READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART XLII
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Psalms 56, 116, 117, and 118
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Psalms 56, 116, 117, and 118 are similar to each other.
The superscription of Psalm 56 has two interesting features. The first is:
on yonath elem rehokim.
The Hebrew text translates literally as:
The mute dove of distant places
or as:
The Dove of the Distant Gods
or as:
The Dove of the Far-Off Terebinths.
This is a musical term of uncertain meaning in 2023. One may reasonably assume, however, that the meaning of the term was clear in antiquity, when someone wrote the superscription.
The superscription may also link Psalm 56 to 1 Samuel 21:11-16,
when the Philistines seized [David] in Gath.
If so, Psalm 34 has that in common with Psalm 56. Alternatively, the superscription refers to a story about David not recorded in the canon of Hebrew scripture. I remain skeptical of many superscriptions in the Book of Psalms, though.
All four psalms praise God for hesed–steadfast love. Psalm 117, being brief (only two verses) is the only one of these four texts not to contextualize this praise of God in deliverance from peril–illness in Psalm 116, individual enemies in Psalm 56, and a battle in Psalm 118.
Famously, Psalm 118 contains a frequently quoted verse:
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
–Verse 22, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
Competing interpretations of the identity of the chief cornerstone exist. The Jewish Study Bible–Second Edition (2014) tells me that is a
metaphor of reversal of expectations
and that Israel is the cornerstone. That volume also points to the use of other architectural imagery (gates and gateway) in verses 19-20. Robert Alter identifies the cornerstone as the psalmist, standing in the temple and comparing himself
in his former abject state to a stone at first considered unfit by the builders but then made the chief cornerstone of a grand edifice.
And, of course, there is the traditional “Where’s Waldo?” interpretation that the chief cornerstone is Jesus. My skepticism of locating Jesus in every other nook and cranny of the Hebrew Bible is on the record in this series and elsewhere at this weblog.
Regardless of whether the chief cornerstone is Israel or the author of Psalm 118, this metaphor testifies to the hesed of God, present in all four psalms. God’s love is the cause of the reversal of fortune in Psalms 56, 116, and 118. This grace is not just for any particular person or persons. No, it is for the benefit of many people, if not all people. Blessings are for sharing, after all.
I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all His people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in the midst of Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!
–Psalm 116:18-19, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
Psalm 117 contains a universalist theme:
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol Him, all you peoples,
for great is His steadfast love toward us;
the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Hallelujah.
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
YHWH is no tribal deity. No, YHWH is the only deity. Divine grace falls where it will, all over the world. It falls upon Jews and Gentiles. Divine grace falls upon people like me and different from me. It falls upon people who think like you, O reader, and people who think differently than you. May all our songs of praise to God for grace and hesed merge into a chorus and benefit as many people as possible.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 16, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROBERTO DE NOBOLI, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY IN INDIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BERARD AND HIS COMPANIONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS IN MOROCCO, 1220
THE FEAST OF EDMUND HAMILTON SEARS, U.S. UNITARIAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF EDWARD BUNNETT, ANGLICAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUANA MARIA CONDESA LLUCH, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE HANDMAIDS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, PROTECTRESS OF WORKERS
THE FEAST OF TIMOTHY RICHARD MATTHEWS, ANGLICAN PRIEST, ORGANIST, AND HYMN TUNE COMPOSER
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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