Monday, 23 April 2012

Thursday, 19 April 2012

A taste of praise

Jim Gordon at Living Wittily has posted on the praise of art particularly focusing on Chagall, the subject of a section in the Psalms conference at Oxford 2010. Here is a taste of my big book on the psalms on the praise of dragons and abysses in Psalm 148.

Even the dragon and the abyss are invited to praise.  These words draw in all the potential confusion and fear in the magnificence of creation. The abyss is a treasury (33:7) and a metaphor for the judgment (36:7). Psalm 42:8 identifies abyss as the depth of the call from the human in exile to God. Psalm 71:20 knows hope even in these depths. The water from the rock is like an abyss (78:15) . The earth is clothed with the abyss (104:6). The people are led through it (106:9) and the mariners are terrified of it on the sea (107:26). It is part of God’s delight (135:6). This is the creation that we find ourselves in: the unfathomable, time, gravity, and the inscrutable human heart, animal consciousness and the power of  the natural order. This is the abyss along with its fearsome creatures. The place of the dragon is where we were crushed (44:20), but its heads are broken (74:13), and over it we will trample (91:13). Leviathan fragmented (74:14) is God’s companion in laughter (104:26). Rahab, the defiant (40:5) is remembered in the city of God (87:4) and was pierced through (89:11). She becomes the metaphor for our boldness (90:10 and 138:3). Here we might invoke Christopher Smart again, for the devils themselves are at peace. The psalms weave creation, redemption, and deliverance into poetry reflecting these primal and critical themes from the Torah and the Prophets. See also Rendtorff (2005 p. 418 ff).
Christopher Smart, Rejoice in the Lamb
Rendtorff, Rolf. (2005). The Canonical Hebrew Bible, A Theology of the Old Testament.
Seeing the Psalter, Patterns of Recurrence in the Poetry of the Psalms, available 2Q 2013, currently under detailed review by about 10 people, advance order details forthcoming, contact me if you are interested in becoming an early reviewer.

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Glossary reduced to 13 pages or so

I have summarized all the glosses I used in my translation. I am quite surprised by the result. I went somewhat wild with synonyms for several words and I reduced the Hebrew roots to a bare minimum not keeping derived nouns separate from verbs etc. This leads to some strange bedfellows. The other strange thing is that a gloss may only work in a particular context. Just how subjective have I been? Very.

The summarized glossary is here. It was constructed mostly by hand giving me a chance to make another 100 or so (minor) changes to the evolving manuscript. (It looks fantastic on an I-Pad!) [glossary still under refinement - not likely to be updated or published by domain any time soon - very big idea since domain is so subjective]

Friday, 13 April 2012

Lots of things I miss

I missed John's analysis of Psalm 100 where he comments briefly on Fokkelman's The Psalms in Form (reviewed here by Gerald Wilson, a review I also missed.)  I doubt that I will look at this book in detail. But it is nice to know of the effort. Fokkelman was among my first books that I read. They are as Wilson notes, not very easy to follow for a beginner.

Thursday, 12 April 2012

The firmament shows his handwork

We thought we had missed the sunset - it was grey and the sun had disappeared - then there was this glow behind the mountain and it just grew...

Sunday, 8 April 2012

Counting the Omer

It has been a long time since Iyov first counted the Omer by a blog post. I count Iyov among the most special of bloggers. Now Rabbi Rachel Barenblatt  is counting the Omer here. 50 measures of faith before Pentecost - a good thing. In the Spirit.

Saturday, 7 April 2012

What's the best way to partition Psalm 78?

I have the Monet fully laid out end to end. I will be spending the next year throwing different colours at it or repartitioning various psalms to maximize the visibility of recurrence, and finding and changing bits and pieces. As I do this, I will be muttering through the psalms becoming more conversant with the language. The colour I am applying right now is light blue, the colour of theology. Fortunately I just found a new acquisition at the UVic library that I mentioned - Rendtorff. Rolf. It has some very nice sections.  This is a Monet - but not too much blue please.

Do let me know if you can assist with the painting.

Here's bits and pieces of Psalm 78 - just the tables. I had originally tested 9 parts - 8 verses each and compared the parts to see if there was a fully concentric structure. There are hints. The whole poem is framed by people--Jacob--Israel - an Olympic ring structure. There are some other long distant circles: Ephraim (9 and 67), Egypt, Zoan (12,43), still to sin (17, 32) on 8-verse boundaries. But the 8 verse groupings seem arbitrary. They do not need to anticipate the obvious 8-verse groups of Psalm 119.  Terrien has 1-2, Part 1, 3-8, Part 2, 9-17, Part 3, 18-28, Part 4, 29-40, Part 5, 41-51, Part 6, 52-63, Part 7, 64-72. He gives no justification. My justification for the following is that it seems to me to maximize the visibility of the recurrence.

The psalm is for continuity between the generations (v1-10 are bound by instruction - not to be thought of as 'law' in a legal sense.) Equipped and kiss are homonyms. Ephraim is equipped through love. But he is not ready. How will we learn? How will we be equipped? Is it sufficient to learn second-hand by rote?

Like the book of Job, this psalm is a parable (v2). This leaves us open to apply the history of Israel as parable to ourselves. Such an application includes slavery, escape, complaint, provocation, exile and restoration, even the unresolved tension of diaspora, a condition that is common to all peoples. The focus on Judah points to a restoration of only the southern kingdom.

Any thoughts? The following looks promising to me. I am going to write it up as a centrepiece. I would happily share my thoughts with any who care to take on this puzzle. It has to make sense as an aid both for composition and memorization.

Selected recurring words in relative order (1 to 10)

Word and gloss * first usage123456789101234VsRoot
האזינה listen to
░
1אזן
תורתי my instruction
░
1תורה
אזנכם your ears
░
1אזן
פי my mouth
░
1פה
פי my mouth
░
2פה
אשׁר which
░
3אשׁר
ונדעם and known
░
3ידע
ואבותינו and our ancestors
░
3אב
ספרו recounted
░
3ספר
לא not
░
4לא
מבניהם from their children
░
4בן
לדור to the generation
░
4דור
אחרון to follow
░
4אחר
מספרים recounting
░
4ספר
אשׁר which
░
4אשׁר
ויקם he raised
░
5קום
ותורה and instruction
░
5תורה
שׂם he set
░
5שׂום
אשׁר which
░
5אשׁר
* צוה he commanded
░
5צוה
אבותינו our ancestors
░
5אב
להודיעם to make known
░
5ידע
לבניהם to their children
░
5בן
ידעו will know
░
6ידע
דור the generation
░
6דור
אחרון to follow
░
6אחר
בנים the children
░
6בן
יקמו will arise
░
6קום
ויספרו and recount to
░
6ספר
לבניהם their children
░
6בן
וישׂימו so they might set
░
7שׂום
ולא and not
░
7לא
* ומצותיו and his commandments
░
7צוה
ולא and not
░
8לא
כאבותם like their ancestors
░
8אב
דור a generation
░
8דור
דור a generation
░
8דור
לא not
░
8לא
ולא and not
░
8לא
בני the children of
░
9בן
לא not
░
10לא
ובתורתו and in his instruction
░
10תורה

Selected recurring words in relative order (11 to 20)

Word and gloss * first usage123456VsRoot
ונפלאותיו and his wonders
░
11פלא
פלא a wonder
░
12פלא
* בקע he split
░
13בקע
מים waters
░
13מים
* יבקע he split
░
15בקע
צרים rocks
░
15צור
במדבר in the wilderness
░
15מדבר
מים waters
░
16מים
* היוכל is able
░
19יכל
במדבר in the wilderness
░
19מדבר
צור a rock
░
20צור
מים water
░
20מים
* יוכל is he able
░
20יכל

Selected recurring words in relative order (21 to 32)

Word and gloss * first usage1234567891012VsRoot
אף anger
░
21אף
עלה ascended
░
21עלה
בישׂראל against Israel
░
21ישׂראל
לא not
░
22לא
האמינו they did believe
░
22אמן
ולא and not
░
22לא
ממעל from above
░
23עלה
שׁמים heaven
░
23שׁמים
* וימטר and he rained
░
24מטר
לאכל to eat
░
24אכל
שׁמים heaven
░
24שׁמים
אכל ate
░
25אכל
להם among them
░
25להם
לשׂבע to satiation
░
25שׂבע
בשׁמים in the heavens
░
26שׁמים
* וימטר and he rained
░
27מטר
ויאכלו and they ate
░
29אכל
וישׂבעו and were sated
░
29שׂבע
ותאותם and their desires
░
29אוה
להם to them
░
29להם
לא not
░
30לא
מתאותם to their desires
░
30אוה
עוד while
░
30עוד
אכלם their food
░
30אכל
ואף and the anger of
░
31אף
עלה ascended
░
31עלה
ישׂראל Israel
░
31ישׂראל
עוד still
░
32עוד
ולא and not
░
32לא
האמינו did believe
░
32אמן

Selected recurring words in relative order (33 to 48)

Word and gloss * first usage123456789VsRoot
ימיהם their days
░
33יום
* הרגם he slew them
░
34הרג
ושׁבו and they turned
░
34שׁוב
ויזכרו and they remembered
░
35זכר
כי for
░
35כי
לא not
░
37לא
ולא and not
░
37לא
ולא and not
░
38לא
* ישׁחית he did destroy
░
38שׁחת
להשׁיב turned
░
38שׁוב
ולא and not
░
38לא
ויזכר for he remembered
░
39זכר
כי that
░
39כי
ולא and not
░
39לא
ישׁוב it does return
░
39שׁוב
וישׁובו and they turned back
░
41שׁוב
לא not
░
42לא
זכרו they did remember
░
42זכר
יום the day
░
42יום
אשׁר --
░
42אשׁר
אשׁר that
░
43אשׁר
* ותשׁחיתם and he destroyed them
░
45שׁחת
* יהרג he slew
░
47הרג
בברד with hail
░
47ברד
לברד to the hail
░
48ברד

Selected recurring words in relative order (49 to 59)

Word and gloss * first usage123456VsRoot
ישׁלח he sent
░
49שׁלח
אפו his anger
░
49אף
עברה fury
░
49עבר
משׁלחת by sending
░
49שׁלח
לאפו for his anger
░
50אף
לא not
░
50לא
באהלי in the tents of
░
51אהל
ולא and not
░
53לא
באהליהם in their tents
░
55אהל
ישׂראל Israel
░
55ישׂראל
לא not
░
56לא
ויתעבר and was furious
░
59עבר
בישׂראל in Israel
░
59ישׂראל

Selected recurring words in relative order (60 to end)

Word and gloss * first usage1234567891012VsRoot
משׁכן the tabernacle in
░
60שׁכן
אהל the tent
░
60אהל
שׁכן where he dwelt
░
60שׁכן
ויתן and he gave
░
61נתן
צר trouble
░
61צר
לחרב with the sword
░
62חרב
עמו his people
░
62עם
* ובנחלתו and with his inheritance
░
62נחלה
* בחוריו his young men
░
63בחר
לא not
░
63לא
בחרב by the sword
░
64חרב
לא not
░
64לא
צריו his foes
░
66צר
עולם ever
░
66עלם
נתן he gave
░
66נתן
באהל the tent of
░
67אהל
ובשׁבט and the sceptre of
░
67שׁבט
לא not
░
67לא
* בחר he did choose
░
67בחר
* ויבחר but he chose
░
68בחר
שׁבט the sceptre of
░
68שׁבט
לעולם forever
░
69עלם
* ויבחר and he chose
░
70בחר
לרעות to shepherd
░
71רעה
עמו his people
░
71עם
* נחלתו his inheritance
░
71נחלה
וירעם and he shepherded them
░
72רעה
Or this division
Selected recurring words in relative order (33 to 42)

Word and gloss * first usage12345VsRoot
ימיהם their days
░
33יום
ושׁבו and they turned
░
34שׁוב
ויזכרו and they remembered
░
35זכר
כי for
░
35כי
לא not
░
37לא
ולא and not
░
37לא
ולא and not
░
38לא
להשׁיב turned
░
38שׁוב
ולא and not
░
38לא
ויזכר for he remembered
░
39זכר
כי that
░
39כי
ולא and not
░
39לא
ישׁוב it does return
░
39שׁוב
וישׁובו and they turned back
░
41שׁוב
לא not
░
42לא
זכרו they did remember
░
42זכר
יום the day
░
42יום
Selected recurring words in relative order (43 to 56)

Word and gloss * first usage12345678VsRoot
* במצרים in Egypt
░
43מצרים
ישׁלח he sent
░
45שׁלח
בברד with hail
░
47ברד
* ויסגר and he imprisoned
░
48סגר
לברד to the hail
░
48ברד
* ומקניהם and their herds
░
48קנה
ישׁלח he sent
░
49שׁלח
אפו his anger
░
49אף
משׁלחת by sending
░
49שׁלח
לאפו for his anger
░
50אף
לא not
░
50לא
* הסגיר he imprisoned
░
50סגר
* במצרים in Egypt
░
51מצרים
באהלי in the tents of
░
51אהל
ולא and not
░
53לא
* קנתה purchased
░
54קנה
באהליהם in their tents
░
55אהל
לא not
░
56לא
Selected recurring words in relative order (57 to end)

Word and gloss * first usage1234567891012345VsRoot
ויתעבר and was furious
░
59עבר
* וימאס and he refused
░
59מאס
בישׂראל in Israel
░
59ישׂראל
משׁכן the tabernacle in
░
60שׁכן
אהל the tent
░
60אהל
שׁכן where he dwelt
░
60שׁכן
ויתן and he gave
░
61נתן
צר trouble
░
61צר
לחרב with the sword
░
62חרב
עמו his people
░
62עם
* ובנחלתו and with his inheritance
░
62נחלה
התעבר he was furious
░
62עבר
* בחוריו his young men
░
63בחר
לא not
░
63לא
בחרב by the sword
░
64חרב
לא not
░
64לא
צריו his foes
░
66צר
עולם ever
░
66עלם
נתן he gave
░
66נתן
* וימאס and he refused
░
67מאס
באהל the tent of
░
67אהל
ובשׁבט and the sceptre of
░
67שׁבט
לא not
░
67לא
* בחר he did choose
░
67בחר
* ויבחר but he chose
░
68בחר
שׁבט the sceptre of
░
68שׁבט
לעולם forever
░
69עלם
* ויבחר and he chose
░
70בחר
לרעות to shepherd
░
71רעה
עמו his people
░
71עם
ובישׂראל and in Israel
░
71ישׂראל
* נחלתו his inheritance
░
71נחלה
וירעם and he shepherded them
░
72רעה

Thursday, 5 April 2012

Selwyn Choir on utube

Remembering where I read something

Indexes are really useful. Rendtorff (The Canonical Bebrew Bible, A Theology of the Old Testament), has a good index, with a warning that it is selective. But I wonder if the internal links have been completely updated from the German. And there is no section at the beginning on abbreviations so you have to read from the beginning to see the technique of the apparatus described in the text itself. Now who reads a book from the beginning?

Ask me about indexes in Word 10. I have a technique - not an easy one. My index is in 7 sections: 1 Torah, 2 Prophets, 3 Writings, 4 New Testament, 5 Names, 6 Themes, 7 Other. The Scripture index is partially automated - but it is not a repeatable automation. Get it mostly right, then update it and keep it up to date. The sequencing and boldface or italics must be added by hand. The automation is complete of course once the index markers are in. Anything else would be useless.

But don't ask me to do one for you for free. I have spent probably 200 hours in the last 2 months completing the index for my presentation of the Psalms, now 495 pages (shrinking).

Vick's book on authority and inspiration needs a better index. Making the index is a really good test of the coherence of your writing. It is like the experienced mechanic changing the oil who sees when the gaskets need replacing. I wanted to find where I read about 'reason' in Vick's book. I loved the little bit about reason, but in the 1.5 hours left before my daughter was to arrive from England with her husband, I couldn't find where I had read it. I even had little sticky arrows all over the text, but they didn't point me where I wanted to be.

I found it this morning. And it's a good line: He gives 10 false ways in which people claim that the authority of the Bible is established. Then he says:
You cannot establish the authority of the Bible by providing reasons. You can, however, reasonably give an account of the authority of the Bible.
I reconstructed this before I found it again - for it had stuck with me through 2 weeks of not reading. Here it is in essence - we cannot reason our way into God / theology / etc, nor can we reason our way out of a confession, but we can learn to give reasons as to why we are in - once we are in.  Well, I thought it put reason in her place. I like it. I am not married to reason, but to something creative that happened to me through an outside 'word' (logos if you like) which then made it reasonable - more than reasonable - for me to worship, for me to present my body a living sacrifice, for me to research the psalms, for me to find even more reason to give thanks for the unsurpassed gift of God that is in God's teaching, that is God's Torah.

I cannot reason my way into such a position. Nor can I be convinced of it. But in it, I can give reason. The convincing is not mine to do.

I think this has been valuable for me to think about. More little gems like this I hope to find. But I note that I am not qualified to review a book that is philosophical, yet I can find in it good excuses for reading the Bible slowly and carefully rather than reading books about the Bible. The book I am referring to is also noted here.

I made some further notes
  • about doing the right thing - some titles are brilliant, like No More Secondhand God (Buckminster Fuller), or Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee). 
  • about power and making the word in our own image.
  • about the authority of Abraham, Moses, Jesus in contrast to the authority of vested interests.
  • about the universal - even in Leviticus, vs the parochial.
  • about the desire to be right and put someone else wrong.
At base, I expect to find these issues developed in where I think Vick is going. But I have not been able to read much more these past two weeks. And I am sort of on holiday for the next 10 days. (Hoping too that my son in law, who reads Hebrew, will give some feedback on my now out of date paper copy of my book.)

Wednesday, 4 April 2012

Rabbi Harry of Congregation Emmanu-El has a blog

Here is a post on the near and the far. Connecting to Divine Source When God is Hidden from Us

I might have some details to be picky about, but I like the overall post - I can hear the Rabbi talking to me. Anyone out there in Victoria who knows Hebrew - I am looking for a companion reader to mutter through the Psalms with me.  E-muttering is possible I suppose.

My old blogging friends are too busy - or maybe they don't like my attitude.  Of course I am looking for critical feedback on my book also - but if you want to do this, I won't just let the address hang out there...

Don't look at the posts at PoC or Dust at the Psalter kata Bob. I haven't kept them up to date. They were blog posts. And its hard to read a diglot online.

Oh and by the way, the performance three weeks ago of my setting of Psalm 19 for organ, flute, and choir got rave reviews.

Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Facebook, Twitter and integrated blogging

Hmmm... I have joined the networked blogs on facebook. I am not a frequent use of facebook but I wonder if this will move me towards reading on facebook rather than Google reader.

Any thoughts out there?