The Last Acrostic - Zonked by Psalm 145

A praise of David

I will lift you up my God the king
I will bless your name always and ever
Bless you I will in every day
and I will praise your name always and ever

Great is יְהוָה and much to be praised
and his greatness is beyond searching
Down through the ages the praise of your works
and your might will be conspicuous
Honor, glory, and of your strength I speak
your wonders I voice

Vocal they will be of ferocity and your fearfulness
I will recount your greatness
Zonked in the presence of your abundance they shall pour out their speech
and they will sing of your righteousness

Compassionate and merciful is יְהוָה
patient of face and of great kindness
To all יְהוָה is good
and his compassion is over all his works

יְהוָה all your works will praise you
and your saints will bless you
Kingdom glory will be their talk
and they will speak of your power

Lo, revealing to the children of dust
the might and glory, the honor of his reign
Making your reign a reign for all times
and your rule for every age to every age

Sustains יְהוָה all the fallen
and he raises up all the distressed
Eyes all hope to you
and you give them their food in its season
Perfect, you open your hand
satisfying the delight of all that is

So righteous is יְהוָה in all his ways
and kind in all his works
Quick is יְהוָה to all calling him
to all who call him in truth

Rejoicing he will bring delight to those fearing him
and he will hear their cry and will save them
Showing protection יְהוָה to one and all loving him
and annihilating all the wicked

To the praise of יְהוָה my mouth will speak
and let all-flesh bless his holy name always and ever

The Acrostics (119)

Psalm 119 is the most tightly woven micro recurrence structure in the whole Bible. A year ago July I first finished my draft of this psalm. [A year later, I am working though it again letter by letter - see the sidebar - these are, with the letters in Ruth, a study of grammar.] Other posts illustrating my early analysis are here, here, here, here, here, and here. This image illustrates all the recurring words in gory color.

I am translating Torah as teaching rather than law. Law is misleading to the postmodern. Teaching is not impersonal but engaging and is never independent of the teacher. They shall all be taught by God. And I am distinguishing word DBR from word IMRH since the Psalmist clearly distinguishes these two. IMRH I have translated as promise.

My initial letters are arbitrary. I didn't have the advantage of vav - the Hebrew letter that made one set of 8 verses very easy. There is no word in Hebrew that begins with vav, but it can be the first letter of any word! I used the Latin W for V.

I have largely followed the alef-bet, but I refused zayin and doubled the use of yod - in this creative patch, I thought a double yod would have symbolic value. (More likely, it just happened.) I also have used C for Chet, F for kaf, and S three times for samech, tsade, and shin/sin. For the glottal stops, Aleph is A and Ayin is I. And of course I typed T twice too.

Psalm 119
Alef

All joy for those who are the complete of the way
who walk in the teaching of יְהוָה
All joy for those observing his testimonies
they seek him with their whole heart
Also they do no injustice
they walk in his ways
And you commanded your precepts
to keep in full
Ah that my ways were directed
to keep your statutes
And then I would not be ashamed
to gaze on all your commandments
And I will praise you with an upright heart
when I learn the judgments of your righteousness
And I will keep your statutes
you will not forsake me in full perpetuity

Bet

But how will a youth cleanse his path
to keep it for your word?
By all my heart I have sought you
do not let me stray from your commandments
By my heart I have hid your promise
in order that I will not sin against you
Blessed are you יְהוָה
teach me your statutes
By my lips I have declared
all the judgments of your mouth
By the way of your testimonies
I have rejoiced more than all sufficiency
By your precepts I will muse
and I will look to your paths
By your statutes I will delight
nor will I forget your word

Gimel

Grow your servant
and I will live and keep your word
Give sight to my eyes
I will see wonders in your teaching
Guest I am on the earth
do not hide from me your commandments
Ground down is my being
for longing at all times for your judgments
Giving rebuke, you have cursed the presumptuous
erring from your commandments
Get from me ignominy and contempt
for I have observed your testimonies
Great princes sat and spoke against me
your servant will meditate on your statutes
Grand are your testimonies and my delight
they are my human counsels

Dalet

Dust-cleaved is my being
give me life by your word
Declared have I my ways and you heard me
teach me your statutes
Direct my discernment in the way of your precepts
and I will meditate on your wonderful works
Drips my being with grief
strengthen me according to your word
Deceitful way remove from me
and grace me with your teaching
Deliberated have I a way of faith
I have agreed with your judgments
Determined I cleave to your testimonies
יְהוָה do not put me to shame
Direct by your commandments I will run
for you enlarge my heart

He

Help me learn יְהוָה the way of your statutes
and I will observe with consequence
Have me understand and I will observe your teaching
and I will keep it with a whole heart
Have me go in the pathway of your commandments
for I have delighted in them
Hearten me to your testimonies
and not to unjust profit
Hide my eyes from gazing on emptiness
give me life in your way
Hold to your servant your promise
which is to your fear
Hide my reproach that I have feared
for your judgments are good
Here I have longed for your precepts
in your righteousness give me life

Vav

Well come to me is your steadfast love יְהוָה
your salvation because of your promise
Wherewith I will answer a word to one reproaching me
for I trust in your word
Word of truth do not remove from my mouth utterly
for I have hoped in your judgments
Watch over your teaching I will
continually to the age and for ever
Walk in maturity I will
for I have sought your precepts
Words of your testimonies before kings I will have
and I will not be ashamed
Wherefore my delight will be in your commandments
which I have loved
Wave my hands I will to your commandments which I have loved
and I will meditate on your statutes

Zayin

You remember a word to your servant
by which you give me hope
Yes - this word is my comfort in my trouble
for your promise gives me life
Yet the presumptuous hold me in great derision
I have not fallen away from your teaching
Your judgments I bring to presence from of old יְהוָה
and I comfort myself
Yang of fire grasps me
from the wicked forsaking your teaching
Yin of songs your statutes have become to me
in the house of my lifetime
Your name I have remembered in the night יְהוָה
I have kept your teaching
You are mine
for I have observed your precepts

Het

Chosen portion, mine you are יְהוָה
I have vowed to keep your word
Craved have I your presence with all my heart
have mercy on me remembering your promise
Considered have I my ways
and turned my feet to your testimonies
Came quickly I did
and I would not delay to keep your commandments
Companies of the wicked robbed me
I have not ignored your teaching
Come midnight I arise to give thanks to you
for the judgments of your righteousness
Companion am I to all who fear you
and are keepers of your precepts
Covenant mercy yours, יְהוָה, has filled the earth
you will teach me your statutes

Tet

Too well you have dealt with your servant
יְהוָה through your word
Teach me good taste and discernment
for I have believed in your commandments
Time it was I was afflicted going astray
but you have guarded me in your promise
Too good are you and doing good
teach me your statutes
Those proud ones smear a lie against me
with a whole heart I will observe your precepts
Their heart is gross as fat
I will delight in your teaching
`Tis good for me that I was afflicted
so I will learn your statutes
The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver

Yod

Your hands have made me and established me
give me understanding and I will teach your commandments
Yes - those fearing you when they see me will be glad
for I have hoped for in your word
Yet I know יְהוָה that your judgments are righteous
and in faithfulness you afflicted me
You will let, I pray, your steadfast mercy strengthen me
by your promise to your servant
You will come to me in your tender love and I will live
for your teaching is my delight
Yon proud will be shamed for the deceit they dealt me
for myself, I will meditate on your precepts
You will let those who fear you turn to me
 and those knowing your testimonies
Yea, let my heart be complete in your statutes
so I will not be ashamed

Kaf

Faints my being for your salvation
I have hoped in your word
Faint my eyes for your promise
saying continually when will you comfort me
For I have become like a bottle holding vapor
I have not forgotten your statutes
For how are the days of your servant
when will you do judgment against my persecutors
For me those proud ones dig pits
not of your teaching
Faithful are all your commandments
in falsehood they persecute me - help me
For scarcely they consume me in the earth
but I do not leave your precepts
For your loving kindness let me live
and I will keep the testimony of your mouth for ever

Lamed

יְהוָה (LORD) for ever your word
is set in heaven
Living from generation to generation is your faithfulness
you established earth and she stands by your judgments
Lo they stand this day
for they all are your servants
Love, unless your teaching is my delight
then I have perished in my trouble
Let me never forget your precepts
for in them you have made me live
Love, to you I belong, save me
for I have sought your precepts
Lying in wait for me to destroy me are the wicked
I will be attentive to your testimonies
Lo, I saw an end to all perfection
your commandments are wide and great

Mem

My - how I love your teaching
it is my meditation every day
Me you make wiser than my enemies by your commandments
for they are mine in all time
Midst all my teachers I have insight
for your testimonies are my meditation
More than the aged I have diligence
for I have observed your precepts
Missing every path of evil I have restrained my feet
so that I will keep your word
Mid your judgments I have not turned aside
for you have taught me
More than sweet to my palate
your promise as honey to my mouth
Minding your precepts I have diligence
therefore I have hated every path of a lie

Nun

Nigh a lamp to my feet is your word
as light to my path
Now I have sworn and I will do it
to guard the judgments of your righteousness
Near to much trouble am I יְהוָה
give me life by your word
Now please accept יְהוָה the gifts of my mouth
and teach me your judgments
Now my being is in my hand continually
and I have not forgotten your teaching
Netted the wicked a snare for me
but I did not depart from your precepts
Near are your testimonies, my inheritance for ever
for they are the rejoicing of my heart
Nuanced have I my heart in doing your statutes
for ever to their purpose

Samech

Schismatics I hate
and I have loved your teaching
Secret mine and my shield are you
I have hoped in your word
Separate from me, you evildoers
for I will observe the commandments of my God
Support me for your promise so I will live
let me not be ashamed of my hope
Sustain me and I will be saved
and I will look to your statutes continually
Suspended have you all who stray from your statutes
for falsehood is their deceit
Swill you eradicated all the wicked of the earth
therefore I have loved your testimonies
Shivers from your dread my flesh
and I fear your judgments

Ayin

I have dealt judgment and righteousness
do not leave me to those oppressing me
Insure your servant for good
the proud will not oppress me
I - I - my eyes - faint for your salvation
and for the promise of your righteousness
I ask you to deal with your servant according to your mercy
and teach me your statutes
I am your servant, let me understand
that I may know your testimonies
It is time to work for you יְהוָה
they have frustrated your teaching
I have loved your commandments therefore
above gold and fine gold
Indeed all your precepts I find agreeable
I hate every path of deceit

Pe

Plenty of wonders are your testimonies
therefore my being will observe them
Penetration of your words gives light
making wise the simple
Part I my mouth and sigh heavily
for my desire is in your commandments
Put your face to me and have mercy on me
for judgment to those loving your name
Place my steps in your promise
and do not let any iniquity have grasp over me
Preserve me from the oppression of a human
and I will keep your precepts
Pyre your face on your servant
and teach me Oh! your statutes
Pouring streams descend from my eyes
that they do not keep your teaching

Tsade

So just you are יְהוָה
and your judgments are straightforward
Set you have the righteousness of your testimonies
and great faithfulness
Struck me out did my zeal
for my troublers forgot your words
Smeltered greatly is your promise
and your servant loves it
Small am I and of no account
I have not forgotten your precepts
Saving righteousness - yours - is righteousness for ever
and your teaching is truth
Strain and struggle stress me
your commandments are my delight
Such righteousness of your testimonies is everlasting
let me understand and I will live

Qof

Queried I with a whole heart, hear me יְהוָה
I will observe your statutes
Queried I you, save me
and I will keep your testimonies
Quested I in a twilight hour and I cried out
I wait on your word
Quested my eyes in the night watches
to meditate on your promise
Quest of mine, hear for your loving kindness יְהוָה
give me life by your judgments
Quite near are those following mischief
they are far from your teaching
Quite near are you יְהוָה
and all your commandments are truth
Quite from of old I knew about your testimonies
for you established them from everlasting

Resh

Regard my affliction and deliver me
for I do not forget your teaching
Reason my reason and redeem me
give me life in your promise
Remote is salvation from the wicked
for they do not seek your statutes
Right and great are your mercies יְהוָה
for your judgments give me life
Running after me are my many troublers
I do not waver from your testimonies
Regarded I transgressors and I was distressed
that they disregard your promise
Regard for your precepts I love יְהוָה
give me life in your loving kindness
Right away your word is truth
and every judgment of your righteousness is for ever

Shin/sin

Sultans persecute me for nothing
but my heart stands in awe from your word
Singing I sing for your promise
as finding great booty
Scandal I hate and abhor
I love your teaching
Seven times a day do I praise you
for the judgments of your righteousness
Such great peace to those loving your teaching
and there is no stumbling for them
Steadfast is my hope in your salvation יְהוָה
and I have done your commandments
Savors my being your testimonies
and I love them greatly
So I keep your precepts and your testimonies
for all my ways are before you

Taf

To your presence let my cry come near יְהוָה
in your word give me understanding
To your presence let my supplication come
deliver me in your promise
Tumble will my lips with praise
for you have taught me your statutes
Testify will my tongue of your promise
for all your commandments are righteous
There your hand will be to help me
for I have chosen your precepts
To your salvation I have longed to come יְהוָה
and your teaching is my delight
To live let my being and it will praise you
and you will help me from your judgments
Time and again I am straying like a sheep that has perished
seek your servant for I do not forget your commandments

The Acrostics (112)

For 111 see the earlier version - where I have let the Countess have the acrostic in English letter order. Note that the paired acrostics, 111 and 112, share an active qal participle and for ever - standing in perpetuity - as inclusio. Clearly they were composed 'together'.

I continue my foolishness in Hebrew letter order, taking liberties with glottal stops and impossible letters like tsade.

Psalm 112

Hallelu Yah

A happy person fears יְהוָה
By his commandments he has much delight
Great in the earth will be his seed
Days of the upright will be blessed
High value and riches are in his house
Verily his righteousness stands in perpetuity
Zenith-bearing, light to the upright shines in darkness
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous
This is a good person, gracious and lending
Yea, he will measure his affairs with judgment
Cause he will not be moved ever
Living in the presence of the eternal, he becomes righteous
Messages of evil he does not fear
Now his heart is ready, trusting in יְהוָה
Supported is his heart, he does not fear
Even when it is that he sees his troubles
Prodigal of love, he gives to the poor
Standing in perpetuity is his righteousness
Quite full his horn, lifted up in glory
Rebel will see and be indignant
So shall his teeth gnash and waste away
The desire of the rebels will perish

The Acrostics (4)

Psalm -37. I offer this smoothed out version without color coding. Are there circles of thought here? Is there something surrounded by them? On the surface, the psalm seems like good moral instruction. But what is primary is the engagement with the one who bears the Holy Name: trust, alignment, endurance, stillness, expectation, completeness, and steadfastness. These are the instructions for the human side of the engagement. On the divine side are a host of promises and results. Do we have here a clear intimation of the fruits of the Spirit?

Of David

about evildoers do not fuss yourself

do not be jealous over workers of injustice

for like grass they will quickly wither

and like green foliage they will languish

be trusting in יְהוָה and do good

you will live in the land and pasture in faith

gently delight exquisitely in יְהוָה and he will give you the desires of your heart

get your way with יְהוָה and trust in him and he will make things happen
and he will bring your righteousness as light and your judgment as the midday

dumb - mute - be still in יְהוָה
endure your birth in him
do not fuss over one who prospers in his way
of someone working schemes

have done with anger and give up wrath
do not fuss in any way to do evil for evildoers will be cut off
but those waiting for יְהוָה will inherit the land

verily yet a little and there is no wicked
and you will consider carefully concerning his place and that he is not
and the poor will inherit the land and will delight exquisitely in great peace

zoning in are the wicked against the righteous and they gnash against him with their teeth
my Lord laughs at them for he sees that their day is coming

ha! the wicked have drawn a sword and bent their bow to make poor and needy fall
to slay those whose way is upright
their sword will enter their own heart and their bows will be broken

the little good of the righteous one is better than the tumult of the many wicked
for the arms of the wicked will be broken but יְהוָה supports the righteous

יְהוָה intimates the days of the complete and their inheritance will be for ever
they will not be ashamed in a time of evil and in days of famine they will be satisfied

cause the wicked will perish and the enemies of יְהוָה
as the prized fat of lambs they will find their end
in smoke they will find their end

loaned to is the wicked one and he will not repay but the righteous is merciful and giving
for from his blessing they inherit land
in his denial they are cut off

made from יְהוָה are the steps of a warrior and he will take pleasure in his way
for he will not fall thrown down for יְהוָה supports with his hand

now old I have been young but I have not seen the righteous forsaken
and his seed seeking bread
all the day he is merciful and lending and his seed blessed

stay from evil and do good and live for ever
for יְהוָה loves judgment and does not forsake those of his mercy
for ever they are kept but the seed of the wicked will be cut off

those righteous ones will inherit land and live endlessly
there the mouth of the righteous will meditate wisdom and his tongue will speak judgment
the teaching of his God in his heart
his goings are not unstable

the wicked spies on the righteous and seeks to put him to death
יְהוָה will not abandon the one in his hand and will not condemn him when he is judged

quietly wait on יְהוָה and keep his way and he will lift you up to inherit the land
and you will see the wicked are cut off

ruthless I have seen the wicked and spreading like a luxuriant bay tree
yet he will pass on and then he is not
and I looked for him and he could not be found

shelter the complete and note the upright for the end of this one is peace
for transgressors will be destroyed together
the end of the wicked will be cut off

the salvation of the righteous is from יְהוָה
from their strength in a time of trouble
and יְהוָה will help them and will deliver them
he will deliver them from the wicked and save them for they take refuge in him

Notes: land (or earth) is never with the definite article but requires it in English. I.e., this psalm does not imply 'the' land.

The Acrostics (3)

Psalm 34

What will I say of יְהוָה? What right have I to say anything? What you to listen? Can you hear or are you deaf?

A friend said to me - I have read the Greek - I have read Barth on Romans - and Paul has no reason to celebrate his statement about God shutting us up into disobedience and then having mercy. It is like a boy who catches a fly and tears off its wings and then says "Fly". It's the same Greek as the modern tongue - go stand in the corner. God creates stubbornness and then Paul celebrates mercy?

I am silenced. The letter with perhaps the greatest impact on the Western psyche put down by un nouveau Job.

No one has a chance here. Find your pleasure where you may, for you are a fly on a sweet sweaty soiled place - should be just about right for you. Forget Genesis 1. Creation is not good. You are the plaything of the Gods whether they 'are' or not. You are a speck on an ocean of randomness. Offal for awful. Buzz off before I remove your wings.

And as for the NT, why pay attention to any story of a disembodied Hellenist myth or a bitterly disappointed Semitic tradition? Bite the extreme - you are subject to war, dearth, age, ague, tyrannies, despair, law, chance and death - there are no imagined four corners for the angels' trumpets. There is no place for you to know the meat of God in the flesh - apart from your own fantasy.

So why did Job finally give in? And why did Paul believe his own rhetoric? Who would dare invite to taste and see that יְהוָה is good? Where is the substance of the name that we say we have trusted in?

Of David when he feigned madness in the face of Abimelek and he drove him away and he went
Alef. Any old glottal stop will do to begin.

I will bless יְהוָה at all times

continually his praise will be in my mouth

breath - my breath will glory in יְהוָה

the humble will hear and be glad

greatly magnify יְהוָה with me
and let us exalt his name together

What's this magnification? Who wants to be 'umble?
Would you be satisfied with being glad when your wings are dismembered?

determined I sought יְהוָה and he heard me
and from all my fears he delivered me
him they paid attention to and were radiant
and their faces were not embarrassed

How does he know about someone else's radiance?
Am I embarrassed or just honest? I am not heard.
I am not delivered. I am not radiant.
What moonshine are you on about?

zis poor one calls and יְהוָה hears

Don't use baby talk with me

and from all his distress he saves him

I tell you, I am beyond salvageable - where is the peace I know I want?

hovering, the angel of יְהוָה surrounds those who fear him and rescues them

Is it rescue I want? You do calm me a little - no risk - no life...

taste and see for יְהוָה is good
happy the mighty that will trust in him

Taste - the Eucharist in the Psalms - how did you do it?

ye his holy ones, fear יְהוָה for there is no lack to those fearing him

cubs - young lions want and are voracious but those seeking יְהוָה will not lack any good
Listen to me, children, come and I will teach you the fear of יְהוָה

Man - who is it desiring life, loving days, to see good
nip your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit
stay from evil and do good, seek peace and hunt for it

eyes, those of יְהוָה are on the righteous and his ears are on their cry for help
face, that of יְהוָה is against those doing evil to cut off their remembrance from the earth

tza! they cry out and יְהוָה hears and he rescues them from all their distress
quite near is יְהוָה to those broken of heart and he saves many a crushed spirit

righteous ones know many evils and from all of them יְהוָה will deliver him
sheltering all his bones so that not one of them will be broken
the wicked will be slain by their own evil and those hating the righteous will bear their guilt
יְהוָה redeems the life of his servants and all taking refuge in him will not bear their guilt

You don't really need a word from me.

The Acrostics (2)

Psalm 25 is the next acrostic. By my observation, it is missing bet, vav and qof. Perhaps the second word בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי of the second verse is the bet word.

Apart from the alef-bet nature of this psalm, there are 5 recurring words shared by the first three verses and the last five [my life, shame, lifting up, enemy, and waiting]. The verbal relations are color-coded in the English below and visible through color and connectors in the first draft in the diagram. This is one of the psalms analyzed in A Rabbi Reads the Psalms, by Jonathan Magonet, a very fine piece of work to help us read these prayers. The center of the work, verses 4-17, is also filled with recurring words.

One has to ask - what is the essence surrounded by the opening and closing structural elements? I think on reading, even with the oddball word choices, you will see that the direction is a good covenant, a knowledge of grace - that salvation is God's initiative, justification - that our dependence for what is right is on God's goodness, the fruits of the Spirit - that the sinner and the poor are given personal direction, and love - that we wait for his loving kindness and redemption from all troubles. Here as in many psalms, the individual gives voice to the knowledge of God with him and therefore God with Israel and therefore ultimately, God with us. (As usual, there is the odd word added in English to form the acrostic.)

Of David

I will lift up my life to you יְהוָה my God
because in you I have trusted
I will not be ashamed
My enemies will not rejoice against me

God, moreover, all who wait on you will not be ashamed
they will be ashamed who act treacherously for nothing

Directions from you יְהוָה let me know
Teach me your paths

Head me in your truth and teach me
for you are my God, my salvation
on you I wait every day

Zero in with your mercies יְהוָה and your loving-kindness
for they are from everlasting

Heavy sins of my youth and my transgressions do not remember
in your loving-kindness remember you are with me
for your goodness יְהוָה

Top notch and upright is יְהוָה
so he will set sinners direction

Yes he will direct the poor with judgment
and will teach the poor his direction

Known paths of יְהוָה
loving-kindness and truth
to those keeping his covenant and his testimonies

Let it be for your name יְהוָה
to pardon my guilt for it is great

My, what's this? that for anyone fearing יְהוָה
he will set him with direction that he will choose?

Now his life he will live in good
and his seed will inherit land?

Special intimacy of יְהוָה with those fearing him
and his covenant to know them

Eyes, my eyes are continually to יְהוָה
for he will deliver my feet from any net

Phase in to me and have mercy for I am solitary and afflicted
the troubles of my heart are enlarged
bring me out of my distress

Regard my afflictions and my pain and lift up all my sins
Regard my enemies for they multiply and they hate
with violence they have hated me

Shelter my life and deliver me
let me not be ashamed for I have sheltered in you

Translate me complete and upright for I have waited for you
Redeem O God all Israel from all their troubles

Notes - Direction, head, direct are the same root DRK.
I am sure you could all improve on some of my crazy word choices.

The Acrostics (1)

Before I can continue my structural analysis, I must have my rough translations smoothed [ - and corrected - Psalms 9 and 10 are really raw and rough and wrong in the images]. The exercise here moves from learning one word or phrase at a time to holding the Hebrew in one part of the mind while trying to make sense of it in one's native tongue. Obvious, I guess - but many clues are there, though not easily in my sight. So these smoothed translations are but a second draft. The act of translation is continuous dialogue.

The next set of psalms in the structure levels drafted here are the acrostics - so here goes. I am no Mary Herbert! But I will attempt to conform to the acrostic one way or another. As explained here by Ronald Benun, this acrostic has several missing letters: ד, מ, נ, ס, ע, פ, צ. The disorderly part of Psalm 10 has much in common with Psalm 7. Where do we see Christ here?

Psalm 9 and 10

For the leader
To death
of the son
A Psalm of David

א Ah, I will praise יְהוָה with all my heart
I will declare all your wonders
I will take pleasure and I will exult in you
I will make music to your name Most High

ב By turning my enemy back
let them stumble and perish from your presence
For you have made my judgment and my case
You have remained enthroned judging right

ג God, you rebuked the nations
You made violence perish
You have erased their name forever and ever
ד
ה Here the enemy is completed
ruins enduring and cities you have destroyed
Perished is their memory of them

ו Verily, יְהוָה for ever remains
He has put right his throne for justice
And he will govern the world in righteousness
He will make the case for the peoples with equity
and יְהוָה will be secure refuge for the crushed
secure refuge in times in trouble
and they will trust in you knowing your name
for you יְהוָה do not leave those seeking you

ז Zion in Zion where יְהוָה dwells
Let all make music
Make known among the peoples his prodigality
for seeking the lives of those he remembers
He does not forget the cry of the afflicted

ח Have mercy on me יְהוָה, consider my affliction, those despising me
Lift me up from the gates of death
so that I will declare all your songs of praise
in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I will rejoice in your salvation

ט The nations are sunk into the depth they made
in this net they hid their foot is seized
יְהוָה is known
Judgment he makes
In the work of his hands he struck the wicked

Music Selah

י Into their place of the dead the wicked will turn
all nations that forget God
כ Causes of the needy will not always be forgotten
Hope of the poor will not perish for ever

Arise יְהוָה, humanity is not strong
Let the nations be judged in your presence
Put יְהוָה reverence in them
Let the nations know their humanity

Selah

יְהוָה ל LORD why do you stand in the distance
concealing yourself at times of distress?
מ, נ, ס, ע, פ, צ
In pride criminal burns poor
Let them be caught in the purposes that they have valued
For criminal boasted in the desire of his being
and blessed gain by violence that יְהוָה spurns
Criminal looks down his unseeking nose
There is no God in all his purposes

His ways are twisted in all times

High is your judgment, out of his sight
All his foes, he snorts at them
He said in his heart I will not be moved
I am not in trouble from generation to generation
He swears
his mouth full of treachery and oppression
under his tongue mischief and emptiness
He sits lying in wait in the villages hiding places
He kills the innocent
his eyes taking in the hapless secretly
He lies in wait in his covering
like a lion in its lair
He lies in wait to seize the poor
He seizes the poor
He draws him into his net
He crushes
He is collapsed
and he falls pierced by his mighty ones
He said in his heart God has forgotten
He hides his face
He will never see

ק Quash! יְהוָה God
Lift up your hand
He will not forget the poor
Since when does criminal spurn God?
He said in his heart - He will not search

ר Regard you will, for you take notice of trouble and grief to repay by your hand
To you the poor will commit
and the orphan you will help

שׁ Shatter the arm of criminal and evil one and seek out his wickedness till none is found
יְהוָה is king everlasting and for ever
Perished are the nations from his land

ת The desire of the poor you have heard
יְהוָה prepare their heart
You will make your ears hear to judge orphan and the crushed

Humanity that is from the earth will not continue oppression

[Notes:
9:6 God - added for the acrostic, not in the Hebrew, similarly 'verily' in verse 8, and Zion repeated verse 12.
10:1 the lamedh is in the substitution LORD for the tetragrammeton. Hashem or YHWH won't do it in this case.
10:12 quash is chosen for the acrostic, the Hebrew is Arise as at the end of Psalm 9.]

About the world
Psalm --9 ט will govern the world יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל
Psalm -18 יד world תֵּבֵל
Psalm -24 א a world תֵּבֵל
Psalm -77 יט the world תֵּבֵל
Psalm -89 יב The world תֵּבֵל
Psalm -93 א the world will not slip תֵּבֵל בַּל תִּמּוֹט
Psalm -96 י the world not to be moved תֵּבֵל בַּל תִּמּוֹט
Psalm -96 יג he will judge the world יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל
Psalm -97 ד the world תֵּבֵל
Psalm -98 ז the world תֵּבֵל
Psalm -98 ט he will judge the world יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל

Psalm 111 Countess Mary Herbert Pembroke - comparing notes

הַלְלוּ-יָהּ אוֹדֶה יְהוָה, בְּכָל-לֵבָב בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה	1 Hallelujah. I will thank יְהוָה with a whole heart, in the council of the upright, and assembly.	1: At home, abroad most willingly I will 2: Bestow on God my praises uttmost skill:
גְּדֹלִים, מַעֲשֵׂי יְהוָה דְּרוּשִׁים, לְכָל-חֶפְצֵיהֶם	2 Great are the works of יְהוָה, sought of all that delight in them.	3: Chaunting his workes, workes of unmatched might, 4: Deem'd so by them, who in their search delight.
הוֹד-וְהָדָר פָּעֳלוֹ וְצִדְקָתוֹ, עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד	3 Splendor and majesty his doing; and his righteousness stands in perpetuity.	5: Endlesse the honor to his powre pertaines: 6: From end as farre his justice eake remaines,
זֵכֶר עָשָׂה, לְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְהוָה	4 He makes present his wonderful works; gracious and compassionate is יְהוָה.	7: Gratious and good and working wonders soe 8: His wonders never can forgotten goe.
טֶרֶף, נָתַן לִירֵאָיו יִזְכֹּר לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ	5 Food he gives to those fearing him; he makes present for ever his covenant.	9: In hungry waste he fedd his faithful Crue, 10: Keeping his league, and still in promise true.
כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו, הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם, נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם	6 The power of his works he reveals to his people, in giving them the heritage of the nations.	11: Lastly his strength he caus'd them understand, 12: Making them lords of all the heathens land.
מַעֲשֵׂי יָדָיו, אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפָּט נֶאֱמָנִים, כָּל-פִּקּוּדָיו	7 The works of his hands are truth and judgment; faithful are all his precepts,	13: Now what could more each promise, doome, decree, 14: Of him confirme sure, just, unmov'd to be!
סְמוּכִים לָעַד לְעוֹלָם עֲשׂוּיִם, בֶּאֱמֶת וְיָשָׁר	8 Established in perpetuity and for ever, worked in truth and uprightness.	15: Preserv'd his folk, his league eternall fram'd: 16: Quake then with feare when holy he is nam'd.
פְּדוּת, שָׁלַח לְעַמּוֹ צִוָּה-לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ קָדוֹשׁ וְנוֹרָא שְׁמוֹ	9 Redemption he sent to his people; he commands his covenant for ever; Holy and fearful is his name.	17: Reverence of him is Perfect wisdoms well: 18: Stand in his lawe, so understand you well.
רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה, יִרְאַת יְהוָה שֵׂכֶל טוֹב, לְכָל-עֹשֵׂיהֶם תְּהִלָּתוֹ, עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד	10 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of יְהוָה; a good intelligence to all in their working; his praise stands in perpetuity.	19: The praise of him (though wicked hartes repine) 20: Unbounded bides, noe time can it define.

Psalms 111-112 and Book 5 of the Psalter

אוֹדֶה יְהוָה, בְּכָל-לֵבָב; בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה.	At home, abroad most willingly I will Bestow on God my praise’s uttmost skill:
גְּדֹלִים, מַעֲשֵׂי יְהוָה; דְּרוּשִׁים, לְכָל-חֶפְצֵיהֶם.	Chaunting his workes, workes of unmatched might, Deem'd so by them, who in their search delight.

The beginning of Psalm 111 from the Psalms of Sir Philip Sydney and the Countess of Pembroke. You can see it is going to be its own acrostic.

Psalms 111-112 are a response to Psalm 110, according to The Composition and Theology of the Fifth Book of Psalms, Psalms 107-145 [sic] by Eric Zenger, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 1998; 23; 77.

I have adjusted my table of contents slightly to reflect some of his statements - notably the chaistic relationship of the Songs of Ascent. It appears that I will need to make the details more visible - hopefully later. - Here's a sample of his structural ideas.

Psalm 111 celebrates [the LORD]’s turning towards his people in rescue. Psalm 112 extols an ['ish]~ whose actions correspond to [the LORD] praised in Psalm 111. The composition directs the reader to see in the ['ish] of Psalm 112 the king whom [the LORD] has called to his side in Psalm 110. [see also Psalm 1].

(2) Psalms 111 and 112 are connected to Psalms 108-10 by the theme of [rsh']- of this I am not yet convinced [rsh' appears only in psalm 109 as a structural element and in psalm 112 once] - which is missing in Psalms 113-18 (and in Pss. 120-37 with the exception of 129.4).
(3) Each of the two acrostics 111-12 shares with the acrostic Psalm 145 the citation of the Sinai-formula, Exod. 34.6 (111.4 and 112.4 have the same word order as 145.8, namely, [xnun vraxum]).

Eventually I will follow up some of these claims with an image. To be convinced of a structural feature, I think I need some confirming aspect in the poem or some uniqueness in the set of poems. Book 5 does have some complexity that needs a visual aid.

Psalm 25

[Update - for a fascinating thesis on the incompleteness of the acrostics of Book 1, see this article by Ronald Benun HT Rochelle Altman]
Psalm 25 is an irregular acrostic. א occurs twice once in verse 1: אֵלֶיךָ and again in verse 2, but ב is missing (unless you count the trust in the third word of verse 2). In the middle vav is missing. At the end, resh is repeated, and the last verse does not participate in the acrostic (but maybe it wasn't supposed to).

In rereading Jerome Creach's short book on יְהוָה as Refuge and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter, I have been reviewing my diagram of the psalm but I have not attempted yet to correct my translation since it is so hilarious. Trying to imitate a Hebrew acrostic in English and returning to the attempt 9 months later makes the original too funny to change.

Have no fear, I am changing and correcting all sorts of things as I discover them. This psalm 25 also has a number of interesting structural elements besides the acrostic. There are no less than 6 significant word recurrences in verses 1-3 and 18-22 and two of them are related to the refuge word-field as Creach defines it. (Life, lift up, trust/refuge, shame, enemies, wait.) These create two pairs of concentric circles in sequence and the wait verb is also sequential: life, lift up, trust, ashamed, enemies, wait // lift up, enemies, life, ashamed, sheltered, wait. Note however the differing objects of lift up - and the enemies recurrence tangles the circles.

I will probably start with this word field for a global view of the theme of refuge in the Psalter - and I will hope to prove and make visible Creach's Appendix A with technology that will help us see his results better.

(What is holding me back is a reliable search mechanism by lemma. I started manually annotating the 19000 or so words in the Psalter and I realize a. that I will make too many typographic mistakes this way, and b. there are real decisions to make and I am not fluent enough yet to make them.)

There is also a significant meditation on the way דרך. This word (drk) appears 6 times as noun and verb in the body of the poem (vs 4-17). There are several other recurrences that are tightly tied into inner structures like remember (zkr) and goodness (tov - translated top-notch for the necessary tet), teach (lmd), loving kindness (xsd), set (yrd - translated teach in AV but not = lmd). [Perhaps the sinners noted as set are those who are forgiven much and therefore love much, knowing their debt.]

There is a lot of potential colouring here- and it is a really fun poem to boot. I have coloured a few significant words and connected a few others. [update - I did some connecting - it's a highly connected poem with a lot of recurrence]

John Hobbins is also coloring these days but his work is more on a micro basis than mine (not to mention more accurate). My eye sees gross structures easier than the fine points of grammar.

Approaching the 50% mark...

I have not had much time for psalms in the last two weeks. On the sufficiency blog, I have been writing a chapter by chapter review of Frymer-Kensky among other things. At work, I have a major new project starting which I hope will keep going. But in the last fortnight I have still made a little progress: 119 ayin, peh, tsade, and quf are drafted and also since my last list:

Psalm -52 (90 words)
Psalm -54 (62)
Psalm -55 (193)

When I have completed a draft of 119, I want to have a really close look at what all these key words seem to mean by the usage of other words with them.

תורה [torah] law, teaching, instruction
עדה [edah] testimony (plural in the psalm)
אמרה [imrah] word, promise
פקּד [piqud] precept (pl.)
חק [chuq] statute (pl.)
מצוה [mitsvah] commandment (pl.)
משׁפּט [mishpat] judgment (usually pl.)
דבר [dabar] word, thing

It is easier to read and type without points, but I've probably got some of the vowels wrong.

I heard or read somewhere that this is a boring psalm - I haven't found it so.

Psalm 119-A-H 5 parts March 2007 (240)
Psalm 119-V-Y 5 parts July 2007 (257)
Psalm 119-K-S 5 parts July 2007 (255)
Psalm 119-Ayin-T 7 parts in progress (341)

Psalm 119

Some new psalms in a slightly revised table of contents
Psalm -27 July 2007 (149)
Psalm 119-V-Y July 2007 (257)
Psalm 149 July 2007 (63)

I am astonished at the personal love in the 119th psalm. So far I have managed the first 10 parts and have preserved the acrostic!!!!

It's a bit odd at times and I substituted a few letters of course. I was translating this while alter bloggo was writing poetry on bread making (just kidding - there is only one of us and we are neglecting our other work). Open Hebrew grammars and lexica strew the apartment here - exercises half completed, a major RFP to read and respond to in financial systems, and the toilet exploded this morning - the input pipe, fortunately. And all the time we are supposed to keep up with the myriad of Biblical Blogs!

Is there anything about exploding toilets in Psalm 119? No - but the word about enemies is deep. People [yes - there are enemies among them] do actually take advantage of you if you give them the opportunity. When they are confronted inescapably with their abandonment of trust, perhaps they too will know that word of promise and love that the Psalmist so clearly speaks of.

Of two things let's be sure: don't take advantage of another - especially if you have power, or knowledge, or whatever; and the steadfastness of God is our strength as well as the strength of our 'enemies', even of those that have taken advantage of us. It must be true as a consequence that if we do make enemies, there is the possibility of reconciliation - though it is not necessarily ours to effect. There is a thought here - I am not sure I have caught it - something to do with the reality and cost of love as understood in the context of the everlasting covenant with our God.

I have counted 8 key words in Psalm 119 - and a host of verbs to go with them. The 8th word is slightly hidden - I used red foreground to distinguish it. I will work more on this - I think there is something to find. (A contained explosion of clean water, perhaps).

Psalm 145 Revisited

Still not at the poetic stage, but I had occasion these past two weeks to reread Magonet on the Psalms (A Rabbi Reads the Psalms, Jonathan Magonet SCM Press 2004). So I am beginning to diagram his structures for the Psalms he covers: 145, 92, 23, 25, 19, 22, 51, 118, 115, 121, 124, 134, 146, 90, 73, all of which are in depth. He has fun with Psalm 145, showing a considerable tension between the theology of the chosen and the theology of universality. The Psalmist's universality is shown in the frequency with which he uses the word all. (Blue foreground colour in the diagram.)

Note also I have managed the acrostic with a bit of shifting (clearly seen in the mismatched colours) and a few xtreme spellings and slang: such as xtreme for Het and teous ... righteous for Tsade and killer Glory (not so far from the mark!). Note also the red coloring for the works and deeds referred to. As someone said (must find the quote - Calvin I think) the whole gospel is in the psalter.

If we include the missing Nun from Amos 5:2, the centre of the Psalm is slightly shifted. Where is the centre? Is it the revealing to the children of dust the might and glory, honour of his reign, for all ages, your rule for all; Age to Age? I think the two verse centre is better than the KLM-MLK pun that Magonet suggests (though this works as the stimulus for the acrostic). King/Age are both keywords spanning beginning middle and end of the Psalm.

Other features to note are pronoun usage (I, they, you) and the eventual universality of blessing - if Adonai is blessed by all flesh, there is no two-tiered salvation structure.