Forbes - Psalms 90

 I will now try to cherry-pick the real issues as Forbes deals with individual psalms. It was a bit tiresome to copy the entire text. It is here in a slightly more readable version. Starting on page '54', after a page or two of repeated introduction to what he wants to prove, he begins with Psalms 90 which he calls 

The earliest of all the Psalms, Ps. xc, entitled " a Prayer of Moses the man of God"

He is assuming that the inscription implies that Moses wrote this psalm. The commentary I have to hand  (Tate, Word Biblical Commentary Psalms 51-100) does not treat any inscription as implying authorship. He rests his case on the work of Peter Craigie in the earlier volume in the series. The phrase is ambiguous and not necessarily implying authorship. The thought that Moses wrote the psalm seems to me to take our author on a wild-goose chase through all sorts of speculation on the idea of the afterlife (pp 21-23). Tate (p 438) identifies the language as post-exilic.

[He does point out several similarities with the language of Deut 31:30-32:47. He also notes that only Moses can tell God to nkm (sigh, trad. repent Ex 32:12, Ps 90:13). These could be arguments for Mosaic authorship. Then again other features in the language such as the form wubh for wvb point to what Tate calls a learned psalmography. "Thus Ps 90 probably owes its existence and preservation to learned scribal composers, collectors, and interpreters of psalms and teachings in post-exilic Israelite communities who considered themselves servants of Yahweh, and prepared prayers and teaching for Israelites who sought to live as the devoted servants of Yahweh during hard times long endured." I'm not sure that I would go this far, but without a database, I would not be able to agree that only Moses gives an imperative to Yahweh. So if a learned scribe wrote Psalms 90 after the manner of Moses - certainly a legitimate interpretation of lmwh (below) - then such a scribe was both learned and wise.]

I love this psalm. I cannot hear Forbes reading of it. It is a deadly reading, morose. The two prayers in Book 4 (90 and 102) surround an important maturing of our human attitudes to governance. Psalms 90 begins with the most encouraging sentence - that his Lord is our habitation from generation to generation. How can we not feel embraced in this instruction. It does not depend on our holding without evidence a particular theological belief system. It is an invitation to growth and responsibility. The new keyword in the psalm is 'renew' (klp), a word that is reflected in Psalms 102, the matching prayer.

You can hear a performance here of the music embedded in the text. The structure of the psalm is intricate. I suggest that the repeated words be looked at - use find on the strong letters of the SimHebrew to see where they occur and how they frame the pieces. (Strong letters rarely move or disappear in a word form. They are: a, b, g, d, z, k, 't, c, l, s, y, p, x, q, r, w, t. Weak letters may or may not appear in some forms of the root. They are: h, v, i, m, n.)

Psalms 90

Syllables: 356. Words: 140. Roots: 92. Root Recurrence: 55%. Average per verse: 4.5.

adm advn (2) avn avr aiw al (2) alp alvh (2) am amr anvw ap (2) arx ath (2) bhl bva bn (2) bqr (3) gbr gvz dvr (2) dca hgh hdr hih (3) hm hr zrm kvl kvw kcm klp (2) ksd kxr 'trm ibw id (2) idy (2) ihvh ivm (6) ikm ild ira iwn cvn (2) ci (5) cl (2) clh (2) cmv cn l lbb lil mvl mi mnh myvn mwh mti ngd nkm nym ybd (2) ybr (3) yd (3) yvn yvp yzz yin yl (4) ylm (3) yml ynh yrb ywh (2) pll pnh (2) pyl xvx rah (2) rhb rnn ryy wby (2) wvb (3) wit wmk (2) wmn wmr wnh (6) tbl tmvl

תְּפִלָּה֮ לְמֹשֶׁ֪ה אִֽישׁ־הָאֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים אֲ‍ֽדֹנָ֗י מָע֣וֹן אַ֭תָּה הָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֗נוּ בְּדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר		1 A prayer of Moses the man of God. My Lord, a habitation you yourself have become for us, from generation to generation.
a tpilh lmwh aiw-halohim adonii myon ath hiit lnu bdor vdor	11 15	t/pl\h l/mwh aiw h/alh\im adn\i myvn ath h/i\it l\nv b/dr v/dr
בְּטֶ֤רֶם ׀ הָ֘רִ֤ים יֻלָּ֗דוּ וַתְּח֣וֹלֵֽל אֶ֣רֶץ וְתֵבֵ֑ל וּֽמֵעוֹלָ֥ם עַד־ע֝וֹלָ֗ם אַתָּ֥ה אֵֽל		2 From ere mountains were born or you birthed earth and world, and even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
b b'trm hrim iuldu vtkoll arx vtbl umyolm yd-yolm ath al	16 10	b/'trm hr\im ild\v vt/kvl\l arx v/tbl vm/yvlm yd yvlm ath al
תָּשֵׁ֣ב אֱ֭נוֹשׁ עַד־דַּכָּ֑א וַ֝תֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וּבוּ בְנֵי־אָדָֽם		3 You turn a mortal to contrition, and you say, Turn children of humanity.
g twb anow yd-dca vtamr wubu bni-adm	7 8	t/wb anvw yd dca vt/amr wvb\v bn\i adm
כִּ֤י אֶ֪לֶף שָׁנִ֡ים בְּֽעֵינֶ֗יךָ כְּי֣וֹם אֶ֭תְמוֹל כִּ֣י יַעֲבֹ֑ר וְאַשְׁמוּרָ֥ה בַלָּֽיְלָה		4 ♪C For a thousand years in your eyes are like a recent day that has passed by, and a watch in the night.
d ci alf wnim byiniç ciom atmol ci iybor vawmurh blilh	17 7	ci alp wn\im b/yin\ic c/ivm a/tmvl ci i/ybr va/wmvr\h b/lil\h
זְ֭רַמְתָּם שֵׁנָ֣ה יִהְי֑וּ בַּ֝בֹּ֗קֶר כֶּחָצִ֥יר יַחֲלֹֽף		5 ♪g You inundate them. Sleep they become. In the morning, as grass renews,
h zrmtm winh ihiu bboqr ckxir iklof	7 9	zrm\tm wn\h i/hi\v b/bqr c/kxr i/klp
בַּ֭בֹּקֶר יָצִ֣יץ וְחָלָ֑ף לָ֝עֶ֗רֶב יְמוֹלֵ֥ל וְיָבֵֽשׁ		6 ♪g in the morning, it blossoms and renews. Of the evening, it is cut down and dries up.
v bboqr ixix vklf lyrb imoll vibw	8 9	b/bqr i/xx v/klp l/yrb i/mvl\l v/ibw
כִּֽי־כָלִ֥ינוּ בְאַפֶּ֑ךָ וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥ נִבְהָֽלְנוּ		7 For we are consumed in your anger, and in your heat we are vexed.
z ci-clinu bapç ubkmtç nbhlnu	7 8	ci cl\inv b/ap\c vb/km\tc n/bhl\nv
שַׁתָּ֣ה עֲוֺנֹתֵ֣ינוּ לְנֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ עֲ֝לֻמֵ֗נוּ לִמְא֥וֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ		8 You put our iniquities before you, our dissembling in the light of your face.
k wth yvonotinu lngdç ylumnu lmaor pniç	11 9	wt\h yvn\tinv l/ngd\c ylm\nv lm/avr pn\ic
כִּ֣י כָל־יָ֭מֵינוּ פָּנ֣וּ בְעֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ כִּלִּ֖ינוּ שָׁנֵ֣ינוּ כְמוֹ־הֶֽגֶה		9 ♪B For all our days face away from your fury. We consume our years as a mutter.
't ci cl-iminu pnu bybrtç cilinu wninu cmo-hgh	12 9	ci cl im\inv pn\v b/ybr\tc cl\inv wn\inv cmv hgh
יְמֵֽי־שְׁנוֹתֵ֨ינוּ בָהֶ֥ם שִׁבְעִ֪ים שָׁנָ֡ה וְאִ֤ם בִּגְבוּרֹ֨ת ׀ שְׁמ֘וֹנִ֤ים שָׁנָ֗ה וְ֭רָהְבָּם עָמָ֣ל וָאָ֑וֶן כִּי־גָ֥ז חִ֝֗ישׁ וַנָּעֻֽפָה		10 The days of our years, in them a seventy year span, and if valiant, an eighty year span, but their boldness is toil and mischief, for they scurry past, and we fly away.
i imi-wnotinu bhm wbyim wnh vam bgburot wmonim wnh vrohbm yml vavvn ci-gz kiw vnyuph	30 7	im\i wn\vtinv b/hm wby\im wnh v/am b/gbvr\t wmvn\im wnh v/rhb\m yml v/avn ci gz kw vn/yp\h
מִֽי־י֭וֹדֵעַ עֹ֣ז אַפֶּ֑ךָ וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗ עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ		11 Who knows the strength of your anger, and according to your fear your fury?
ia mi-iody yoz apç uciratç ybrtç	7 8	mi iv/dy yz ap\c vc/ira\tc ybr\tc
לִמְנ֣וֹת יָ֭מֵינוּ כֵּ֣ן הוֹדַ֑ע וְ֝נָבִ֗א לְבַ֣ב חָכְמָֽה		12 To apportion our days so make us know, that we may come to the heart of wisdom.
ib lmnot iminu cn hody vnbia lbb kcmh	8 7	l/mn\vt im\inv cn hv/dy vn/ba lbb kcm\h
שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה עַד־מָתָ֑י וְ֝הִנָּחֵ֗ם עַל־עֲבָדֶֽיךָ		13 Return Yahweh, how long? And be comforted over your servants.
ig wubh ihvh yd-mtii vhinkm yl-ybdiç	7 9	wvb\h ihvh yd mti vh/nkm yl ybd\ic
שַׂבְּעֵ֣נוּ בַבֹּ֣קֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וּֽנְרַנְּנָ֥ה וְ֝נִשְׂמְחָ֗ה בְּכָל־יָמֵֽינוּ		14 Satisfy us in the morning of your kindness, and we will shout for joy and be glad in all our days.
id wbynu bboqr ksdç unrnnh vnwmkh bcl-iminu	9 12	wby\nv b/bqr ksd\c vn/rnn\h vn/wmk\h b/cl im\inv
שַׂ֭מְּחֵנוּ כִּימ֣וֹת עִנִּיתָ֑נוּ שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת רָאִ֥ינוּ רָעָֽה		15 ♪g Make us glad for days you afflicted us, years we have seen evil.
'tv wmknu cimot yinitnu wnot rainu ryh	9 7	wmk\nv c/im\vt yn\itnv wn\vt ra\inv ry\h
יֵרָאֶ֣ה אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ פָעֳלֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲדָרְךָ֗ עַל־בְּנֵיהֶֽם		16 Let your work appear to your servants, and your honour upon their children.
'tz iirah al-ybdiç poylç vhdrç yl-bnihm	12 8	i/rah al ybd\ic pyl\c v/hdr\c yl bn\ihm
וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ		17 And let the pleasure of the Lord our God be upon us, and the deed of our hands establish upon us, and the deed of our hands establish.
iz vihi noym adonii alohinu ylinu umywh idinu connh ylinu umywh idinu connhu	14 12 10	vi/hi nym adn\i alh\inv yl\inv vm/ywh id\inv cvn\nh yl\inv vm/ywh id\inv cvn\nhv

1	habitation מעון compare verse 17 pleasantness נעם which has the letters reversed (less the vav) (Magonet 2003 p 166).
3	contrition, דכא elsewhere, crushed.
4	[2 Peter 3:8]
6	renew occurs here and in Psalm 102 almost as a frame for book 4 prior to its four long concluding psalms. cut down, מול let circumcised, see also 118:10ff
9	mutter, as in Psalms 1 and 2, chosen here to rhyme with flutter.
10	span, שׁנה singular year in Hebrew. Here and in Psalm 95 I have marked the singular use of year with the numerals 40, 70, 80 using this phrasing.
13	be comforted, נחם of God only, trad. repent. The word is comfort, as in Isaiah 40:1, here in the niphal imperative (passive) with יְהוָה as the subject.

Forbes sees Messiah in this text (p 27). He sees Messiah everywhere. And he is going into a long representation of the development of the Messianic idea in the Old Testament. 

I see the love of God expressing itself through Moses in spite of the failure of the monarchy so exquisitely lamented in Psalms 89. I see hope of renewal, and the presence of God. The call of Book 4 is to return to God's instruction. This is continued in Book 5 with the great acrostic 119. 

I skimmed ahead to find Forbes absolutely dependent on the idea of the fall.

Remove from Genesis the account of the Fall and the promise of man's ultimate deliverance from its consequences, and we lose the key to the whole Bible.

The so-called fall is more like a birth. It is largely ignored in the Tanach. The word for fall (npl) is never used to refer to this story in Tanach. The keys to the Bible are the Song and the Psalms, but not the way Forbes reads them. I suspect that he has Paul and the author of Hebrews also fully implicated in his tortuous theology. Even the New Testament is about renewal and presence. Linear infinity is not eternity.