I’ve been interacting with Kris over at Old School Script for the last day or so about Psalm 19:4, particularly the particle בלי toward the end of the verse.  Here was my last comment in my part of the exchange so far:

Okay. So, I realize I was probably too brief and unclear above, but I think what I was trying to suggest is what is suggested by the UBS Handbook on Psalms. According to how I am reading the text, the logic would be as follows:

vs. 2 creation(i.e. heaven/sky) is telling/proclaiming God’s glory/handiwork
vs. 3 day/night are doing so too (i.e. pouring forth speech and knowledge)
vs. 4 but they do so silently, or without words (reading with the NASB – There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. *with the particle being the simple negative “not” and no insertion “whose” as a smoothing over of “who their voice is not”)
vs. 5a their line (as opposed to their voice – the phonological similarity between qavam and qolam would actually be used to draw a contrast, i.e. like the familiar “don’t get mad, get glad” play on words) goes out (if qavam is being used to phonologically to draw a contrast, this would explain why it seemingly appears out of nowhere when all of these other speech words are activated)
vs. 5b is a synonymous parallel with what precedes – their message/report/testimony goes out to then ends of the earth (the UBS Handbook recommends translating as “message/report/testimony” here because they have understood verse 4 to say that the testimony is unspoken, thus translating as “speech” does not work.

Psalm 19 is a text that I’ve also been interested in for quite some time. Consider clicking over to Kris’s blog and chiming in on the discussion.  I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts as well, particularly about the use of the particle in verse 4 and how the surrounding text might influence how one reads the particle.

Here’s a simple screen capture video I made for today’s responsive reading.

Video made using BibleWorks 8 and Snapz Pro X

I’m a little late posting this.  It’s actually from yesterday’s responsive reading.  But, I wonder if there is a better way to translate the beginning of Psalm 34 to capture the literary features there.  This video deals with that.  However, I don’t know if the word “misfortunes” has too much baggage with it.  Anyway, let me know what you think.

“Love Your Neighbor” that’s what your supposed to do, right?  Well, at least that is what Jesus said in in Matthew 22:38 repeating a line from Leviticus 19:18.  But, what about those other voices in scripture?  You know the ones that say not so nice things about neighbors or wish not so nice things upon them.  We can see a little bit of what happens in the context of liturgy in today’s lectionary reading from Psalm 79.

Click on over and check out the verses that are used … 8, 9, 11 and 13.  Okay.  So, what are we missing?  Verses 10 and 12, right? (This is almost always a fun exercise -for me at least, looking at what’s missing.)  Is there any reason why they might be missing?  I don’t know let’s read them:

10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes. (NRSV)

12 Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors
the taunts with which they taunted you, O Lord!

I think here we have a less than forgiving attitude toward one’s neighbor for whatever reason.  That reason is not important here in the context of talking about lectionary.

What does the lectionary then do when there is something contrary to the idea of “Love Your Neighbor”?  Here at least it appears that the reading is sanitized by removing those parts.  What can this tell us?  I think when we look at what is used and what is missing we see what the modern church values.  We value forgiveness and we value love of neighbor.  Thus, rather than give worshipers an example of someone who does not feel this way and reflects this in their prayer, we choose from those words of theirs that may be more edifying.

Now, I don’t think that this works out so well as an overall strategy.  If we simply ignore difficult passages or passages that don’t agree with those attitudes from scripture that become accepted within the community, this can lead to a great deal of dissonance when people do finally encounter those passages.  It can also lead to dishonesty with God (i.e. a person saying in a prayer that they love someone when they really don’t feel that way).  But, perhaps this is okay if the matters are dealt with elsewhere … say in the homily.

At any rate, I think that if we read between the lines of the lectionary today, we might come away with the message “love your neighbor” even if it is in contrast to when the Psalmist wrote.

Related:
Psalm 72 – Shame on the Lectionary

Today’s responsorial reading is from Psalm 40, which gives me the great pleasure to embed the absolute best modern version of one of the Psalms, U2’s “40.”  The lyrics are here.  Today’s reading actually doesn’t include most of the verses used for this song, but it does make use of verse 2, and that was enough reason to post this.  Please enjoy.

U2 – “40” (Live)

Related:

Psalm 137 – Rivers of Babylon (Sublime version)

More Music Joel Likes …

Live’s “Heaven” and General Revelation

Regina Spektor’s “Laughing With”

GYJER734SHCU

in yesterday’s lectionary reading.  I thought this was a pretty neat bit of imagery in Psalm 147:15.

He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. (Psa 147:15 NRSV)

Related:

Psalm 96:5 – Word Play

Psalm 98 and Assonance

Psalm 1.4 – A Video Illustration of Chaff

Psalm 1.1 – Translation Comparison

I wrote yesterday about how the lectionary obliterated a bit of beautiful imagery.  It doesn’t do a great job with today’s response either, which is the middle-latter portion of Psalm 72.  The focus of this part of the Psalm is upon the king who is worthy of homage and dominion in verses 8-11.

Psalm 72:8-11

8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service (NRSV).

But, what is it that makes this king worthy of homage?  Why should “kings fall down before him” and “all nations give him service”?  Unfortunately, verse 11 is left out of today’s reading ruining a bit of the connection between 8-11 and 12-14.    At any rate, the answer to these two questions is found in verses 12-14.

Psalm 72:12-14

12 For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.

The king is marked off as worthy of homage by his treatment of the poor, the needy, and the weak.  Now, I realize, of course, that I do not live in a kingdom and there is a pretty vast time span between my own time and that of the Bible.  And, I realize that verses 8-11 sound a bit imperialistic.  But, the underlying idea that the worth of a political leader is measured by his treatment of the poor is one, in my opinion, that is worthy of remembering.

Related:

Psalm 96:5 – Word Play

Psalm 98 and Assonance

Psalm 1.4 – A Video Illustration of Chaff

Psalm 1.1 – Translation Comparison

Psalm 72 is the responsorial for today and the lectionary successfully obliterates the imagery of verses 6 and 7.  Here’s how the lectionary reading looks online.

Psalm 72 in the Lectionary

Responsorial Psalm
72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8
R.  (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R.        Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R.        Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R.        Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

You’ll notice from the numbering that verses 5 and 6 are omitted between verses 4 and 7.  But, this absolutely ruins beautiful imagery between verses 6 and 7.  Notice that justice shall “flower” in the days of the king.  But, why is it flowering?

Psalm 72:6

May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. (Psa 72:6 NRSV)

“Justice” … or “the righteous” … or “abundance” dependent on your translation is flowers/flourishes if the king is like a refreshing shower that waters the earth.  How can he be like a refreshing shower?  Maybe we go back to verses 1 and 4 … when he has received the gift of right judgment from the Lord (vs. 1) … when he defends the oppressed, delivers the poor and crushes the oppressor.

I usually love having a lectionary to read from, but I think today it obliterates some of the connections and beauty in the imagery.

Related:

Psalm 96:5 – Word Play

Psalm 98 and Assonance

Psalm 1.4 – A Video Illustration of Chaff

Psalm 1.1 – Translation Comparison

Last week I wrote a learner centered blog post on the significance of Jonah fleeing to Tarshish.  And, Tarshish shows up again in today’s responsive reading.  To understand the symbolism of gifts coming from there, try out the “activity” from the first part of the previous post using the maps.  Then, consider the text.

Psalm 72:10

May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts.

What is the symbolism of gifts coming from Tarshish?  (Full text of Psalm 72)  Feel free to answer in the comments section if you would like…

Related:

Learner-centered Blogging?

1 Samuel 1 – Some Background

Haggai 1.2 -The Historical Context