Pursuing stats for a moment

The numbers below are R: the ratio of the absolute sum of the letters to the number of words for a psalm, G the absolute sum of the letters, W the word count.

The number of a letter is as follows
alef to yod, 1-10
kaf to sadeh, 20-90
qof to taw, 100-140 (no distinction between sin and shin)
final letters kaf to sadeh 150-190

There is a certain digital irony! How did base 10 get mixed into base 22/27 and mapped to base 256 colouring scheme.

R = G/W rounded to the integer
(The Psalms with no link are not yet available in my current drafts.)

Word counts range from a low of 17 to a high of 530 (Psalm 78) (excepting psalm 119 which is 1064). You can see from the graph that the majority of the psalms have word counts in the 50 to 180 range. (The red colour is just for ease of scanning so you can see where you are).

R Psalm G / W
234 117 3974 / 17
241 150 8907 / 37
256 131 8443 / 33
258 100 11345 / 44
271 118 53706 / 198
275 -15 15114 / 55
286 --6 24057 / 84
291 -29 26484 / 91
292 --4 22510 / 77
293 -27 43664 / 149
296 116 38726 / 131
298 123 12208 / 41
299 -13 16466 / 55
300 -24 26665 / 89
309 --2 33375 / 108
309 -41 37139 / 120
314 -43 18539 / 59
319 -33 51309 / 161
320 -22 81074 / 253
321 -62 37522 / 117
321 103 53645 / 167
335 -55 64643 / 193
336 -30 32558 / 97
337 -25 53583 / 159
339 -34 55891 / 165
340 142 25481 / 75
340 -38 57405 / 169
341 -59 53949 / 158
343 --3 23992 / 70
347 -94 58561 / 169
349 -87 18871 / 54
349 -49 58652 / 168
349 -39 45312 / 130
350 -14 / -53 32526 / 93
351 -96 39310 / 112
351 -31 77120 / 220
353 -95 31432 / 89
355 -98 26662 / 75
356 -70 16718 / 47
356 126 17782 / 50
356 -11 24235 / 68
358 -52 32258 / 90
361 -42 47592 / 132
363 109 82475 / 227
364 141 34614 / 95
365 -54 22606 / 62
365 -35 83690 / 229
366 -32 40293 / 110
368 -86 54114 / 147
369 132 48393 / 131
371 136 61644 / 166
371 -18 147338 / 397
374 124 21345 / 57
374 113 22439 / 60
375 -56 44988 / 120
375 -81 46917 / 125
376 101 31548 / 84
376 -84 43609 / 116
376 --7 53391 / 142
379 -23 19727 / 52
379 138 28428 / 75
379 -40 70156 / 185
382 130 20617 / 54
382 -47 29406 / 77
384 -99 31834 / 83
384 135 64115 / 167
385 134 9627 / 25
387 108 37924 / 98
389 149 24497 / 63
389 102 82853 / 213
390 133 15602 / 40
390 -20 27309 / 70
390 127 23417 / 60
391 112 30890 / 79
392 -69 114008 / 291
393 -90 55089 / 140
394 148 43684 / 111
394 --9 65067 / 165
396 140 46777 / 118
396 -10 64156 / 162
397 -36 39714 / 100
397 --5 44117 / 111
398 -83 51800 / 130
399 -97 37900 / 95
400 -73 77141 / 193
404 -46 39959 / 99
404 147 57014 / 141
404 145 61347 / 152
404 -92 45303 / 112
406 111 30057 / 74
406 -64 33257 / 82
408 -26 34658 / 85
408 -75 35468 / 87
411 -28 39447 / 96
411 -48 45621 / 111
412 -71 84919 / 206
414 -91 46348 / 112
414 139 73349 / 177
417 -16 40410 / 97
417 -57 43812 / 105
418 115 56433 / 135
421 -44 83028 / 197
422 -76 37974 / 90
424 129 22892 / 54
424 -60 48317 / 114
425 -37 126764 / 298
426 -61 28980 / 68
427 144 55500 / 130
427 -50 76040 / 178
428 105 126549 / 296
429 146 36432 / 85
429 -63 39870 / 93
430 -88 61068 / 142
430 -89 165075 / 384
430 -51 65770 / 153
431 143 50402 / 117
431 107 119925 / 278
431 -72 70257 / 163
431 -19 54355 / 126
433 120 22065 / 51
434 121 24306 / 56
434 -78 230189 / 530
436 137 36605 / 84
436 -66 67569 / 155
437 125 21394 / 49
438 -82 26704 / 61
438 110 28460 / 65
441 -21 45882 / 104
444 --8 34204 / 77
447 -77 70114 / 157
447 119-V-Y 111799 / 250
449 114 23372 / 52
449 -12 35446 / 79
451 128 21209 / 47
452 -80 63730 / 141
453 122 28076 / 62
455 -85 43681 / 96
455 119-A-H 105915 / 233
463 -79 61123 / 132
466 106 154088 / 331
470 119-K-* 139526 / 297
472 --1 29760 / 63
474 -93 21314 / 45
477 -45 76317 / 160
479 -17 59386 / 124
492 -58 49151 / 100
494 104 133898 / 271
497 -74 97988 / 197
502 119-Ts-T 142661 / 284
510 -68 158227 / 310
516 -67 27349 / 53
536 -65 58380 / 109

The importance of words

Here lie before you the phrases of Psalm 68 in the order of the numeric value of the words according to absolute gematria. Don't worry, I am not going to prove modulo 19 arithmetic or anything else - but it is a curiousity to see where some ideas lead. The music of this count with the colours derived by spreading the gematria over a base of 256*256*256 - approx 16 million, and anchoring tamim at red produces the spectrum shown here.

update: this blogger editor doesn't support much html - but I managed to get it to show the color below - I can see I am cycling and probably missing some of the potential spectrum.

Value - phrase - (english - count in the psalm)
7 בָּהּ (there-1)
12 הוּא (he-1)
13 אֲבִי (a father of-1)
15 יָהּ (Yah-1)
23 יֹאבְדוּ (will perish-1)
29 אֹיְבָיו (his enemies-1)
30 יְהוּדָה (Judah-1)
30 יָדָיו (their hands-1)
31 אֵל (The God of-1)
35 אוֹיְבָיו (those hostile to him-1)
36 הָאֵל (This God-2)
36 הָאֵל (the God of-2)
41 אֵלִי (my God-1)
44 לְדָוִד (Of David-1)
46 אֱלֹהֵי (the God of-1)
62 וְלֵיהוִה (and of the LORD-1)
63 דּוֹנַג (wax-1)
64 יוֹבִילוּ (will bring-1)
65 אֲדֹנָי (My Lord-5)
65 אֲדֹנָי (is the Lord-5)
65 אֲדֹנָי (my Lord-5)
65 אֲדֹנָי (the Lord-5)
65 אֲדֹנָי (to my Lord-5)
71 יוֹנָה (a dove-1)
75 לָמָּה (Why-1)
86 לָּנוּ (for us-1)
88 עוּזָּה (strengthen-1)
89 וְעֻזּוֹ (and his strength-1)
92 וְנִלְאָה (and her impatience-1)
95 סֶלָה (Selah-3)
96 סֹלּוּ (exalt-1)
100 מִנִּי (from out of-1)
100 מַלְכֵי (kings of-1)
100 מַלְכִּי (my king-1)
101 מִנֵּהוּ (his portion-1)
101 צִוָּה (commanded-1)
115 בְּעֶגְלֵי (with the calves of-1)
117 לָנוּ אֵל (is our God-1)
119 וְעִלְזוּ (and exult-1)
121 אַלְפֵי (thousands-1)
121 צְחִיחָה (in a scorched place-1)
125 כְּהִמֵּס (as melting-1)
130 סִינַי (Sinai-1)
138 וְיָנוּסוּ (and they will flee-1)
142 זֶה סִינַי (So Sinai-1)
143 נֶחְפָּה (covered-1)
144 בְּקוֹלוֹ (by his voice-1)
145 נָטְפוּ (dropped-1)
147 מוֹצִיא (delivering-1)
150 קִדְּמוּ (they precede-1)
155 קָנֶה (reeds-1)
160 כַּנְפֵי (the wings of-1)
160 לֶעָנִי (for the poor-1)
170 לִפְנֵי (in the presence of-2)
176 לְפָנָיו (in his presence-1)
178 לָנֶצַח (in perpetuity-1)
180 מִפְּנֵי (before the presence of-3)
180 מִפְּנֵי (in the presence of-3)
186 מִפָּנָיו (from his presence-1)
192 יָפוּצוּ (they will be scattered-1)
194 יֶחְפָּצוּ (they take delight-1)
205 הַר (the hill of-1)
206 יַעַלְצוּ (they will rejoice-1)
207 רָאוּ (they have seen-1)
208 קָדְקֹד (the crown of-1)
209 אַחַר (after-1)
209 בִּזַּר (he will disperse-1)
213 קוֹל עֹז (a voice of strength-1)
218 לַמְנַצֵּחַ (For the leader-1)
222 רֶכֶב (the chariot of-1)
228 בָּרְכוּ (bless you-1)
241 אָמַר (said-1)
252 לָרֹכֵב (the one riding-2)
252 לָרֹכֵב (to the one riding-2)
253 זַמְּרוּ (make music-2)
253 זַמְּרוּ (make music to-2)
257 נוֹרָא (to be feared-1)
262 הָהָר חָמַד (This hill delights-1)
266 יַעֲמָס לָנוּ (he carries us-1)
273 גְּעַר (rebuke-1)
293 מִזְמוֹר (A Psalm-1)
295 צָבָא רָב (are a great host-1)
310 שָׁי (presents-1)
312 שֶּׁבִי (you have captured-1)
313 אָשִׁיב (I will turn-2)
314 שַׁדַּי (the Almighty-1)
325 יָשְׁבוּ בָהּ (dwell there-1)
326 כּוּשׁ (Ethiopia-1)
346 שְׁמוֹ (his name-1)
352 בִּשְׁמֵי (in the heaven of-1)
355 בְשִׂמְחָה (in gladness-1)
358 מוֹשִׁיב (placing-1)
359 בַּאֲשָׁמָיו (in his offence-1)
360 שָׁלָל (the spoil-1)
363 בְּיָהּ שְׁמוֹ (by Yah his name-1)
370 צָעִיר (little-1)
376 שָׁכְנוּ (will live-1)
386 מִמְּקוֹר (from the fountain of-1)
406 אַתָּה (you-1)
406 בַקֹּדֶשׁ (in the holy-1)
406 בַּקֹּדֶשׁ (in the holy-1)
407 מְשַׂנְאָיו (those hating him-1)
410 קָדְשׁוֹ (his holiness-1)
416 גַּאֲוָתוֹ (his exaltation-1)
417 בַּיְתָה (in a household-1)
418 חַיַּת (the animal of the-1)
427 יֶאֱתָיוּ (they will come-1)
462 נְדָבוֹת (in plenty-1)
471 הֲלִיכוֹת (the walkings of-1)
481 מִפְּנֵי אֵשׁ (in the presence of fire-1)
499 צְבָאוֹת (hosts-1)
501 אַךְ (surely-1)
501 רֹאשׁ (the head of-1)
510 עָלִיתָ (you are gone up-1)
510 שִׁיר (A song-1)
510 שָׂרֵי (the princes of-2)
516 שִׁירוּ (Sing-2)
516 שִׁירוּ (sing-2)
527 אַלְמָנוֹת (widows-1)
530 לְךָ (to you-1)
531 כוֹנַנְתָּהּ (you directed-1)
533 תְּנוּ עֹז (give strength-1)
536 מַמְלְכוֹת (kingdoms of-1)
538 לָקַחְתָּ (you have received-1)
538 תְּחַלֵּק (shared-1)
541 אֲדֹנָי לַמָּוֶת (the Lord from death-1)
541 יִשְׂרָאֵל (Israel-3)
546 אֱלֹהֶיךָ (your God-1)
546 עֲלָמוֹת (the young women-1)
562 כְּלָבֶיךָ (your dogs-1)
570 נַפְתָּלִי (Naphtali-1)
575 רָעָשָׁה (quaked-1)
577 עֻזֶּךָ (your strength-1)
580 פָּעַלְתָּ (you have done-1)
582 בְּפָרֵשׂ (to spread-1)
583 בְּמַקְהֵלוֹת (in assemblies-1)
605 מֵהֵיכָלֶךָ (from your temple-1)
606 מִמְּצֻלוֹת (from the depths of-1)
607 בָּאָדָם (of humanity-1)
610 יָם (the sea-1)
610 עַמֶּךָ (your people-1)
612 בִּירַקְרַק (with yellow-green-1)
630 וְאֶבְרוֹתֶיהָ (and her feathers-1)
632 וְיָשִׂישׂוּ (and they will delight-1)
641 עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (over Israel-1)
642 יְחִידִים (the lonely-1)
646 אֱלֹהִים (God-16)
646 אֱלֹהִים (O God-16)
659 אֱלֹהִים זוּ (O God what-1)
663 מֵאֹיְבִים (from the enemies of-1)
666 בְּצַעְדְּךָ (when you march-1)
667 אֲדֹנָי בָם (the Lord is there-1)
676 לֵאלֹהִים (to God-4)
680 בָּעֲרָבוֹת (in the deserts-1)
700 לָעָם (to the people-1)
700 מְלָכִים (kings-2)
705 הֵן (Lo-1)
708 בָּרוּךְ (Blessed-2)
708 בָּרוּךְ (bless-2)
708 קְרָבוֹת (battles-1)
712 בֵּין (between-1)
712 שָׁבִיתָ (captives-1)
713 נֹגְנִים (players-1)
715 גַּבְנֻנִּים (mountain peaks-2)
715 גַּבְנֻנִּים (of mountain peaks-2)
716 יָקוּם (will arise-1)
720 וְדַיַּן (and advocate of-1)
720 עַמִּים (peoples --2)
720 עַמִּים (the peoples-2)
724 יִדֹּדוּן (flee-2)
724 יִדֹּדוּן (to flee-2)
733 תַּשְׁלֵג (white as snow-1)
738 לְשִׁבְתּוֹ (for his dwelling-1)
745 זְבֻלוּן (Zebulun-1)
780 מִתְרַפֵּס (submitting themselves-1)
802 בִּנְיָמִן (Benjamin-1)
807 וְאַף (even-1)
815 הָרִים (O hills-1)
818 בִּמְעוֹן (in the habitation of-1)
827 אַף יְהוָה (Indeed the LORD-1)
840 לְמַעַן (so that-1)
842 יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ (our salvation-1)
851 הַר אֱלֹהִים (The hill of God-1)
852 לְמוֹשָׁעוֹת (of salvation-1)
868 בְּצַלְמוֹן (in Salmon-1)
874 וּנְוַת בַּיִת (she who remained at home-1)
876 לַמָּרוֹם (on high-1)
879 כְּהִנְדֹּף (as driven-1)
881 אֲסִירִים (those bound-1)
882 בַכֶּסֶף (with silver-1)
896 מַתָּנוֹת (gifts-1)
897 תֹּצָאוֹת (the exeunts-1)
900 שָׁם (there-1)
903 גֶּשֶׁם (rain-1)
908 בְּתוֹךְ (in the midst of-1)
918 חַיָּתְךָ (those you gave life-1)
919 בְּטוֹבָתְךָ (of your goodness-1)
934 בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת (in chains-1)
940 מִצְרָיִם (Egypt-1)
953 הַמְבַשְּׂרוֹת (those publishing-1)
972 תּוֹפֵפוֹת (playing tambourine-1)
981 הֲלִיכוֹתֶיךָ (your walkings-1)
988 נַחֲלָתְךָ (your property-1)
994 מִמִּקְדָּשֶׁיךָ (from your sanctuary-1)
1008 חַשְׁמַנִּים (ambassadors-1)
1012 וְתַעֲצֻמוֹת (and numbers-1)
1020 בַּשְּׁחָקִים (in the firmament-1)
1030 יִשְׁכֹּן (will make his tent here-1)
1036 לְשׁוֹן (of the tongue of-1)
1042 מִבָּשָׁן (from Bashan-1)
1050 לִשְׁכֹּן (in the tent of-1)
1051 שִׁנְאָן (myriads-1)
1054 שְׁמֵי קֶדֶם (heavens of old-1)
1066 יְתוֹמִים (orphans-1)
1068 בִישִׁימוֹן (in a desolate place-1)
1070 עָשָׁן (smoke-1)
1076 סוֹרְרִים (the rebellious-2)
1101 אֶרֶץ (earth-1)
1106 הָאָרֶץ (the earth-1)
1110 יִתֵּן (he gives-1)
1110 שָׁרִים (singers-1)
1114 חָרוּץ (gold-1)
1130 תָּכִין (you will establish-1)
1180 רְשָׁעִים (the wicked-1)
1182 בְּרַצֵּי כָסֶף (in bits of silver-1)
1184 וְצַדִּיקִים יִשְׂמְחוּ (but the righteous will be glad-1)
1207 הַר בָּשָׁן (the hill of Bashan-2)
1212 רִבֹּתַיִם (tens of thousands-1)
1227 נֹתֵן עֹז (gives strength-1)
1232 יוֹם יוֹם (day by day-1)
1243 רִגְמָתָם (their crowd-1)
1246 עַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם (at Jerusalem-1)
1254 תִּנְדֹּף (you will drive-1)
1260 תָּנִיף (you sent-1)
1297 עֲדַת אַבִּירִים (the testimony of bulls-1)
1314 רֹדֵם שָׂרֵי (ruler the princes of-1)
1339 רַגְלְךָ בְּדָם (your foot in blood-1)
1348 תִּמְחַץ (you will wound-1)
1351 יִתֶּן אֹמֶר (gave a word-1)
1390 שְׁפַתָּיִם (the furniture-1)
1400 תְּרַצְּדוּן (be jealous-1)
1510 תָּרִיץ (will stretch-1)
1545 שֵׂעָר מִתְהַלֵּךְ (hair of one walking-1)
1639 אֱלֹהִים בְּצֵאתְךָ (God when you go forth-1)
1751 אַף שָׁמַיִם (indeed the heavens-1)
2029 אִם תִּשְׁכְּבוּן (if you lie down-1)
2105 אַךְ אֱלֹהִים יִמְחַץ (surely God will wound-1)

And this is just silly

Psalm 51 without the distraction of words.

Now this is fun

My alter-bloggo wrote about what it's all about - but today after a night of struggling with colour ideas, I decided it must be about colour so I brewed an algorithm to calculate the back colour of a node using the gematria value of the Hebrew consonants in the node. It is really quite remarkable and some of my early colours correspond exactly!

You can compare the colours [not any more] - left side is the gematria colour, right side is what I chose as I pondered months ago. See e.g. Psalm 8 so far. One advantage of this approach is that the colour scheme will be identical for all psalms where the same word or phrase is in the node. I can also adjust automagically the border width, the gradient colour, forecolour, and border colour as well as a number of other properties. Ideas are welcome.

I think I will try one of the word studies in Psalm 119 - ... 5 minute break ... hmmm - I will have to colour something based on root or the colours will change depending on the parsing of the words. Also if I play with forecolour, I will have to make sure it is readable against the back colour - could be a tricky calculation since colour values are subject to sudden changes.... thinking...

Here is psalm 67 with border width based on a rudimentary root algorithm. And Psalm 18. (It is just a bit over the top that the gematria of Psalm 67 supports my conjecture of identifying the 'him' with the 'produce' of the earth!)

When I look for similarities and circles - I ask if there is any significance to the same colour for different words - unlikely. But the same word repeated can be seen from colour and/or border width at a glance.

Psalm 68

Suzanne has posted part 11 of her series on Psalm 68, this time with a translation from Mary Sidney Herbert, a creative approach in an environment influenced by my favorite metaphysical poets. I am happy to see the posts continue. Some of my questions have been addressed; some still pending. I am not looking for conclusions, simply revelling in the continuing focus on psalms around this local pool in the blogosphere.

Two more drafts

Psalm 79 - some affinity with Psalm 42; Psalm 80 - reflection on the ambivalence of face - anger and light.

Psalm -79 September 2007 (132)
Psalm -80 September 2007 (141)

Psalm 51 - is this prosody or what?

Here is a picture of psalm 51 - colors muted - in the form of 4 stanzas English-Hebrew here, French-Hebrew here. If you are interested - count the versets, lines, strophes etc and see if I have followed John's general rule. I have to admit it is not that easy to juggle and occasionally I feel a bit arbitrary. The stanzas appear to have some conceptual coherence. [French courtesy of Les psaumes redécouverts (51-100) by Marc Girard, Bellarmin 1994]

Now to content - I have not marked enough of the Hebrew sound patterns though my coloring on the original is fantastical. There are the obvious four words for sin, guilt, transgression, and evil where in translation we must find equivalent differences. Then there are less obvious verbal repetitions which even in my raw translation of 9 months ago I have used creative synonyms instead of the same word (but the colors are consistent). E.g. I translated מְחֵה as blot out and erase. I have sinned against this poem in so doing. It is part of a 4-word concentric form that should be maintained: in the English blot out - wash - purify - know - know - pure - wash - erase. That must have been deliberate.

The edge of this circle intersects with the last stanza through sacrificial imagery - offer-rejoice-crush (not symmetric). This in turn surrounds the poet's prayer for renewal - clean heart, new spirit, not to be abandoned.

There are then more subtle relations: like face, eyes, presence, in front of / make evident ... and hide / hidden wisdom, the crushed bones = contrite heart.

I know this psalm in my body and life better perhaps than any - but I cannot translate it yet. I know from John's post that neither Alter nor Kugel is satisfactory. I will try later - how much later I am not sure. I know that if the concentric structure I have already pointed out is to be preserved, then those words must not be used synonymously anywhere else in the circles. And verses 6-8 are the critical centre - what is it that they mean? That God is just and David agrees. That David recognizes his emptiness from his beginnings. That God will teach him yet - wisdom secretly.

My quote of the day

'The Psalms make it possible to say things that are otherwise unsayable'

In this brief rewiew of Goldingay's Psalms 1993. HT to Mark Goodacre. I don't know if it's always free - but it is today.

Working on book 1

Psalm -30 September 2007 (97)
Psalm -32 September 2007 (110)
Psalm -34 September 2007 (165)
Psalm -37 September 2007 (298)

My random walk continues. I notice a couple of words recurring in recent psalms - variations on כּרת (cut) in psalms 34 and 37 and on תָּם (complete).

Cut and complete are terms used with the covenant of circumcision. 'Cut off' in psalm 37 is repeatedly used to mean destroyed, removed. In Psalm 34, the righteous are said to have great evil. Well we know this in ourselves. And look at how much trouble David gets into. The LORD saves the righteous, but the same evil (the same word that is) slays the wicked. It seems to me that that the only resolution is for both the righteous and the wicked to be in this cut covenant as the Psalms and the Prophets so clearly state must be the case. This imaged-reality providing such a complete cut for all is included in the work (the acts) of God in Christ expressed in and from the Psalms and the Prophets in the NT and encompassing circumcision, passover, atonement, and in fact every aspect of offering that is expressed with such depth in TNK. Truly the faith of the covenant people expressed in TNK is beautiful.

Experimental Table of Contents

I have a new table of contents for the psalm diagrams - more compact - experimental - any artists out there with ideas?

Ah, bright wings

A new table of contents emerging in my dreams - every one of its 300+ entries a bright star, a coat of many colours. Will I find it?

John has been encouraging us to learn to see without the Masoretic markings - perhaps it is the next necessary step. What patterns can I recognize without the points? Certainly plurals, often i and o vowels where the 'letter' is waw or yod - essentially a mater. There was a rule on pronouncing the leading waw - usually ve but sometimes u or va depending on what followed - I have forgotten. And when is the suffix waw like an O or like U? - it's a game of word recognition. How little we need to see a word in our native writing system. How we can struggle with the strange tongue? (Psalm 114 - In Exitu Israel de Aegypto, domus Iacob de populo barbaro.)

My ultimate table of contents will have to be at least 306 entries - two each per psalm (4 each for 119?) - each psalm with 2 diagrams: one in raw form exploring the inner verbal structure and one in prosodic form, compact, and without vowel points. The challenge for the ah-bright-wings of the table of contents is to fit 300+ links into a viewable form.

The silver dove with gold pinions of psalm 68 - is that the gift of the Spirit? If so, it would pair with verse 19. Here's a rough cut


יב )aDonAY YITEn )omER
אֲדֹנָי יִתֶּן אֹמֶר
My Lord gave a word

HàmbàsROth TsAbA) RAb
הַמְבַשְּׂרוֹת צָבָא רָב
the women publishing are a great host

יג màLkèY TsbA)Oth YIDoDUn YIDoDUn
מַלְכֵי צְבָאוֹת יִדֹּדוּן יִדֹּדוּן
kings of hosts gallop away (YIDoDUn YIDoDUn, YIDoDUn YIDoDUn)

UnVàth BàYIth TXàLèQ ShALAL
וּנְוַת בַּיִת תְּחַלֵּק שָׁלָל
she who remained at home shared the spoil


יד )Im TIShkbUn BèYn ShphàTAYIm
אִם תִּשְׁכְּבוּן בֵּין שְׁפַתָּיִם
if you rest between the ash-heaps

kànphèY YOnAH nEXPAH bàkESEph
כַּנְפֵי יוֹנָה נֶחְפָּה בַכֶּסֶף
- the wings of a dove covered with silver

V)EbROthEYHA BiRàQRàQ XARUTs
וְאֶבְרוֹתֶיהָ בִּירַקְרַק חָרוּץ
and her feathers with yellow-green gold


טו BphARès ShàDàY mLAkim BAH TàShLèg BTsàLmOn
בְּפָרֵשׂ שַׁדַּי מְלָכִים בָּהּ תַּשְׁלֵג בְּצַלְמוֹן
the Almighty will spread the kings there white as snow in Salmon


טז HàR )eLoHim HàR BAShAn HàR GàbnuNim HàR BAShAn
הַר אֱלֹהִים הַר בָּשָׁן הַר גַּבְנֻנִּים הַר בָּשָׁן
The hill of God the hill of Bashan the hill of mountain peaks the hill of Bashan


יז LAMAH TRàTsDUn HARim GàbnuNim
לָמָּה תְּרַצְּדוּן הָרִים גַּבְנֻנִּים
Why be jealous O hills of mountain peaks

HAHAR XAmàD )eLoHim LShIbTO
הָהָר חָמַד אֱלֹהִים לְשִׁבְתּוֹ
This hill is God's delight for his dwelling

)àph YY YIShkon LAnETsàX
אַף יְהוָה יִשְׁכֹּן לָנֶצַח
Indeed, the LORD will make his tent here in perpetuity


יח REkEb )eLoHim RIBothàYIm )àLphèY ShIn)An
רֶכֶב אֱלֹהִים רִבֹּתַיִם אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן
the chariot of God - tens of thousands, thousands, myriads

)aDonAY bAm SinàY BàQoDESh
אֲדֹנָי בָם סִינַי בַּקֹּדֶשׁ
the Lord is there, [as at] Sinai, in the holy place


יט `ALithA LàMAROm ShAbithA ShEbi
עָלִיתָ לַמָּרוֹם שָׁבִיתָ שֶּׁבִי
you are gone up on high captives you have captured

LAQàXTA màTAnOth BA)ADAm
לָקַחְתָּ מַתָּנוֹת בָּאָדָם
you have received the gifts of humanity

V)àph SORRim LIShkon YAH )eLoHim
וְאַף סוֹרְרִים לִשְׁכֹּן יָהּ אֱלֹהִים
even the rebellious, in the tent of Yah God

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New and changed diagrams in the last 10 days
Psalm -28 September 2007 (96)
Psalm -68 September 2007 (310)
Psalm 108 September 2007 (98)
Psalm 110 September 2007 (65)
Psalm 111 September 2007 (74)
Psalm 112 September 2007 (79)
Psalm 113 September 2007 (60)
Psalm 114 September 2007 (52)
Psalm 115 May 2007 (135)
Psalm 116 August 2007 (131)
Psalm 117 March 2007 (17)
Psalm 135 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 144 September 2007 (130)
Psalm 146 May 2007 (85)
Psalm 147 June 2007 (141)
Psalm 148 June 2007 (111)
Psalm 149 July 2007 (63)
Psalm 150 December 2006 (37)



Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
Gerard Manley Hopkins

A few more psalms drafted

Psalm 108 September 2007 (98)
Psalm 110 September 2007 (65)
Psalm 111 September 2007 (74)
Psalm 144 September 2007 (130)

I haven't spent much time with these psalms yet. It's the nature of drafting. I am sensitive to the fact that my memory grows slowly and I may be doing things in ways that disable my thinking - but I will learn at the pace I am directed in - brain cells take time to grow.

I have noticed that there are places where my translations are woefully inconsistent in word usage - like spelling hallelujah in 3 different ways - and debating whether or not to translate it - Praise Yah or Praise the LORD - I think not this last. Maybe untranslated completely? - Hallu Yah. (Hello?) All these things are in database tables so are in principle directly accessible to me - but only as a hacker DBA. So maybe I will suggest some tool improvements when the next release of the diagram software is available - like a global change across diagrams...

The precipices in Psalm 68

I suppose I should be cautious, for I don't think we ever exhaust the 'meaning' or the application of a psalm. This is not just a matter of translation, but of the work of the psalm in our lives, a liturgy of transformation, our smoke dissipating in the presence of fire. But still I am asking, what parts of the psalm do I seem to 'understand' and what parts are difficult to understand?

Some of my questions are simple.
1. There are a number of repeated words - as if this poet likes to repeat words. Are some of them figures of speech or common conventions or are they innovations in the poet's language?
2. The word Adonai gets frequent use. Is this a northern convention? (Does Korah own a piece of this psalm?)
3. Of the difficulties: verses 14, 21, 24, and perhaps 31 stand out for me.

Returning to my original purpose in examining the psalms: how would a first century writer such as the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews read the psalm - would he or she see our difficulties? This writer used words from the psalms as dialogue between the Father and the Son. Is there any hint of such dialogue in Psalm 68? It can be granted that the original poet(s) would not have had such an explicit referent - but are there hints that allow for such a possibility at a different level of apprehension than that of the first century?

Taking just verse 14 (13 in English)
אִם תִּשְׁכְּבוּן בֵּין שְׁפַתָּיִם
)Im tishkbun bein shepataim

Available translations:
Weiser: Do you want to camp among the sheepfolds?
Dahood: O that they would empty out between the sheepfolds.
Jerusalem Bible (1962): Meanwhile you others were lolling in the sheepfolds.
KJV: Though ye have lien among the pots.
RSV: though they stay among the sheepfolds.
Iyov's post of Alter's translation: If you lie down among sheepfolds . . .
Robert Davidson: no translation given - only notes

It's a rather wide field of possibilities. The woman of the prior verse is described as נְוַת (nvat). I think this is being read as a singular participle, a word that suggests a pastoral environment. BDB translates 'she that is abiding at home'.

Here is the phrase in its wider context:
Weiser
The Lord gives utterance with a loud voice
great is the host of maidens who bring glad tidings
The kings of the armies flee, they flee,
and the women at home divide the spoil
Do you want to camp among the sheepfolds?

Weiser's next sentence is not a sentence - it is meaningless to me - it must have lost in the translation from the German.
The wings of a dove covered with silver
and its pinions with green gold,
when the almighty scattered kings therein
thou causest (sic) snow to fall on Zalmon.

Dahood
Let the Lord send forth the word
rejoicing a numerous host.
May the kings of the hosts bow themselves, bow themselves,
the country's pasture land share the boon;
O that they would empty out between the sheepfolds!
The wings of the dove are plated with silver,
and her pinions with yellow gold.
When Shaddai covered the kings,
then snow fell on Zalmon.

Alter
The Master gives word
--the women who bear tidings are a great host:
"The kings of armies run away, run away,
and the mistress of the house shares out the spoils."
If you lie down among sheepfolds . . .
The wings of the dove are inlaid with silver,
and her pinions with precious gold.
When Shaddai scattered the kings there,
it snowed on Zalmon.

(What would Handel do with these!)

The simplest resolution - to guess at the meaning - seems to be to take the approach that contrasts the women (singular or plural?) with the kings fleeing, and the threats with the division of booty which is then perhaps referred to in "the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold." This, Weiser suggests, is what the RSV has done, allowing a reading similar to KJV but without the period at the end of the prior verse.

The women at home
divide the spoil,
though they stay among the sheepfolds --
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with green gold.

It is an obscure verse - as dark as that mountain at Salmon. I leave this one as unresolved for the moment - all questions outstanding. Maybe the dish ran away with the spoon. Perhaps we are missing the irony or humour in the piece.

Some Commentaries on psalm 68

I looked at a dozen books referring to psalm 68 last night. Unfortunately Fokkelman does not treat this psalm. From him I would expect a serious structural argument and lots of counting. I brought home Weiser (1962), Dahood (1968), and Robert Davidson (1998). We know that Dahood will give us some alternatives to think about. For instance, with respect to two of the occurrences of Elohim, he suggests that the lamedh of verse 5 is a vocative lamedh - and to be fair, he justifies it with an appeal to the parallel in verse 33 (suggesting things with structure is at least a visible reason).

The transcriptions are copied per his text - so no practice working back to the Hebrew letters - maybe John can help here.

So verse 5 becomes:
Sing, O gods, chant, O his heavens,
[shemo becomes shamaw - defective spelling]
pave the highway for the Rider of the Clouds [cf Isaiah 40:3]
Delight in Yahweh and exult before him
[beyah shemo makes no sense according to Dahood - so it becomes beyah semu, qal masculine plural of *ysm - my old Jerusalem Bible has the same 'correction'.]

and verse 33
O kings of the earth, sing,
O gods, sing praises to the Lord
Behold the Rider of his heavens,
the primeval heavens

Weiser is more traditional. All three have the rider upon the clouds - not the desert.

Much to learn here - pondering ...

(At least I didn't bring home the Commentary on the Psalms from primitive and mediaeval writers : and from the various office-books and hymns of the Roman, Mozarabic, Ambrosian, Gallican, Greek, Coptic, Armenian, and Syriac rites / by J.M. Neale and R.F. Littledale. The imaging of Christ in the psalter knows no bounds in the heights of Christendom.)

More on Psalm 68

I have attempted to massage the psalm according to the prosodic general rule. You can see it here. I hope you will agree that the stress-units, versets, lines and strophes are viewable. By painting the Hebrew and English differently instead of as a mirror, I think I have allowed some viewing of both internal and external structures together.

I have altered some parts of the translation from the raw word for word which the draft represented. I have sometimes used normal English word order and I have allowed the jussive to replace the indicative as suggested by John and most of the translations I have seen. I have no compunction about praying in this fashion - let your requests be made known.... Equally, I am always aware that salvation must be the result for the enemies I have created if it is to be for me as rebellious (I fit verse 22 - you cannot escape these psalms). Our salvation requires that we be conformed to the scattering of our pretensions by the exaltation of Christ on the cross and at the right hand of the Holy. There is nothing better that I can desire for my enemies.

My results:
section 1: 1-11, 3 stanzas, 3, 3, and 2 strophes, 11 lines.

section 2: 12-26, 3 stanzas 2, 2, and 3 strophes, 15 lines.

section 3: 27 to 36, 2 stanzas, 3 and 2 strophes, 12 lines - the last very short, only one verset.

John counted 52 lines - so I must have put some 2's into 3's. He also did not split the sections where I did.

(The computer counted a total of 310 words including the inscription. My section word counts appear to be 88, 124, and 90. Section 1 and 3 are equal in length apart from the 2 word final verset.)

God's chariot is in the centre of each section. Emphasis in section 1 is on presence (faces). Section 2 has the rare language of wounding - מחץ - (machats). The same rare word for wound is twice in Psalm 110 (5,6). (Deuteronomy 32:39 is particularly instructive - approaching as it does the for us central issue of theodicy. I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither [is there any] that can deliver out of my hand.) Section 3 is bound by the word bless, and has an emphasis on strength.

I searched out a number of commentaries last night and will report a few of them later. If I were looking for unity, which some of the commentaries deny, I would want to be convinced based on the inclusios and emphases in the text. The prosodic structure might also provide confirmation.

Psalm 68

I have a few more psalms drafted

Psalm -68 September 2007 (310) update: see also prosodic
Psalm -86 August 2007 (147)
Psalm 103 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 116 August 2007 (131)

Psalm 68 is the subject of several recent posts from Suzanne, John, and Lingamish who allows the psalm to stand as "one of the most difficult of all psalms to understand and interpret".

For some time the mantra - psalms are more than poems - has been in my head - with instruction to write. What shall I write? Psalms happen to you. Poems can be interpreted. Sometimes when I approach a psalm, I deliberately ask that it not 'happen' to me (now that I know this truth). But equally - let Psalm 139 happen and 86 and let us be able to know the signs of the times.

If I had to note a suggestion I received while musing so far, I would reference Christopher Smart and the Jubilate Agno Fragment B, 2 (set in part by Benjamin Britten)

For at that time malignity ceases and the devils themselves are at peace. (Check this poem out if you don't know it.) Even the rebellious get a benefit in Psalm 68. Do you know anywhere else that this happens?

My draft of Psalm 68 identifies a few structural aspects - perhaps they will help in the understanding:

The word I translated presence (literally faces) occurs 8 times in the first 9 verses. If this psalm isn't something about presence, I would be surprised. This word does not occur again - so if it is a prelude, it is not balanced. If not perhaps there is a centre in the first 9 verses to look for. It is likely balanced by the end sections on strength (6 uses in the last 8 verses).

Selah interrupts a thought each time it occurs - so it is not marking cadences as it often does.

Sing, make music, and God riding a chariot occur twice - once in the desert, the second time in the heavens - the centre of the concentric structure on strength.The centre also encompasses the fate of the kings who are the ones singing and making music to God at the end. So the righteous of verse 4 are not parochial. A third referent to the chariot is in the middle section.

The place of God's holiness occurs 4 times.

God as El, Eli, Elohim, Elohay (31 times), Yah(2), YHWH (2), Shaddai (1), Adonai(7) - I wonder about the density (12.5%) and variety of the names of God in the Psalm.

Verse 12 - My Lord gave a word; those publishing are a great host

This verse seems to head the rest of the poem. The content is about kings fleeing and yet further on kings returning with gifts and homage. In the middle is where the triumph of God is recorded: Adonai desires to make his permenant home on mount Zion, Even the rebellious are in the tent of Yah Elohim.

Verse 21(20) may be the centre of the poem - I have no idea what to do with the last word of that verse which I have rendered exeunts. The tetragrammeton occurs only here.

verse 22-24 uses rare language (= Psalm 110).

There are many allusions that are used by New Testament writers.

There are some really odd verses that maybe if they happen to you, you will sing about. So what does it mean to lie down between the whatevers - as KJV has it - though ye have a lien among the pots! Or what has the snow of Salmon to do with kings? (Except as an image of forgiveness of course).

I look forward to future posts and resolution of some of these difficulties - maybe.