Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Learning the Psalter backwards


To learn backwards, begin with praise. Here is my selection of all uses of praise (הלל) in the Psalter. (The little letters in red are the verse numbers - to help with counting and sequencing).

For vocabulary, you will have to go beyond praise, since praise as you can see from the graph, is highly weighted towards Book 5 of the psalter.

Psalm 10: ג - כִּי הִלֵּל - For boasted(1)
Psalm 18: ד - מְהֻלָּל - praising(1)
Psalm 22: כג - אֲהַלְלֶךָּ - I will praise you(1)
Psalm 22: כד - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(1)
Psalm 22: כז - יְהַלְלוּ - they will praise(1)
Psalm 34: ג - תִּתְהַלֵּל - will glory(1)
Psalm 35: יח - אֲהַלְלֶךָּ - I will praise you(1)
Psalm 44: ט - הִלַּלְנוּ - we will boast(1)
Psalm 48: ב - וּמְהֻלָּל - and to be praised(1)
Psalm 49: ז - יִתְהַלָּלוּ - boast(1)
Psalm 52: ג - מַה תִּתְהַלֵּל - why do you boast(1)
Psalm 56: ה - אֲהַלֵּל - I will praise(3)
Psalm 56: יא - אֲהַלֵּל - I will praise(3)
Psalm 56: יא - אֲהַלֵּל - I will praise(3)
Psalm 63: ו - יְהַלֶּל פִּי - gives praise my mouth(1)
Psalm 63: יב - יִתְהַלֵּל - he will boast(1)
Psalm 64: יא - וְיִתְהַלְלוּ - and they will shine(1)
Psalm 69: לא - אֲהַלְלָה - I will praise(1)
Psalm 69: לה - יְהַלְלוּהוּ - let them praise him(1)
Psalm 74: כא - יְהַלְלוּ - will praise(1)
Psalm 84: ה - יְהַלְלוּךָ - they will praise you(1)
Psalm 96: ד - וּמְהֻלָּל - and to praise(1)
Psalm 97: ז - הַמִּתְהַלְלִים - boasting(1)
Psalm 102: יט - יְהַלֶּל יָהּ - will praise Yah(1)
Psalm 104: לה - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(1)
Psalm 105: ג - הִתְהַלְלוּ - Glory(1)
Psalm 105: מה - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(1)
Psalm 106: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 106: ה - לְהִתְהַלֵּל - to praise(1)
Psalm 106: מח - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 107: לב - יְהַלְלוּהוּ - will praise him(1)
Psalm 109: ל - אֲהַלְלֶנּוּ - I will praise him(1)
Psalm 111: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(1)
Psalm 112: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(1)
Psalm 113: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 113: א - הַלְלוּ - Praise him(1)
Psalm 113: א - הַלְלוּ אֶת שֵׁם - Praise the name of(1)
Psalm 113: ט - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 113: ג - מְהֻלָּל - to be praised(1)
Psalm 115: יז - יְהַלְלוּ יָהּ - will praise Yah(1)
Psalm 115: יח - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(1)
Psalm 116: יט - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(1)
Psalm 117: א - הַלְלוּ - Praise(1)
Psalm 117: ב - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(1)
Psalm 119: קסד - הִלַּלְתִּיךָ - do I praise you(1)
Psalm 119: קעה - וּתְהַלְלֶךָּ - and I will praise you(1)
Psalm 135: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(3)
Psalm 135: א - הַלְלוּ אֶת שֵׁם - Praise the name of(1)
Psalm 135: א - הַלְלוּ - Praise him(1)
Psalm 135: כא - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(3)
Psalm 135: ג - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(3)
Psalm 145: ב - וַאֲהַלְלָה - and I will praise(1)
Psalm 145: ג - וּמְהֻלָּל - and to be praised(1)
Psalm 146: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 146: א - הַלְלִי - praise(1)
Psalm 146: י - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 146: ב - אֲהַלְלָה - I will praise(1)
Psalm 147: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 147: יב - הַלְלִי - Praise(1)
Psalm 147: כ - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 148: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 148: יד - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 148: יג - יְהַלְלוּ - let them praise(2)
Psalm 148: ז - הַלְלוּ - Praise(1)
Psalm 148: ה - יְהַלְלוּ - Let them praise(2)
Psalm 148: ד - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(6)
Psalm 148: ג - הַלְלוּהוּ - praise him(6)
Psalm 148: ג - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(6)
Psalm 148: ב - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(6)
Psalm 148: ב - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(6)
Psalm 148: א - הַלְלוּ אֶת יְהוָה - Praise the LORD(1)
Psalm 148: א - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(6)
Psalm 149: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 149: ג - יְהַלְלוּ - let them praise(1)
Psalm 149: ט - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 150: א - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)
Psalm 150: א - הַלְלוּ אֵל - Praise God(1)
Psalm 150: א - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(9)
Psalm 150: ב - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(9)
Psalm 150: ב - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(9)
Psalm 150: ג - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(9)
Psalm 150: ג - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(9)
Psalm 150: ד - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(9)
Psalm 150: ד - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(9)
Psalm 150: ה - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(9)
Psalm 150: ה - הַלְלוּהוּ - Praise him(9)
Psalm 150: ו - תְּהַלֵּל - praise(1)
Psalm 150: ו - הַלְלוּ יָהּ - Hallelu Yah(2)

2 comments:

David Ker said...

Fascinating. I'm still stuck on 150:1. But enjoying it. Your letter blocks are my bookmark.

Bob MacDonald said...

I delight in your and my learning alike. I have forgotten how hard it was to get started! It look me years. So I hope some of my fun tools can help shorten the startup. I posted QD$ in the next post. The other words in 150:1 are rarer - expanse occurs elsewhere only in psalm 19:2. These things can also be learned using a tool like the blueletterbible - but what I find hard is to see the 'root' word in many places so I can get an idea of how the suffixes and prefixes work. My current task is to get an interactive search working so I can begin to read the same word in many different contexts. (Sometimes of course, it is not the same word - or it requires more filters which I apply 1 letter at a time.)

The 'mighty acts' is a tough one since the word GBR is also spelled GBVR and sometimes means just man rather than mighty. Remember I am learning too and will have made blunders - regard the blunders as part of the challenge.

More to come on this I hope.