SurfTheSite
Psalms:
Bk 1: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
Bk 2: 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72
Bk 3: 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89
Bk 4: 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106
Bk 5: 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119a 119b 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132
133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150
Additional Psalms: 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 Samuel Chronicles
Essays: Intro - Music - Form & Language
The opening verses of the chapter have Natan the Prophet informing David that he will not be permitted to build the Temple, because he is not blood-free; but that his son would succeed him, and he would build it. The Psalm is David's response to this news.
17:16 VA YAVO HA MELECH DAVIYD VA YESHEV LIPHNEY YHVH VA YOMER MI ANI ELOHIM U MI VEITI KI HAVIYOTANI AD HALOM
וַיָּבֹא֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֔יד וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מִֽי־אֲנִ֞י יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ וּמִ֣י בֵיתִ֔י כִּ֥י הֲבִיאֹתַ֖נִי עַד־הֲלֹֽם
KJ: And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
DAVIYD : Unusual addition of a Yud into his name, probably by the Masoretes.
LIPHNEY YHVH: Where would he have done this? Based on the opening verse of this chapter, the Ark had been brought safely to Yeru-Shala'im, but was temporarily housed in a tent, probably in the threshing-floor of Ornah (2 Samuel 24:18), which David had purchased as the site for the future Temple.
YHVH...ELOHIM: Note yet again the occurrence of both the chief god and the full polytheon, within the same verse. One of the central concepts behind the Documentary Hypothesis, that one was the name for the Monotheos in Yehudah, and the other for the Monotheos in the northern kingdom of Ephrayim, simply falls apart; and not just because both are used together, but also because this is King David, and there is as yet no northern kingdom of Ephrayim; that will only happen after the death of his successor!
BEYTI: "House" very much in the Sicilian sense: "mia casa". But what actually is he asking: "what is my tribe?", "who are my people?"; or is the "casa" in question in fact the Beit Mikdash, the Temple? David's personal "house" at this time was the royal palace at Mil'o, likewise on Mount Tsi'on, adjacent to the shrine of Ornah.
17:17 VA TIKTAN ZOT BE EYNEYCHA VA TEDABER AL BEIT AVDECHA LE ME RACHOK U RE'IYTANI KE TOR HA ADAM HA MA'ALAH YHVH ELOHIM
וַתִּקְטַ֨ן זֹ֤את בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַתְּדַבֵּ֥ר עַל־בֵּֽית־עַבְדְּךָ֖ לְמֵרָח֑וֹק וּרְאִיתַ֗נִי כְּת֧וֹר הָאָדָ֛ם הַמַּעֲלָ֖ה יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִֽים
KJ: And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.
BN: "But you have reduced this to something small in your eyes, o gods, and you have spoken of your servant's house from a great distance, and yet you - YHVH, Elohim - have also regarded me as a man of higher rank than other men...
Which seems to infer that being "blood-free" should not be the issue; he has been chosen to be king, and therefore should be free to rule as he pleases, without mere Prophets having the audacity to tell him what he can and what he can't. This of course was also Sha'ul's error, for which the Prophet Shemu-El withdrew semicha; and so it will be with Achaz and Yesha-Yah, and several other examples, later on. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" - so there needs to be a system of checks and balances in place, to ensure the elected leader does not become a tyrant.
17:18 MAH YOSEPH OD DAVIYD ELEYCHA LE CHAVOD ET AVDECHA VE ATAH ET AVDECHA YADA'TA
מַה־יּוֹסִ֨יף ע֥וֹד דָּוִ֛יד אֵלֶ֖יךָ לְכָב֣וֹד אֶת־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֥ יָדָֽעְתָּ
KJ: What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.
BN: "What more can Daviyd add for you, to award your servant his due honour? You know your servant...
DAVIYD: David is being quoted, and yet here he is, speaking about himself in the third person.
And still demanding his "rights" as king. Worth looking at both Mosheh and Shemu-El, who expressed very precisely their deep concerns about giving the power of kingship to any human being,. Mosheh's can be found at Deuteronomy 17:14-20, Shemu-El's at 1 Samuel 8:10-20. Neither would have supported David in this plea.
17:19 YHVH BA AVUR AVDECHA U CHE LIBCHA ASIYTA ET KOL HA GEDULAH HA ZOT LEHODIY'A ET KOL HA GEDULOT
יְהֹוָ֕ה בַּעֲב֤וּר עַבְדְּךָ֙ וּֽכְלִבְּךָ֔ עָשִׂ֕יתָ אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הַגְּדוּלָּ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את לְהֹדִ֖יעַ אֶת־כׇּל־הַגְּדֻלּֽוֹת
KJ: O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things
BN: "YHVH, for the sake of your servant, and according to the wishes of your own heart, you performed all these great deeds, and made known all these great wonders...
Completely fatuous arguments, and now reduced to sycophancy.
17:20 YHVH EYN KAMOCHA VE EYN ELOHIM ZULATECHA BE CHOL ASHER SHAM'ANU BE AZNEYNU
יְהֹוָה֙ אֵ֣ין כָּמ֔וֹךָ וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים זוּלָתֶ֑ךָ בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַ֖עְנוּ בְּאׇזְנֵֽינוּ
KJ: O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
BN: "YHVH, there is none like you, nor any gathering of the gods besides the Elohim, as far as we have heard with our own ears...
Interesting to confirm, nonetheless, that a Davidic Temple would have had chapels for all the deities; as indeed did Shelomoh's, when he was given permission to build it.
17:21 U MI KE AMCHA YISRA-EL GOY ECHAD BA ARETS ASHER HALACH HA ELOHIM LIPHDOT LO AM LASUM LECHA SHEM GEDULOT VE NORA'OT LEGARESH MIPNEY AMCHA ASHER PADIYTA MI MITSRAYIM GOYIM
וּמִי֙ כְּעַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל גּ֥וֹי אֶחָ֖ד בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ הָלַ֨ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים לִפְדּ֧וֹת ל֣וֹ עָ֗ם לָשׂ֤וּם לְךָ֙ שֵׁ֚ם גְּדֻלּ֣וֹת וְנֹרָא֔וֹת לְגָרֵ֗שׁ מִפְּנֵ֧י עַמְּךָ֛ אֲשֶׁר־פָּדִ֥יתָ מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם גּוֹיִֽם
KJ: And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?
BN: "And who is like your people Yisra-El, a nation unique on Earth, whom the Elohim went to liberate as your people, winning renown for yourself for great and marvellous deeds, driving out nations before your people whom you liberated from Mitsrayim...
MITSRAYIM: See the link.
17:22 VA TITEN ET AMCHA YISRA-EL LECHA LE AM AD OLAM VE ATAH YHVH HAYIYTA LAHEM LELOHIM
וַ֠תִּתֵּ֠ן אֶת־עַמְּךָ֨ יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל ׀ לְךָ֛ לְעָ֖ם עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם וְאַתָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה הָיִ֥יתָ לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים
KJ: For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.
BN: "And you established your people Yisra-El as your very own people forever; and you, YHVH, have become all the Elohim that they require...
Another very clear statement of the evolution of Yehudit theology. Who needs a polytheon now that we have President-for-Life YHVH?
Another very clear statement of the evolution of Yehudit theology. Who needs a polytheon now that we have President-for-Life YHVH?
17:23 VE ATAH YHVH HA DAVAR ASHER DIBARTA AL AVDECHA VE AL BEITO YE'AMEN AD OLAM VA ASAH KA ASHER DIBARTA
וְעַתָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבַּ֤רְתָּ עַֽל־עַבְדְּךָ֙ וְעַל־בֵּית֔וֹ יֵאָמֵ֖ן עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם וַעֲשֵׂ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ
KJ: Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.
BN: "And now, YHVH, the promise that you made, concerning your servant and his house, let it be held as trustworthy forever; and do as you have promised...
And now, YHVH, having done all the diplomatic sycophancy, let's get down to business...we signed a contract, you need to keep your part of it.
17:24 VE YE'AMEN VE YIGDAL SHIMCHA AD OLAM LEMOR YHVH TSEVA'OT ELOHEY YISRA-EL ELOHIM LE YISRA-EL U VEIT DAVIYD AVDECHA NACHON LEPHANEYCHA
וְ֠יֵאָמֵ֠ן וְיִגְדַּ֨ל שִׁמְךָ֤ עַד־עוֹלָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְהֹוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֱלֹהִ֖ים לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבֵית־דָּוִ֥יד עַבְדְּךָ֖ נָכ֥וֹן לְפָנֶֽיךָ
KJ: Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.
BN: "Let this become a matter of trust, and let it exalt your name, to say 'YHVH, the Lord of the Hosts of the Heavens, he leads the polytheon of the gods of Yisra-El'; and then the house of your servant Daviyd will act correctly in all matters that come before you...
You keep your side of the bargain, we'll keep ours.
17:25 KI ATAH ELOHAI GALIYTA ET OZEN AVDECHA LIVNOT LO BAYIT AL KEN MATSA AVDECHA LEHITPALEL LEPHANEYCHA
כִּ֣י ׀ אַתָּ֣ה אֱלֹהַ֗י גָּלִ֙יתָ֙ אֶת־אֹ֣זֶן עַבְדְּךָ֔ לִבְנ֥וֹת ל֖וֹ בָּ֑יִת עַל־כֵּן֙ מָצָ֣א עַבְדְּךָ֔ לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל לְפָנֶֽיךָ
KJ: For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.
BN: "Because you, my gods, have revealed to the ears of your servant that you will build a house for him, therefore your servant has ventured to reflect within himself before you...
LIVNOT LO BAYIT: Who is the "him" in this phrase? The Elohim who are going to build a house for YHVH, so that he can be their leader and have his own palace on Earth, whereas they only inhabit whatever is their "forcely" role - the sea, the moon, the storm etc; YHVH has no other house, his original home being Mount Chevron, which volcano exploded into oblivion, leaving him only the Mishkan built by Mosheh, and now a tent in Yeru-Shala'im?
And if not that "him", then it must mean a house for David himself; but he already has his palace at Milo. But David is also the earth-god, or at least a human surrogating for that deity: so it is indeed the Temple that is intended, but colvolutedly, out of theological necessity.
And anyway, didn't we see the word "house" used at the start of this Psalm, not for a physical building at all, but for an extended family, a Sicilian "casa". So build me a "casa", YHVH, with a son to succeed me as king, and let him build the Temple, and it will be "as if" I built it myself; so you will go on saying "no", but the "yes" will be implicit.
LETHITPALEL: As explained previously, the root is PALAL, which means "judgement", and the form is the Hitpa'el, which is reflexive, so that what we translate as "praying" is really the inward act of thoughtful meditation - and that is precisely what David is doing in this Psalm.
17:26 VE ATAH YHVH ATAH HU HA ELOHIM VA TEDABER AL AVDECHA HA TOVAH HA ZOT
וְעַתָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה אַתָּה־ה֖וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתְּדַבֵּר֙ עַֽל־עַבְדְּךָ֔ הַטּוֹבָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת
KJ: And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
BN: "And now, YHVH, you are yourself all the Elohim, and you have made this gracious promise to your servant...
We have to be clear that, theologically, David could never have made the statement in this verse; it belongs to the Hasmonean period and is at most a late redaction of an earlier text. The same is true of YHVH TSEVA'OT in verse 24, though that would have been an Ezraic redaction.
17:27 VE ATAH HO'ALTA LEVARECH ET BEIT AVDECHA LIHEYOT LE OLAM LEPHANEYCHA KI ATAH YHVH BERACHTA U MEVORACH LE OLAM
וְעַתָּ֗ה הוֹאַ֙לְתָּ֙ לְבָרֵךְ֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית עַבְדְּךָ֔ לִֽהְי֥וֹת לְעוֹלָ֖ם לְפָנֶ֑יךָ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ בֵּרַ֔כְתָּ וּמְבֹרָ֖ךְ לְעוֹלָֽם {פ}
KJ: Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.
But still YHVH said no! Or yes, but only as per my note to verse 25.
✡
b) 1 Chronicles 29:9-24
Again we need to know the context, and in fact it is the next part of the tale told in the previous Psalm: years have gone by since then, but now, at the opening of chapter 28,
Daviyd summoned all the leaders of Yisra-El to Yeru-Shala'im... and he rose to his feet and said, "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the covenant of YHVH, and as a footstool for our gods. I had made preparations to build it, but YHVH said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a man of war who has spilled blood.'"
So he hands over the task to Shelomoh, and the rest of the chapter gives the detailed plan for every aspect of the building, the physical structure, the ornamentation, even the rules governing the Kohanim and Leviyim. Chapter 29 opens with the king committing funds, including a large personal donation, after which he invites the leaders to follow suit, which they do (some with spades, offering to help with the physical construction, some with diamonds, as sponsors, patrons and general plaque-worthies; but all of them whole-heartedly, and without any need to threaten clubs). So, in the wake of this, the Psalm as the blessing for the work about to be undertaken.
29:9 VA YEVARECH DAVIYD ET YHVH LE EYNEY KOL HA KAHAL VA YOMER DAVIYD BARUCH ATAH YHVH ELOHEY YISRA-EL AVIYNU ME OLAM VE AD OLAM
וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ דָּוִיד֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־הַקָּהָ֑ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֗יד בָּר֨וּךְ אַתָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אָבִ֔ינוּ מֵעוֹלָ֖ם וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם
KJ (29:10): Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
BN: Then Daviyd blessed YHVH in front of the entire assembly; and Daviyd said, "Blessed are you, YHVH, god of Yisra-El our father, from eternity to eternity...
DAVIYD, again with that additional Yud; was this the standard pronunciation and spelling among the Shomronim who wrote the Book of Chronicles? Daviyd with a northern accent!
DAVIYD, again with that additional Yud; was this the standard pronunciation and spelling among the Shomronim who wrote the Book of Chronicles? Daviyd with a northern accent!
29:10 LECHA YHVH HA GEDULAH VE HA GEVURAH VE HA TIPHERET VE HA NETSACH VE HA HOD KI CHOL BA SHAMAYIM U VA ARETS LECHA YHVH HA MAMLACHAH VE HA MITNAS'E LE CHOL LE ROSH
לְךָ֣ יְ֠הֹוָ֠ה הַגְּדֻלָּ֨ה וְהַגְּבוּרָ֤ה וְהַתִּפְאֶ֙רֶת֙ וְהַנֵּ֣צַח וְהַה֔וֹד כִּי־כֹ֖ל בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֑רֶץ לְךָ֤ יְהֹוָה֙ הַמַּמְלָכָ֔ה וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂ֖א לְכֹ֥ל ׀ לְרֹֽאשׁ
KJ (29:11) Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
BN: "Yours, YHVH, are the greatness, the might, the splendour, the triumph, and the majesty - yes, all that is in the skies and on the Earth; to you, YHVH, belong the kingship and the pre-eminence above all the other sources of life...
Regular synagogue-attenders will have recognised this verse, which is sung, followed by Psalm 99:5 and 99:9, when the Torah srolls are being paraded around the sanctuary before reading.
Regular synagogue-attenders will have recognised this verse, which is sung, followed by Psalm 99:5 and 99:9, when the Torah srolls are being paraded around the sanctuary before reading.
LE CHOL LE ROSH: To understand this, we have to go back to the very first word in the Tanach, Bere'shit... and see my notes there. The key here is that YHVH has not yet absorbed the other Elohim, but, as per my note to 1 Chronicles 17:22 above...so we are still in the transitional stage from polytheism to Omnideism.
29:11 VE HA OSHER VE HA KAVOD MI LEPHANEYCHA VE ATAH MOSHEL BA CHOL U VE YADCHA KO'ACH U GEVURAH U VE YADCHA LEGADEL U LECHAZEK LA KOL
וְהָעֹ֤שֶׁר וְהַכָּבוֹד֙ מִלְּפָנֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּה֙ מוֹשֵׁ֣ל בַּכֹּ֔ל וּבְיָדְךָ֖ כֹּ֣חַ וּגְבוּרָ֑ה וּבְיָ֣דְךָ֔ לְגַדֵּ֥ל וּלְחַזֵּ֖ק לַכֹּֽל
KJ (29:12) Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
BN: "And the wealth, and the honour, come from you, and you have dominion over everything, and in your hand is strength and power, and in your hand is the capacity to make all things grow and become strong...
OSHER: Is it pure coincidence that the Egyptian equivalent of David, the earth god, beloved son of sun-god Hor (Horus) and moon-goddess Eshet (Isis), whose body she found on the sea-shore of the tribe of Asher, after he had been, so to speak, successfully javelined by the tusk of the Sha'uline boar and put out to sea in a coffin-boat like Ar Thur of Avalon; that he should just happen to get a mention at this point of the Psalm? Although it might be the Phoenician female version of this word: Babylonian Ishtar, who they called Asherah, Sarai or Sarah, or Astarte further east in Ashur, and who was worshipped among the Beney Kena'an at her sacred groves, the Ashterot, in the early spring, spelled in mediaeval English as "the festival of Oester". Complex root, OSHER, and happy is the man who can sort out this complexity!
LEGADEL U LECHAZEK: Further evidence that the transformation is not yet complete: this is the fertility god, not yet the abstraction of metaphysics. Which is to say, this is still the age of "sacrifice" (propitiation of the gods), not yet of "obedience" (religion in its full meaning: re ligionis, according to the laws) - see verse 20, below, for confirmation of this.
29:12 VE ATAH ELOHEYNU MODIM ANACHNU LACH U MEHALELIM LE SHEM TIPH'ARTECHA
וְעַתָּ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ מוֹדִ֥ים אֲנַ֖חְנוּ לָ֑ךְ וּֽמְהַלְלִ֖ים לְשֵׁ֥ם תִּפְאַרְתֶּֽךָ
BN: "And now, our gods, we thank you and sing praises to your glorious name...
LACH: verse 10 had LECHA, twice; LECHA is the 2nd person singular, masculine. But here, at least in the Masoretic edition, it is LACH, which is the 2nd person singular, feminine. And again in the next verse, and verse 16.
LACH: verse 10 had LECHA, twice; LECHA is the 2nd person singular, masculine. But here, at least in the Masoretic edition, it is LACH, which is the 2nd person singular, feminine. And again in the next verse, and verse 16.
29:13 VE CHI MI ANI U MI AMI KI NA'TSOR KO'ACH LEHITNADEV KA ZOT KI MIMCHA HA KOL U MI YADCHA NATANU LACH
וְכִ֨י מִ֤י אֲנִי֙ וּמִ֣י עַמִּ֔י כִּי־נַעְצֹ֣ר כֹּ֔חַ לְהִתְנַדֵּ֖ב כָּזֹ֑את כִּי־מִמְּךָ֣ הַכֹּ֔ל וּמִיָּדְךָ֖ נָתַ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ
KJ (29:14) But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
BN: "And because... who am I and who are my people, that we should have the means to make such a freewill offering; but everything comes from you, and it is from your hand that we are giving to you...
MI ANI U MI AMI: Deliberately echoing, but not quite repeating, the starting-words from 1 Chronicles 17:16 (see above), and thereby bringing together both the contexts and the texts. The key difference lies in the change from the narrowness of BEYTI in the previous piece, to the all-embracing AMI here.
29:14. But it also answers the question that we posed there; see my note to BEYTI at that verse.
VE CHI: These words come at the start of the verse, but I needed to comment on MI ANI first because they make no sense otherwise. VE CHI sounds like it needs a cough aterwards, a hand to the mouth, and then the rest of the sentence: as though David knows exactly what he intends to say next, but wants to draw his listeners close attention, because effectively the echo is an apology, and a statement of acceptance, where the previous occurrence was a complaint, a strongly-worded demand.
29:14 KI GERIM ANACHNU LEPHANEYCHA VE TOSHAVIM KE CHOL AVOTEYNU KA TSEL YAMEYNU AL HA ARETS VE EYN MIKVEH
כִּֽי־גֵרִ֨ים אֲנַ֧חְנוּ לְפָנֶ֛יךָ וְתוֹשָׁבִ֖ים כְּכׇל־אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ כַּצֵּ֧ל ׀ יָמֵ֛ינוּ עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְאֵ֥ין מִקְוֶֽה
BN: "For we are sojourners with you, mere transients like all our ancestors; our days on Earth are like a shadow, with nothing in prospect...
MIKVEH: And I would like to offer a distinction between HA TIKVAH, "the hope", which is the modern Israeli national anthem, and HA MIKVEH, which is the ritual bath; the former, which is the one here, is spelled with a Vav (תִקוָה), while the other is spelled with a Vet...
MIKVEH: And I would like to offer a distinction between HA TIKVAH, "the hope", which is the modern Israeli national anthem, and HA MIKVEH, which is the ritual bath; the former, which is the one here, is spelled with a Vav (תִקוָה), while the other is spelled with a Vet...
...but wait a moment. I can't offer such a distinction. Because it isn't. This one too is spelled with a Vav (מִקְוֶה), which either means that, once again, we have two completely different roots that just happen to be spelled the same (see my note to 2 Samuel 22:41), or these two words are more deeply interconnected than is immediately obvious; either way this is a rather clever piece of word-play by David, inferring that there is no hope because there is no ultimate Mikveh, and therefore no means of final purification. See Genesis 1:10 for the Creational Mikveh, but also Exodus 7:19 and especially Leviticus 11:36 for the source of the ritual bath. How these two were originally connected is beyond my capacity to explain, but I will happily bow to the superior wisdom of anyone who can.
And then add 1 Kings 10:28, which has the very same word, very same spelling, but now used for yarn, the king's "linen" - the version at my link finds a very neat way of explaining it, and it may even be correct, though the spelling is a Yehuditisation of the Aramaic Mikve with a final Aleph, which is how it can be found in 2 Chronicles 1:16.
29:15 YHVH ELOHEYNU KOL HE HAMON HA ZEH ASHER HACHIYNONU LIVNOT LECHA VAYIT LE SHEM KADSHECHA MI YADCHA HU U LECHA HA KOL
יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ כֹּ֣ל הֶֽהָמ֤וֹן הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֲכִינֹ֔נוּ לִבְנֽוֹת־לְךָ֥ בַ֖יִת לְשֵׁ֣ם קׇדְשֶׁ֑ךָ מִיָּדְךָ֥ (היא) [ה֖וּא] וּלְךָ֥ הַכֹּֽל
KJ (29:16) O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
BN: "YHVH - our gods - all this great mass that we have laid aside, to build you a house for your holy name, comes from you, and it is all yours...
HAMON: Presumably referring to the vast amount of "stuff" whose donation was part of the opening verses of this chapter. Confirmed in the next verse.
29:16 VE YADA'TI ELOHAI KI ATAH BOCHEN LEVAV U MEYSHARIM TIRTSEH ANI BE YOSHER LEVAVI HITNADAVTI CHOL ELEH VE ATAH AMCHA HA NIMTSE'U PHOH RA'IYTI VE SIMCHAH LEHITNADEV LACH
וְיָדַ֣עְתִּי אֱלֹהַ֔י כִּ֤י אַתָּה֙ בֹּחֵ֣ן לֵבָ֔ב וּמֵישָׁרִ֖ים תִּרְצֶ֑ה אֲנִ֗י בְּיֹ֤שֶׁר לְבָבִי֙ הִתְנַדַּ֣בְתִּי כׇל־אֵ֔לֶּה וְעַתָּ֗ה עַמְּךָ֙ הַנִּמְצְאוּ־פֹ֔ה רָאִ֥יתִי בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה לְהִֽתְנַדֶּב־לָֽךְ
KJ (29:17) I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
BN: "I know, my gods, that you test the heart and desire uprightness; I, with upright heart, freely offered all these things; now your people, who are present here - I saw them joyously making freewill offerings...
VA YADA'TI: Oh yes, he is definitely apologising for that previous Psalm!
VA YADA'TI: Oh yes, he is definitely apologising for that previous Psalm!
29:17 YHVH ELOHEY AV-RAHAM YITSCHAK VE YISRA-EL AVOTEYNU SHAMRAH ZOT LE OLAM LE YETSER MACHSHEVOT LEVAV AMECHA VE HACHEN LEVAVAM ELEYCHA
יְהֹוָ֗ה אֱ֠לֹהֵ֠י אַבְרָהָ֞ם יִצְחָ֤ק וְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ שׇׁמְרָה־זֹּ֣את לְעוֹלָ֔ם לְיֵ֥צֶר מַחְשְׁב֖וֹת לְבַ֣ב עַמֶּ֑ךָ וְהָכֵ֥ן לְבָבָ֖ם אֵלֶֽיךָ
KJ (29:18) O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:
LEVAV rather than LEV. Still the heart, but there seems to be a distinction between the LEV as the source of emotion and LEVAV as the source of thought. Subjectivity either way - the idea of a rational mind is still centuries away (to us, indeed, as much as it was to them!)
29:18 VE LI SHELOMOH VENI TEN LEVAV SHALEM LISHMOR MITSVOTEYCHA EDOTEYCHA VECHUKEYCHA VE LA'ASOT HA KOL VE LIVNOT HA BIYRAH ASHER HACHIYNOTI
וְלִשְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בְנִ֗י תֵּ֚ן לֵבָ֣ב שָׁלֵ֔ם לִשְׁמוֹר֙ מִצְוֺתֶ֔יךָ עֵדְוֺתֶ֖יךָ וְחֻקֶּ֑יךָ וְלַעֲשׂ֣וֹת הַכֹּ֔ל וְלִבְנ֖וֹת הַבִּירָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־הֲכִינֽוֹתִי {פ}
KJ (29:19) And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
BN: "As to my son Shelomoh, make him whole-hearted in observing your commandments, your instructions and your laws, and in carrying them all out, and in building this... for which I have made provision."
VE LI SHELOMOH: Should really be pronouned as a single word, ellided: VELISHLOMOH, but as I generally do when I wish to show the structure for teaching purposes, I have separated the three parts: conjunction, preposition, noun.
BIYRAH: I have left three dots in my translation, because I have a problem with translating this as "Temple", though that is clearly the intention. The word occurs twice in this chapter (1 Chronicles 29:1 was the other, and see the footnote at the link), but BIYRAH is not the word for Temple; that would be BAYIT, or possibly HEYCHAL. BIYRAH is the word either for a "fortress" or for the "citadel", the royal and civil service district of the city, and it was almost certainly a Persian word, brought to Yisra-El by the returnees of 536 BCE and afterwards, half a millennium after David; a statement that can be justified by seeking other occasions of its usage, and discovering that it only occurs in the Persian texts: Nechem-Yah (2:8 and 7:2), Ester (repeately, and the citadel in question is always Susa), and Daniel (8:2, likewise an overt statement about Susa). So we can now place a very precise date on this Psalm (or at least this version of this Psalm), and understand more clearly why YHVH and the Elohim are overlapped in this manner throughout it.
HACHIYNOTI: So David gets to claim the credit for the building of the Temple anyway. "I did all the groundwork, laid out the plans, found the site, raised the funds... all he did was build the thing."
29:19 VA YOMER DAVIYD LE CHOL HA KAHAL BARCHU NA ET YHVH ELOHEYCHEM VA YEVARCHU CHOL HA KAHAL LA YHVH ELOHEY AVOTEYHEM VA YIKDU VA YISHTACHAVU LA YHVH VE LA MELECH
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִיד֙ לְכׇל־הַקָּהָ֔ל בָּ֥רְכוּ נָ֖א אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם וַיְבָרְכ֣וּ כׇֽל־הַקָּהָ֗ל לַֽיהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּקְּד֧וּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֛וּ לַיהֹוָ֖ה וְלַמֶּֽלֶךְ
KJ (29:20) And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.
BN: Then Daviyd said to the gathered assembly, "Now bless YHVH your gods". And the gathered assembly blessed YHVH the gods of their forefathers, and prostrated themselves on the ground before YHVH and before the king.
YISHTACHAVU: The pointing here is decidedly peculiar, and read as written this should be pronounced YISHTACHAVIVU.
29:20 VA YIZBECHU LA YHVH ZEVACHIM VA YA'ALU OLOT LA YHVH LE MACHARAT HA YOM HA HU PARIM ELEPH ELIM ELEPH KEVASIM ELEPH VE NISKEYHEM U ZEVACHIM LA ROV LE CHOL YISRA-EL
וַיִּזְבְּח֣וּ לַיהֹוָ֣ה ׀ זְ֠בָחִ֠ים וַיַּעֲל֨וּ עֹל֜וֹת לַיהֹוָ֗ה לְֽמׇחֳרַת֮ הַיּ֣וֹם הַהוּא֒ פָּרִ֨ים אֶ֜לֶף אֵלִ֥ים אֶ֛לֶף כְּבָשִׂ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֑ם וּזְבָחִ֥ים לָרֹ֖ב לְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
KJ (29:21) And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings unto the LORD, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel:
BN: And they offered sacrifices to YHVH, and made burnt offerings to YHVH, that day and the one that followed: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their libations; and still more offerings, vast numbers of them, on behalf of all Yisra-El.
And if this was, as we have seen, a post-Exile Psalm, or at least the rewriting of a pre-Exile Psalm, we can now confirm that its methodology of propitiation belongs to the Tsadokim (Sadducees), who remained committed to Temple sacrifice until the fall of the Temple in 70 CE, whereas the Perushim (Pharisees) followed Shemu-El and Yesha-Yah in the conviction that "the gods don't want your sacrifices, they want your obedience"; this would become the foundation of Talmudic Judaism, the one practiced to this day, and again at the same date, and for the same reason, the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.
29:21 VA YOCHLU VA YISHTU LIPHNEY YHVH BA YOM HA HU BE SIMCHAH GEDOLAH VA YAMLIYCHU SHENIT LI SHELOMOH VEN DAVIYD VA YIMSHECHU LA YHVH LE NAGID U LE TSADOK LE CHOHEN
וַיֹּאכְל֨וּ וַיִּשְׁתּ֜וּ לִפְנֵ֧י יְהֹוָ֛ה בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בְּשִׂמְחָ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֑ה וַיַּמְלִ֤יכוּ שֵׁנִית֙ לִשְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֔יד וַיִּמְשְׁח֧וּ לַיהֹוָ֛ה לְנָגִ֖יד וּלְצָד֥וֹק לְכֹהֵֽן
KJ (29:22) And did eat and drink before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest.
BN: And they ate and drank in the presence of YHVH on that day with great joy. They again proclaimed Shelomoh ben Daviyd as king, and they anointed him as ruler in the name of YHVH, and Tsadok likewise as priest.
YAMLIYCHU SHENIT: Does this mean that they "proclaimed" him for a second time, which is a mere matter of cheering and applause, or that they conducted the physical ceremony for a second time?. YIMSHECHU tells us that it was the latter, and so we have to ask, either, "why would they do this twice at the same ceremony?" or, if it is not that, "when and why was the first time?"
1 Chronicles 23:1/2 informed us that "So, when Daviyd was old and full of days, he made Shelomoh his son king over Yisra-El. And he gathered together all the princes of Yisra-El, with the priests and the Leviyim", which could be that first time; but in fact between that verse and our current one there are no other events, merely a full account of the political and religious organisation of the country, so the gathering there is also the gathering here.
Going a little further back, the KJ translation of 1 Chronicles 22 adds a sub-headline "Solomon Anointed to Build the Temple", and has David explaining why he cannot build it, and then handing over the task to his son: but actually there is nothing in the text to validate the use of the word "anoint"; so it is not this either.
Still further back then, in search of that other occasion... but it isn't there; or not in Chronicles anyway. Adoni-Yah gets a mention, in 1 Chronicles 3:2, as David's son by Chagit (see 2 Samuel 3:4 and 1 Chronicles 3:2), but nothing else in the entire book; he will come up again at the start of 2 Chronicles, when Shelomoh accuses him of trying to marry Daviyd's ex-concubine Avi-Shag as a ruse to claim the throne, and has him killed. But nothing of the first plot, when he gathered his supporters at Zochelet, and David got the news from Natan via Bat-Sheva, and sent Shelomoh to the Pool of Giychon straight away, to have him, yes, anointed king... 1 Kings 1:5 to verse 34 especially... and on to verse 46 for absolute confirmation... and on to the end of the chapter to realise that, yes, he has just been anointed king, and sits on the throne, but only as co-regent, because David may be dying, but he isn't abdicating. So there will need to be a second ceremony of anointment, when Shelomoh takes over fully, and clealy our curent verse is that second anointment, isn't it?
29:22 VA YESHEV SHELOMOH AL KISEH YHVH LE MELECH TACHAT DAVID AVIV VA YATSLACH VA YISHME'U ELAV KOL YISRA-EL
וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב שְׁ֠לֹמֹ֠ה עַל־כִּסֵּ֨א יְהֹוָ֧ה ׀ לְמֶ֛לֶךְ תַּחַת־דָּוִ֥יד אָבִ֖יו וַיַּצְלַ֑ח וַיִּשְׁמְע֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
KJ (29:23) Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.
BN: And Shelomoh sat on the throne of YHVH as king under his father David, and all went well with him, and all Yisra-El heeded him;
TACHAT: But no, it still isn't, despite most translators rendering TACHAT as "instead of". That would be BIMKOM, and TACHAT means "under" - so he is still number 2, at least in name, co-regent, at least technically, because the obstinate David is still not giving up his supremacy.
TACHAT: But no, it still isn't, despite most translators rendering TACHAT as "instead of". That would be BIMKOM, and TACHAT means "under" - so he is still number 2, at least in name, co-regent, at least technically, because the obstinate David is still not giving up his supremacy.
Or does TACHAT in this context imply "succession" and David has indeed abdicated? Nothing that follows in either the Kings or the Chronicles version gives even the remotest hint that David gave up the throne before he died.
29:23 VE CHOL HA SARIM VE HA GIBORIM VE GAM KOL BENEY HA MELECH DAVIYD NATNU YAD TACHAT SHELOMOH HA MELECH
וְכׇל־הַשָּׂרִים֙ וְהַגִּבֹּרִ֔ים וְגַ֕ם כׇּל־בְּנֵ֖י הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֑יד נָ֣תְנוּ יָ֔ד תַּ֖חַת שְׁלֹמֹ֥ה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ
KJ (29:24) And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king.
BN: All the nobles and the military, and the sons of Daviyd the king as well, swore allegiance to Shelomoh the king.
The wording of this verse confirms that David retains the title "king" - in the same way that an ex-President of the USA is still called "Mr President" - regardless of whether he has or has not abdicated.
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Psalms:
Bk 1: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
Bk 2: 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72
Bk 3: 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89
Bk 4: 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106
Bk 5: 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119a 119b 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132
133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150
Additional Psalms: 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 Samuel Chronicles
Essays: Intro - Music - Form & Language
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