Psalm 65:1-13

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Psalm 65:1-13[1]

To the chief Musician, A Psalm-Song of David.

Praise waits for You, O God, in Zion.  To You the vow shall be performed.  O You Who hear prayer, to You shall all flesh come.  Iniquities prevail against me, our transgressions.  You shall purge them away.

Blessed [is the man] You choose, and cause to approach [You], [so that] he may dwell in Your courts.  We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.

[By] terrifying things in righteousness, You will answer us, O God of our salvation, the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of those who are distant [on] the sea; Who by His strength sets fast the mountains, girded with power; Who stills the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.

Those who also dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at Your tokens.  You make the arrivals[2] of the morning and the evening rejoice.  You visit the earth, and water it.  You greatly enrich it with the river of God, [which] is full of water.  You prepare corn for them, when You have so provided for it.  You water its ridges abundantly.  You settle its furrows.  You make it soft with showers.  You bless the springing of it.  You crown the year with Your goodness.  Your paths drop fatness.

They drop [on] the pastures of the wilderness.  The little hills rejoice on every side.  The pastures are clothed with flocks.  The valleys also are covered over with corn.  They shout for joy, They also sing.[3]

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[1] When I was a small boy, my dad sang in the church choir.  It was a little church in a tiny town, with a small choir, having a limited repertoire, which was repeated frequently out of necessity.  The choir director was absent, because he was the choir director for several small churches: hence, he had duties elsewhere on Sunday morning.  They called the hymn, inspired by the concluding verses of this Psalm, “The Corn Song.”  They sang, “The valleys stand so rich with corn that they laugh and sing.”  This is a Psalm of intense and joyous gratitude for the many blessings from the hand of our good and gracious God.  We worry so much about getting our theology and other details just so.  Perhaps we just need to get our simple joyous gratitude right: for of all the things of youth this has stuck down through the years.  A thankful heart is worshipping.  An unthankful heart is not worshipping.

David pictures himself as being so eager for worship that he is in the tabernacle waiting for God to arrive.  This is not a flight of fancy, out of touch with reality, as it first appears: for David may be anticipating the arrival of the Arc of the Covenant, God’s sedan chair with the Glory, the Sh^ekinah regally enthroned upon it.  We recall that the Sh^ekinah had been vacationing among the Philistines because of Israel’s sin.  The vows referred to are the morning and evening prayers and sacrifices; more than anything else God expects our prayers.  Giving is part of these prayers for even the crumbs given by the beggar and pauper are received into the sacrifice, the oblation that was immolated on the altar of burnt offering; thus, being purified by fire, their ashes and coals were brought to the altar of incense as a sweet smell to God.  Even so, today our offerings, usually of money, purified by the spiritual fire of confession, are received into the one eternal sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and served up for the life of The Church, and the life of the World in the Eucharist.  Here, even two mites have eternal value.  God is the only One Who hears prayer, gathers the sinful world of flesh, and purges away our prevailing iniquities and transgressions.  God is the only One Who is able….

This is an inestimable blessing, and David anticipates the construction of a temple by Solomon, with all of that temple’s attendant worship.  In anticipating Solomon, Davis also anticipates Jesus, Who will destroy and rebuild the Temple of His Flesh in three days; which Temple is alone, truly good, and truly satisfying.

God’s works are in reality terrifying and earth shattering, shaking the Universe to the farthest star.  It is only our blindness that prohibits our observation of the quaking stars.  The arrival of God’s Presence silences all creation, that “the whole world may become guilty before God (Romans 3:19).”

David now recites a litany of God’s good “tokens” for which we should all be eternally grateful.  These “tokens” reach the “uttermost parts” of the earth with the goodness of God.

The whole earth breaks forth in joyous peals of gratitude, “The valleys stand so rich with corn that they laugh and sing.”  Are we that thankful a people?  This is the third part of the hymn medley in four parts, “Praise The Lord, O Jerusalem,” by Henry John Maunder.  Thanks for the precious memory, Dad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG27fzdVa0A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7sa9xCh2Js
http://imslp.org/wiki/Praise_the_Lord,_O_Jerusalem_(Maunder,_John_Henry)

[2] As David awaits the arrival of the Ark, so dawn and dusk arrive with song at the Presence of the Glory of God, the Sh^ekinah.

[3] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations in Psalms, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.

These meditations are not controlled by Creative Commons or other licenses, such as: copyright, CC, BY, SA, NC, or ND.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

Psalm 1 Greek

The Book of Psalms
Analysis

BOOK  I 

Section  1:  Saturday Vespers

Division  1:1 

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  Lord, cleanse us from our sins.  Master, pardon our iniquities.  Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name’s sake.  Lord have mercy (three times).

Psalm 1 LXX Analytical Translation

Blessed man who not-follows in [the] wishes of [the] wicked, and in [the] way of sinners not-stands, and upon the seat of [the] pestilent not-sits.  But, either in the law of [the] Lord [is] the will[1] his, or in the law His, he meditates day and night.  And he is[2] as the tree, having been planted near the streams of the waters, who will give the fruit his in time his.  And the leaf his not-drops.  And all whatever if he should do, it follows the good path.

Not so, the wicked, not so:[3] but [are] like the chaff, which drives out, [by] the wind from the face of the earth.[4]  Through this, not-arise,[5] [the] wicked in [the] judgment, nor sinners in [the] wishes of [the] righteous.  Because He knows, [the] Lord [the] way of [the] righteous, and [the] way of [the] wicked perishes.

Psalm 1 LXX

μακάριος[6] ἀνήρ[7] ὃς[8] οὐκ[9] ἐπορεύθη[10] ἐν βουλῇ[11] ἀσεβῶν[12] καὶ ἐν ὁδῷ[13] ἁμαρτωλῶν[14] οὐκ ἔστη[15] καὶ ἐπὶ καθέδραν[16] λοιμῶν[17] οὐκ ἐκάθισεν.[18]  ἀλλ'[19] ἢ[20] ἐν τῷ νόμῳ[21] κυρίου[22] τὸ θέλημα[23] αὐτοῦ[24] καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ μελετήσει[25] ἡμέρας[26] καὶ νυκτός.[27]  καὶ ἔσται[28] ὡς[29] τὸ ξύλον[30] τὸ πεφυτευμένον[31] παρὰ[32] τὰς διεξόδους[33] τῶν ὑδάτων[34] ὃ τὸν καρπὸν[35] αὐτοῦ δώσει[36] ἐν καιρῷ[37] αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ φύλλον[38] αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπορρυήσεται[39] καὶ πάντα[40] ὅσα[41] ἂν[42] ποιῇ[43] κατευοδωθήσεται.[44]

οὐχ οὕτως[45] οἱ ἀσεβεῖς[46] οὐχ οὕτως ἀλλ' ἢ ὡς ὁ χνοῦς[47] ὃν[48] ἐκριπτεῖ[49] ὁ ἄνεμος[50] ἀπὸ[51] προσώπου[52] τῆς γῆς.[53]  διὰ[54] τοῦτο[55] οὐκ ἀναστήσονται[56] ἀσεβεῖς ἐν κρίσει[57] οὐδὲ[58] ἁμαρτωλοὶ[59] ἐν βουλῇ δικαίων.[60]  ὅτι[61] γινώσκει[62] κύριος[63] ὁδὸν[64] δικαίων καὶ ὁδὸς[65] ἀσεβῶν ἀπολεῖται.[66]

http://biblehub.com/sepd/psalms/1.htm

All Greek notes are derived from the following authoritative resources:

The Analytical Greek Lexicon (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1973)

Dana, H. E. and J. R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (Macmillan, Toronto, 1957)

[67]

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[1] The connection of the ideas, delight, desire, wish, and will is profound.  This connection ought to inform us that the force frequently applied to the word, will, in English is nonexistent.  In English, will, frequently assumes that which is actually accomplished by grit and grim determination.  This force is absent here.  There only remains a longing for what we hope might be.  God, in His grace fulfills our desire, and makes our delight a reality.  This is what the blessed and righteous Godly wish and will.  This is what they receive.  Still, there is a tenacity associated with the faith that lays claim to such a gift.  Faith is not a wishy-washy, lay back and let it happen sort of thing.  Faith desires; faith delights; faith lays-hold with both hands and cannot be pried loose.

[2] The force of the future is better expressed as characteristic in English.  The idea that these tense constructions are Hebraisms is inescapable.  The eternal sense of this Psalm is not weakened by this approach.

[3] This reduplication, the first major difference between J p-H and MT is now seen to exist in the Septuagint and possibly in the Septuagint proto-Hebrew (S p-H) as well.  Jerome might have corrected this, but did not.  This suggests that S p-H contained this text, or else this force was active in rabbinic thinking long before the birth of Christ.  This is a strong indication that something is lost in MT.  This could be as subtle as a difference of inflection.  Taken together, Septuagint and Jerome indicate that this is the actual text in Jesus’ and the Apostles’ hands.

[4] This second major difference between J p-H and MT is also reinforced by LXX and S p-H.  The change from “from the face of the earth” to “away” removes the sense of utter damnation and eternality provided by Jerome and LXX.  This is the Bible as Jesus’ and the Apostles’ read and taught it.

[5] The third major difference between J p-H and MT is also supported by LXX and S p-H.  MT blunts or denies the force of resurrection.  This suggests that resurrection to eternal life was active in rabbinic thought (Revelation 20:4-15).  This force is inescapable from the light of the NT, especially when Jesus unveils Himself in the OT (Luke 24: 27, 44-48).

[6] μακάριος Masculine nominative singular adjective (or noun) μακάριος, ία, ιον: blessed or happy.

[7] Masculine nominative singular noun ἀνήρ, ἀνδρόϛ, ὁ: adult male, individual, having the characteristics of bravery or manliness.  In this context, a person of either sex having the characteristics of perfect humanity: Jesus, or like Jesus, the second Adam, rather than the first Adam.

[8] Relative pronoun ὅϛ, ἥ, ὅ.

[9] Adverb of absolute negation οὐ, οὐκ, οὐχ, only with indicative.

[10] Aorist indicative active, third singular of πορεύομαι: walks, follows, pursues.

[11] Feminine dative singular noun βουλή, ῆϛ, ἡ from βούλομαι: advice, choice, counsel, decree, desire, determination, direction, intention, order, pleasure, purpose, will, wish.

[12] Masculine genitive plural noun or adjective ἀσεβήϛ, έοϛ, οῦϛ, ὁ, ἡ, τό, -έϛ: impious, ungodly, wicked.

[13] Feminine dative singular noun ὁδόϛ, οῦ, ἡ: way, road, direction, course (of action), system (of doctrine).

[14] Genitive plural noun ἁμαρτωλόϛ, οῦ, ὁ, ἡ from ἁμαρτάνω: miss a mark, err, offend, sin, sinners.

[15] Aorist indicative active, third singular of ἵστημι: confirms, endures, establishes, stands, persists.  Not passively blocking the path or way, but actively and tenaciously adhering to its principles or persisting in its pursuit.  Here it speaks of a stubbornness of behavior and attitude against the Lord.

[16] Feminine nominative singular noun καθέδρα, ας, ἡ: a seat.

[17] Masculine genitive plural noun λοιμός, ου, ὁ: a pest, plague.

[18] Aorist indicative active, third singular of καθίζω: sits.  To sit is to assume the place of authority, to rule or to teach.

[19] Conjunction, the contraction of ἀλλά: but, except, however, unless, also serves to introduce a sentence with keenness and emphasis — for!

[20] Either, or

[21] Masculine dative singular noun νόμος, ου, ὁ: law, specifically the Mosaic law in this context.

[22] Masculine genitive singular noun κύριος, ίου, ὁ: lord, master, the name of God, The Tetragrammaton, יהוה, which was too sacred to pronounce, hence spoken as Adonai, or Lord.

[23] Neuter nominative singular noun θέλημα, ατος, τό from θέλω: chose, intend, design, pleasure, desire, will.

[24] Masculine or neuter genitive singular reflexive pronoun αὐτόϛ, ή, ό: here used as a third person possessive pronoun, his.

[25] Future indicative active, third singular of μελετάω: to give careful or painful attention, study, meditate.

[26] Feminine genitive singular noun ἡμέρα, ας, ἡ: day, the period of sunlight, or the whole twenty-four hours.

[27] Feminine genitive singular noun νύξ, νυκτός, ἡ: night the period of solar darkness.

[28] Future indicative active, third singular of εἰμί: the copula, be, exist, is.

[29] Adverb, see ὅϛ, ἥ, ὅ: as.

[30] Neuter nominative singular noun ξύλον, ου, τό: wood, timber, stocks, club, post, cross, tree.

[31] Perfect passive participle, masculine accusative singular from φυτεύω, φύω: plant, having been planted.

[32] Preposition παρὰ: before genitives, from; datives, at, with, by, near, in, among; accusatives (motion) at, by, near, along; comparatives, except, etc.; beside, alongside of.

[33] Feminine accusative plural noun διέξοδος, οῦ, ἡ, a contraction of δια + έξ + οδος: out of the through path, the through source path, passage, road, stream.  The connection with ὁδόϛ must not be overlooked.

[34] Neuter genitive plural noun ὕδωρ, ατος, τό: fluid, water.

[35] Masculine accusative singular noun καρπός, ου, ὁ: offspring, posterity, fruit, spiritual fruit.

[36] Future indicative active, third singular of δίδωμι: to give.

[37] Masculine dative singular noun καιρός, οῦ, ὁ: a fit or suitable time or place, period of time, opportune, season, time.

[38] Neuter nominative singular noun φύλλον, ου, τό: a leaf.

[39] Future indicative middle, third singular of ἀπορέω, ἀπορρέω, or ἀπορρίπτω, a contraction of ἀπο + ῥίπτω, see also ῥύπτος, a closely related noun: to cast off, throw away, fade wilt, fall, drop.  The idea is active not passive.  The tree throws its leaves away; they do not drop by accident, but rather by design.

[40] Masculine accusative plural adjective πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν: all.

[41] Neuter nominative and accusative plural correlative pronoun ὅσος, η, ον: as great, as much, as many, whoever, whatever.

[42] Particle, conjunction ἐάν: if.

[43] Present subjunctive active, third singular of ποιέω: do, make.

[44] Future indicative passive, third singular of κατευοδόω, a contraction of κατα + ευ + οδόω: to follow a good path, descend from a good path, prosper.  The connection with ὁδόϛ is again self-evident.

[45] Adverb, see οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο: in this manner, way, thus, so.

[46] Masculine nominative and accusative plural adjective ἀσεβήϛ, έοϛ, οῦϛ, ὁ, ἡ, τό, -έϛ: impious, ungodly, wicked, the wicked as a class of people.

[47] Masculine nominative singular noun χνοῦς, ὁ: scrapings, shavings, down, fruit blossom, cushion stuffing, sea spray; anything light, fluffy, or easily wind borne; anything worthless.

[48] Masculine accusative singular of ὅϛ, ἥ, ὅ ὃν: which or that.

[49] Present indicative active, third singular of ἐκρίπτω, a contraction of ἐκ + ῥίπτω: to cast out.

[50] Masculine nominative singular noun ἄνεμος, ου, ὁ: wind, specifically distinct from πνεῦμα, breath and spirit

[51] Preposition ἀπὸ: ablative in concept, indicating departure or separation, source, material, agency, instrument, from, here – away from.

[52] Neuter genitive singular noun πρόσωπονυ, ου, τό: presence, face.

[53] Feminine genitive singular noun γῆ, γῆς, ἡ: soil, land, the earth.

[54] Preposition διά: by means of, with, by; with a genitive indicating direct agency, action, or instrument; with an accusative indicating indirect agency, etc.; through.

[55] Neuter nominative and accusative singular demonstrative pronoun οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο: possibly contemptuous, this, that.

[56] ἀναστήσονται Future indicative middle, third plural of ἀνίστημι, a contraction of ἀνά + ἵστημι: to stand up or arise, to resurrect.  The connection with the resurrection of Christ is inescapable.  The wicked, who have lived their lives in self-will against God, will not be able to lift themselves up now.

[57] Feminine nominative plural noun κρίσις, εως, ἡ from κρίνω: sentence, judgment.

[58] Adverb, contraction of οὐ + δὲ: neither, nor.

[59] Nominative plural noun ἁμαρτωλόϛ, οῦ, ὁ, ἡ from ἁμαρτάνω: miss a mark, err, offend, sin, sinners, the sinners as a class of people.

[60] Genitive plural adjective δίκαιος, αία, αιον from δίκη: just, righteous, nominally the righteous as a class of people.

[61] ὅτι Particle of cause ὅστις: for, since, because.

[62] Present indicative active, third singular of γινώσκω: know, here in the sense of intimate personal involvement.  It is the causative agency of the Holy Spirit that makes people righteous.

[63] Masculine nominative singular noun κύριος, ίου, ὁ: lord, master, the name of God, The Tetragrammaton, יהוה, which was too sacred to pronounce, hence spoken as Adonai, or Lord, κύριος.

[64] Feminine accusative singular noun ὁδόϛ, οῦ, ἡ: way, road, direction, course (of action), system (of doctrine).

[65] Feminine nominative singular noun ὁδόϛ, οῦ, ἡ: way, road, direction, course (of action), system (of doctrine).

[66] Future indicative middle, third singular of ἀπόλλυμι: self-destruct, destroy, put to death, perish.

[67] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations in Psalms, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.

These meditations are not controlled by Creative Commons or other licenses, such as: copyright, CC, BY, SA, NC, or ND.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.