Friday, 27 May 2016

Micah 7 and the Psalms

Not the exact words, but clearly one or the other text is alluding to the other. Micah is specific to corrupt governance where the psalm is more generic.
Word / Gloss
1
2
3
4
5
6
Vs
Stem
חסיד the merciful
חסיד
באדם within humanity
אדם
כלם all of them
כל
אישׁ each
אישׁ
והגדול and the great one
גדל
דבר speaks
דבר
חסיד is the merciful one
חסיד
אדם humanity
אדם
ידברו they speak to
דבר
אישׁ each
אישׁ
ידברו they speak
דבר
כל all
כל
מדברת speaking
דבר
גדלות greatness
גדל
Verses 5 to 8 in each also share three words: שׁמר קום ישׁע

One might simply say that the prophet and the psalmist had a similar experience. Certainly the depth of Micah's last chapter speaks of a confidence that YHWH his God will be with him whatever happens. And he does not expect it to be simple all light without darkness. He bears outrage.

(verse 9)
The outrage of Yahweh I will bear for I have sinned (חטא) against (ל?) him,
until he will strive my strife and construct my judgment and he will bring me out to light. I will see in his righteousness.

You can see that verse 9 also compares with Psalms 35:1, 43:1, 74:22, and 119:154. The thought of these 5 passages would bear more analysis, but my skim-board is skimming on...

What is this phrase sin + the pre-clitic lamed? It occurs perhaps 26 times. Normally wouldn't one expect sin + a stand-alone preposition like על or אל or perhaps ב.
These occur with sin 23, 8, and 3 times (perhaps) - so I'm wrong. It's traditional to sin 'against' someone in English - why so many variable prepositions in Hebrew?