So how does a poet construct a psalm? If my favorite poem is Eliot's Journey of the Magi, (see prior post on science, fiction, and eternity - and if you don't know this poem, my allusions would be lost on you - so you better see the poem too) can we catch the allusions that the psalmist is making in psalm 87? It is short enough to repeat here. Whence come the springs? Is this where God wipes away all tears from their eyes מעיניהם? (Compare Numbers 20:8).
Also right in the middle of this poem is a Philistine (stranger still). Surely no philistine (read in your favorite enemy) was born there?
How does the coda of verse 7 close the frame of verses 1-3? (Answer very clear - it's a three fold close - here.)
לִבְנֵי קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר יְסוּדָתוֹ בְּהַרְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ | 1 | Of the children of Korah A Psalm, A song His foundation is on the holy hills |
אֹהֵב יְהוָה שַׁעֲרֵי צִיּוֹן מִכֹּל מִשְׁכְּנוֹת יַעֲקֹב | 2 | יְהוָה loves the gates of Zion among all the dwellings of Jacob |
נִכְבָּדוֹת מְדֻבָּר בָּךְ עִיר הָאֱלֹהִים סֶלָה | 3 | Glorious things are spoken in you the city of God Selah |
אַזְכִּיר רַהַב וּבָבֶל לְיֹדְעָי הִנֵּה פְלֶשֶׁת וְצֹר עִם כּוּשׁ זֶה יֻלַּד שָׁם | 4 | I will remember monster and confusion to those who know me voila, a stranger and the hard-nosed with the children of Ham This one was born there |
וּלְצִיּוֹן יֵאָמַר אִישׁ וְאִישׁ יֻלַּד בָּהּ וְהוּא יְכוֹנְנֶהָ עֶלְיוֹן | 5 | And of Zion it will be said she and he were born here And the Most High will establish her |
יְהוָה יִסְפֹּר בִּכְתוֹב עַמִּים זֶה יֻלַּד שָׁם סֶלָה | 6 | יְהוָה counts when he records the peoples This one was born there Selah |
וְשָׁרִים כְּחֹלְלִים כָּל מַעְיָנַי בָּךְ | 7 | So it is for the singers and the profane alike All my springs are in you |
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