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Monday, 24 May 2021

Psalms 18

 Psalms 18 is the first long psalm, if we are reading in sequence - as is happening over at Christopher Page's site. His site is called 'in a spacious place'. Note how this idea of space has already been exposed in the psalms. It occurs again here in verse 20.

thlim ik Psalms 18 Fn Min Max Syll
a lmnxk lybd ihvh ldvid
awr dibr lihvh at-dbri hwirh hzat
biom hxil-ihvh aoto mcf cl-aoibiv umid waul
1 For the leader. Of a servant of Yahweh. Of David,
who spoke to Yahweh the words of this particular song,
in the day Yahweh delivered him from the slap of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
3e 4C 12
14
18
b viamr arkmç ihvh kzqi 2 and he said, I am passionate about you, Yahweh, my courage. 3e 4B 10
g ihvh slyi umxudti umpl'ti
ali xuri aksh-bo
mgini vqrn-iwyi mwgbi
3 Yahweh my cliff, and my fortress and my security,
my God my rock. I will take refuge in him.
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my retreat.
3e 4C 11
8
11
d mhull aqra ihvh
umn-aoibii aivvwy
4 Praising I will call Yahweh,
and from my enemies I will be saved.

g 3e 4B 7
8
h appuni kbli-mvvt
vnkli bliiyl ibytuni
5 Enveloping me were death pangs,
and torrents of worthlessness alarmed me.
3e 4B 7
13
v kbli waol sbbuni
qidmuni moqwi mvvt
6 The pangs of the grave surrounded me.
Confronting me were death traps.
3e 4B 8
7
z bxr-li aqra ihvh val-alohii awvvy
iwmy mhiclo qoli
vwvvyti lpniv tboa baozniv
7 In my straits I call upon Yahweh and to my God I cry for help.
He hears from his temple my voice,
and my cry to his face comes into his ears.

3d 4C 16
8
12
k vtgyw vtryw harx umosdi hrim irgzu
vitgywu ci-krh lo
8 And the earth shakes and quakes, and the foundations of the hills shudder,
and are shaken for he was burning with anger.
3e 4B 17
8
't ylh ywn bapo vaw-mpiv tacl
gklim byru mmnu
9 A smoke ascends in his nostrils and fire from his mouth devours.
Coals were kindled from it.
~ 3e 4C 13
9
i vi't wmiim viird
vyrpl tkt rgliv
10 And he bends heavens and descends,
with dark turbulence under his feet.
3e 4B 7
8
ia vircb yl-crub viyof
viida yl-cnpi-ruk
11 And he rides on a cherub and he flies.
And he darts on the wings of the wind.
3e 4B 9
7
ib iwt kowç stro sbibotiv sucto
kwct-mim ybi wkqim
12 He sets darkness his hiding place, round about him his booth,
dark waters, thick clouds of the skies.

C 3e 4C 13
8
ig mnogh ngdo ybiv ybru
brd vgkli-aw
13 From the luminous before him his thick clouds passed by,
hail and coals of fire.
3e 4A 9
7
id virym bwmiim ihvh vylion iitn qolo
brd vgkli-aw
14 And Yahweh thunders in the heavens, and the Most High gives his voice,
hail and coals of fire.
3e 4B 15
7
'tv viwlk kixiv vipixm
ubrqim rb vihumm
15 And he sends his arrows and disperses them.
And lightnings he multiplies and confuses them.
3e 4B 8
7
'tz viirau apiqi mim viiglu mosdot tbl
mgyrtç ihvh
mnwmt ruk apç
16 Then seen are channels of waters, and discovered are the foundations of the world,
at your rebuke Yahweh,
at the breath of the wind of your nostrils.

3d 4C 16
7
8
iz iwlk mmrom iiqkni
imwni mmim rbim
17 He will send from on high. He will take me.
He will draw me out from many waters.
3e 4B 9
7
ik ixilni maoibi yz
umwonaii ci-amxu mmni
18 He will deliver me from my strong enemy,
and from those hating me, for they are more assured than I.
3e 4A 8
10
i't iqdmuni biom-aidi
vihi-ihvh lmwyn li
19 They will confront me in the day of my misfortune,
but Yahweh becomes my staff.

3e 4B 8
9
c vioxiani lmrkb
iklxni ci kpx bi
20 He has brought me out into a spacious room.
He will rescue me for he delighted in me.
3e 4A 8
8
ca igmlni ihvh cxdqi
cbor idii iwib li
21 Yahweh will reward me for my righteousness,
for the purity of my hands he will turn to me.
3e 4B 9
7
cb ci-wmrti drci ihvh
vla-rwyti malohii
22 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh,
and I have not been wicked with my God.
3e 4B 7
8
cg ci cl-mwp'tiv lngdi
vkuqotiv la-asir mni
23 For all his judgments are before me,
and his statutes I will not put aside from me.
B 3e 4B 8
8
cd vahi tmim yimo
vawtmr myvoni
24 And I am complete with him,
and I have kept myself from my iniquity.
3e 4B 7
8
ch viwb-ihvh li cxdqi
cbor idii lngd yiniv
25 And Yahweh turned to me for my righteousness,
for the purity of my hands before his eyes.

3e 4B 9
9
cv ym-ksid ttksd
ym-gbr tmim titmm
26 With one who is kind you show yourself kind.
With one who prevails complete you show yourself complete.
3e 4A 6
8
cz ym-nbr ttbrr
vym-yiqw ttptl
27 With the pure you show yourself pure,
and with the devious you show yourself tortuous.

3e 4A 6
7
ck ci-ath ym-yni towiy
vyiniim rmot twpil
28 For you yourself an impoverished people will save,
and eyes exalted you will humble.
3e 4B 8
7
c't ci-ath tair nri
ihvh alohii igih kowci
29 For you yourself will light my lamp.
Yahweh my God will illuminate my darkness.
3e 4B 6
10
l ci-bç arux gdud
ubalohii adlg-wur
30 For in you I have raced a raiding party,
and in my God I have leapt a barrier.

3e 4B 7
8
la hal tmim drco
amrt-ihvh xruph
mgn hua lcol hkosim bo
31 This God, his way is complete,
the promise of Yahweh refined.
He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
3d 4C 6
7
9
lb ci mi aloh mblydi ihvh
umi xur zulti alohinu
32 For who is God apart from Yahweh?
And who a rock except our God?
C 3e 4C 11
10
lg hal hmazrni kil
viitn tmim drci
33 This God girds me in force,
and he gives the completeness of my way,

g 3e 4B 8
7
ld mwvvh rglii caiilot
vyl bmotii iymidni
34 making my feet resemble the hart,
and on my high places he stands me,
3e 4B 9
10
lh mlmd idii lmlkmh
vnikth qwt-nkuwh zroyotii
35 in teaching my hands to war,
and he has pinned brazen bow by my arms.
3e 4B 9
13
lv vtitn-li mgn iwyç
viminç tsydni
vynvvtç trbni
36 And you gave me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand confirms me,
and your gentleness gives me increase.
3d 4A 9
7
7
lz trkib xydi tktii
vla mydu qrsulii
37 You will broaden my paces under me,
lest my ankles be unstable.

3e 4B 7
8
lk ardof aoibii vawigm
vla-awub yd-clotm
38 I will pursue my enemies and will overtake them,
and I will not turn back until they are finished.
3e 4B 8
7
l't amkxm vla-iuclu qum
iiplu tkt rglii
39 I will wound them and they will not be able to arise.
They will fall under my feet.
g 3e 4B 8
6
m vtazrni kil lmlkmh
tcriy qmii tktii
40 And you will gird me with force for the war.
Those arising against me, you will bow down under me.

3e 4B 10
7
ma vaoibii ntt li yorf
umwnaii axmitm
41 And the nape of my enemies you have given to me.
And those hating me, I will annihilate them.
3e 4B 9
6
mb iwvvyu vain-mowiy
yl-ihvh vla ynm
42 They will cry for help and there is no salvation,
to Yahweh and he did not answer them.
3e 4B 8
7
mg vawkqm cypr yl-pni-ruk
c'ti't kuxot ariqm
43 And I pulverized them like dust in the face of a wind,
as dirt of the streets I did away with them.

3e 4B 11
7
md tpl'tni mribi-ym
twimni lraw goiim
ym la-idyti iybduni
44 You will secure me in the disputes of the people.
You will set me up as the beginning of nations.
A people I did not know will serve me.
3d 4B 8
8
8
mh lwmy aozn iiwmyu li
bni-ncr ickwu-li
45 Hearing by ear they will hear of me.
The children of the alien cringe to me.
3e 4B 9
8
mv bni-ncr iibolu
vikrgu mmsgrotihm
46 The children of the alien will wither,
no longer at ease from within their prisons.

3e 4A 6
10
mz ki-ihvh ubruç xuri
virum alohi iwyi
47 Yahweh lives and blessed is my rock.
The God of my salvation will be exalted.
3e 4B 9
8
mk hal hnotn nqmot li
vidbr ymim tktii
48 This God gives my vengeance,
and he subjugates peoples under me.
3e 4B 9
7
m't mpl'ti maoibii
af mn-qmii trommni
maiw kms txilni
49 He secures me from my enemies.
Indeed from those arising against me you will exalt me.
From a violent person you will deliver me.

3e 4B 6
8
8
n yl-cn aodç bgoiim ihvh
ulwmç azmrh
50 Therefore I will give you thanks among the nations Yahweh,
and to your name I will sing a psalm,
3e 4C 9
7
na mgdil iwuyot mlco
vyowh ksd lmwiko ldvid ulzryo yd-yolm
51 for the one who magnifies the victories of his king,
and does kindness for his anointed, for David and his seed for evermore.
3d 4C 7
17

To explore the music is a substantial journey. Psalms 18 and 2 Samuel 22 have the same words set to two different sets of accents. The 'tunes' are different. Just consider 1 verse. 
Comparing prose and poetic interpretations of the same words.
Psalms 18:4 and 2 Samuel 22:4

The shape is similar. One could adjust the g# or g natural in either passage by switching modes. Some ornaments like revia-mugrash, and ole-veyored never occur in the prose books, so we will find differences in the ornaments between the two versions. There are only a few passages where this kind of comparison is possible. Three psalms (105, 96, ans 106) are quoted in 1 Chronicles 16, and Psalms 136:1 besides being used in several other psalms (106:1, 107:1, 118:1 where the music is identical), is a phrase repeated in several prose passages: Jeremiah 33:11, Ezra 3:11, 1 Chronicles 16:34, 41, and 2 Chronicles 5:13, 7:3, 6, and 20:21. These all have unique recitations where the quote is part of a longer prose phrase. The music underlay depends where in the phrase the quote occurs. The final few words if at the end of a verse have identical underlays f-g#-e. 

I have used verses 21-25 to illustrate the complementarity of recurring words and music as the means of understanding internal structures in the text. 

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