sound of YHWH God walking about in the garden in the breeze of the day.’ That is, the activity of God among men is likened to the breeze passing over the face of the earth. This similitude is also used by Yeshua during his discussion with Nicodemus in John 3. The expression j"WrAypen“K'Al[' occurs in two other places – 2 Sam 22:11 and Psalm 18:11. Both of these occurrences are songs written by David, and in both instances the expression is a metaphor for the speed or manner in which YHWH travels from one place to another.
.fheOl vae wyt;r“v;m] t/jWr wyk;a;l]m' hc,[o .4
Making his
messengers from winds (spirits), his ministers a consuming fire.
This verse consists of one
indefinite qal ms participle with a compound definite direct
object. It describes the habitual
activity of YHWH as he walks about on the wings of the wind. The author of Hebrews quotes the LXX
rendering of this verse in Heb 1:7 and uses it to support the assertion that
Yeshua’s essential being is superior to that of God's angels (wyk;a;l]m' – his messengers). Both
pronominal suffixes in this verse clearly refer to YHWH. Verses 5 through 32 of this Psalm
describe the direct personal interaction of YHWH with the material creation
first as the one who created it and then as the one who sustains and
administers it at the present time.
The messengers referred to in this verse could be inanimate elements of
the material universe (wind and fire) or personal spirit beings who really are
not part of this material creation.
In either case, they are completely subject to his will.
t/jWr
wyk;a;l]m' hc,[ From a grammatical
standpoint, should this expression be rendered ‘making his messengers to be
spirits (winds)’ or ‘making winds (spirits) to be his messengers’? Theologically, both translations are
true statements. The Greek
rendering in the LXX and in the book of Hebrews imply the former understanding,
but many English translations of the Hebrew text prefer the latter. Hebrew normally employs word order to
distinguish between near and far verbal complements. However, the verb h3c3[
can accept two objects: one to indicate the patient (thing being worked upon)
and one to indicate material (the substance of which the patient
consists). The problem arises
because English speakers characteristically interpret wyk;a;l]m (translated by ‘his angels’) as a reference
to personal beings and t/jWr (spirit
or wind) as the substance from which the ‘angels’ are
composed. People with an
occidental mindset may find conceptual difficulty in connecting a personal
being that subsists as a spirit without material body with a material thing
like wind. People in the ancient
Near East would have no such difficulty, because they readily connected a spiritual
essence with inanimate materials.
In addition, there are three or four examples in which the term wyk;a;l]m' may not refer to a personal
being, and the context of this psalm does not demand such an understanding of
the term. The present context is
evidently presenting wyk;a;l]m' and wyt;r“v;m] as things that are worked upon
by YHWH. The author of Hebrews
uses this clause to indicate that though God’s messengers may be ministering
spirits, they remain part of YHWH’s created order, and they are completely
obedient to his will. Whereas the
son, who is also completely obedient to the will of YHWH, remains separate,
independent, and supreme over this created order.
The next 25 verses describe the
majesty and splendor of YHWH as revealed in creation. These passages mention the original creation in verses 5 and
19; the remainder describes the Noaic flood, its aftermath, and the natural
order as it presently exists. The
resulting picture is one of total sovereignty over this natural order and
providential care for the creatures that live within it.
.d[,w: μl;/[ f/MTiAlB' h;yn</km]Al[' 6r<a,Ads'y: .5
He established land on its
foundations that it should not be shaken for ever and ever.
h;yn</km]Al['
6r<a,Ads'y: This passage
reflects the activities on the second day of creation when the seas were
gathered into one place, and the dry land appeared. The finite verb is a 3ms perfect, indicating a completed action. The term h;yn</km]
implies that the dry land was intended to remain firm and stable in its place
for as long as the material creation remained.
f/MTiAlB' The verb form is actually a 3fs niphal
imperfect – ‘That it (6r<a,)
should not be shaken.’ This indicates that the dry land was intended to
remain above the seas and not be subject to trimmers or other forms of
instability. The fact that verse 6
presents the land as first being submerged and then being subjected to
structural instability (verse 8) implies a major disruption occurred in the
original created order that had been established.
d[,w:
μl;/[ The term μl;/[ has a wide range of uses, including world, created order, and eternity. Usually, when it is used to express
duration, it appears as μl;/[l], and
a few manuscripts preserve this reading here. Since this is a poetic text, strict compliance with
grammatical usage is not necessary, and the small number of texts having this
variant suggests that it is probably spurious. Now, many passages of scripture affirm that this material
creation had a beginning and will have an end. Consequently, this use of d[,w:
μl;/[ cannot imply that the created order is or was intended to be eternal
but rather that its duration is beyond the capacity of the author to grasp.
.μyIm;AWdm]['y" μyrIh;Al[' /tySiKi vWbL]K'
μ/hT] .6
He covered it with the deep
like a garment. Waters were
standing over the mountains.
This verse either describes the
state of the creation in Genesis 1:1 where the world was formless and void and
covered by the great deep, or it describes its state during the Noaic flood
when the waters surmounted the highest mountains by 15 cubits (Gen 7:18-20) –
around 30 feet. The term μ/hT] is present in Gen 1:1 but not at
this point in the flood narrative.
However, the previous verse reflects God’s work of the third day, when
the foundations of the dry land were set.
The land did not return under the waters of the sea until the time of
the flood. If this assessment is
correct, then this verse implies divine judgement was imposed on the original
creation without stating the reason for that judgement.
/tySiKi This
finite verb form is a 3ms piel perfect of hsk
with a 3ms pronominal suffix. The
verb root is passive in the qal stem but takes the transitive meaning of
‘cover, overwhelm’ in the piel. The interpretive problem is that the
only possible antecedent for the pronominal suffix is 6r<a,, which is a feminine noun. The LXX renders the pronoun with the neuter/masculine form aujtou§, even though the Greek term gh§ is also feminine, but other translations
(Aquilla, Theodotian, Jerome, and Aramaic/Syriac) do change the pronoun to a
feminine form. The reading here
could be the result of an early scribal error, or this could be another example
of the preference for masculine forms exhibited in the Hebrew scriptures. (However, if one ignores the lack of
gender concordance between /tySiKi and
both μ/hT] and 6r<a,, one could render this verse as ‘The
deep had covered it over like a garment.’ This rendering would describe the
situation in Genesis 1:1.)
.ˆWzpej;yE Úm]['r" l/qAˆmi ˆWsWny“
Út]r:[}G"Aˆmi .7
They fled from your rebuke; they
were in trepidation from the sound of your thunder.
Just as seen in the previous verse, God brought the dry
land up from the deep on the third day of creation and also restored the land
following the flood. The language
in this verse seems more appropriate for the aftermath following judgement
rather than that of initial creation.
Just as the onset of the flood is attributed to the personal agency of
YHWH, so is the restoration of the dry land. But in this case, verses 7 through 10 describe a process
that is more involved than the immediate response to the spoken word of God
found in the creation narrative.
The description in verse 7 implies that a decisive act of God initiated
the abating of the flood waters, but the fuller description in Genesis
indicates that the process required a period of nearly 11 months after the
deluge stopped.
.ˆWzpej;yE
Úm]['r" l/qAˆmi The finite
verb form in the second clause is a 3mp niphal imperfect form of z3p3j. This root is attested only in the qal and the niphal
stems, and both forms convey essentially the same meaning: ‘be in trepidation, alarm, hurry.’ This is applying an anthropomorphism to
the land mass under the waters of the flood. A human response to alarm or trepidation is haste, rushing,
or even trembling. This could be taken
as description of seismic activity during the months after the deluge. Such activity would be consistent with
massive seismic upheavals caused by the breaking up of the earth’s mantle
followed by a rapid rearrangement of the tectonic plates that now make up the
outer crust of the earth.
.μh,l; T;d“s'y: hz< μ/qmiAla, t/[q;b; Wdr“yE μyrIh; Wl[}y" .8
The mountains rose up; valleys
sank down to a place; this you established for them.
The cosmology described by the Bible for the pre-diluvium
world implies that the climate was mild, without temperature extremes, and
without extreme geographic features that would produce strong winds or
precipitation as rain. The
original geography was modified in two respects as the flood waters receded:
high mountains rose up, and valleys sank down. There is no hint of these processes going on in the Genesis
narrative or in other ancient texts, but modern geology confirms that such a
process took place at some time in the past. There is clear evidence of world-wide volcanism and seismic
activity many orders of magnitude beyond anything known during historic times
to the present day. In addition,
ocean sediment exists on the tops of mountains throughout the world. Modern geologists typically attribute
such activity to an age many millions of years in the past, and they also assert
that the present period of relative quiet has persisted for millions of years
since that time. This poetic
passage suggests that there was an initial period of complete stability within
the creation, a brief period characterized by a massive disruption, and then
the establishment of the new order that now exists. Both Matthew 24 and Revelation indicate that the tribulation
period will be characterized by massive natural disruptions such as had not
been previously witnessed among men.
If we accept the idea that a brief period of massive geologic disruption
occurred during the time of the flood, then these passages in the NT as well as several from the Hebrew prophets imply a
second period of major geologic activity is coming, and its scope will be at
least as great as that during and immediately after the flood.
hz<
μ/qmiAla, The first inclination is
to translate this string as ‘to this place.’ This rendering is not grammatically valid, because μ/qm] is an indefinite noun. For this reason, hz< should be taken as the direct
object of the finite verb that follows it. This rendering is supported by the Masoretic accentuation which has a disjunctive accent on μ/qm and a
conjunctive accent on hz<.
.6r<a;h; t/Sk'l] ˆWbWvy“AlB' ˆWrbo[}y"AlB' T;m]c'AlWbG“ .9
You set a boundary that they
should not cross, that they should not cover the land.
Apart from the context of the previous two verses, this
could be describing the original creation of the dry land: ‘Let the waters
under the sky assemble themselves into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ God is here re-establishing boundaries
after the flood just as he did during the original six days of creation. As in the initial creation, God makes
provision for both man and beast to obtain what is necessary for their
lives. However, there are two
major differences: First, there is no instance in the following passages in
which God pronounces the arrangement he has made to be GOOD; Second,
within the provision for life that God has made here, there remains conflict,
fear, and risk of death, all of which reflect the consequences of a judicial sentence.
.ˆWkLeh'y“ μyrIh; ˆyBe μylij;N“B' μynIy:[]m' j"Lev'm]h' .10
Who sends springs into the
torrents? Between the mountains
they flow.
μylij;N“B'
μynIy:[]m' j"Lev'm]h' The next
22 verses describe the cosmology of the earth as it now exists. Standard English translations of the
above verse do not suggest any aspect of hazard, fear, or conflict, but it is
nonetheless present in the choice of Hebrew words used. The original creation had three rivers
(rh;n:) flowing out of Eden to water
all of the land. The term rh;n: refers to a river that flows
continuously throughout the year.
In contrast, the term lj'n:
used in this verse refers to a wady, or seasonal water course. During most of the year, such a stream
is completely or mostly dry, but in the rainy season it can suddenly become a
flash flood, a raging torrent. It
is a source of water and thus of life, but it is also a source of risk and
potentially of death to anyone in the path of a flash flood. (With some frequency people die in Israel today by being caught in such flash floods.) Such is life after the flood: the very
things necessary for life bring exposure to the risk of death for humans on
whom judgment was laid but also for all animals as well.
The interesting aspect to this verse is that it is
presented using a question-response format, as previously noted. The first clause poses this rhetorical
question: Who is it that supplies water so necessary for life in a manner
that is a threat to that very life?
The answer is implied by context but not answered directly: The same
one who raised up the hills to their present height also constrains the torrent
to pass between the hills.
Thus, even raging torrents are controlled and constrained by the
providence of God, yet they remain a threat to his creatures who must have
water daily to sustain their physical lives.
.μa;m;x] μyair:p] WrB]v]yI yd:c; /ty“j'AlK; Wqv]y" .11
They give drink to every beast
of the field; wild donkeys quench their thirst.
yd:c;
/ty“j'AlK; Wqv]y"" The
finite verb form is a 3mp hiphil imperfect of the root h3q3v meaning ‘cause to drink, give to drink.’ The direct object ‘water’ is implied within the root;
/ty“j'AlK; is a second object that
is rendered as indirect object by the translation. This predicate is the peculiar thing about the clause. /ty“j'AlK; is clearly an indirect object;
but /tyj' is singular with a 3ms
pronominal suffix. yd:c; is a poetic variant for the more
common hd<c;, but it has no
syntactic connection with the remainder of the clause. The presence of the pronominal suffix suggests
that /tyj' cannot be the governing
word in a construct chain; but verse 20 has this same construction, so this
probably is not the result of a scribal error. Evidently, the intended meaning is: They give drink to all
his beasts (collective) of the field. The LXX rendering for this phrase omits the pronominal
suffix: all beasts of the field.
μa;m;x]
μyair:p] WrB]v]yI This second clause does not at first seem to be
directly related or parallel to
the first. It clearly is not a
restatement or amplification of the first clause, but rather it provides a
particularization of the general statement. This clause is then followed by six verses each of which
provides additional particular instances of God’s providential care over the
creation as it now exists after the flood.
.l/qAWnT]yI μyIap;[’ ˆyBemi ˆ/Kv]yI μyIm'V;h'A5/[ μh,yle[} .12
Over them the birds of the of the
heavens dwell; from between foliage they give voice.
ˆ/Kv]yI μyIm'V;h'A5/[ μh,yle[} The adverbial prepositional phrase has a 3mp
pronominal suffix, the antecedent for which could either be μyair:P] or μylij;N“. Although μyair:P]
is the nearer antecedent, the latter reference fits the overall context
better. The term 5/[ literally is a singular form, but the
clause uses a 3mp imperfect verb form, indicating that a plural (collective) meaning
is being assumed. The verbal
picture being presented consists of a raging torrent within a valley between
high hills, wild donkeys on the on the hill sides by the wadys, and the birds
of heaven (the sky according to Genesis 1) finding their place of abode above
the ground over the wadys.
l/qAWnT]yI
μyIap;[’ ˆyBemi The term μyIap;[’ evidently is an Aramaic loan word
meaning ‘foliage, branches.’
The choice of words produces alliteration (oph hash-sha-ma-yim||
o-pha-yim) between the two clauses.
From a semantic perspective, the first clause presents the general
statement: birds dwell above the wadys.
The second clause provides the specific explanation: they dwell or perch
between branches of trees.
.6r<a;h; [B'c]Ti Úyc,[}m' yrIP]mi wyt;/Yli[}me μyrIh; hq,v]m' .13
Causing the hills to drink from
its upper chambers, the land is satisfied from the fruit of your works.
wyt;/Yli[}me μyrIh;
hq,v]m' Verse 10 describes the
provision of drink for living creatures, which would include both man and
beast. The first clause of verse
10 identifies springs as the source for this water. This verse refers to the ‘upper chambers,’ the place
where the waters above the sky are kept (verse 3a) as a source for rain. This source provides water for the
hills (green plants, trees, creeping things). This again represents a change in the original cosmology for
planet earth. Following the
original creation, a mist rose up from the face of the land and watered all of
the ground (Genesis 2:6), and this arrangement evidently persisted until the
deluge. In point of fact, this
process still persists in a few areas around the globe (e.g., the Amazon basin
and the jungle of the Congo) where moisture condenses directly from the air
onto the foliage of plants.
However, most parts of the world receive fluid water primarily from the
upper chamber of heaven (now clouds in the sky) in the form of rain. Based on the Noaic covenant, this new
cosmology will persist until the time of the end.
6r<a;h; [B'c]Ti
Úyc,[}m' yrIP]mi Several questions
arise from this simple statement.
(1) The adverbial prepositional phrase mentions the fruit (singular) of
specific works (plural) that are attributed to God. What specific works are being referred to? (2) The subject of the clause is 6r<a;h;. Is this a reference to Israel as the site of God’s special
personal revelation, the dry land of planet earth, or the created world
order? (3) The finite verb in a 3fs
niphal form from [3b3c. In what way is 6r<a;h; satisfied (filled up) from the fruit of God’s works?
The second question is the one most easily
answered. The entire context up to
this point refers to God’s oversight of the natural creation, including a
discontinuity, which is described more fully in the flood narrative of Genesis. The reason for this discontinuity in
Gods oversight is not addressed, but its scope extends to the entire
world. Thus, the term 6r<a;h; here extends to the entire
world rather than just the dry land in contrast to its use in verse 9 above.
BDB lists the meaning of [3b3c
in this passage as meaning be filled full
(satisfied) with the rains implied by the first clause. Parallelism favors this understanding,
and when the earth is filled (satisfied) with rain, it brings forth its bounty
for the benefit of both men and the beasts of the field. Supplying rain to the earth amounts to
a single work, so the plural form could be used to imply multiple occurrences
over time. Multiple occurrences of
rain in measure over time produce a common fruit, which may have many manifestations,
as described by the subsequent verses.
.6r<a;h;Aˆmi μj,l, ayxi/hl] μd:a;h; td"bo[}l' bc,[ew“
hm;heB]l' ryxij; j"ymix]m' .14
.d[;s]yI v/na’Abb'l] μj,l,w“
ˆm,V;mi μynIP; lyhix]h'l] v/na’Abb'l] jM'c'y“ ˆyIy"w“ .15
OR as represented in most Hebrew texts of paslms:
μd:a;h; td"bo[}l' bc,[ew“ hm;heB]l' ryxij; j"ymix]m'
v/na’Abb'l] jM'c'y“ ˆyIy"w“ .6r<a;h;Aˆmi μj,l, ayxi/hl]
.d[;s]yI v/na’Abb'l] μj,l,w“ ˆm,V;mi μynIP; lyhix]h'l
Causing grass
to sprout up for the beast And green herb by the
effort of the man
To make a face
shine from (more than) oil And bread
(food) sustains a man’s heart
These two verses could be viewed as two sets of three
phrases or as three couplets. The
Masoretic verse divisions favors the first approach, but a division based on
poetic parallelism produces the latter.
The problem with the first approach is that the three phrases in each
verse do not have any consistent syntactic structure, making a coherent
translation difficult. The problem
with the second approach is that there is no clear semantic parallel between
the elements as well as no conceptual development from beginning to end. However, the last four phrases have
grammatically parallel elements and also exhibit (semantic but not structural) chiasmus. This suggests that the first two
phrases constitute a parallel structure, and the next four clauses form a
second structural element. Both
structural elements constitute a conceptual development from verse 13, God’s
provision to water the hills from the upper chambers of heaven.
hm;heB]l'
ryxij; j"ymix]m' The verb form
is a ms hiphil participle from j3m3x meaning ‘cause to spring up.’ ryxij;
is the direct object of the verbal idea, and hm;heB]l'
is the indirect object. The
implication of this clause is that God’s oversight waters the land, and this causes
the land to sprout with grass for the benefit of the beasts of the field. These beasts receive their sustenance
without any understanding of the process and without any effort on their part apart from simply eating what is there.
μd:a;h;
td"bo[}l' bc,[ew“ This could be understood either as an
independent verbless clause or as a second complement to the participle in the
first clause. If we assume the
parallel structure is intended, then bc,[ew“
is a second direct object, but it is more restrictive than ryxij;. The beasts can and will eat almost any green herbage, but
not all plant material is suitable for human consumption. This passage refers to the cultivated
crops that men grow by means of their own effort for food. It could include edible herbs, cereal
grains, fruit, nuts, and berries.
The interpretive problem is that μd:a;h;
td"bo[}l' is formally a construct chain, but td"bo[}l' is improperly pointed with
a definite article. (There are a
handful of instances in which the governing noun in a construct chain has the
definite article, so this is not a fatal objection.)
6r<a;h;Aˆmi
μj,l, ayxi/hl] This phrase lacks any clear grammatical
connection with the participle, so the infinitive could be connected with the
previous clause or understood as completely independent. If it is understood as completely independent,
then the context makes God the primary cause for bringing forth bread (food),
and the reference to the secondary agency of man’s toil is not explicitly
stated. This is the form in which
this phrase appears in the traditional Jewish liturgical blessing over bread. However, if this phrase is understood
as a second complement attached to the previous phrase, then human agency in
bringing bread forth is emphasized as a subset of man’s effort in working of
the ground. This is the emphasis
found in the statement of the curse in Gen 3:18, 19: Thorns and thistles it (the ground) will bring forth for you; and you
will eat the herbs of the field.
With the sweat of your face will you eat bread (food) until you return
to the dirt, for you were taken from it.
For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
The three phrases of verse 15 address the condition of man
exclusively. It mentions three
major processed food items – wine, oil, bread (food) -- that men obtain from
cultivated crops. Is the verse
completely neutral (just stating facts) or a combination of negative and
positive elements with respect to these food items?
v/na’Abb'l] jM'c'y“
ˆyIy"w“ The first food item is obtained by keeping the
juice obtained from fruit or berries.
This food item affects the innermost being of the physical man – it
makes him glad (happy) inside. The
attitude toward wine in many cultures today is that its use is generally bad,
and particularly bad when it is used just for enjoyment. Now, the Hebrew scriptures certainly
recognize the potential for its abuse:
·
Noah became drunk and was humiliated by his son
Ham.
·
Lot’s two daughters committed incest with him
while he was drunk.
·
The priests were commanded not to drink wine
before performing their service to God.
·
Nazarites were forbidden any consumption of wine
or other grape products.
·
Ecclesiastes denounces nobles and rulers who
give themselves to wine.
·
Proverbs states that a king should not drink
wine because it clouds judgement.
Nevertheless, the Hebrew scriptures, the New Testament, and
Jewish tradition as a whole never denounces the use of wine as a general
principle. So the question is:
What does this clause imply within the present context? The seeming implication of the context
is this: Life under the present circumstances can be hard, but wine can make the
heart glad despite circumstances.
In short, this appears to describe a form of escape from the harsh
realities of life under the curse.
This statement does not appear to be specifically negative, yet the use
of wine still tends to foster -- or at least permoit -- a form of escapism among men.
ˆm,V;mi
μynIP; lyhix]h'l The ancient Israelites were commanded not consume oil obtained from animal fat, and they evidently did not have the technology
for obtaining the oil from cereal grains.
However, olive oil was used widely for food, for fuel, and for
anointing. The verb form is a hiphil
infinitive construct from l3h3x (make bright or shining) is attested only here in the Hebrew scriptures. μynIP;
constitutes the direct object of the infinitive phrase, and ˆm,V;mi serves as an adverbial
prepositional phrase expressing either a comparative relationship (more than
oil) or the source or agency (from oil) for making a man's face
shine. Olive oil is another
commodity that man obtains as a fruit from the ground. The specific use in this passage refers
to the affect oil has on the external appearance when it is used for anointing. If this clause is connected with the
previous clause about wine, then the combination asserts that the gladness from
wine brightens a man's face more than anointing it with oil.
d[;s]yI
v/na’Abb'l] μj,l,w“ The first phrase in this sequence attributes
the source of bread to the provision of God in watering the hills. But bread does not come forth from the
ground by itself. Man must work
the ground to obtain cereal grain, mill the grain to obtain flour, make bread
dough, and then bake the dough.
Similarly, wine and olive oil both require human effort to produce, but
the green herb (and other kinds of fruit) can be used just as it is obtained
from the field. Thus the first two
phrases of verse 14 deal with the produce that comes forth directly as the
result of God’s provision – grass for the beast, and the green herb for man. The next four phrases address what man
produces from God’s provision for him – bread, wine, and oil. Wine gives cheer, and oil affects the
exterior appearance, but only bread (food) gives sustenance.
.[f;n: rv,a} ˆ/nb;l] yzEr“a' hwhy yxe[} W[B]c]yI .16
The trees of YHWH will be
satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted
hwhy yxe[} W[B]c]yI This verse echoes back to verse 13 where God's
provision of water satisfies the land generally and enables the growth of the
green herb. Here that is expanded
to the tall trees, and specifically the cedars of Lebanon. The next two verses concentrate on
God's specific provisions for animal life within the now existing cosmology.
.Ht;yBe μyvi/rB] hd:ysij} WnNEq'y“ μyrIP’xi μv;Arv,a} .17
WnNEq'y“ μyrIP’xi μv;Arv,a} This
clause continues the thought of the previous verse – birds nest in the cedars
of Lebanon, which YHWH has planted.
Ht;yBe μyvi/rB] hd:ysij} This
clause particularizes the statement in the first clause: hd:ysij} – storkes – these particular birds
build their nests in the cypress/fir trees for which Lebanon was well known in
ancient times.
.μyNIp'v]l' hs,j]m' μy[il;s] μyli[eY“l' μyhiboG“h' μyrIh; .18
The high mountains are for the
mountain goat; crags are a refuge for the rock-badger
./a/bm] [d"y: vm,v, μydI[}/ml] j"rEy: hc;[; .19
He made the moon for appointed
times, the sun knows its entrance
According to Genesis 1, the
lights of heaven were made on the fourth day. They were created to provide sources of light by day and by night
and to serve as signs for times, seasons, and epochs. These aspects of the original creation were not affected
either by God's judgmental curse on the earth or by the Noaic flood, so they
continue to perform their original function.
.r['y:A/ty“j'AlK; cmor“tiA/B hl;y“l; yhiywI Ëv,joAtv,T; .20
You appoint darkness, and it becomes
night; in it every beast of the forest prowls
hl;y“l;
yhiywI Ëv,joAtv,T; tv,T; is a qal 2ms imperfect form
from tyv – literally 'you set'. This is the only occurrence of a 2ms
verb with God as the subject since verse 9, so it is replaced by a 3ms form in
the Vulgate and Syriac translations.
This clause attributes continued personal agency of God to the fixed
order of day and night originally established in the first day of creation.
cmor“tiA/B The verb form is a qal 3fs imperfect
from the root cmor meaning 'creep'. This verb usually refers to the actions
of insects, lizards, and other such creatures, but here it refers to beasts of
the field. As such it describes
movement with stealth, which characterizes beasts of prey hunting by night.
r['y:A/ty“j'AlK; This duplicates the usage in verse 11, except
that here the verb form is singular rather than plural. Consequently, the usage both here and
in verse 11 is probably original with the meaning 'his beasts of the forest'.
.μl;ik]a; laeme vQeb'l]W 5r<F;l' μygIa}vo μyrIypiK]h' .21
The young lions are roaring for
prey, even to seek their food from God
5r<F;l'
μygIa}vo μyrIypiK]h' This clause gives an explicit example for the
previous clause. Lions do
hunt during the day, but they are most active during the night time, because in
the dark they have a significant advantage over their prey. According to recent studies of lion
behavior, the male lions roar during the night to announce and protect the
pride's hunting ground against intruders, and the female lions do most of the
actual hunting. While hunting,
they make no sound to alert their prey, but they roar to announce a successful
kill.
μl;ik]a;
laeme vQeb'l]W The conjunction
could be coordinative (and) or explicative (even). The infinitive form could express
either purpose (in order to seek) or result (and thus seeking).
Lions do not roar to obtain food but to ward away competitors for the
same prey, and one can hardly believe that they consciously seek their food
from God; yet this is the result of their activity.
.ˆWxB;r“yI μt;nO/[m]Ala,w“ ˆWpsea;yE vm,V,h' jr"z“Ti .22
The sun rises, and they are gathered
together, and to their refuge they lie down
Modern studies of the African
lion have shown this to be a fairly accurate summary of lion activity in the
wild.
.br<[;AydE[; /td:bo[}l'w“ /l[’p;l] μd:a; axeyE .23
Man goes out for his daily toil,
and for his service until evening
Many beasts of prey are primarily
nocturnal, but man is seldom so by choice. As reflected in John 9:4, the labor of men is normally
conducted during the light of day.
Prior to the advent of artificial lighting, most human activities
related to work ended at sundown.
.Ún<y:n“qi 6r<a;h; ha;l]m; t;yvi[; hm;k]j;B] μL;Ku hwhy
Úyc,[}m' WBr"Ahm; .24
How many are your deeds oh
YHWH. All of them have been done
with wisdom; the land has been filled with your creatures.
Ún<y:n“qi
6r<a;h; ha;l]m; Ún<y:n“qi literally means 'your
acquisition.' In as much as
the entire creation – planet earth, everything on it, and the lights of heaven
– are God's by creation, what could this mean? The verse restricts consideration to planet earth, and the
next five verses specify the works and deeds of YHWH that fill the earth.
.t/ldoG“Aμ[i t/Nf'q] t/Yj' rP;s]mi ˆyaew“ cm,r<Aμv; μyId:y:
bj'r“W l/dG: μY:h' hz< .25
This is the great sea -- broad
are your two hands. There are sliding
things without number, beasts small ones with great ones.
μyId:y:
bj'r“W l/dG: μY:h' hz< The significance
of μyId:y: poses the major
interpretive problem. The LXX and
translations that follow its interpretation simply omit the word, resulting in
the translation 'this is the sea, great and broad'. In contrast, the Vulgate retains the
word as a standalone ejaculation: 'this is the sea, great and broad – your
hands'. In contrast, the MT
shows no textual deviation here.
The Masoretic accents join l/dG:
μY:h' together and separate this phrase from μyId:y: bj'r“W, resulting in the translation above. That is, the great sea becomes a
metaphor for the broadness of God's hands.
cm,r<Aμv; The
term cm,r< is commonly used to
describe bugs, worms, and other such creatures that move without making
sound. Here it is descriptive of
all water creatures whose movements are largely imperceptible to humans, who
are bound to the land.
According to the Masoretic accents, the first major verse
division (ole v'yored) occurs at μyId:y:,
and the second major division (atnach) occurs at rP;s]mi. Consequently,
rP;s]mi ˆyaew“ cm,r<Aμv forms the
intended poetic phrase, and t/ldoG“Aμ[i
t/Nf'q] t/Yj' forms the final phrase. This is the basis for the translation above, but this is not
the way it is usually translated.
./BAqj,c'l] T;r“x'y:Ahz< ˆt;y:w“li ˆWkLeh'y“ t/YnIa’ μv; .26
There boats travel. Leviathan – this one you formed to play
in it (the sea)
This verse has an implied
contrast between the activities of humans, who are not native to the sea, and
the creatures that are. Humans
travel over the sea in vessels that they make, but the sea itself remains
mysterious, an object of dread, especially to the ancient Israelites. In contrast, for leviathan, the great
sea monster, it was a place for play.
./T[iB] μl;k]a; ttel; ˆWrBec'y“ Úyl,ae μL;Ku .27
All of them wait for you to give
their food in its proper time
.b/f ˆW[B]c]yI Úd“y: jT'p]Ti ˆWfqol]yI μh,l; ˆTeTi .28
You give to them; they gather
up. Your hand opens; they are
satisfied with good
.ˆWbWvy“ μr:p;[}Ala,w“ ˆW[w:g“yI μj;Wr 5seTo ˆWlheB;yI Úyn<P;
ryTis]T' .29
You hide your face; they are
terrified. You remove their
spirit; they die, and they return to their dust.
.hm;d:a} ynEP] vDEj't]W ˆWarB;yI Új}Wr jL'v'T] .30
You send your spirit out; they
are created, and the face of the ground is renewed.
These verses address God's
governance over animal life on the earth.
Apart from human intervention, the animals live and die in accordance
with God's providence. They
receive their life from him; they are sustained by him; and they die when he
removes his protection from them.
Following death, the animal's body returns to dust either by being eaten
by other animals or through natural decay.
.wyc;[}m'B] hwhy jm'cyI μl;/[l] hwhy d/bk] yhiy“ .31
The gory of YHWH is eternal; YHWH
rejoices in his deeds
.Wnv;[‘y<w“ μyrIh;B, [G"yI d[;r“Tiw" 6r<a;l;
fyBiM'h' .32
He regards the land, and it
trembles; he touches mountains, and they smoke.
This verse addresses God's governance over the dry land in
particular, and potentially the entire earth. Specific references could represent seismic and volcanic
activity, and the author asserts that these are directly controlled by God.
.ydI/[B] yh'Olale hr:M]z"a} yY:j'B] hwhyl' hr:yVia; .33
I will sing to YHWH during my
life; I will make music to my God for as long as I live
.hwhyB' jm'c]a, ykinOa; yjiyci wyl;[; br"[‘y< .34
May my meditation be pleasing to
him; I will rejoice in YHWH
.Hy:AWll]h' hwhyAta, yvip]n" ykirÄB; μn:yae d/[ μy[iv;r“W
6r<a;h;Aˆmi μyaiF;j' WMT'yI .35
Sinners will cease from the land,
and there will no longer be wicked ones.
Oh my soul, bless YHWH.
Praised be Yah.
μn:yae
d/[ μy[iv;r“W 6r<a;h;Aˆmi μyaiF;j' WMT'yI These two clauses are synonymously
parallel, and both assert that humans that refuse to be subject to God's
standard will cease to exist on God's earth. This perhaps is intended to provide the cause for the
implied judgment in verse 8. It
gives no hint as to how or when the elimination of those who rebel against God
will occur, but it is the author's fixed expectation that it will occur.
hwhyAta, yvip]n"
ykirÄB This
repeats the first clause of the psalm, forming a bracket to indicate
completeness of the thought being expressed.
