Psalm 86: Answer Me Because

Posted inPsalms Commentary
Psalm 86 is a song of personal petition to God for help in a time of trouble. Verse 14 identifies the trouble: "the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life, and have not set you before them." David had experienced much persecution especially at the hands of…

Speaking to One Another in Psalms

Posted inPsalms Commentary
We think of our singing in worship as singing to the Lord, offering him our praise and thanks and bringing to him our petitions. He is, indeed, the main object of our sung speech, and that rightly. We come together to worship, and whatever we say in worship is before him. He is our primary…

Christ in the Psalms: Psalm 9

Posted inChrist in the Psalms, Psalms Commentary
We can never go wrong by reminding ourselves that our Lord sang and prayed the psalms during his earthly ministry. He made them his own. He experienced what David and the other psalmists experienced. Their praise and thanksgiving, both for who God is and what he has done, are his. Their cries for help are…

Psalm 119: Keeping His Testimonies

Posted inPsalms Commentary
One theme that appears again and again in Psalm 119 is keeping the testimonies of the Lord. The psalm uses two Hebrew words for keep, both of which appear in verse 34: Cause me to understand, and I will observe [natsar] your law, and I will keep [shamar] it with my whole heart. The second…

The Structure of Psalm 26

Posted inPsalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
of David1. Judge me, Yahweh, For I in my integrity walk, and in Yahweh I trust. I will not slip.2. Examine me, Yahweh, and test me. Try my kidneys and my heart.3. For your lovingkindness [is] before my eyes, and I walk in your truth.4. I do not sit with men of vanity, and with…

Psalm 40: New Ears

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In the NKJV, Psalm 40:6 reads, Sacrifice and Offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt Offering and sin offering You did not require. All the major English translations render it in a very similar way. However, the Hebrew word (kara) translated as ‘have opened’ has a somewhat different idea. It appears…

The Many Repetitions of Psalm 118

Posted inPsalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
1. Give thanks to Yahweh, because he is good,Because to forever is his lovingkindness.2. Let Israel now sayThat to forever is his lovingkindness.3. Let the house of Aaron now sayThat to forever is his lovingkindness.4. Let those who fear Yahweh now sayThat to forever is his lovingkindness.5. From distress I call Yah.Yah answers me in…