Psalm 38

I am working on Isaiah 5, but with Isaiah and Proverbs I have been thinking about stupidity, the character of the sluggard. Stupid is a word that feels good on the tongue and lips. In some houses it is a swear word and it is forbidden to speak it. Good for them. We might say of someone, he/she is not stupid, but we only say it because we were tempted to think otherwise.

There are several words in this semantic domain but I haven't refined them much. Foolishness, folly, senseless, and so on. The only use of fool in Bob's Bible is when David feigned madness and played the fool to save his life. (1 Samuel 21). The other words above have these stems in my glossary so far.

אויל foolish, obstinate
הלל bluster, boast, praise, madden, make dunderhead, play the fool,
כסל dullard, folly, hip (the body part), stupid,
נבל collapse, corpse, demean, lute, senseless, skin-bottle, wither,
עצל sloth, sluggard

It's quite a collection, isn't it. You may be able to imagine that I have come to these decisions with some resistance. Some of these words are rude! What language would have lute and senseless as homonyms? Perhaps one that hopes to bring music into the lives of the senseless, and praise into the character of those who bluster or make dunderheads of themselves. Maybe its about transformation...

But stupidity will stay because of Psalm 38. This personal psalm deserves regular review. (I could add a few more commas but I will let it stand - because you could add them too.)

Psalms 38		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
מִזְמ֖וֹר לְדָוִ֣ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר	1		A psalm of David. To remember.	3e	4B	8
יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּקֶצְפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי	2		Yahweh, do not in your rage correct me, or in heat chasten me.	3e	4A	11 9
כִּֽי־חִ֭צֶּיךָ נִ֣חֲתוּ בִ֑י וַתִּנְחַ֖ת עָלַ֣י יָדֶֽךָ	3		For your arrows penetrate into me, and your hand pins me.	3e	4B	7 8
אֵין־מְתֹ֣ם בִּ֭בְשָׂרִי מִפְּנֵ֣י זַעְמֶ֑ךָ אֵין־שָׁל֥וֹם בַּ֝עֲצָמַ֗י מִפְּנֵ֥י חַטָּאתִֽי	4		There is no completeness in my flesh from the face of your indignation. There is no peace in my bones, from the face of my sin.	3e	4B	11 12
כִּ֣י עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי עָבְר֣וּ רֹאשִׁ֑י כְּמַשָּׂ֥א כָ֝בֵ֗ד יִכְבְּד֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי	5	B	For my iniquities pass through my head. As a load that is heavy, they are too heavy for me.	3e	4B	9 11
הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ נָ֭מַקּוּ חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י אִוַּלְתִּֽי	6		My stripes they stink they rot, in the face of my foolishness.	3e	4B	10 5
נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי שַׁחֹ֣תִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם קֹדֵ֥ר הִלָּֽכְתִּי	7		I am perverse. I am excessively depressed. Wan I walk all the day long.	3e	4B	10 8
כִּֽי־כְ֭סָלַי מָלְא֣וּ נִקְלֶ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין מְ֝תֹ֗ם בִּבְשָׂרִֽי	8		For my stupidity is a thorough disgrace, and there is no completeness in my flesh.	3e	4B	8 7
נְפוּג֣וֹתִי וְנִדְכֵּ֣יתִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד שָׁ֝אַ֗גְתִּי מִֽנַּהֲמַ֥ת לִבִּֽי	9		I am numbed. I am crushed excessively. I have roared from the disquiet of my heart.	3e	4B	11 9
אֲ‍ֽדֹנָי נֶגְדְּךָ֥ כָל־תַּאֲוָתִ֑י וְ֝אַנְחָתִ֗י מִמְּךָ֥ לֹא־נִסְתָּֽרָה	10		My Lord before you are all my desires, and my sighing from you is not hid.	3e	4A	10 10
לִבִּ֣י סְ֭חַרְחַר עֲזָבַ֣נִי כֹחִ֑י וְֽאוֹר־עֵינַ֥י גַּם־הֵ֝֗ם אֵ֣ין אִתִּֽי	11		My heart palpitates. My power forsakes me. And the light of my eyes, even they ... There is nothing with me.	3e	4B	11 9
אֹֽהֲבַ֨י ׀ וְרֵעַ֗י מִנֶּ֣גֶד נִגְעִ֣י יַעֲמֹ֑דוּ וּ֝קְרוֹבַ֗י מֵרָחֹ֥ק עָמָֽדוּ	12		My lovers and my friends stand away from my contagion, and those near me distant they stand.	3e	4B	15 9
וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ ׀ מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י נַפְשִׁ֗י וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י רָ֭עָתִי דִּבְּר֣וּ הַוּ֑וֹת וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת כָּל־הַיּ֥וֹם יֶהְגּֽוּ	13		And those who seek my being lay traps, and those searching to hurt me speak calamities. And deceits all the day long they meditate.	3e	4C	18 8
וַאֲנִ֣י כְ֭חֵרֵשׁ לֹ֣א אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וּ֝כְאִלֵּ֗ם לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיו	14		But I myself as silent will not hear, and as dumb, will not open its mouth.	3e	4B	9 7
וָאֱהִ֗י כְּ֭אִישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־שֹׁמֵ֑עַ וְאֵ֥ין בְּ֝פִ֗יו תּוֹכָחֽוֹת	15		And I became as a person who does not hear, and there are not any arguments in its mouth.	3e	4B	10 7
כִּֽי־לְךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה הוֹחָ֑לְתִּי אַתָּ֥ה תַ֝עֲנֶ֗ה אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהָֽי	16		For of you Yahweh do I hope. You yourself will answer O Lord my God.	3e	4B	8 11
כִּֽי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי פֶּן־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִ֑י בְּמ֥וֹט רַ֝גְלִ֗י עָלַ֥י הִגְדִּֽילוּ	17		For I said ... lest they are glad over me, when my foot slipped, they magnify themselves above me.	3e	4A	8 9
כִּֽי־אֲ֭נִי לְצֶ֣לַע נָכ֑וֹן וּמַכְאוֹבִ֖י נֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד	18		For I myself am prepared for halting, and my sorrow is continually before me.	3e	4B	7 8
כִּֽי־עֲוֺנִ֥י אַגִּ֑יד אֶ֝דְאַ֗ג מֵֽחַטָּאתִֽי	19		For I will make clear my iniquity. I will be anxious for my sin.	3e	4A	5 6
וְֽ֭אֹיְבַי חַיִּ֣ים עָצֵ֑מוּ וְרַבּ֖וּ שֹׂנְאַ֣י שָֽׁקֶר	20	g	But my enemies are alive. They are numerous, and those hating me falsely are multiplied.	3e	4B	8 7
וּמְשַׁלְּמֵ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי תַּ֣חַת רָֽדְפִי־טֽוֹב	21		And those repaying evil under the guise of good, they are my accusers. Under this I pursue good.	3e	4B	9 9
אַל־תַּֽעַזְבֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אַל־תִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנִּי	22		Do not forsake me Yahweh. My God, do not be distant from me.	3e	4A	7 9
ח֥וּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי	23	f	Hurry to my help, O Lord of my salvation.	3e	4A	6 7