Psalm 31, Rescue, Rock, Refuge, Fortress

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Psalm 31: 1-4, Rock and fortress

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; 

let me never be put to shame; 

deliver me in your righteousness.

Turn your ear to me, 

come quickly to my rescue; 

be my rock of refuge, 

a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress, 

for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Free me from the trap that is set for me, 

for you are my refuge.

David equates God with the rocks and strongholds he experienced in the mountains of Judea, hiding from Saul. He repeats his plea for help with slight modifications at each step.

These first three verses occur again, with very minor changes, in the first three verses of Psalm 71.

Psalm 31: 5-8, Statement of trust

Into your hands I commit my spirit; 

redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

I hate those who cling to worthless idols; 

I trust in the LORD.

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, 

for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

You have not handed me over to the enemy 

but have set my feet in a spacious place.

The first sentence of verse 5 was quoted by Jesus on the cross. Verse 6 ("I hate those who cling to worthless idols...") is similar to Jonah 2: 8, in Jonah's own song of despair and trust.

The plea for help folllowed by a statement of trust will now rise in a longer, more detailed plea for help and statement of trust.

Psalm 31: 9-13, Years of groaning

Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; 

my eyes grow weak with sorrow, 

my soul and my body with grief.

My life is consumed by anguish 

and my years by groaning; 

my strength fails because of my affliction,

and my bones grow weak.

Because of all my enemies, 

I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; 

I am a dread to my friends -- 

those who see me on the street flee from me.

I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; 

I have become like broken pottery.

For I hear the slander of many; 

there is terror on every side; 

they conspire against me and plot to take my life.

David describes in detail his pain and weakness.  The torment is physical; the psalmist's body, bones, eyes are weak and hurting.  Yet the torment is also political and social; conspirators slander David and attack him.

Psalm 31: 14-16, Again, trust

But I trust in you, O LORD; 

I say, "You are my God."

My times are in your hands; 

deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

Let your face shine on your servant; 

save me in your unfailing love.

David earlier plea is countered by his statement of trust and a further request to see God's unfailing love.

Psalm 31: 17-18, Shame

Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, 

for I have cried out to you; 

but let the wicked be put to shame

and lie silent in the grave.

Let their lying lips be silenced, 

for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

David fears shame and dishonor.  Those attributes should fall on the wicked, who should be silenced in the grave. 

David combines statements of trust with pleas for help, cycling through request, then statement, then request.

Psalm 31: 19-21, Goodness stored up

How great is your goodness, 

which you have stored up for those who fear you, 

which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; 

in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.

Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.

David's request are based on God's righteousness -- on God's goodness as opposed to his own. He asks to be part of God's long term plans.

Psalm 31: 22, Alarm and mercy

In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" 

Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.

Verse 22 acts as a summary of the entire psalm.

Psalm 31: 23-24, Be strong and take heart

Love the LORD, all his saints! 

The LORD preserves the faithful, 

but the proud he pays back in full.

Be strong and take heart, 

all you who hope in the LORD.

In resolution, David turns to his audience with summary and conclusion: "Be strong and take heart!"

This is a long song of despair and faith, of crying out to God combined with cyclical statements of decision and trust.

Psalm 30, Weeping for a Night – Joy in the Morning!

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.

David did not build the temple, so if this psalm is by David, it presumably is for the dedication of his palace?  Or a dedication of the tabernacle/tent that housed the ark?

Psalm 30: 1-3, Spared from the grave

I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths 

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; 

you spared me from going down into the pit.

A David is ecstatic that he has been healed and is now victorious.  His victory could be a military/political victory (over his enemy, Saul?) or victory over a serious disease.  Regardless of the enemy, David's imagery suggests the pit/grave as a deep well from which God reached down and pulled him up.

Psalm 30: 4-5, Weeping then rejoicing

Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; 

praise his holy name.

For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime; 

weeping may remain for a night, 

but rejoicing comes in the morning.

There is some pain in following God, indeed there is pain in all of life.  Here Weeping arrives to stay the night but Rejoicing shows up in the morning, kicking Weeping out the door.

Psalm 30: 6-7, Stand firm

When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."

O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; 

but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

A common refrain...

Psalm 30: 8-9, Will the dust praise You?

To you, O LORD, I called; 

to the Lord I cried for mercy:

"What gain is there in my destruction, 

in my going down into the pit? 

Will the dust praise you? 

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

A common refrain of David's: I can't praise you from the grave!  Keep me alive so that I can praise you! (This seems a fairly blatant negotiation!  "Don't You need me alive to praise You?")

Psalm 30: 10-12, Wailing into dancing

Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; 

O LORD, be my help."

You turned my wailing into dancing; 

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. 

O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

David reviews God's mercy and goodness to him, how pain and despair gave way to joy and dancing.

Sackcloth is a sign of despair, a physical acting out of grief and despondency.  God has removed David's sackcloth and dressed him again, trading the sackcloth for the garment "joy".

There is an ABA envelope (chiasmus) to this passage:  "I praise You," "Don't let me fail!" "I praise You!"

The Imprecatory Psalms (Do We Ask God to Destroy Our Enemies?)

The 150 psalms in the book of Psalms express a myriad of emotions, from desperation, doubt and despair, through ecstasy, praise and confidence. We enjoy the psalmists' honest prayers and often use them as models of our own prayer and worship. But certain passages and emotions give readers pause.

In Psalm 3: 7 David writes "Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked." David wants significant violence against his enemies!

In Psalm 7: 14-16 is this passage:

Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.

Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.

The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.

Here David wants his enemies to receive the violence that they have planned; he wants evil to boomerang back on his enemies and destroy them. There are other similar passages, in Psalms 35, 52, 58, 59, 69, 79, 83, and 140, for example. 

In Psalm 55: 15 David wants his enemies dead and pulled alive into Sheol:

Let death take my enemies by surprise; 

let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, 

for evil finds lodging among them.

In a number of these passages, David clearly wants God to kill his enemies. Worse yet is the cry of the psalmist exiled to Babylon: Psalm 137: 8-9:

"Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks."

Here the enemies are not only to be killed but their smallest children brutally murdered! Are these good models for our prayers?

The imprecatory psalms

In a variety of places, the psalmists curse their enemies, begging God to destroy them.  These psalms are often called "imprecatory psalms"; some psalms, although not devoted to these attacks, have "imprecatory passages."  ("Imprecatory" is a fancy word for "cursing.")

Given the perspective of the New Testament, should Christians pray these imprecatory passages?

There have been a number of theological approaches to these passage. Some argue that, No, one should not pray these imprecatory passages. One should not ask God to curse their enemies. C. S. Lewis, in Reflections on the Psalms, argues that with the viewpoint of Jesus and the New Testament, we should rise above these passages and not ask God to destroy our enemies. Lewis mentions Psalm 109; we note especially Psalm 109: 6-15, where David seeks this for his enemy:

May his days be few; ... May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.... 

May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.... 

May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.... 

May their sins always remain before the Lord, that he may blot out their name from the earth.

The passage is worth reading in its entirety.

Lewis also mentions Psalm 137 and Psalm 143. Psalm 139, a psalm Jan and I once memorized, has this passage: Psalm 139: 19-22. 

If only you, God, would slay the wicked! ... Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

How does a Christian respond if he/she believes that all Scripture is inspired by God? An online paper on imprecatory psalms, An Overview of the Study of Imprecatory Psalms, by Daniel Simango; P. Paul Krüger. quotes one view:

"[Peter] Craigie views imprecations as "not the oracles of God" but as "Israel's response to God's revelation" in the context of suffering, pain, and suffering. Therefore he sees the imprecatory psalms as "expressions of vindictiveness" and he does not regard them as "holy." Clive Staple Lewis, in a similar vein, writes that the language of imprecatory psalms breathes of "refined malice" and borders on being "devilish." William Holladay echoes the same point when he argues that the imprecations display "a very different spirit" to the teaching of the New Testament. The New Testament exhorts believers to love their enemies, but the psalmists hate their enemies and their sin instead of distinguishing the sinner from sin."

However, others disagree. Some identify the imprecatory passages with God's covenants with Abraham and with Moses, placing them within the Old Testament blessings and curses (see Deuteronomy 28.) In Old Testament times, unlike New Testament  times, God's plan revolved around a single nation, a single people.  The success of the nation of Isreal was associated with His success and it was natural to equate military victory (always violent!) with God's plan. Here, again, is Simango:

Laney argues that the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:1-3) promised blessing on those who blessed Abraham's posterity, and cursing on those who would curse." Since the psalmist was Abraham's posterity he had the right to pray curses on Israel's enemies. Therefore, the imprecations in the psalms are "appeals for Yahweh" to judge those who curse his people. Judgment comes on Israel's enemies "in accordance with the provisions of the Abrahamic covenant."

Others see the imprecatory psalms as part of the prophetic messaging of the Psalter. Consider Psalm 109: 16-20 which begins

For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him....

Is this prophetic, predictive of a future judgement? So argued St. Augustine, among others. In Romans 11: 9-11, Paul quotes Psalm 69: 22-23.  For some, these passages suggest that one purpose of the imprecatory passages is to be prophetic passages for the Messiah. 

Rhys Laferty, the author of this blog post Why Lewis And Keller Are Wrong About The Imprecatory Psalms, disagrees with Lewis, worried that his approach dismisses some important scripture and falls upon a slippery slope. And, as others point out, some of these imprecatory passages as quoted in the New Testament! In Acts 1: 20, the disciple Peter quotes from imprecatory passages Psalm 69: 25 and Psalm 109: 8. This should give pause to a Christian who seeks to dismiss the imprecatory passages!

My opinion

I don't think I've ever been bothered by the imprecatory passages. 

The rebound of evil back onto the evildoer is a common theme. In Psalm 109, mentioned above, David points out all the things his opponent has done and asks, in Psalm 109: 17: 

He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him.

If one reads the Psalms after reading 1 & 2 Samuel, after seeing the bloodiness of David's campaigns, I completely sympathize with David. Saul threw spears at David and did everything he could to kill him. Saul sent men to camp outside his house and ambush David. In a series of battles in the hills of Judea, surely Saul killed some of David's men, relatives and friends. Why not plead to God to kill these men of Saul? David merely asks that the evil planned for him rebound on his enemies!

I have prayed this. I have, in the past, been betrayed. To undercut me and destroy my career, someone told lies about me. I prayed that they receive the same treatment -- that they experience the effect of a lying campaign. I did not want them dead -- definitely not! -- but I wanted their arrogant confidence, confidence in their campaign of lies, to be shattered.

In our modern times, we rarely deal with the bloodshed of David's day. But if I were a Ukrainian soldier in the trenches of eastern Ukraine, aware of the horrible brutality of the Russian missile campaigns against my family, I would be comfortable asking God to kill my enemies. (After all, why else would I be holding a rifle?) Amongst the recent attacks against Israeli kibbutzes, I understand the angry prayers of parents gathering bodies of their children, massacred by Hamas. 

The transparency of the psalms is encouraging to me.  

In the second song of Moses, Deuteronomy 32: 35-43, YHWH claims that vengeance is His, not ours:

"It is mine to avenge; I will repay. 

In due time their foot will slip; 

their day of disaster is near 

and their doom rushes upon them.” 

The Lord will vindicate his people... 

If vengeance belongs to God, it is surely better to ask God to enact vengeance, instead of seeking vengeance ourselves! By asking God to make one's enemies to experience their own evil, we release that responsibility to God.

Other Resources

Some of my investigation into imprecatory psalms includes:

• The Gospel Coalition has this online article, What C. S. Lewis Got Wrong About the Cursing Psalms, which is closer to my approach to the Psalms.
• This article at gotquestions.org argues that the imprecatory passages come out of a call for God to enact justice.
• Shepherds Theological Seminary has this article on imprecatory psalms. It argues that the passages rise out of the Old Testament covenant for Israel and provide instruction for us. We can pray for our enemies to be punished but leave that to God. (Obviously this is a good article since it seems to agree with me! 😁)
• Wikipedia has a short article on this topic.

As we work through the Psalter, I will point out the variations on these "imprecations" as they occur.

Psalm 29, The Voice of the Lord

A psalm of David.

Psalm 29: 1-2, Ascribe

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, 

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; 

worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

What does "ascribe" mean?  Assign, testify, give quality to...?  David answers that question by modeling this type of praise.  In the next few verses David actively describe characteristics of God and urges others to join him in this description.

As David speaks out here, in parallel, he emphasizes God's actions as attributed to God's "voice."

This passage certainly recalls the creative voice of God ("and God said...") from Genesis 1.  A number of verses are reminiscent of the creation story, building land and life out of the chaotic waters.

The "mighty ones" in verse 1 may represent the "angels", divine beings around God.

The command "worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness" could also be translated "because of His holiness"; regardless, the worshipper is immersed in God's character and surrounded by God's righteousness and splendor.

Psalm 29: 3-4, Voice of YHWH

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; 

the God of glory thunders, 

the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the LORD is powerful; 

the voice of the LORD is majestic.

The word translated LORD throughout this passage (in the NIV version) is the Hebrew word Yahweh (YHWH).  It is emphasized through repetition.

Psalm 29: 5-6, The land skips

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; 

the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, 

Sirion like a young wild ox.

Sirion is apparently Mt. Hermon.

Alter suggests that as the cedars of Lebanon were on the northern border of Israel and the desert of Kadesh (below) were in the south, David sees God's Voice sweeping over Israel.

Psalm 29: 7-9, "Glory!"

The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; 

the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. 

And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

"Twists the oaks" in verse 9 is an attempt at interpreting an unclear Hebrew phrase.

Psalm 29: 10-11, Enthroned

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; 

the LORD is enthroned as King forever.

The LORD gives strength to his people; 

the LORD blesses his people with peace.

David ends the psalm, as he often does, with a thought that extends beyond himself, to the Jewish nation that he rules.

This psalm is reminiscent of other Old Testament songs, the Song of Moses in Exodus 15 and the Song of Deborah in Judges 5.  It is a song of repetitive, building praise, in which God's name, YHWH, is a drumbeat of adoration.

Psalm 28, Rock & Fortress

Of David.

"Of David" is part of the ancient Hebrew text.  Presumably this psalm was written by David (or possibly written for David).

Psalm 28: 1, YHWH, my rock

To you I call, O LORD my Rock; 

do not turn a deaf ear to me. 

For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

A common Davidic metaphor for God: "my Rock."  See Psalm 18:1-3 for another example of this metaphor; see 1 Samuel 23:26-28 for a literal example of God saving David as David hid among the rocks, fleeing Saul.  The same metaphor, in "fortress" reappears in verse 8.

The "pit" may be Sheol, the grave.

Psalm 28: 2-3, Those who speak cordially but...

Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, 

as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

Do not drag me away with the wicked, 

with those who do evil, 

who speak cordially with their neighbors 

but harbor malice in their hearts.

This psalm is the third in a string of similar psalms, Psalms 26, 27, 28, in which David describes dwelling with God and pleads for safety and more time in God's presence.

Regarding verse 3: how often have we had some one speak cordially to us, but with malice in their hearts?  I fear this is especially common in Texas, where southern gentility requires that one say, "Good morning!" or "Good day!" regardless of one's real motives.

Psalm 28: 4-5, Back upon them what they deserve

Repay them for their deeds 

and for their evil work; 

repay them for what their hands have done 

and bring back upon them what they deserve.

Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD

 and what his hands have done, 

he will tear them down 

and never build them up again.

This is another standard David refrain, "I plea for help!  I have been righteous (mostly) while they seek evil!"

Psalm 28: 6-9, Heart leaps

Praise be to the LORD, 

for he has heard my cry for mercy.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; 

my heart trusts in him, 

and I am helped. 

My heart leaps for joy 

and I will give thanks to him in song.

The LORD is the strength of his people, 

a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Save your people and bless your inheritance; 

be their shepherd and carry them forever.

In verse 7 David responds in song, expressing his thanks in music. In verse 8, he relies on his covenant with God, reminding God that David (and his descendants) are "anointed", part of a messianic plan. (Indeed the Greek word, "Christ", simply means "the Anointed One," that is, the one promised by David.)

Throughout this passage, David's past experiences -- both as a shepherd in his youth and later, as a leader of men, hiding among the rocks and hills -- drive the metaphors for his dependence on God.

The last verse serves as an appropriate blessing, "May God bless your inheritance, be your Shepherd, and carry you forever."  Amen!

Psalm 27, Your Face I Seek

Of David.

Psalm 27: 1-3, YHWH, my light and stronghold

The LORD is my light and my salvation-- 

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- 

of whom shall I be afraid?

When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, 

when my enemies and my foes attack me, 

they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me, 

my heart will not fear; 

though war break out against me, 

even then will I be confident.

"Light" represents goodness, joy, life, vitality (says Kidner.)

Psalm 27: 4, One thing I ask

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: 

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, 

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD 

and to seek him in his temple.

This psalm, like the last one, concerns itself with visiting God is His/Her sanctuary. (Psalm 15 also has this theme, approaching YHWH.)

Why should God be sought?  Why does David enjoy God? The emphasis here is on a personal relationship, personal joy with God, practicing the "presence of God."

What is this temple of the Lord?  What does it mean to dwell in it?   How does he hide us there?  Why will David sing and make music there?  The "temple" here need not be the temple of Solomon's day, but stands for God's presence and would have been represented by the tabernacle tent of David's day. 

Psalm 27: 5, Safe

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle 

and set me high upon a rock.

David, recalling his days of running from Saul among the rocks and cliffs of Judea, often speaks of God as if God were a mountain fortress, a large rock upon which to hide. (See Psalm 18:1-3.)

Psalm 27: 6, ...

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; 

at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; 

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

"I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" is the ending of Psalm 23.  Many of the psalms in this section (26, 27, 28) have God's dwelling as a theme.

Psalm 27: 7-12, Your face I seek

Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; 

be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" 

Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me, 

do not turn your servant away in anger; 

you have been my helper. 

Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.

Teach me your way, O LORD; 

lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, 

for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

Feel the desperation and loneliness in verses 9 and 10!  David is concerned that God will turn away, then reassures himself that even if his family were to betray him, God would not.

Psalm 27: 13, Still confident

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

David's expectation is immediate; he is not interested in some type of heavenly reward", but wants God's goodness here, amongst the living!

Psalm 27: 14, Wait, wait for YHWH

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

David's songs usually end with a resolution.  Here David seems to have simply made a decision -- that, based on past experiences, he will wait on God and so will see God's goodness again.  And so he ends the song with the same encouragement to the listener.

Psalm 26, You Vindicate Me & I Praise You

Of David.

Psalm 26: 1-5, I am blameless!

Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; 

I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

Test me, O LORD, and try me, 

examine my heart and my mind;

for your love is ever before me, 

and I walk continually in your truth.

I do not sit with deceitful men, 

nor do I consort with hypocrites;

I abhor the assembly of evildoers 

and refuse to sit with the wicked.

This is a passage of adoration and moral confidence.  In our modern culture this sounds (at least to me) arrogant and hypocritical.  But David is being simple, innocent, straightforward.  He has been seeking God and trying to follow God's law and wants to make that clear.  His emphasis is on sincerity more than on moral perfection.

Like the writer of Psalm 1, David insists that the community he forms around himself is not one that is wicked or hypocritical.

The hypocrites (end of verse 4) and the wicked (verse 5) are synonymous.

Psalm 26: 6-8, I love your house

I wash my hands in innocence, 

and go about your altar, O LORD,

 proclaiming aloud your praise 

and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

I love the house where you live, O LORD, 

the place where your glory dwells.

The concept of washing one hands is a symbol of spiritual cleanliness. This entire paragraph suggests a visit to the Tabernacle, with hands washed before the laver and then proceeding to the altar.  The "house" or abode of God, is, in the Old Testament, evidence of close communion.  (Note that the location of the "temple" of God changes in the New Testament!  See I Corinthians 6: 19-20.)

Psalm 26: 9-12, Redeem me, be merciful!

Do not take away my soul along with sinners, 

my life with bloodthirsty men,

in whose hands are wicked schemes, 

whose right hands are full of bribes.

But I lead a blameless life; 

redeem me and be merciful to me.

My feet stand on level ground; 

in the great assembly I will praise the LORD.

David's refrain throughout the psalm is: "I am blameless!  I trust in God without wavering!"  (Yet see Psalm 143: 2, for a balancing viewpoint.)

There is a certain general parallelism, "envelope" structure to this psalm, a broad repetition:

• A: Vindicate, test/ I avoid evil
• B: I proclaim your praise and enjoy your temple.
• A: So protect me and don't let me be defeated
• B: while I praise you

The cycle is one of righteous joy followed by petition and praise.

Psalm 25, Show, Teach, Guide, Remember

Of David.

As a footnote in the NIV attests, this song is an acrostic; each verse (with one exception) begins with a different Hebrew letter, alphabetical order, aleph for the first verse, beth for the second, etc.  This is a poetic device, a poetical form designed to aid memorization and possibly to force a certain creativity on the artist.  Acrostic poetry shows up in a variety of passages of the Hebrew scriptures, including the book of Lamentations and a number of the psalms.

Since there are 22 Hebrew letters, there will be 22 verses.

Psalm 25: 1-3, My hope is in You

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;  

in you I trust, O my God. 

Do not let me be put to shame, 

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, 

but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.

The psalm opens with statement of allegiance, of commitment, dependent on a covenant with God.  It will, of course, continue with a petition, a request for help in trouble.

Psalm 25: 4-5, Guide me in your truth

Show me your ways, O LORD, 

teach me your paths; 

guide me in your truth and teach me, 

for you are God my Savior, 

and my hope is in you all day long.

David's request here is a simple one, for wisdom and understanding, so that he asks and thinks correctly. Some of David's psalms are in desperation and begin immediately with a plea for help. Here, presumably, David's request is a less stressed and more thoughtful. David repeats here, "My hope is in You!"

Psalm 25: 6-7, Your mercy and love

Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, 

for they are from of old.  

Remember not the sins of my youth 

and my rebellious ways; 

according to your love remember me, 

for you are good, O LORD.

Forgiveness is part of the covenant David has with God.  Note the admission of youthful sins and rebellion.

Psalm 25: 8-11, Forgive me, for Your name

Good and upright is the LORD; 

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. 

He guides the humble in what is right

 and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

David emphasizes God desire for instruction and relationship.  David then shifts to instruction of his fellow humankind:

Psalm 25: 12-14, Fear YHWH and your descendants prosper

Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?

He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

He will spend his days in prosperity, 

and his descendants will inherit the land.

The LORD confides in those who fear him; 

he makes his covenant known to them.

Now David's song begins to take on an air of suffering.  He is "lonely and afflicted".  In the verses which follow we hear sudden cry about real trouble.

Psalm 25: 15-20, Release from the snare

My eyes are ever on the LORD, 

for only he will release my feet from the snare.

Turn to me and be gracious to me, 

for I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart have multiplied; 

free me from my anguish.

Look upon my affliction and my distress 

and take away all my sins.

See how my enemies have increased 

and how fiercely they hate me!

Guard my life and rescue me; 

let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

The nineteenth verse ("See how may enemies...") does not  begin with the nineteenth Hebrew letter, qof, but repeats the eighteenth letter, resh.  Presumably the original opening word has been lost.  Both commentators Alder and Kidner suggest that a natural word to open verse 19 would be qeshov, meaning "hearken", as in "Hearken-see how my enemies..."

Verse 21, below, is a "bookend" verse, return to an opening theme:

Psalm 25: 21, My hope is (still) in You

May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.

Then, as in many of the psalms, the song ends with a plea for help, not just David, but for the entire nation.  (Of course, the king's success and that of the nation are closely connected.)

Psalm 25: 22, And Israel needs You too!

Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!

Yes, may God protect the people Israel.

Psalm 24, Who is this King of Glory!

Of David. A psalm.

Psalm 24: 1-2, YHWH rules all earth

The earth is the LORD's, 

and everything in it, 

the world, and all who live in it; 

for he founded it upon the seas 

and established it upon the waters.

In the first lines of this song, it is clear that this God of David is the Creator, creator of all the world and everything in it.  The establishment of the land on the seas is reminiscent of Genesis 1:9.

This psalm is a simple song of worship.  One might view this as a coronation psalm for the King of Heaven!  It is a psalm of praise, at times exuberant and ecstatic, similar to Psalms 8 and 18.

Psalm 24: 3-6, Who can approach the king

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? 

Who may stand in his holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 

who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.  

He will receive blessing from the LORD 

and vindication from God his Savior.

Such is the generation of those who seek him, 

who seek your face, O God of Jacob. 

Selah.

This song is antiphonal. There are questions followed by responses.  "Who may ascend...?" is answered in the next stanza.

A major attribute of God is Righteousness and for this attribute God is praised.  So which mortals may "stand" with God?  Only one who follows God's model and has "clean hands and a pure heart". Standing in God's presence,  says Kidner, is an aspect of worship.

Note the Old Testament concern about idols.  The concept of "clean hands" is also a concept of justice, of doing right actions with one's fellow human beings.

Psalm 24: 7-10, The King of Glory approaches!

Lift up your heads, O you gates; 

be lifted up, you ancient doors, 

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory? 

The LORD strong and mighty,

the LORD mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates; 

lift them up, you ancient doors, 

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is he, this King of glory? 

The LORD Almighty-- he is the King of glory.

Selah.

Even the gates and doors of the King's palace should exalt in the King's presence!  (Why is this instruction addressed to the doors and gates?  Are the doors the first to see God's presence?)

The psalm first focuses on God and his power, beauty, as expressed in creation.  Then there is a transition – which humans are allowed to enjoy God’s presence and beauty?  Only those with a pure heart – who meet God’s standards (whose desire is really for God and not some substitute.)

The psalm ends in am antiphonal chorus – a praise chorus preparing for the entrance of the king of glory.  The praise chorus has been an inspiration, over the centuries, for a number of Christian hymns.  (Here is one by Third Day.)

Wordplay in the Old Testament

My wife, Jan, and I were driving down a Michigan road at dusk the other night and she said, "Watch for deer."  I replied, "Yes, dear." This is an English wordplay we have done countless times, playing on the fact that "deer", the animal, and "dear", a sweetheart, sound the same.  (I'm not sure Jan still thinks this is funny, but she has learned to put up with me! She is patient with her patient! 😁)

Wordplay occurs in all languages.  It is especially common in Old Testament Hebrew, where the wordplay would aid in memorization of the story and also keep the attention of listeners.

Wordplay, like the acrostic structure in an earlier post, disappears in translation from Hebrew to English and often has to be pointed out by footnotes. Occasionally the wordplay is explicitly mentioned in the text, but most of the time only the Hebrew listener would catch it.

In Ruth 4: 1, Boaz calls a man over to begin the negotiation for Ruth. The NIV has Boaz call the man "friend" but in the Hebrew the term is peloni almoni, a rhyming phrase that means "such and such," hiding the man's name for all eternity. The rhyming phrase might be better translated "mister mystery" to catch the flavor of the original wordplay.

Robert Alter's translations and commentaries give many examples of these. For example, in 1 Samuel 13: 7, the text says "the Hebrews had crossed the Jordan..."  The uncommon description of the people as "Hebrews" is explained by the wordplay ivrim avru, two similar Hebrew words meaning "Hebrews crossed". In 1 Samuel 16: 23, Saul's finding relief from the evil spirit, involves the same base word; ruah is spirit and rawah is relief. 

Much of my notes here follow an online article, Word Play in the Old Testament by Randy McCracken. McCracken writes: 

Samson’s riddle to his wedding guests in Judges 14:14, comes through quite well in most English translations. Based on his exploit of killing a lion and later discovering honey in its carcass, which he proceeds to eat, Samson poses the following riddle: “From-the-eater out-came eat[s] and from-the-strong out-came sweet[s]”...  Samson does use assonance (the use of similar vowel sounds), alliteration (the use of same sounding consonants), and word repetition.

[Wordplay] is found in Judges 3: 8, 10. ... Othniel, battles Cushan Rishathaim from Aram Naharaim. Even in English we can pick up the obvious rhyme between Rishathaim and Naharaim. The NKJV spoils this rhyme by translating Aram Naharaim ... as Mesopotamia. ... [T]he name Cushan Rishathaim also is a clever wordplay. The word “Rishathaim” means “doubly wicked.” Cushan may also mean “dark,” and so Cushan Rishathaim means, “the dark doubly wicked one!” Clearly this is not the name that Cushan’s parents gave him! Rather, it is a clever twisting or substituting of vowels to produce a pun that mocks their adversary... 

[I]n Judges 9 when a man named Gaal Ben Ebed strolls into the city of Shechem. Gaal Ben Ebed means “Loathesome son of a slave,” hardly the man’s real name. In cases like this, we will never know the real name of the individual, but we can take an educated guess. For example, by changing a couple of vowels, Gaal becomes “Goel” which means “redeemer.” Were the Israelites making fun of this man whose name may have meant “Redeemer” by calling him “Loathesome?” Remember that when writing ancient Hebrew (much like modern Hebrew) only consonants were used. Therefore, Gaal and Goel would look the same when written out. 

 

[W]hen Jeremiah was called to be a prophet God says to him in Jeremiah 1:11, “What do you see Jeremiah?” The young prophet responds, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” The Lord responds, “I am watching over my word to perform it” (Jer. 1:12). In Hebrew the word for almond tree is shaqed, while the word for watching is shoqed. Since the almond tree was the first tree to bud in spring, the point of the wordplay is that God’s word will soon come to pass. ...

My favorite wordplay of this kind occurs in the story of Eli found in 1 Samuel chapters 1-4. We are told on two occasions that Eli has a weight problem. In 1 Samuel 2:29 the Lord accuses Eli and his sons of making themselves “fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel.” Later when Eli dies, the narrator tells us that Eli broke his neck when he fell backwards off his seat because he was old and heavy. The word heavy in Hebrew is kabed. It is from the same root as the Hebrew word for honor which is kabod. The story of Eli emphasizes that he has not honored the Lord (1 Sam. 2:30)  Eli’s heaviness is directly related to the lack of honor that he has shown for God because it is his consumption of the stolen meat from the sacrifices that has contributed to his weight problem. The wordplay between kabed and kabod emphasizes the correspondence between the stolen sacrificial meat and the lack of honor given to God.... After Eli’s death, his daughter-in-law gives birth to a child that she names Ichabod ... [which] means ...“no glory”.

There are countless other places where the Hebrew wordplay is lost in translation.  Reading Alter's commentaries, in recent studies I've noticed the following:

In Psalm 48, the Hebrew nowda in verse 4, translated by the NIV as "shown himself", is followed in the next line by nowadu (verse 5), translated as "joined forces". (God has nowda while the kings have nowadu.)

In Psalm 56: 8, the psalmist writes: "Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll..." The Hebrew is literally "Count my wanderings (nodi), my tears into your bottle (nod)...." The psalmist sings that his nodi are collected into God's nod.

In Psalm 69, in verses 30 and 31, the Hebrew word translated "song" is shiyr while the Hebrew translated "ox" is shor. David claims that praising God with shiyr will please God more than shor.

In 2 Kings 1: 6-8, Elijah has a message for the king, Ahaziah. Ahaziah identifies Elijah by the description "garment of hair and a leather belt." The Hebrew expression translated here "garment of hair" is baal sear , literally "lord of hair." The messengers were originally to go see Baal-Zebub (literally "lord of the flies") but instead met Baal-Sear ("lord of hair".) 

In the same chapter, verses 11 and 12, the men of Ahaziah demand that "the man (ish) of God come down" but in response to their demand, "the fire (esh) of God comes down". They call for ish but get esh! (Be careful what you ask for!)

Other resources

In the 900-plus chapters of the Old Testament, there are literally thousands of examples of wordplay. There are then numerous online articles on this characteristic of Hebrew scriptures.  Below is a short list of online articles I found interesting.

• Biblicalarchaeology.org has an article on Wordplay in Genesis. 
• Gary Rendsburg of Cornell has an article Wordplay in Biblical Hebrew.
• John Parsons at hebrew4christians.com has this short article.
• Verlyn Verbrugge has this short article on Hebrew wordplay.
• The Culture of the Bible blog argues in this article that Hebrew wordplay even shows up in some of the sayings of Jesus (once they are translated back into Hebrew.)

Occasionally in this blog, as I discover the more remarkable examples, I will try to make note of the wordplay in the text.  Since I do not really know Hebrew, the wordplay is usually pointed out by commentators such as Robert Alter or Robert L. Hubbard, Jr..

Psalm 23, A Shepherd's Song

A psalm of David.

Psalm 23: 1-3, A sheep following a shepherd

The LORD is my shepherd, 

I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Note the parallelism in verses 1-3 (and throughout the psalm.)

David, the shepherd, sees God's actions as similar to his own past actions taking care of vulnerable and simple sheep.

Psalm 23: 4-5, Protected by the shepherd

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, 

for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Rod and staff are a shepherd's tools. David, recognizing himself as a sheep, is comforted by the Great Shepherd's tools.

Psalm 23: 5-6, Riches, goodness, love

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; 

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

At the end of the psalm, the shepherd/sheep metaphor ends and the Shepherd is a divine Friend, who sets a table and lavishes gifts on the undeserving David.

This is the ancient "Good Shepherd" psalm, long recited by Christians in times of trouble.  It is beautiful in its calm simplicity.  The sheep unknowingly walk through dangerous valleys while an alert shepherd protects them; the sheep look for good food and good days and they are provided.  But David is more aware of the Shepherd than any sheep could ever be, and so he is grateful and commits to staying close to God.

Caroline Cobb has an album on the psalms. (You can find Caroline Cobb on Spotify here.) Her rendition of Psalm 23 is Shepherd Walk Beside Me.