The Book of Psalms
Analysis
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 MT Analytical Translation
Blessed[1] [is][2] the man
who not-walks in the advice of [the] wicked.[3] In the path of sinners, he not-stands.[4] [5] In the seat of scorners, he not-sits.[6] For if, in [the] Torah of יהוה, he delights[7] himself;
in His Torah, he meditates[8] day and
night. He is like [9]a tree planted
near streams of water, who, his fruit, he gives in his time.[10] His leaf not-withers. All that he does shall prosper.
Not true of the wicked. For if, as chaff that is driven away by wind,
in truth, he not-arises,[11] [the]
wicked, in the judgment,[12] or
sinners in the assembly of [the] righteous.[13] For He knows, יהוה, [the]
path of [the] righteous.[14] [The] path of [the] wicked
perishes.[15]
Psalm 1 MT
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי[16]־הָאִ֗ישׁ[17] אֲשֶׁ֤ר[18] ׀ לֹ֥א[19] הָלַךְ֮[20] בַּעֲצַ֪ת[21] רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים[22] וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ[23] חַ֭טָּאִים[24] לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד[25] וּבְמֹושַׁ֥ב[26] לֵ֝צִ֗ים[27] לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב[28]׃
כִּ֤י[29] אִ֥ם[30] בְּתֹורַ֥ת[31] יְהוָ֗ה[32] חֶ֫פְצֹ֥ו[33] וּֽבְתֹורָתֹ֥ו[34] יֶהְגֶּ֗ה[35] יֹומָ֥ם[36] וָלָֽיְלָה[37]׃
וְֽהָיָ֗ה[38] כְּעֵץ֮[39] שָׁת֪וּל[40] עַֽל[41]־פַּלְגֵ֫י[42] מָ֥יִם[43] אֲשֶׁ֤ר פִּרְיֹ֨ו[44] ׀ יִתֵּ֬ן[45] בְּעִתֹּ֗ו[46] וְעָלֵ֥הוּ[47] לֹֽא־יִבֹּ֑ול[48] וְכֹ֖ל[49] אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה[50] יַצְלִֽיחַ[51]׃
עַל־כֵּ֤ן
׀ לֹא־יָקֻ֣מוּ[56] רְ֭שָׁעִים
בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט[57] וְ֝חַטָּאִ֗ים
בַּעֲדַ֥ת[58] צַדִּיקִֽים[59]׃
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%201&version=WLC
(with text reset in Times New Roman 15 and right justified)
All Hebrew notes are derived from the
following authoritative resources:
Bardtke, H., K. Elliger, and W. Rudolph, Liber
Psalmorum, Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia
(Württembergische Bibelanstalt, Stuttgart, 1969)
Cowley, A. E. and E. Kautzsch, Gesenius’
Hebrew Grammar, Second English Ed. (Oxford University Press, London,
1910)
Davidson, Benjamin, The Analytical
Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1970)
The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee
Concordance of the Old Testament, Fifth Ed. (Zondervan, Grand Rapids,
1970)
Weingreen, J., A Practical Grammar
for Classical Hebrew, Second Ed. (Oxford University Press, London,
1959)
[1] Or
happy The Jerusalem Bible (JB)
[2]
The Hebrew sentence is frequently constructed from two nouns without a
verb. Here, “Blessed the man.” English seems best served by supplying a
copula in most cases.
[3]
Who never follows the advice of the wicked JB
[4] Or,
loiters on the way that sinners take JB.
Or, serves the works of sinners.
[5]
Phrases are frequently introduced with the letter, ו, which
means and. This is like pasting an &
in front of each phrase. The Hebrew
language loves run-on sentences. Since
English deplores run-on sentences, these &s are ignored unless the sentence
logic requires their presence. This puts
many phrases in apposition; rather than inclusion: both, and. The function of the ו seems
better served by grouping sentences into logical paragraphs. The poetry of the Hebrew language seems best
preserved as a sort of free verse.
[6] Or,
sits about with scoffers JB. Or, joins
in judgment with people who are less than sober. The three prohibitions follow the logic of
the Decalogue very closely: no idols, no manufacture of idols, no service to
idols. Life is to be lived in sobriety,
in the fear of Yahweh alone.
[7]
Pleasure JB
[8]
Murmurs JB
[9]
Hebrew does not have an indefinite article.
English requires that it be supplied.
[10]
Since the antecedent is the blessed man: namely, Christ; we continue with the
theologically more accurate, “his fruit in his time.”
[11]
Stand firm JB
[12]
When judgment comes JB
[13]
When the virtuous assemble JB
[14]
Takes care of the way the virtuous go JB
Empowers, protects or upholds the way the virtuous take, may have been
better.
[15]
Doomed JB
[16] אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי Construct of the
masculine plural noun אֶשֶׁר: blessed or happy, the majestic or multiple blessings of. Psalm 1:1; 2:12; 32:1, 2; 33:12; 34:8; 40:4;
41:1; 65:4; 84:4, 5, 12; 89:15; 94:12; 106:3; 112:1; 119:1, 2; 127:5; 128:1, 2;
137:8, 9; 144:15, 15; 146:5. Blessed is
preferred: it stresses God’s gift; rather than human emotion, as happiness
does.
[17] הָאִ֗ישׁ
Man, applicable here to all mankind, having specific
reference to Jesus Christ, the perfect man, from Whom all men and women must
derive their ultimate glory.
[18] אֲשֶׁ֤ר
The generic indeclinable relative pronoun, originally a
demonstrative, includes personal pronouns, of all genders: that, which, who,
etc. Psalm 1:1, 4; 3:6.
[19] לֹ֥א Adversative
participle, including negative adverbs, indicates the absolute negation of the
following verb; not.
[20] הָלַךְ֮ Kal preterit, third
singular masculine of הָלַךְ:
a broad nuance of going. In Psalms,
usually walk, but rivers run. Psalm 1:1; 26:1; 105:41; 119:3. Literally, walked not. The truth taught here is eternal, hence it is
taken characteristically here, walks not, or never walks.
[21] בַּעֲצַ֪ת Construct
of the feminine singular noun עֵצׇה from יׇעַץ with prefix בַּ: advice or
counsel. Psalm 1:1; 13:2; 14:6; 20:4;
33:10, 11; 73:24; 106:13, 43; 107:11; 119:24.
[22] רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים
Masculine plural adjective of רׇשׇׁע from רׇשַׁע: criminal, hater of God, lawbreaker,
ungodly, wicked, as in opposition to the whole of God’s kingdom, law, and
will. Psalm
1:1, 4, 5, 6; 3:7; 7:9; 9:5, 16, 17; 10:2, 3, 4, 13, 15; 11:2, 5, 6; and many
other places.
[23]
Masculine singular noun דֶּרֶךְ from דׇרַךְ with prefixes בְ and וּ: the beaten path, well-trod road, the
way. Psalm
1:1, 6; 2:12; 5:8; 10:5; 18:21, 30, 32; 25:4, 8, 9, 12; and many other places.
[24]
Masculine plural noun חַטׇּא from חׇטׇא: sinner, stumbler, a fallen one, a bungler. Psalm 1:1, 5; 25:8;
26:9; 51:13; 104:35.
[25]
Kal preterit, third singular masculine of עׇמַד: stand or serve. Psalm 1:1; 26:12;
38:11; 106:23; 119:91.
[26]
Construct of the masculine singular noun מוֹשַׁב from יׇשַׁב with prefixes בְ and וּ: seat, dwelling. Psalm 1:1; 107:4, 7, 32, 36; 132:13.
[27]
Kal active masculine plural participle of לֵּץ from לוּץ: a twister, one who puts the worst
construction on every word, a mocker, scoffer, scorner.
[28]
Kal preterit, third singular masculine of ֹ יׇשׇׁבfrom
יׇשַׁב with
prefixes בְ and וּ: sit, dwell, stay, abide, inhabit. Psalm 1:1; 9:4; 23:6; 26:4; 29:10; 47:8;
68:10; 69:35; 119:23; 122:5; 137:1; and many other
places.
[29] כִּ֤י A particle usually introducing adversative, causal,
exceptive, explanatory, or temporal clauses: for. Gesenius and KJV prefer adversative to the
preceding use of not. We prefer to
include an explanatory nuance of the Blessed Man, who is a lover of the Lord’s law. Is this adversative to wicked, sinners,
scorners? Yes, of course, but we still
prefer to include an explanatory nuance.
[30] אִ֥ם A particle usually introducing conditional
clauses (protasis): if or since. The Man
is blessed since (or because) he loves the Lord’s
law. Since (or because) he loves the Lord’s law, he thinks about it
ceaselessly. Having said this, we still
leave the literal, for if, in place. The
literal sense does not translate away, either the adversative or the
explanatory ideas. The literal
translation leaves the logical tension in the hands of the reader, forcing the
reader to consider both aspects. If
opens the door for the possibility that an individual may, or may not love the
Lord’s law. This is a free human choice to make. God does not coerce love from us.
[31]
Construct of the feminine singular noun תּוֹרׇה from יׇרׇה with prefix בְּ: literally
Torah, law, teaching, shot at, cast, throw.
All five books of Moses are in view.
It is not accidental that there are five books of Psalms corresponding
to the five books of Moses. The Psalter
has a consistent thematic statement: namely, the praise of Torah. This theme is introduced here, highlighted in
Psalm 19, and climaxed in Psalm 119. The
Messianic King, provided for in the Davidic Covenant, reigns from the same
Torah that He also wrote. It is
important that interpreters not take this to mean some subset of the
Pentateuch. Psalm 1:2;
19:7; 37:31; 40:8; 78:1, 5, 10; 89:30; 94:12; 105:45; 119:1, 18, 29, 34, 44,
51, 53, 55, 61, 70, 72, 77, 85, 92, 97, 109, 113, 126, 136, 142, 150, 153, 163,
165, 174.
[32]
The Tetragrammaton, יהוה: The LORD.
[33]
Kal preterit, third singular masculine of חׇפֵץ with reflexive suffix וֹ: he delights or pleases
himself.
[34]
Feminine singular noun תּוֹרׇה from יׇרׇה with prefixes בְ and וּ
and suffix וֹ:
in His Torah. וּ introducing the apodosis, is implied, so “then” need not be
stated.
[35]
Kal future, third singular masculine of הׇגׇה: imagines is too
indefinite, he will meditate, taken
characteristically here, he meditates.
Consider covers more instances, consideration to the point of talking to
one’s self: a Law whisperer. Psalm
1:2; 2:1; 35:28; 37:30; 38:12; 63:6; 71:24; 115:7.
[36]
Masculine singular noun יוֹם with suffix ׇם: day, daily, by day. The suffix extends and intensifies the
meaning: all day, every day. Psalm 1:2;
13:2; 22:2; 32:4; 42:3, 8; 55:10; 78:14; 91:5; 121:6.
[37]
Masculine singular noun לַיִל with suffixed paragogic
ׇה: night, nightly, by night. The suffix extends and intensifies the
meaning: all night, every night. The two
words, day and night, in these forms, combine to mean all the time, continuously. “Pray without ceasing.” The preposition, by, adds little in the
English language and is dropped. Psalm
1:2; and elsewhere.
[38]
Kal preterit, third singular masculine of הׇיׇה with prefix וְ: he was.
This is normal Hebrew style, continuing an imperfect with a perfect, taken characteristically here, he is.
[39]
Masculine singular noun עֵץ from עׇצׇה with prefix כְּ: as or like a tree. Psalm 1:3; 74:5; 96:12; 104:16; 105:33;
148:9.
[40]
Kal passive masculine singular participle of שׇׁתַל: planted. Psalm 1:3; 92:13; 128:3.
[41]
Preposition from עׇלׇה: with a root
meaning of ascent or springing, hence: above, at, away, beside, by, from, near,
over, upon. Psalm 1:3, 5; 2:2, 2, 6;
3:1, 6, 8; 50:4; 119:14. See also עׇלׇה, Psalm 18:8; 47:5; 68:18; 78:21, 31; 122:4.
[42]
Construct of the masculine plural noun פֶּלֶג from פׇּלַג: divisions, streams. Psalm
1:3; 46:4; 65:9; 119:136.
[43]
Masculine plural noun from מַי: waters. See Genesis
1:2. Psalm 1:3; 18:11, 15, 16;
22:14; 23:2; and many other places.
[44]
Masculine singular noun פְּרִי from פׇּרׇה with third person singular masculine suffix וֹ: his fruit. Psalm 1:3; 21:10; 58:11; 72:16;
104:13; 105:35; 107:34, 37; 127:3; 132:11; 148:9.
[45]
Kal future, third singular masculine of נׇתַן: he gives, yields,
bears. Psalm 1:3; 2:8; 14:7; and a very common verb used in many other places.
[46]
Common singular noun עֵת from עׇדׇה with prefix בְּ and third person singular masculine suffix וֹ: in his time or season. Psalm 1:3; 4:7; 9:9; 10:1, 5; 21:9;
31:15; 32:6; 34:1; 37:19, 39; 62:8; 69:13; 71:9; 81:15; 102:13; 104:27; 105:19;
106:3; 119:20, 126; 145:15.
[47]
Masculine singular noun עׇלֶה from עׇלׇה with prefix וְ and third person singular masculine suffix וּ: his leaf. Psalm 1:3; only locus in Psalms.
[48]
Kal future, third singular masculine of נׇבֵל: wither, fade
(wilt, die?). Psalm 1:3; 18:45;
37:2.
[49]
Masculine singular noun from כׇּלַל with prefix וְ: complete, all, whole, everything. Psalm
1:3; 2:12; 3:7; 39:5; 51:19 (adjective).
[50]
Kal future, third singular masculine of עׇשׇׂה: work, labor, make, create, do. Psalm 1:3; 37:5; 56:4, 11; 60:12;
66:15; 88:10; 106:19; 107:37; 108:13; 118:6; 119:84; 140:12; 145:19.
[51]
Hiphil future, third singular masculine of צׇלַח: pass, advance, flourish, prosper, succeed,
to be or become successful, shall prosper.
Psalm 1:3; 37:7; 45:4; 118:25.
[52]
[Construct of the?] masculine singular adjective or adverb from כּֽוּן: so,
established, prepared, fixed, true.
[53]
Masculine singular noun מֹץ from מֽוּץ with prefix כַּ, adverb, roughly as: press, churn, oppress, chaff, as the chaff. Psalm 1:4; 35:5.
[54]
Kal future, third singular feminine of נׇדַף, with third singular masculine suffix: to drive
about or away, scatter. Psalm
1:4; 68:2, 2.
[55]
Common singular noun from רֽוּחַ: breath, smell odor, wind.
Psalm 1:4; 11:6; 18:10, 15, 42; 31:5; 32:2; 33:6; 34:18; 35:5; and many other places.
[56] Defective for יׇקוּמוּ; Kal future,
third singular feminine of קֽוּם: arise.
Psalm 1:5; 12:5; 24:3; 27:3; 35:11; 68:1; 78:6; 88:10; 94:16; 102:13;
119:62; 140:10.
[57]
Masculine singular noun מִשֽׁפׇּט from שׇׁפַט with prefix בַּ: in the judgment. Psalm
1:5; 7:6; 9:4, 7, 16; 10:5; 17:2; 18:22; 19:9; 25:9; 33:5; and
many other places.
[58]
Construct of the feminine singular noun עֵדׇה from יׇעַד with prefix בַּ: in the assembly or congregation. Psalm
1:5; 7:7; 22:16; 68:30; 74:2; 82:1; 86:14; 106:17, 18; 111:1.
[59]
Masculine plural absolute adjective צַדִּיק from צׇדַק: just, righteous. Psalm 1:5, 6; 5:12; 7:9, 11; 11:3, 5, 7;
14:5; 31:18; 32:11; 33:1; and many other places.
[60]
Kal active masculine singular participle from יׇדַע: to discern, experience,
know, those who know, He Who knows. Here
the participle imparts a sense of timelessness: The Lord is always knowing, He is the Knower. Psalm 1:6; 9:10; 36:10; 37:18; 44:21; 74:9;
87:4; 89:15; 90:11; 94:11; 119:79; 139:14.
[61]
Kal future, third singular feminine of אׇבַד: strays, wanders, is lost or
destroyed, perishes, will perish. We
expect the Hiphil future here as in verse 3.
The play between Hiphil and Kal indicates that one is divine fiat, while
the other inevitably and inexorably happens.
Psalm 1:6; 2:12; 9:3, 18; 37:20; 49:10; 68:2; 73:27; 80:16; 83:17; 92:9;
102:26; 112:10.
[62] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations in
Psalms, please repost or share any of them as you wish.
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