Archive for the ‘Psalm 59’ Category
I covered 150 psalms in 82 posts.
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Posted February 25, 2023 by neatnik2009 in Psalm 1, Psalm 10, Psalm 100, Psalm 101, Psalm 102, Psalm 103, Psalm 104, Psalm 105, Psalm 106, Psalm 107, Psalm 108, Psalm 109, Psalm 11, Psalm 110, Psalm 111, Psalm 112, Psalm 113, Psalm 114, Psalm 115, Psalm 116, Psalm 117, Psalm 118, Psalm 119, Psalm 12, Psalm 120, Psalm 121, Psalm 122, Psalm 123, Psalm 124, Psalm 125, Psalm 126, Psalm 127, Psalm 128, Psalm 129, Psalm 13, Psalm 130, Psalm 131, Psalm 132, Psalm 133, Psalm 134, Psalm 135, Psalm 136, Psalm 137, Psalm 138, Psalm 139, Psalm 14, Psalm 140, Psalm 141, Psalm 142, Psalm 143, Psalm 144, Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Psalm 147, Psalm 148, Psalm 149, Psalm 15, Psalm 150, Psalm 16, Psalm 17, Psalm 18, Psalm 19, Psalm 2, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 22, Psalm 23, Psalm 24, Psalm 25, Psalm 26, Psalm 27, Psalm 28, Psalm 29, Psalm 3, Psalm 30, Psalm 31, Psalm 32, Psalm 33, Psalm 34, Psalm 35, Psalm 36, Psalm 37, Psalm 38, Psalm 39, Psalm 4, Psalm 40, Psalm 41, Psalm 42, Psalm 43, Psalm 44, Psalm 45, Psalm 46, Psalm 47, Psalm 48, Psalm 49, Psalm 5, Psalm 50, Psalm 51, Psalm 52, Psalm 53, Psalm 54, Psalm 55, Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 58, Psalm 59, Psalm 6, Psalm 60, Psalm 61, Psalm 62, Psalm 63, Psalm 64, Psalm 65, Psalm 66, Psalm 67, Psalm 68, Psalm 69, Psalm 7, Psalm 70, Psalm 71, Psalm 72, Psalm 73, Psalm 74, Psalm 75, Psalm 76, Psalm 77, Psalm 78, Psalm 79, Psalm 8, Psalm 80, Psalm 81, Psalm 82, Psalm 83, Psalm 84, Psalm 85, Psalm 86, Psalm 87, Psalm 88, Psalm 89, Psalm 9, Psalm 90, Psalm 91, Psalm 92, Psalm 93, Psalm 94, Psalm 95, Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, Psalm 99
READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART XLIV
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Psalms 58, 59, 140, and 141
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Psalms 58, 59, 140, and 141 are similar; they emphasize justice and honesty. Prayers that the wicked will suffer the consequences of their actions also exist in all four texts.
The concepts of justice and righteousness require explanation in Biblical terms. The two terms are interchangeable. Also, righteousness denotes right relationship with God, self, others, and all creation. So, O reader, I disagree when I read Psalm 58:11a (Robert Alter):
The just man rejoices when vengeance he sees….
Justice and righteousness may be interchangeable, but vengeance is neither just nor righteous. Justice may entail punishment, but never revenge.
The superscription of Psalm 59 links that text to 1 Samuel 19:11, in which Michal helped David, her husband, escape from men whom her father, King Saul, had sent to kill David. The superscription is dubious, for:
- Psalm 59, in the form in which we have it, is the product of authors and editors. The content and the style are inconsistent.
- Psalm 59 refers to both individual and national foes, including “all the nations” (vers 6, Jewish versification).
- If we accept Robert Alter’s hypothesis, physical violence may be a metaphor for slander (verse 13, Jewish versification).
Psalm 59 likens the foes to a pack of wild dogs. This reference comes from a cultural context in which dogs were unclean animals, not beloved pets. The “dogs” of Psalm 59 are aggressive evildoers. They are also arrogant and never satisfied.
Yet God is the haven of targeted righteous and the falsely accused.
The emphasis on honest speech is an evergreen issue, for it never ceases to be relevant. It may be more important in the age of social media and the Internet. Technology accelerates the speed of character assassination and the spread of lies and inaccurate information. So, the prayer that slanderers will have no place in the land becomes more urgent with the march of time and the progress of technology.
A related issue is the spread of inaccurate information–not necessarily lies. A lie is an intentional deception. So, one may spread objectively false information while believing that it is true and accurate. This matter is a major problem in the age of “alternative facts.” A person’s motivation and perception filters aside,
the proof of the pudding is in the eating,
to quote an old saying. Objective reality is what it is, regardless of what anyone thinks about it. “Fake news” is objectively inaccurate information, not whatever is accurate and true yet politically inconvenient for a person, for example.
Discerning the liars and slanderers from the deluded fools may prove difficult sometimes. The consequences of their words may be the same, though.
By grace, may we speak the truth, honestly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 18, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE CONFESSION OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE
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Above: Ahimelech Giving the Sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART XX
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1 Samuel 21:1-22:23
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They go to and fro in the evening;
they snarl like dogs and run about the city.
They forage for good,
and if they are not filled, they howl.
For my part, I will sing of your strength;
I will celebrate your love in the morning;
For you have become my stronghold,
a refuge in the day of my trouble.
To you, O my Strength, will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold and my merciful God.
–Psalm 59:16-20, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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David was in open rebellion against King Saul. Why not? King Saul had forced the issue by trying to kill David and to have David terminated with extreme prejudice. There was no indication of David being disloyal to King Saul before the monarch forced fugitive-rebel status upon him. David, therefore, remained alive the best ways he knew. The future king, in mortal peril, lied to Ahimelich, great-grandson of Eli, and feigned insanity before Achish, the King of Gath. According to the text, Achish knew who David, carrying the sword with which he had beheaded Goliath, was. David’s lie to Ahimelech led to the execution of all but one of the priests at Nob. Abiathar son of Ahimelech survived, though (1 Samuel 2:33).
The narrative emphasizes the contrast between the characters of Saul and David. Saul ordered the deaths of innocents–priests, the inhabitants of Nob, and livestock. When David realized the role he played leading up to those murders, he accepted personal responsibility. Saul also passed the buck before finally admitting error in 1 Samuel 15. But was he sincere when he confessed?
You, O reader, may know or know of someone who seldom or never accepts responsibility for his or her actions. This person may be a neighbor, a boss, a relative, a politician, et cetera. Such people blame others for their errors, frequently in the manner of projecting their failings onto others.
Those of us who have read the story of David know he was deeply flawed. We may not like him. That is fine. But, if we are honest, we must admit that, according to the story, David admitted errors more than once. David admitted errors more than once. I count such honesty as a virtue.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 21, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BRUNO ZEMBOL, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC FRIAR AND MARTYR, 1942
THE FEAST OF SAINTS CAMERIUS, CISELLUS, AND LUXORIUS OF SARDINIA, MARTYRS, 303
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF EDESSA, CIRCA 304
THE FEAST OF SAINT MAXIMILIAN OF ANTIOCH; MARTYR, CIRCA 353; AND SAINTS BONOSUS AND MAXIMIANUS THE SOLDIER, MARTYRS, 362
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Above: Saul Attacking David, by Guercino
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART XVIII
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1 Samuel 19:1-24
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Not because of any guilt of mine
they run and prepare themselves for battle.
Rouse yourself, come to my side, and see;
for you, LORD God of hosts, are Israel’s God.
–Psalm 59:4-5, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Samuel never saw David again to the day of his death.
–1 Samuel 15:35a, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Not unless one counts 1 Samuel 19:22-24, from a different source. This is just one example of a contradiction that resulted from the cutting and pasting of sources into a composite narrative.
Back in 1 Samuel 10:9-12, after his anointing as the King of Israel, the Spirit of God gripped Saul. He, amid a band of prophets, spoke in ecstasy with them.
Is Saul too among the prophets?
–1 Samuel 10:11, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Yes.
Is Saul too among the prophets?
–1 Samuel 19:24, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
No. Saul had become an oath-breaking monarch who openly attempted murder and will willing to kill his son-in-law in bed. Saul had lost the support of Michal (his daughter and David’s wife) and Jonathan (his son and David’s friend and son-in-law). Saul had lost his dignity and honor. Saul had lost God’s blessing. David, in the company of Samuel, had gained it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 15, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH, MOTHER OF GOD
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Above: Princess Michelle Benjamin with David Shepherd, in Kings (2009)
A Screen Capture
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READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART XVII
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1 Samuel 18:6-30
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Rescue me from my enemies, O God;
protect me from those who rise up against me.
Rescue me from evildoers
and save me from those who thirst for my blood.
See how they lie in wait for my life,
how the mighty gather together against me;
not for any offense or fault of mine, O LORD.
–Psalm 59:1-3, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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David had become a political threat to King Saul. Usually, a monarch received credit for his warriors’ successes. Yet David, not Saul, received credit for David’s successes. The author understood divine favor to account for David’s successes. Saul, already unhinged, became jealous. He tried to arrange David’s death while luring the great warrior into false sense of comfort. Saul’s plan to kill David by placing him at the head of the troops (verse 13) was like David’s plan (in 2 Samuel 11) to kill Uriah the Hittite. Saul established a seemingly high bride price for his daughter Michal. David paid double.
Michal loved David (verses 20 and 28). In the Hebrew Bible, she was the only woman whom the text described as loving her man.
David, by marrying Michal, received the right of succession, behind Saul’s sons. Again the promise passed through the younger child–in this case, Michal.
Saul’s strategy in this chapter reminds me of Don Vito Corleone’s advice in The Godfather (1972):
Keep you friends close and your enemies closer.
Even that plan failed, for, as the author wanted the audience to know, God favored David. Saul, however, was not finished trying to kill David. The unhinged monarch continued to attempt to terminate David with extreme prejudice in 1 Samuel 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 26,
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 15, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH, MOTHER OF GOD
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Above: Elijah in the Wilderness, by Washington Allston
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Exodus 32:1-14 or 1 Kings 19:1-15
Psalm 59:1-5, 16-17
Hebrews 4:1-13
Mark 8:22-33
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Yahweh, God of Hosts, God of Israel!
Awake to punish all the nations,
show no mercy to wicked traitors.
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That attitude is consistent with God’s Plan A in Exodus 32, after the idolatry and apostasy at the base of the mountain. Aaron’s poor excuse still makes me laugh, though.
So I said to them, “Whoever has gold, take it off! They gave it to me and I hurled it into the fire and out came this calf!
–Exodus 32:24, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Exodus and Mark contain stories of dramatic, powerful encounters with God. We read of visual and tactile experiences. We also read of short-lived faithfulness, of much grumbling, of obliviousness, of recognition followed by official denial, and of fidelity.
The juxtaposition of the formerly blind man (Mark 8:22-26) and the obliviousness of St. Simon Peter (Mark 8:32-33) highlights the spiritual blindness of the latter man. The stories also challenge us to ponder our spiritual blindness.
Even Elijah, who had recently confronted the prophets of Baal Peor then presided over their slaughter (1 Kings 18), had to deal with his spiritual blindness. While hiding from Queen Jezebel and feeling sorry for himself, he encountered God, who, in that context, revealed self not in dramatic ways (as Baal Peor would have done), but in a still, small voice, or, as The New Jerusalem Bible (1985) renders the text,
a light murmuring sound.
Do we fail to notice messages from God because we seek dramatic signs?
Sometimes, in the Gospels, one reads of Jesus performing a miracle, followed by people demanding a sigh. One’s jaw should drop. One should seek God for the correct reasons and not become attached to dramatic signs. God whispers sometimes. God whispers to us, to those similar to us, and to those quite different from us. God judges and forgives. Signs are abundant. How many do we notice?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 25, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES BAR-ZEBEDEE, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2019/07/25/devotion-for-proper-20-year-b-humes/
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Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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The psalter of the Septuagint contains 151 psalms.
I have written based on all of them, in numerical order. I have retained the Hebrew numbering system, not that of the Septuagint.
Although I have no theological reticence to venture into textual territory that, according the United Methodism of my youth, is apocryphal, I do have limits. They reside in the realm of Orthodoxy, with its range of scriptural canons. Beyond that one finds the Pseudipigrapha. Psalm 151 concludes the Book of Psalms in The Orthodox Study Bible (2008); so be it.
The Hebrew psalter concludes with Psalm 150. In other psalters, however, the count is higher. In certain editions of the Septuagint, for example, Psalm 151 is an appendix to the Book of Psalms. In other editions of the Septuagint, however, Psalm 151 is an integrated part of the psalter. There is also the matter of the Syraic psalter, which goes as high as Psalm 155. I have no immediate plans to ponder Psalms 152-155, however. Neither do I plan to read and write about Psalms 156-160 any time soon, if ever.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 23, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MARTIN DE PORRES AND JUAN MACIAS, HUMANITARIANS AND DOMINICAN LAY BROTHERS; SAINT ROSE OF LIMA, HUMANITARIAN AND DOMINICAN SISTER; AND SAINT TURIBIUS OF MOGROVEJO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF LIMA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JOHN COPELAND, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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Book One: Psalms 1-41
Book Two: Psalms 42-72
Book Three: Psalms 73-89
Book Four: Psalms 90-106
Book Five: Psalms 107-150
Also in the Greek: Psalm 151
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Posted August 23, 2017 by neatnik2009 in Psalm 1, Psalm 10, Psalm 100, Psalm 101, Psalm 102, Psalm 103, Psalm 104, Psalm 105, Psalm 106, Psalm 107, Psalm 108, Psalm 109, Psalm 11, Psalm 110, Psalm 111, Psalm 112, Psalm 113, Psalm 114, Psalm 115, Psalm 116, Psalm 117, Psalm 118, Psalm 119, Psalm 12, Psalm 120, Psalm 121, Psalm 122, Psalm 123, Psalm 124, Psalm 125, Psalm 126, Psalm 127, Psalm 128, Psalm 129, Psalm 13, Psalm 130, Psalm 131, Psalm 132, Psalm 133, Psalm 134, Psalm 135, Psalm 136, Psalm 137, Psalm 138, Psalm 139, Psalm 14, Psalm 140, Psalm 141, Psalm 142, Psalm 143, Psalm 144, Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Psalm 147, Psalm 148, Psalm 149, Psalm 15, Psalm 150, Psalm 151, Psalm 16, Psalm 17, Psalm 18, Psalm 19, Psalm 2, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 22, Psalm 23, Psalm 24, Psalm 25, Psalm 26, Psalm 27, Psalm 28, Psalm 29, Psalm 3, Psalm 30, Psalm 31, Psalm 32, Psalm 33, Psalm 34, Psalm 35, Psalm 36, Psalm 37, Psalm 38, Psalm 39, Psalm 4, Psalm 40, Psalm 41, Psalm 42, Psalm 43, Psalm 44, Psalm 45, Psalm 46, Psalm 47, Psalm 48, Psalm 49, Psalm 5, Psalm 50, Psalm 51, Psalm 52, Psalm 53, Psalm 54, Psalm 55, Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 58, Psalm 59, Psalm 6, Psalm 60, Psalm 61, Psalm 62, Psalm 63, Psalm 64, Psalm 65, Psalm 66, Psalm 67, Psalm 68, Psalm 69, Psalm 7, Psalm 70, Psalm 71, Psalm 72, Psalm 73, Psalm 74, Psalm 75, Psalm 76, Psalm 77, Psalm 78, Psalm 79, Psalm 8, Psalm 80, Psalm 81, Psalm 82, Psalm 83, Psalm 84, Psalm 85, Psalm 86, Psalm 87, Psalm 88, Psalm 89, Psalm 9, Psalm 90, Psalm 91, Psalm 92, Psalm 93, Psalm 94, Psalm 95, Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, Psalm 99
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POST XXII OF LX
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The Book of Common Prayer (1979) includes a plan for reading the Book of Psalms in morning and evening installments for 30 days. I am therefore blogging through the Psalms in 60 posts.
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 226
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Psalm 60 affirms the idea that angering God leads to abandonment by God. The text also agrees that such divine action is not permanent. Psalm 60 has two distinct and related sections; the second answers the first.
Likewise, Psalm 61 has two sections, but they seem to have little to do with each other. The first part is an individual petition to God. The author affirms that God has been his refuge and seeks to remain close to God. The second section is a prayer that God will extend the life of the monarch.
Psalms 60 and 61 mention enemies. So does Psalm 59, which, unfortunately, includes a request for divine vengeance. Psalm 59 also features a motif commonplace in the Book of Psalms: dehumanizing the enemies. They are not human beings with complexities and inherent dignity, according to the text; no, they are like growling dogs who roam the city in search of food. The depiction of one’s enemies (often national ones) is familiar to me, a student of history. I think immediately of propaganda on all sides during World Wars I and II, for example.
Our enemies might be truly perfidious. Or perhaps the reality of the situation might be nuanced. Either way, our foes are, like us, human beings. They and we stand before God, in whom dwell both judgment and mercy, and whose wisdom exceeds ours by far. Our foes today might become our friends, or at least allies, eventually. And maybe we, not they, are in the wrong. God, in infinite wisdom, knows the truth.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 11, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT GREGORY THAUMATURGUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF NEOCAESAREA; AND SAINT ALEXANDER OF COMANA “THE CHARCOAL BURNER,” ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR AND BISHOP OF COMANA, PONTUS
THE FEAST OF AUGUSTUS MONTAGUE TOPLADY, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLARE OF ASSISI, FOUNDER OF THE POOR CLARES
THE FEAST OF MATTHIAS LOY, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, EDUCATOR, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR; AND CONRAD HERMANN LOUIS SCHUETTE, GERMAN-AMERICAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, EDUCATOR, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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Above: The Destruction of Sodom
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 19:1-29
Psalm 59
Matthew 24:33-35 (36-44) or Luke 17:20-37
1 John 2:3-29 or 2 John 1-13 or 2 Peter 2:1-22
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False teaching becomes apparent in bad behavior. Simply put, one will know a tree by its fruits, or deeds reveal creeds. If I affirm that I have a moral obligation to think of the best interests of others, I will act accordingly more often than not.
Living according to love is the best way to spend one’s time on Earth. By doing so one will not, for example, seek to rape anyone–such as daughters or angels–as in Genesis 19. By living according to love (as in 2 John 5b-6) one will not seek anyone’s blood or life. By living according to love one will not mislead anyone spiritually or theologically. By living according to love one will think of the best interests of others and recognize them as being one’s own best interests, and therefore seek the common good, not selfish gain.
God has called us to love one another and to glorify Himself, not to become legalistic people who imagine ourselves to be spiritual elites.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment , are gummed up in the sentence “You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
–Romans 13:8-10, Revised Standard Version–Second Edition (1971)
Furthermore,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.
–Galatians 5:22-23, RSV II (1971)
And such things do not provoke divine, apocalyptic wrath.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 17, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST; AND MARIA STEWART, ABOLITIONIST, FEMINIST, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF EGLANTYNE JEBB AND DOROTHY BUXTON, FOUNDERS OF SAVE THE CHILDREN
THE FEAST OF FRANK MASON NORTH, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MARY CORNELIA BISHOP GATES, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/devotion-for-proper-13-year-d/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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