Wanton prodigality

עֲלִילָה is a theme in the Psalter. You may remember the prodigal son - where prodigal is wanton, when it was the father who was prodigal of love where prodigal is good. See through it. It too is latticework.

There are several similar sounding words in the psalms derived from עָלַל. If God is the subject, the word is good - perhaps rendered by prodigality. If the human is the subject, it is not good and is rendered by wantonness. Possibly the five occurrences that are prefixed with mem might be glossed differently, but then we would miss a connection between psalms 77 and 78 which I think is evident from their sequence and the usage of these words.

If indeed we are to want nothing, then wantonness is a prodigality to be avoided, but the prodigality of God is a wantonness to be sought.

Hebrew		English
הַגִּידוּ בָעַמִּים עֲלִילוֹתָיו	9.12	make known among the peoples his prodigality
כֶּסֶף צָרוּף בַּעֲלִיל לָאָרֶץ מְזֻקָּק שִׁבְעָתָיִם	12.7	silver refined in a furnace of earth purged seven times
הִשְׁחִיתוּ הִתְעִיבוּ עֲלִילָה אֵין עֹשֵׂה טוֹב	14.1	They destroy, they do abomination, wantonness There is none doing good
תֶּן לָהֶם כְּפָעֳלָם וּכְרֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיהֶם	28.4	give them as their works and the wickedness of their wantonness
לְכוּ וּרְאוּ מִפְעֲלוֹת אֱלֹהִים נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם	66.5	Come and see the works of God a fearful prodigality among the children of dust
אֶזְכּוֹר מַעַלְלֵי יָהּ	77.12	I will remember the prodigality of Yah
וּבַעֲלִילוֹתֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה	77.13	and in your prodigality I ponder
וַיִּשְׁכְּחוּ עֲלִילוֹתָיו	78.11	and they forgot his prodigality
וְיָשִׂימוּ בֵאלֹהִים כִּסְלָם וְלֹא יִשְׁכְּחוּ מַעַלְלֵי אֵל	78.7	so they might set their hope in God and not forget the prodigality of God
אֵל נֹשֵׂא הָיִיתָ לָהֶם וְנֹקֵם עַל עֲלִילוֹתָם	99.8	a God who lifts up you were to them but avenging their wantonness
יוֹדִיעַ דְּרָכָיו לְמֹשֶׁה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲלִילוֹתָיו	103.7	he made known his ways to Moses to the children of Israel his prodigality
הוֹדוּ לַיהוָה הוֹדִיעוּ בָעַמִּים עֲלִילוֹתָיו	105.1	Give thanks to יְהוָה Make known his prodigality among the peoples
וַיַּכְעִיסוּ בְּמַעַלְלֵיהֶם וַתִּפְרָץ בָּם מַגֵּפָה	106.29	and they grieved him with their wantonness and a plague broke out among them
וַיִּטְמְאוּ בְמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וַיִּזְנוּ בְּמַעַלְלֵיהֶם	106.39	and they became unclean through their own deeds and were unfaithful through their own wantonness
אַל תַּט לִבִּי לְדָבָר רָע לְהִתְעוֹלֵל עֲלִלוֹת בְּרֶשַׁע אֶת אִישִׁים פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן וּבַל אֶלְחַם בְּמַנְעַמֵּיהֶם	141.4	do not give my heart to a word of evil wantonly wanton in wickedness with others, workers of mischief and let me not partake in their sweets