Friday, July 25, 2008

God obeys the great commandment

Psalm 8
- what is man, lost man, that thou shouldst be so mindful of him?
- led me to
Psalm 144
- what is this humus that you know it?

Here is the answer - in a word, God loves us as God loves God. (HT Mike Higton)

I am working my way for a second time through the whole Psalter - both ends towards the middle. To follow the thread begin here and come forward in time. (Other earlier notes on structure are here and here.)

Psalms 40 and 90 by my soundex measure - sharing three consecutive consonants - have some relationship to 144 (I really need to refine the algorithm - some of the connections are quite comical).

In actual same-word connections, the psalms are both prayers invoking .אֲדֹנָי Adonai is less than common in the Psalms. Both speak of pride (a unique reading - hapax - in both psalms) and loving kindness חַסְדֶּךָ and both use other words common in the psalms.


Psalm 40
Psalm 90


to the proudאֶל רְהָבִיםtheir pride is but labor and troubleוְרָהְבָּם


establishing my stepsכּוֹנֵןestablish the work of our handsכּוֹנְנָה


my iniquitiesעֲו‍ֹנֹתַיour iniquitiesעֲו‍ֹנֹתֵינוּ


let them be gladוְיִשְׂמְחוּand we will be gladשַׂמְּחֵנוּ

Psalm 40
For the leader of David A Psalm
waiting I await יְהוָה
and he bowed to me
and he heard my cry
he brought me up from a pit of tumult
from clinging muck
and set my feet on a rock
establishing my steps
and he gave my mouth a new song
praise to our God

many will see and will fear
and will trust in יְהוָה
happy the man who makes יְהוָה his trust
and does not turn to the proud
falling away to a lie

many things you have done
you יְהוָה my God
your wonders and your plans for us
there is nothing to compare to you
I will make them known and I will speak
they are too numerous to count

in sacrifice and offering you did not delight
ears you have dug for me
burnt offering and sin offering you did not require
then I said Here I come
in the roll of the writing is inscribed of me
to do your will my God I delighted
and your law in the midst of my loins

I have published righteousness
in the great congregation
here my lips I did not restrain
יְהוָה you know
your righteousness I did not hide within my heart
of your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken
I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth
in the great congregation
you יְהוָה will not restrain your tender mercies from me

your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me
for evils surrounded me without number
my iniquities they held me and I had no power to see
numerous as the hairs of my head
so my heart abandons me
be pleased יְהוָה to deliver me
יְהוָה hurry to help me

let them be ashamed and disconcerted together
for seeking my life to destroy it
let them be driven back and be humiliated
that delight in my hurt
let them be desolate with consequence in their shame
those saying to me, hah! hah!

let all those seeking you sing and let them be glad in you
and let those loving your salvation say continually
great is יְהוָה

but poor am I and needy
O Lord hurry to me my helper and my deliverer
you my God will not delay

Psalm 90
A prayer of Moses the man of God
Lord, you have become our habitation from age to age
before the mountains were born
or earth and the world writhed
even from everlasting to everlasting you are God
you turn a human to dust and you say
Turn children of humus

for a thousand years in your eyes is like a recent day
for it is past and a watch in the night
you flood them, sleep they become
in the morning like grass they grow up
in the morning it flourishes and grows up
in the evening it is cut down and withers

for we are consumed in your anger
and in your wrath we are troubled
you put our iniquities in front of you
our secret in the light of your face
for all our days turn away from your fury
we complete our years as a groan

days of our years, in them seventy years
and if in strength eighty years
but their pride is labor and trouble for it is cut off soon
and we flutter away
Who knows the power of your anger
and for your fear your fury

To number our days so teach
and we will come to a heart of wisdom
Turn יְהוָה , how long? And sigh over your servants
sustain us in the morning - your loving kindness - and we will rejoice
and be glad all our days

Make us glad for days you afflicted us years we have seen evil
Let your work appear to your servants
and your honor to their children
And let be the beauty of the Lord our God on us
and the work of our hands establish on us
and the work of our hands establish

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