I have been looking at a close reading and interpretation of Psalm 88 by Anthony Pyles of McMaster on academia. I always wonder if the approach using keywords - words in the psalm that repeat, i.e. they have the same Hebrew letters or stem - is a helpful approach. Of course I think it is, but there's nothing like a few tests against the opinions of others, especially others who write with accuracy.
He takes this approach
Interpreting is something I have done very little of. I have rather presented the data, leaving most interpretation to the reader, and encouraging critique of my translation since a translation often imposes interpretation in any case. Two of his three approaches I have some sympathy with.
The integrity of the poem itself is something I assume. Can one 'assume' integrity when a poem has been transmitted over 2500 years? Only if one can see and perhaps verify a control for transmission as one would in a copy process with a computer - things like word count, internal signature, and so on. If the alien could listen to Bach, would it know that this was music? If we can hear a poet's stamp, would we recognize it? Integrity as text and in its art as poem is a tall order.
Other psalms of similar form? By this he gives a nod to form criticism. I am not so sure about the identification of specific forms. So many psalms have been termed lament, or complaint, or royal, or wisdom, that the form as category has become overused. "Psalm 88 is different from many other individual complaints." Hmm, he uses that term complaint - I see that I do too - I wonder though if I should. I guess complaint and lament are both fine as long as one makes one's complaint or lament to the Most High where it can be dealt with. Pyles points out that Psalm 88 does not mention enemies or sin, but only falls into the category of disorientation (p. 21). He's right about the missing enemies and sin. Disorientation seems an odd moniker to me.
As for Psalm 88 in its context in the Psalter, correctly again he links this individual lament to Psalm 89. The two psalms share more than 40% of their words. The position of each of the psalms in the Psalter is deliberate, though each has its own reasons for its place. Psalms 88 and 89 close the two books of corporate lament. Note how a singular and plural combination of laments also opens these books (Psalms 42-44).
More to my interest is Anthony Pyles' subdivision of the poem itself. This is one where I have not decided the optimum division. My tables in Seeing the Psalter show verses 1-10 and 9-19 as possible dividing markers. It is odd to overlap sections. Verses 1-8 have only two recurring words, pit and inflicted (See the recurrence tables below). Verses 1-10a are bounded by two words, the tetragrammeton and day. Verse 19 picks up several words from verse 9. Verses 10b to 12 are a series of rhetorical questions and taken by themselves, they have no recurrence. This marks them as significant within the thought of the poet. As Pyles notes, Selah is not a boundary marker in the poem, though it can be thought of as a pause marker. In verses 14-19, in spite of the preceding rhetorical questions, the prayer of the green olive shoot continues. Perhaps the clue to the 'meaning' of the psalm is that word in the inscription מָחֲלַת that I glossed as illness. Pyles gives no translation of this word. Psalm 88 also is labeled as a song - and the music needs to be heard. Perhaps there will be a hint of the sectional boundaries in the music, the subject of a second post... (to be continued).
88 - in a pit, entombed
He takes this approach
It is my contention that the greatest potential for interpreting any given psalm is thus found in three distinct approaches. First, a given psalm must be taken seriously in its integrity as a text and in its art as a poem. Second, a psalm must be considered in relation to other psalms of similar form, structure, and theme. Third, a psalm must be considered in relation to its placement in the canonical Psalter.
Interpreting is something I have done very little of. I have rather presented the data, leaving most interpretation to the reader, and encouraging critique of my translation since a translation often imposes interpretation in any case. Two of his three approaches I have some sympathy with.
The integrity of the poem itself is something I assume. Can one 'assume' integrity when a poem has been transmitted over 2500 years? Only if one can see and perhaps verify a control for transmission as one would in a copy process with a computer - things like word count, internal signature, and so on. If the alien could listen to Bach, would it know that this was music? If we can hear a poet's stamp, would we recognize it? Integrity as text and in its art as poem is a tall order.
Other psalms of similar form? By this he gives a nod to form criticism. I am not so sure about the identification of specific forms. So many psalms have been termed lament, or complaint, or royal, or wisdom, that the form as category has become overused. "Psalm 88 is different from many other individual complaints." Hmm, he uses that term complaint - I see that I do too - I wonder though if I should. I guess complaint and lament are both fine as long as one makes one's complaint or lament to the Most High where it can be dealt with. Pyles points out that Psalm 88 does not mention enemies or sin, but only falls into the category of disorientation (p. 21). He's right about the missing enemies and sin. Disorientation seems an odd moniker to me.
As for Psalm 88 in its context in the Psalter, correctly again he links this individual lament to Psalm 89. The two psalms share more than 40% of their words. The position of each of the psalms in the Psalter is deliberate, though each has its own reasons for its place. Psalms 88 and 89 close the two books of corporate lament. Note how a singular and plural combination of laments also opens these books (Psalms 42-44).
More to my interest is Anthony Pyles' subdivision of the poem itself. This is one where I have not decided the optimum division. My tables in Seeing the Psalter show verses 1-10 and 9-19 as possible dividing markers. It is odd to overlap sections. Verses 1-8 have only two recurring words, pit and inflicted (See the recurrence tables below). Verses 1-10a are bounded by two words, the tetragrammeton and day. Verse 19 picks up several words from verse 9. Verses 10b to 12 are a series of rhetorical questions and taken by themselves, they have no recurrence. This marks them as significant within the thought of the poet. As Pyles notes, Selah is not a boundary marker in the poem, though it can be thought of as a pause marker. In verses 14-19, in spite of the preceding rhetorical questions, the prayer of the green olive shoot continues. Perhaps the clue to the 'meaning' of the psalm is that word in the inscription מָחֲלַת that I glossed as illness. Pyles gives no translation of this word. Psalm 88 also is labeled as a song - and the music needs to be heard. Perhaps there will be a hint of the sectional boundaries in the music, the subject of a second post... (to be continued).
88 - in a pit, entombed
שִׁיר
מִזְמוֹר לִבְנֵי קֹרַח לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת מַשְׂכִּיל לְהֵימָן הָאֶזְרָחִי | 1 | A song a psalm of the children of Korah For the leader in illness to jam an insight of Heyman the Ezrahite |
יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יְשׁוּעָתִי
יוֹם צָעַקְתִּי בַלַּיְלָה נֶגְדֶּךָ | 2 | יְהוָה the God of my salvation day and night I cry out before you |
תָּבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתִי
הַטֵּה אָזְנְךָ לְרִנָּתִי | 3 | let my prayer come to your presence bend your ear to my shout |
כִּי שָׂבְעָה בְרָעוֹת נַפְשִׁי
וְחַיַּי לִשְׁאוֹל הִגִּיעוּ | 4 | for my being is sated with evil and my life has touched the grave |
נֶחְשַׁבְתִּי עִם יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר
הָיִיתִי כְּגֶבֶר אֵין אֱיָל | 5 | I am reckoned with those going down into a pit I have become as a valiant one without potency |
בַּמֵּתִים חָפְשִׁי
כְּמוֹ חֲלָלִים שֹׁכְבֵי קֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר לֹא זְכַרְתָּם עוֹד וְהֵמָּה מִיָּדְךָ נִגְזָרוּ | 6 | among the dead free as the profaned lying in a tomb whom you remember no longer and they are parted from your hand |
שַׁתַּנִי בְּבוֹר תַּחְתִּיּוֹת
בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים בִּמְצֹלוֹת | 7 | you have set me in a low pit in darknesses in depths |
עָלַי סָמְכָה חֲמָתֶךָ
וְכָל מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ עִנִּיתָ סֶּלָה | 8 | on me your heat leans and you have inflicted all your breakers Selah |
הִרְחַקְתָּ מְיֻדָּעַי מִמֶּנִּי
שַׁתַּנִי תוֹעֵבוֹת לָמוֹ כָּלֻא וְלֹא אֵצֵא | 9 | you have distanced from me those I knew you have set me as an abomination to them I am restrained and do not come out |
עֵינִי דָאֲבָה מִנִּי עֹנִי
קְרָאתִיךָ יְהוָה בְּכָל יוֹם שִׁטַּחְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ כַפָּי | 10 | my eye droops from poverty I call you יְהוָה every day I unfold my palms to you |
הֲלַמֵּתִים תַּעֲשֶׂה פֶּלֶא
אִם רְפָאִים יָקוּמוּ יוֹדוּךָ סֶּלָה | 11 | for the dead will you do wonders? if the shades rise up will they give you thanks? Selah |
הַיְסֻפַּר בַּקֶּבֶר חַסְדֶּךָ
אֱמוּנָתְךָ בָּאֲבַדּוֹן | 12 | will they recount in the tomb your kindness? your faithfulness among the perished? |
הֲיִוָּדַע בַּחֹשֶׁךְ פִּלְאֶךָ
וְצִדְקָתְךָ בְּאֶרֶץ נְשִׁיָּה | 13 | will your wonders be known in the darkness? and your righteousness in the land of oblivion? |
וַאֲנִי אֵלֶיךָ יְהוָה שִׁוַּעְתִּי
וּבַבֹּקֶר תְּפִלָּתִי תְקַדְּמֶךָּ | 14 | but I, I to you יְהוָה cry and in the morning my prayer will confront you |
לָמָה יְהוָה תִּזְנַח נַפְשִׁי
תַּסְתִּיר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי | 15 | why יְהוָה do you reject my being? hide your face from me? |
עָנִי אֲנִי
וְגֹוֵעַ מִנֹּעַר נָשָׂאתִי אֵמֶיךָ אָפוּנָה | 16 | jammed I am and expiring from my youth I bear up your horrors I am distracted |
עָלַי עָבְרוּ חֲרוֹנֶיךָ
בִּעוּתֶיךָ צִמְּתוּתֻנִי | 17 | over me your burnings pass through your alarms annihilate me |
סַבּוּנִי כַמַּיִם כָּל הַיּוֹם
הִקִּיפוּ עָלַי יָחַד | 18 | they surround me like waters all the day long they encompass me as one |
הִרְחַקְתָּ מִמֶּנִּי אֹהֵב וָרֵעַ
מְיֻדָּעַי מַחְשָׁךְ | 19 | you have distanced from me lover and friend those I know from darkness |
Hebrew words: 142. Percentage of Hebrew words that recur in this psalm: 37%. Average keywords per verse: 2.8.
Selected recurring words
| Word and gloss * first usage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Vs | Root |
לענות to jam
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| 1 | ענה | ||||||||||||||||||
יהוה יהוה
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| 2 | יהוה | ||||||||||||||||||
יום day
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| 2 | יום | ||||||||||||||||||
לפניך to your presence
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| 3 | פנה | ||||||||||||||||||
תפלתי my prayer
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| 3 | פלל | ||||||||||||||||||
נפשׁי my being
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| 4 | נפשׁ | ||||||||||||||||||
* בור a pit
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| 5 | בור | ||||||||||||||||||
במתים among the dead
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| 6 | מות | ||||||||||||||||||
* קבר a tomb
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| 6 | קבר | ||||||||||||||||||
לא no
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| 6 | לא | ||||||||||||||||||
שׁתני you have set me
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| 7 | שׁית | ||||||||||||||||||
* בבור in a pit
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| 7 | בור | ||||||||||||||||||
במחשׁכים in darknesses
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| 7 | חשׁך | ||||||||||||||||||
וכל and all
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| 8 | כל | ||||||||||||||||||
ענית you have inflicted
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| 8 | ענה | ||||||||||||||||||
סלה Selah
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| 8 | סלה | ||||||||||||||||||
הרחקת you have distanced
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| 9 | רחק | ||||||||||||||||||
מידעי those I knew
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| 9 | ידע | ||||||||||||||||||
ממני from me
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| 9 | מן | ||||||||||||||||||
שׁתני you have set me
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| 9 | שׁית | ||||||||||||||||||
ולא and not
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| 9 | לא | ||||||||||||||||||
מני from
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| 10 | מן | ||||||||||||||||||
יהוה יהוה
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| 10 | יהוה | ||||||||||||||||||
בכל every
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| 10 | כל | ||||||||||||||||||
יום day
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| 10 | יום | ||||||||||||||||||
הלמתים for the dead
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| 11 | מות | ||||||||||||||||||
פלא wonders
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| 11 | פלא | ||||||||||||||||||
סלה Selah
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| 11 | סלה | ||||||||||||||||||
* בקבר in the tomb
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| 12 | קבר | ||||||||||||||||||
היודע will be known
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| 13 | ידע | ||||||||||||||||||
בחשׁך in the darkness
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| 13 | חשׁך | ||||||||||||||||||
פלאך your wonders
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| 13 | פלא | ||||||||||||||||||
ואני but I
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| 14 | אני | ||||||||||||||||||
יהוה יהוה
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| 14 | יהוה | ||||||||||||||||||
תפלתי my prayer
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| 14 | פלל | ||||||||||||||||||
יהוה יהוה
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| 15 | יהוה | ||||||||||||||||||
נפשׁי my being
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| 15 | נפשׁ | ||||||||||||||||||
פניך your face
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| 15 | פנה | ||||||||||||||||||
ממני from me
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| 15 | מן | ||||||||||||||||||
עני jammed
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| 16 | ענה | ||||||||||||||||||
אני I am
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| 16 | אני | ||||||||||||||||||
כל all
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| 18 | כל | ||||||||||||||||||
היום the day long
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| 18 | יום | ||||||||||||||||||
הרחקת you have distanced
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| 19 | רחק | ||||||||||||||||||
ממני from me
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| 19 | מן | ||||||||||||||||||
מידעי those I know
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| 19 | ידע | ||||||||||||||||||
מחשׁך from darkness
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| 19 | חשׁך |
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