Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Psalm 84

For the leader
at the Gittite settlement
of the children of Korah
A Psalm
How lovely your dwellings
יְהוָה of hosts
my life longs and even faints for the courts of יְהוָה
my heart and my flesh cry to the living God

Yea bird finds house and swallow nest for herself
where she lays her brood
even your altars יְהוָה of hosts
my king and my God

Happy those sitting in your house
continually they will praise you
Selah
Happy the human whose strength is in you
with a highway in their heart
passing through the valley of tears they make it a well
even with blessings filled from former training

They will go from strength to strength
and will appear to God in Zion
יְהוָה God of hosts hear my prayer
listen God of Jacob
Selah
See our shield O God
look at the face of your anointed
for better a day in your courts
than a thousand that I chose(1)
door-keeping in the house of my God
than to dwell in the tents of wickedness

For battlement and shield is יְהוָה God
יְהוָה will give grace and glory
no good will he withhold from those who walk in completeness
יְהוָה of hosts
happy is the human who trusts in you

Note: training - at least it has 'rain' in it. The derivation is from the same word that informs Torah. It seems possible to associate the strength from lessons learned.
a highway in their heart - this is quite literal, but suggests again the Northern longing for the courts of the first verses.
(1) Update - I have followed this analysis from Daniel and Tonya for a resolution of the verse into a double ellipsis. Note from a personal and pragmatic point of view how much this phrasing enables and encourages the faith of waiting on the good pleasure of God.

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