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Monday 23 October 2023

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 53:2

 Compare Psalm 14. The ornaments differ between the two in the second half of the verse. One is revia only, this is revia mugrash, a combination that occurs frequently in the poetry books, but this is the first time I have seen it twice in one verse.

The versification differs from Psalm 14. The final four notes are striking.


אָ֘מַ֤ר נָבָ֣ל בְּ֭לִבּוֹ אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים
הִֽ֝שְׁחִ֗יתוּ וְהִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ עָ֝֗וֶל אֵ֣ין עֹֽשֵׂה־טֽוֹב
2 ♪~ Senseless said in its heart, God? Nothing.
They destroy, they do abomination, injustice. There is none doing good.

b amr nbl blibo ain alohim
hwkitu vhtyibu yvvl ain yowh-'tob
11
13
amr nbl b/lb\v ain alh\im
h/wkt\v h/tyb\v yvl ain ywh 'tvb

A reading and a conversation with Malcolm Guite, Roger Wagner and Susan Gillingham here.

An Afterthought

This Psalm (as part of the Elohist Psalter) uses Elohim where Psalm 14 uses Yahweh. "The classical rabbis developed a theory of the two attributes of God that He takes into account when dealing with humans. One is the attribute of justice (middat ha-din) and the other is the attribute of mercy (middat ha-rahamim). The rabbis divide these attributes according to God’s name, claiming that whenever Elohim (a generic name for God) is used, it refers to the attribute of justice, and whenever YHWH is used, it refers to mercy." Ronald Hendel on thetorah.com

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