Psalm 104 celebrates the manifold works of God, made by wisdom. The earth is full of Yahweh’s creatures. So is the sea (v. 27), which spreads far and wide, is filled with swarms of creatures small and great, like Leviathan that plays in the deeps (v. 28). Sea creatures like ” ships . . . . Continue Reading »
It’s time to have mercy on Zion, the Psalmist says; “surely the time has come” (Psalm 102:14). And why? ” For ( ki ) your servants love her very stones and feel compassion for her dust” (v. 15). The love of Yahweh’s servants for Zion is a reason for Yahweh to . . . . Continue Reading »
“Glorious things are spoken of you, Zion, city of our God” (Psalm 87:3). What sorts of glories ( nikbadot , from kabad )? Battles won? Cultural achievements? The temple? In Psalm 87, Zion is glorious because Zion is a fruitful mother. Like Proverbs 31, Psalm 87 is a heroic celebration . . . . Continue Reading »
Two Psalms include polemics against idols, in almost identical language: “They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see . . . ” (Psalm 115:5-8; 135:15-18). Both, importantly, follow on the heels of poetic recountings of the exodus. Psalm 114 is about the Jordan and . . . . Continue Reading »
“Open your mouth wide and I will fill it,” the Lord promises (Psalm 81:10). I had always taken that as a reference to food. But it comes just after this: “I, Yahweh, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt,” a clear allusion to the opening of the Ten Word . . . . Continue Reading »
Psalm 42:5: Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. Psalm 42 is a lament. The Psalmist is a deer in the wilderness panting for God. He is separated from God and wonders if he will ever be in . . . . Continue Reading »
The Hebrew shir (song) is used vastly more often in the Psalmter than anywhere else, as one would expect. It appears over 40 times there, and doesn’t even reach double figures in any other book. In the Pentateuch as a whole, the word appears only eight times. The word is, of course, also the . . . . Continue Reading »
In Psalm 40, David says that Yahweh has “dug” or “pierced” or “opened” his ear. He is referring to the ritual for permanent slaves, according to which the slave’s ear is pierced at the doorway of the house to symbolize that his ear is open to one master. . . . . Continue Reading »
There’s land, and there’s sea. Israel and the nations. What then are islands? Bits of land within the sea. Kings of the islands bring tribute to the Davidic king (Psalm 72:10), and the islands rejoice when God reigns over the earth (97:1). Isaiah 11:11 says that the Lord will recall His . . . . Continue Reading »
In her essay, Pickstock notes the synaesthetic biblical exhortation to “taste and see.” It’s a regular biblical theme, not only in the Psalm 34. Adam and Eve taste and see. So does Jonathan. So do the disciples on the road to Emmaeus. So do we, each week as the Lord’s table, . . . . Continue Reading »
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