From Cynthia Simo
All posts by Admin
Psalm 31*
Note: this Psalm has been the subject of a lot of debate. Prof Ernst Wendland has published a paper which reviews other proposals and offers his own insights.( A Literary-Structural Approach to Psalms’ Analysis, with special reference to Psalm 31) available on Researchgate. I found this paper very helpful in coming to the following conclusion. Verses 1-5 is a chiastic section as previously posted, Verses 6-8 praise YHWH for deliverance. Verses 9-18 describe the plight of the one who is suffering and pleads for help. Verses 19-24 praise YHWH for deliverance. The Psalm has an ABA’B’ structure if we follow the sequence of Plea/Praise/Plea/Praise. However, there are two key words for “trust” that would give an ABB’A’ pattern. No single pattern is good enough to do justice to this Psalm but at least searching for themes and structure really helps appreciate its beauty and power.
TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN, A PSALM OF DAVID.
A. Deliver me – I trust YHWH
a. 1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust (hasa);
let me never be ashamed:
deliver me in thy righteousness.
b. 2 Bow down thine ear to me;
deliver me speedily:
be thou my strong rock,
for an house of defence to save me.
b’. 3 For thou art my rock and my fortress;
therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me:
for thou art my strength.
a’. 5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit:
thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
B. I trust YHWH and will rejoice in thy mercy
6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities:
but I trust (batah) in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy:
for thou hast considered my trouble;
thou hast known my soul in adversities;
8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy:
thou hast set my feet in a large room.
B’. Have mercy upon me because I trusted YHWH
9 Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble:
mine eye is consumed with grief,
yea, my soul and my belly.
10 For my life is spent with grief,
and my years with sighing:
my strength faileth because of mine iniquity,
and my bones are consumed.
11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies,
but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance:
they that did see me without fled from me.
12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind:
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the slander of many:
fear was on every side:
while they took counsel together against me,
they devised to take away my life.
14 But I trusted (batah) in thee, O LORD:
I said, Thou art my God.
15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me
from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant:
save me for thy mercies‘ sake.
17 Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee:
let the wicked be ashamed,
and let them be silent in the grave.
18 Let the lying lips be put to silence;
which speak grievous things
proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
A’. Blessed be YHWH in whom I trusted
a.19 Oh how great is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;
which thou hast wrought for them that trust (hasa) in thee
before the sons of men!
20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence
from the pride of man:
thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion
from the strife of tongues.
b. 21 Blessed be the LORD:
for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness
in a strong city.
a’. 22 For I said in my haste,
I am cut off from before thine eyes:
nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications
when I cried unto thee.
b’. 23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints:
for the LORD preserveth the faithful,
and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the LORD.
Job 31
From Ethan Hardy
A. God sees my ways so let Him judge me fairly
1 “I made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I entertain thoughts against a virgin?
2 What then would be one’s lot from God above, one’s heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not misfortune for the unjust, and disaster for those who work iniquity?
a. 4 Does he not see
b. my ways
c. and count all my steps? 5 If I have walked in falsehood, and if my foot has hastened to deceit –
d. 6 let him weigh me with honest scales;
c’. “then God will discover my integrity (and) 7 If my steps have strayed
b’. from the way,
a’. and if my heart has gone after my eyes.”
B. If my hand has sinned and my heart has been enticed by women, this should be judged
a. If anything has defiled my hands, 8 then let me sow and let another eat, and let my crops be uprooted.
b. 9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,
c. 10 then let my wife turn the millstone for another man, and may other men commit adultery with her. 11 For I would have committed a shameful act, an iniquity to be judged. 12 For it is a fire that devours even to Destruction, and it would uproot all my harvest.
C. I judged the needy fairly
a. (i) 13 “If I have disregarded the right of my male servants or my female servants when they disputed with me,
(ii) 14 then what will I do when God confronts me in judgment; when he intervenes, how will I respond to him? 15 Did not the one who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us in the womb?
b. 16 If I have refused to give the poor what they desired,
c. or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
d. 17 If I ate my morsel of bread myself, and did not share any of it with orphans –
d’. 18 but from my youth I raised the orphan like a father,
c’. and from my mother’s womb I guided her (the widow).
b’. 19 If I have seen anyone about to perish for lack of clothing, or a poor man without a coat, 20 whose heart did not bless me as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep,
a’. (i) 21 if I have raised my hand to vote against the orphan, when I saw my support in the gate,
(ii) 22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let my arm be broken off at the socket. 23 For the calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his majesty I was powerless.
B’. If my hand has sinned and my heart was enticed by riches, this should be judged
a’. 24 “If I have put my confidence in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security!’ 25 if I have rejoiced because of the extent of my wealth, or because of the great wealth my hand had gained,
b’. 26 if I looked at the sun when it was shining, and the moon advancing as a precious thing, 27 so that my heart was secretly enticed, and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth,
c’. 28 then this also would be iniquity to be judged, for I would have been false to God above.
A’. I will declare my ways to God if only he would hear me
a. 29 If I have rejoiced over the misfortune of my enemy or exulted because calamity found him – 30 I have not even permitted my mouth to sin by asking for his life through a curse –
b. if the members of my household have never said, ‘If only there were someone who has not been satisfied from Job’s meat!’ – 32 But no stranger had to spend the night outside, for I opened my doors to the traveller –
c. 33 if I have covered my transgressions as men do, by hiding iniquity in my heart 34 because I was terrified of the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I remained silent and would not go outdoors –
d. 35 “If only I had someone to hear me! Here is my signature – let the Almighty answer me! If only I had an indictment that my accuser had written.
c’. 36 Surely I would wear it proudly on my shoulder, I would bind it on me like a crown; 37 I would give him an accounting of my steps; like a prince I would approach him.
b’. 38 “If my land cried out against me and all its furrows wept together, 39 if I have eaten its produce without paying,
a’. or caused the death of its owners, 40 then let thorns sprout up in place of wheat, and in place of barley, weeds!”
The words of Job are ended.
Isaiah 51:1-8
as J A Motyer, The prophecy of isaiah, IVP Academic, 1993.
A. a. 51: 1 Hearken (shama) to me,
ye that follow after righteousness,
ye that seek the LORD:
b. look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,
and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
2. Look unto Abraham your father,
and unto Sarah that bare you:
c. for I called him alone,
and blessed him, and increased him.
b’. 3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion:
he will comfort all her waste places;
and he will make her wilderness like Eden,
and her desert like the garden of the LORD;
a’. joy and gladness shall be found therein,
thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
B.a. 4 Hearken (qasab) unto me, my people;
and give ear unto me, O my nation:
for a law shall proceed from me,
and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
b. 5 My righteousness is near;
my salvation is gone forth,
c. and mine arms shall judge the people;
the isles shall wait upon me,
and on mine arm shall they trust.
a. 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look upon the earth beneath:
for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke,
and the earth shall wax old like a garment,
and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner:
b’. but my salvation shall be for ever,
and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
A’. a. 7 Hearken (shama) unto me, ye that know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law;
b. fear ye not the reproach of men,
neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
b’. 8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment,
and the worm shall eat them like wool:
a’. but my righteousness shall be for ever,
and my salvation from generation to generation.
Job 34, 35
From Ethan Hardy
I Kings 7:14-25
From Jason Sumner
“Credit for a portion of this chiam (E-H) should go to Peter Leithart’s Commentary on 1 & 2 Kings.(Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible)”.
A 14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,
B 15 besides that from the traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.
C 16 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. 17 He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield.
D The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
E 18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
F 19 The throne had six steps,
G and the top of the throne was round at the back; there were armrests on either side of
H the place of the seat,
G’ and two lions stood beside the armrests.
F’ 20 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps;
E’ nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.
D’ 21 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
C’ 22 For the king had merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.
B’ 23 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 24 Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
A’ 25 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.
Colossians
Admin: I have revised the previous post offering the structural flow of thought through the epistle, and suggest that the overall structure might be a 9-part chiasm.
A. 1:1-2 Salutation
B. 1:3-14 Paul’s Prayer of thanksgiving for the power of the Gospel
C. 1:15-20 Christ is the head of the New Creation – the ecclesia
D. 1:21-29 Paul’s role as minister of the Gospel to the Gentiles – to present them “holy and unblameable and unreproveable … perfect in Christ Jesus”.
E. 2:1-19 Do not be deceived by the “circumcision party” – belief and baptism into Christ is spiritual circumcision.
D’. 2:20-3:7 If we have been baptised we must put to death the old life and live the Christ-life.
C’. 3:8-4:1 Christ is the head of the New Creation- “all and in all”
B’. 4:2-6 Pray for Paul to be able to preach the Gospel
A’. 4:7-18 Salutations
Job 33:18-28
From Ethan Hardy
A. 18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
B. 19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: 20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. 21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.
C. 22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.
D. 23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:
C’. 24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
B’. 25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth: 26 He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.
A’. 27 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; 28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
Job 32:3-10
From Ethan Hardy
A. 3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled,
B. because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
C. 4 Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.
B’. 5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth
A’. of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.
A. 6b I am young, but you are elderly; that is why I was fearful, and afraid to explain to you what I know.
B. 7 I said to myself, ‘Age should speak, and length of years should make wisdom known.’
C. 8 But it is a spirit in people, the breath of the Almighty, that makes them understand.
B’. 9 It is not the aged who are wise, nor old men who understand what is right.
A’. 10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me. I, even I, will explain what I know.
Job 27:16-17
From Ethan Hardy
A. Though he heap up silver like dust,
B. and pile up clothing like clay,
C. he may pile it up
B’. but the righteous will wear it
A’. and the innocent will divide the silver.