#Psalmtweet #Psalter 91:2

 

The resolution of all lament

אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭יהוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ		2 I will say to Yahweh, My refuge and my fortress, my God, I will trust in him.
b aomr lihvh mksi umxudti alohii ab'tk-bo	10 6	amr l/ihvh m/ks\i vm/xvd\ti alh\i a/b'tk b\v

Hear the recitation on that note that gives rest to our confidence. 

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 90:1

 

Book 4, Psalms 90-106 framed by Moses

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

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 89:51 and 41

 The final poem of book 3.

The lament over the failure of the Davidic monarchy - resolution required

זְכֹ֣ר אֲ֭דֹנָי חֶרְפַּ֣ת עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ שְׂאֵתִ֥י בְ֝חֵיקִ֗י כָּל־רַבִּ֥ים עַמִּֽים		51 Remember, my Lord, the reproach of your servants, that I bear in my embrace all of a multitude of peoples,
na zcor adonii krpt ybdiç wati bkiqi cl-rbim ymim	11 11	zcr adn\i krp\t ybd\ic wa\ti b/kiq\i cl rb\im ym\im

A verse that fails to resolve to the tonic. Is there a musical reason or is this a typo?

פָּרַ֥צְתָּ כָל־גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יו שַׂ֖מְתָּ מִבְצָרָ֣יו מְחִתָּה		41 You have breached all his fences. You have set up his enclosures in disarray.
ma prxt cl-gdrotiv wmt mbxriv mkith	8 8	prx\t cl gdr\tiv wm\t m/bxr\iv m/kth

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 88:14

 Lament without resolution.

וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ		14 But I, to you Yahweh I cry, and in the morning my prayer will confront you.
id vani aliç ihvh wivvyti ubboqr tpilti tqdmç	11 12	v/ani al\ic ihvh wvy\ti vb/bqr t/pl\ti t/qdm\c

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 87:4

 

What do we remember - out of what womb did we emerge

אַזְכִּ֤יר ׀ רַ֥הַב וּבָבֶ֗ל לְֽיֹ֫דְעָ֥י הִנֵּ֤ה פְלֶ֣שֶׁת וְצ֣וֹר עִם־כּ֑וּשׁ זֶ֝֗ה יֻלַּד־שָֽׁם		4 I will remember monster and confusion to those who know me. Voila, one who rolls in the dust and the hard-nosed with the children of Ham. This one was born there.
d azcir rhb ubbl liodyii hnh plwt vxor ym-cuw zh iuld-wm	10 9 4	a/zcr rhb v/bbl l/idy\i hnh plw\t v/xr ym cvw zh ild wm

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 86:2

 

It looks to me as if there is a cadence on the supertonic on ani without the preliminary ornament.

שָֽׁמְרָ֣ה נַפְשִׁי֮ כִּֽי־חָסִ֪יד אָ֥נִי הוֹשַׁ֣ע עַ֭בְדְּךָ אַתָּ֣ה אֱלֹהַ֑י הַבּוֹטֵ֥חַ אֵלֶֽיךָ		2 Guard my being, for under mercy am I. Save your servant. You, my God, the one trusting in you.
b womrh npwi ci-ksid ani howy ybdç ath alohii hbo'tk aliç	18 7	wmr\h npw\i ci ksid ani hv/wy ybd\c ath alh\i h/bv'tk al\ic

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 85:6,11

 

How long does it take to create kindness

הַלְעוֹלָ֥ם תֶּֽאֱנַף־בָּ֑נוּ תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ אַ֝פְּךָ֗ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר		6 Will you forever be angry among us? Will you draw out your anger from generation to generation?
v hlyolm tanf-bnu tmwoç apç ldor vdor	8 8	hl/yvlm t/anp b\nv t/mwc ap\c l/dr v/dr

Note how the music helps with pronunciation and stress

חֶֽסֶד־וֶאֱמֶ֥ת נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ צֶ֖דֶק וְשָׁל֣וֹם נָשָֽׁקוּ		11 Kindness and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
ia ksd-vamt npgwu xdq vwlom nwqu	8 8	ksd v/amt n/pgw\v xdq v/wlvm nwq\v

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 84:3

 

House finch - a riddle on this psalm for the twitcher

נִכְסְפָ֬ה וְגַם־כָּלְתָ֨ה ׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ לְחַצְר֪וֹת יְה֫וָ֥ה לִבִּ֥י וּבְשָׂרִ֑י יְ֝רַנְּנ֗וּ אֶ֣ל אֵֽל־חָֽי		3 My being aches and is even consumed for the courts of Yahweh. My heart and my flesh, shout to the living One.
g ncsph vgm-clth npwi lkxrot ihvh libi ubwri irnnu al al-ki	14 5 6	n/csp\h v/gm cl\th npw\i l/kxr\vt ihvh lb\i v/bwr\i i/rnn\v al al ki

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 83

 

In the face of enemies

אֱלֹהִ֥ים אַל־דֳּמִי־לָ֑ךְ אַל־תֶּחֱרַ֖שׁ וְאַל־תִּשְׁקֹ֣ט אֵֽל		2 O God not mute for you. Do not be silent. Do not be quiet, O God.
b alohim al-domi-lç al-tkrw val-twqo't al	7 9	alh\im al dm\i l\c al t/krw v/al t/wq't al

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 82:2

 

Good question

עַד־מָתַ֥י תִּשְׁפְּטוּ־עָ֑וֶל וּפְנֵ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים תִּשְׂאוּ־סֶֽלָה		2 How long will you judge with injustice, and with the presence of the-many wicked you bear? Selah.
b yd-mtii twp'tu-yvvl upni rwyim twau-slh	7 8	yd mti t/wp't\v yvl v/pn\i rwy\im t/wa\v slh

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 81:8

 

Trouble -- Answer --Test

בַּצָּרָ֥ה קָרָ֗אתָ וָאֲחַ֫לְּצֶ֥ךָּ אֶ֭עֶנְךָ בְּסֵ֣תֶר רַ֑עַם אֶבְחָֽנְךָ֨ עַל־מֵ֖י מְרִיבָ֣ה סֶֽלָה		8 In trouble you called and I rescued you. I answered you in the secrecy of thunder. I tested you over the waters of Meribah. Selah.
k bxrh qrat vaklxç aynç bstr rym abknç yl-mi mribh slh	11 8 10	b/xr\h qra\t va/klx\c a/yn\c b/str rym a/bkn\c yl mi m/rib\h slh

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 80:2,20

 Verses 2 and 20 show matching phrases for the first part of each of these verses. Verses 4 and 8 do not have matching music. Full score here.

Verse 2

Verse 20

רֹ֘עֵ֤ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל ׀ הַאֲזִ֗ינָה נֹהֵ֣ג כַּצֹּ֣אן יוֹסֵ֑ף יֹשֵׁ֖ב הַכְּרוּבִ֣ים הוֹפִֽיעָה		2 ♪~ Shepherd of Israel give ear, driving Joseph like a flock, sitting on the cherubim, shine.
b royh iwral hazinh nohg cxan iosf iowb hcrubim hopiyh	15 8	ryh iwral h/azn\h nhg c/xan iv/sp iwb h/crvb\im hv/p\iyh
יְה֘וָ֤ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים צְבָא֣וֹת הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נוּ הָאֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעָה		20 Yahweh God of hosts turn us. Reveal your presence, and we will be saved.
c ihvh alohim xbaot hwibnu har pniç vnivvwyh	12 10	ihvh alh\im xba\vt h/wib\nv h/ar pn\ic vnv/wy\h

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 79:1

 

Why should the nations say, Where is their God?

מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֡ים בָּ֤אוּ גוֹיִ֨ם ׀ בְּֽנַחֲלָתֶ֗ךָ טִ֭מְּאוּ אֶת־הֵיכַ֣ל קָדְשֶׁ֑ךָ שָׂ֖מוּ אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם לְעִיִּֽים		1 A psalm of Asaph. O God the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled even your holy temple. They have set up Jerusalem in shambles.
a mzmor lasf alohim bau goiim bnkltç 'timau at-hicl qodwç wmu at-iruwlim lyiim	5 20 10	m/zmr l/asp alh\im ba\v gvi\m b/nkl\tc 'tma\v at hicl qdw\c wm\v at irvwlm l/yi\im

All the music is available for every chapter of the Hebrew Bible in single PDFs, e.g. the psalms are here or combined PDFs. The combined are more recent. (The singles appear to have been run in 2020. I do not recall any significant changes in the program since about 2018. There are some changes I would like to make, but they are minor and confined to the mode with the augmented 4th and would be 'corrected' or at least questioned by any trained musician reading the transcriptions. Unfortunately I do not have this program under source library management. Also I seem not to have included the footer in the files. It identifies the run version -- currently 3.3. I have a copy of this version from 2021 - only changes are in comments.*) Feel free to use them native or as input to arrangements.

*A search of Google Drive uncovered a copy from 2015 - This is still version 3.3! And it may uncover for me the place where I can correct the alteration of g to g# in the augmented mode. It also shows me when I deleted the credits in the footer. So the long and short of this is that the older 2020 copies are note for note identical to the later combined copies.

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 78:2

 Psalm 78 tells the whole story and how to use it.

This feels like the longest psalm (119 has more verses but is really 22 short poems). 
Yet in words 78 has 530 and 119 has 1064. And letters? 2250 vs 4459. 

אֶפְתְּחָ֣ה בְמָשָׁ֣ל פִּ֑י אַבִּ֥יעָה חִ֝יד֗וֹת מִנִּי־קֶֽדֶם		2 I will open my mouth in a parable. I will ferment riddles from of old,
b aptkh bmwl pi abiyh kidot mni-qdm	7 8	a/ptk\h b/mwl p\i a/by\h kid\vt mn\i qdm

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 77:8

 The drama in the Hebrew is so much more obvious than this translation. The verse must end with ever. or will he not again be favorable ever? Translator - don't smooth things out!

One wonders in these days about this question

הַֽ֭לְעוֹלָמִים יִזְנַ֥ח ׀ אֲדֹנָ֑י וְלֹֽא־יֹסִ֖יף לִרְצ֣וֹת עֽוֹד		8 ♪g In the eras to come will my Lord reject? Or will he never again be favorable?
k hlyolmim iznk adonii vla-iosif lrxot yod	9 6	hl/yvlm\im i/znk adn\i v/la isp l/rx\vt yvd

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 76:2-5, 1:1

 This slightly longer post shows how the music helps us to see larger structures in a Psalm and indeed, in the whole Bible.

The music indicates that this comment is connected probably to the prior verse.

Let's look:

Hmmm, G-d destroys weapons of war by light - perhaps bringing out of darkness the lies of war.

Verse 4 connects itself to verse 3?

How do we critique such analysis?

This analysis is incomplete.

One verse at a time is insufficient for analysis. Sometimes the continuation is a comment on the previous stanza. So for this psalm, verses 2-4 are a unit ending with Selah. Verse 5 comments on the whole prior unit. 

נוֹדָ֣ע בִּֽיהוּדָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל גָּד֥וֹל שְׁמֽוֹ		2 Renowned in Judah is God. In Israel great is his name.
b nody bihudh alohim biwral gdol wmo	8 8	nv/dy b/ihvdh alh\im b/iwral gdl wm\v
וַיְהִ֣י בְשָׁלֵ֣ם סֻכּ֑וֹ וּמְע֖וֹנָת֣וֹ בְצִיּֽוֹן		3 And there is in Salem his booth, and his habitation in Zion.
g vihi bwlm suco umyonto bxion	7 7	vi/hi b/wlm svc\v v/myvn\tv b/xivn
שָׁ֭מָּה שִׁבַּ֣ר רִשְׁפֵי־קָ֑שֶׁת מָגֵ֬ן וְחֶ֖רֶב וּמִלְחָמָ֣ה סֶֽלָה		4 ♪g There he shatters the fire-brands of bow, shield, and sword, and battle. Selah.
d wmh wibr rwpi-qwt mgn vkrb umlkmh slh	7 11	wm\h wbr rwp\i qw\t mgn v/krb vm/lkm\h slh
נָ֭אוֹר אַתָּ֥ה אַדִּ֗יר מֵֽהַרְרֵי־טָֽרֶף		5 ♪g Light-giving you are more excellent than mountains of prey.
h naor ath adir mhrri-'trf	10	n/avr ath adr m/hr\ri 'trp

You might have noticed that Psalm 1 begins on a note that is not the tonic.

The whole book of psalms -- indeed the 3 books are each a commentary on Torah and Prophets

No one ever suggested to me as a singer that the Psalter tells a story. But if you read it in sequence, paying attention to the clues -- of which there are many more than I can point out -- it is clearly providing the storied context for the birth of a people able to exercise mercy and praise the creator who has provided such a context.

Only four books in the Scripture begin on a note other than the tonic. Surprise - these are Deuteronomy, Psalms, Proverbs, and Job. I did a little analysis on first notes 7 years ago here.

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 75:5

 This particular verse pattern, e B g ^A ger-rev,f# e, occurs 48 times in the poetry books.

This is a common sequence of accents (te'amim). 

אָמַ֣רְתִּי לַֽ֭הוֹלְלִים אַל־תָּהֹ֑לּוּ וְ֝לָרְשָׁעִ֗ים אַל־תָּרִ֥ימוּ קָֽרֶן		5 I said to the boastful, Do not boast, and to the wicked, Do not exalt the horn.
h amrti lhollim al-tholu vlrwyim al-trimu qrn	10 10	amr\ti l/hvll\im al t/hl\v vl/rwy\im al t/rim\v qrn

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 74:1

 

Book 3: Psalms 73-89 is filled with corporate lament

מַשְׂכִּ֗יל לְאָ֫סָ֥ף לָמָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים זָנַ֣חְתָּ לָנֶ֑צַח יֶעְשַׁ֥ן אַ֝פְּךָ֗ בְּצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֶֽךָ		1 An insight of Asaph. Why O God? will you reject us in perpetuity? Will your anger fume against the sheep of your pasture?
a mwcil lasf lmh alohim znkt lnxk iywn apç bxan mryitç	5 11 10	m/wcl l/asp lmh alh\im znk\t l/nxk i/ywn ap\c b/xan m/ry\itc

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 73:6

Psalm 73 begins Book 3 of the Psalter.

Now who might the poet be referring to here?

לָ֭כֵן עֲנָקַ֣תְמוֹ גַאֲוָ֑ה יַעֲטָף־שִׁ֝֗ית חָמָ֥ס לָֽמוֹ		6 ♪g So they are necklaced with pride, draped with their cloak of violence.
v lcn ynqtmo gavvh iy'tof-wit kms lmo	9 8	lcn ynq\tmv gavh i/y'tp wit kms l\mv

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 72:14

This is why we care about truthfulness and do not simply use religion as propaganda, self-justification,
or delivery of an opiate.

מִתּ֣וֹךְ וּ֭מֵחָמָס יִגְאַ֣ל נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְיֵיקַ֖ר דָּמָ֣ם בְּעֵינָֽיו		14 From fraud and from violence he will redeem them, and their blood will be precious in his eyes.
id mtoç umkms igal npwm viiqr dmm byiniv	10 8	m/tvc vm/kms i/gal npw\m vi/iqr dmm b/yin\iv

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 71:6

Here as in other places, the revia supports a tricolon reading with a feminine ending to the first colon,
(revia is, however, ambiguous as to its pausal or cadential effect).

עָלֶ֤יךָ ׀ נִסְמַ֬כְתִּי מִבֶּ֗טֶן מִמְּעֵ֣י אִ֭מִּי אַתָּ֣ה גוֹזִ֑י בְּךָ֖ תְהִלָּתִ֣י תָמִֽיד		6 By you I have been supported from the belly. From the inner parts of my mother you yourself severed me. In you is my praise continually.
v yliç nsmcti mb'tn mmyi aimi ath gozi bç thilti tmid	17 8	yl\ic n/smc\ti m/b'tn m/my\i am\i ath gvz\i b\c t/hl\ti tmid

Concordance

 The concordance has been updated as of Nov 7, 2023. Translation, corrections, and analysis of semantic domains etc is ongoing.

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 70:6

A repeat of part of Psalm 40

וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיוֹן֮ אֱלֹהִ֪ים חֽוּשָׁ֫ה־לִּ֥י עֶזְרִ֣י וּמְפַלְטִ֣י אַ֑תָּה יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַל־תְּאַחַֽר		6 But poor am I and needy, O God. Hurry to me. You are my help and my security. Yahweh, do not delay.
v vani yni vabion alohim kuwh-li yzri umpl'ti ath ihvh al-takr	14 7 6	v/ani yni v/abivn alh\im kvw\h l\i yzr\i vm/pl't\i ath ihvh al t/akr

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 69:2

Upon lilies

הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֤י בָ֖אוּ מַ֣יִם עַד־נָֽפֶשׁ		2 Save me O God, for the waters have come up to the throat.
b howiyni alohim ci bau mim yd-npw	7 7	hv/w\iyni alh\im ci ba\v mim yd npw

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 68:2

Future promise or jussive plea? Let God arise...

יָק֣וּם אֱ֭לֹהִים יָפ֣וּצוּ אוֹיְבָ֑יו וְיָנ֥וּסוּ מְ֝שַׂנְאָ֗יו מִפָּנָֽיו		2 God will arise. His enemies will be dispersed. And those hating him will withdraw from his presence.
b iqum alohim ipuxu aoibiv vinusu mwnaiv mpniv	10 10	i/qvm alh\im i/pvx\v avib\iv vi/nvs\v m/wna\iv m/pn\iv

Thinking about Enemies. Here are the links for this semantic domain.

Enemy

enemy, enmity, here enemy, hostile	aib (288)
smite, smitten, smote	hlm (16)
tumult, tumultuous	hmvn (83)
howl, torment, tormentor	ill (38)
cringe, disown, dissimulate, dissimulation, founder	ckw (29)
heave	mgr (3)
defeat	mch (20)
fissure, schism, schismatic	syp (12)
devious, devious thing, deviousness	yqw (22)
adversary, adversity, foe, foes, give trouble, gives trouble, trouble	xrr (980)

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 67:5

Let the people praise

יִֽשְׂמְח֥וּ וִֽירַנְּנ֗וּ לְאֻ֫מִּ֥ים כִּֽי־תִשְׁפֹּ֣ט עַמִּ֣ים מִישׁ֑וֹר וּלְאֻמִּ֓ים ׀ בָּאָ֖רֶץ תַּנְחֵ֣ם סֶֽלָה		5 Make tribes glad and shout for joy, for you judge peoples with equity, and tribes on the earth, you guide them. Selah.
h iwmku virnnu laumim ci-twpo't ymim miwor ulaumim barx tnkm slh	9 7 10	i/wmk\v vi/rnn\v lam\im ci t/wp't ym\im m/iwr v/lam\im b/arx t/nk\m slh

Judgment with equity is a key principle in the Psalter. Here are some words from that semantic domain linking to my concordance.

Judgment

test, try, watchtower	bkn (31)
give rebuke, giving rebuke, god rebuke, rebuke	gyr (30)
advocacy, advocate, case, dissension, sentence	din (142)
purge	zqq (7)
fan, sift, winnow	zrh (39)
decree, decreed, statute	kq (231)
engrave, lawgiver, prescribe, prescription	kqq (26)
examination, examine	kqr (40)
save	iwy (356)
brought straight, equitable, equity, find upright, fit, level place, upright, uprightness, went straight	iwr (203)
bring heel, brought heel, subdue, wits	cny (37)
deride, derision, derisive, take pleasure derision	lyg (27)
chaff	mx (8)
infiltrate, penetrate, pin, pin down, pinned, pinned down, pins, stow	nkt (27)
fall	sv't (1)
remove	yda (8)
assembly, colony, depose, menstrual	ydh (252)
attestation, call witness, give witness, protest, relieve, testify, though witness, witness	yvd (603)
crucible, refine, refined till	xrp (37)
awake, awaken, awoke	qvx (83)
contend, contender, contention, dispute, reason, strife, strive, strove	rib (146)
being broken, break, break open, breaker, broke, broken, brokenness, get crushed corn, rake, rift, shatter, slake, wreck	wbr (245)
buttress, lean, relax, staff, stave	wyn (39)
astute, astuteness, framework, give judgment, judge, judgment, lessons judgment, living judgment, mid judgment	wp't (652)

#Psalmtweet, #Psalter Thinking about enemies

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

In our consideration of the Psalms, think about how the enemy is portrayed and where vengeance lies.

I am told to love my enemy. It is a consequence of learning to love my neighbor.

Love is an act of will toward the good of another. What is it that is good for my enemy?

It would be good for my enemy if they knew the damage that they do 

• to their people.
• to their religious framework.
• to themselves.
• to me and my people and my country.

It would not be good for my enemy or the people

• if I submitted to their evil. 
• if I justified their lies.

Therefore, I must find means of resistance to things that are not good for them, and means of communication for things that are good for them.

There is an apt section in Proverbs with a warning ...

בִּנְפֹ֣ל אֽ֭וֹיִבְךָ אַל־תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ		17 When your enemy falls, do not be glad, and when he stumbles, let not your heart rejoice.
iz bnpol aoibç al-twmk ubicwlo al-igl libç	8 10	b/npl avib\c al t/wmk vb/cwl\v al i/gl lb\c
פֶּן־יִרְאֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה וְרַ֣ע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְהֵשִׁ֖יב מֵעָלָ֣יו אַפּֽוֹ		18 Lest Yahweh see and it is evil in his eyes, then he turn from him his anger.
ik pn-irah ihvh vry byiniv vhwib myliv apo	10 8	pn i/rah ihvh v/ry b/yin\iv vh/wb m/yl\iv ap\v
אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים אַל־תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בָּרְשָׁעִֽים		19 Do not burn about evildoers, do not be jealous about the wicked.
i't al-ttkr bmryim al-tqna brwyim	6 7	al tt/kr bm/ry\im al t/qna b/rwy\im
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֣ה אַחֲרִ֣ית לָרָ֑ע נֵ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָֽךְ		20 ♪C For there will not be a latter end for evil. The lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
c ci la-thih akrit lry nr rwyim idyç	9 6	ci la t/hih akr\it l/ry nr rwy\im i/dyc

Sing it

Loving your enemy. Note the allusion above to Psalm 37 - that critical pillar in the Psalter.

#Psalmtweet, #SimHebrew Pronunciation

 I was looking at the prior post, on Psalm 66:20, the psalm tweet for the 66th day of the current sequence of 150 psalms, and it struck me how many lessons in pronunciation there are in the text and music. So I have dashed off this extra post.

First, I appreciate the assurance that God has not put aside my prayer or his mercy as these words are 'glossed in translation' here. I take my wife's phrase that she made up over supper last night, a nice touch.

But looking at the phrase - how does one read the left to right SimHebrew, given the automated parsing next to it and the 'official' vowels above it in right to left order? And could this become automatic -- without reading the vowels -- as it is for Hebrew speakers reading a newspaper?

בָּר֥וּךְ אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־הֵסִ֘יר תְּפִלָּתִ֥י וְ֝חַסְדּ֗וֹ מֵאִתִּֽי		20 Blessed be God, who has not put aside my prayer and his mercy from me.
c bruç alohim awr la-hsir tpilti vksdo maiti	5 14	brvc alh\im awr la h/sr t/pl\ti v/ksd\v m/at\i

• bruç - bet - resh - vav - caf -- to spell out the first. 
• br is two consecutive consonants. The vowel between them is an 'ah', but one doesn't really emphasize it - so it is more of a schwa than an 'ah'. When there are two consecutive consonants, that is a possible sound. 
• rv is also two consecutive consonants, but vav is special and may sound like u o or v depending on its context. Here it is 'u'. 
• The caf is a hard c. It is often transcribed as 'k' but in SimHebrew k is the hard 'h' (chet). (Full mapping here.)
• alohim - Lets take this as read - Elohim is the typical spelling in 'English'. The 'o' is not in the square text, but is carried by the lamed ('l').
• awr - asher, 
• The aleph carries a short 'a' sound with a glottal, 
• w is typically sh, 
• the shin (w) carries a short 'e'.
• la-hsir - 
• here one needs to recognize the negative 'la' always pronounced 'lo'. The aleph carries the 'o' in this case without a glottal. 
• The lamed carries a schwa - not pronounced. It needs the aleph to complete the syllable.
• The he carries a short 'e', 
• The samekh carries an 'i' - pronounced 'ee'.
• tpilti - haha - here the schwa carried by the taf is pronounced because it is needed for the first open syllable. 
• pi is pronounced with a short 'i' as expected, 
• and there is a full 'ah' between the peh and the lamed. It gets full value as a long 'a' even though it is not the stressed syllable. (You can tell the stress by the accent - and by the music also.) 
• The final yod is the first person singular pronoun suffix.
• vksdo - 
• Here the v at the beginning is pronounced v, 
• k, as part of ks the consonants ket-samekh, carries a short 'a', 
• and the vav at the end is pronounced 'o', the third person singular pronoun suffix. 
• maiti - Note that this 5 letter transcription has only 4 corresponding letters in the 'defective' square text, but five in a modern Hebrew full text. 
• The root is 'at', the direct object marker that is most of the time lost and not 'glossed' in translation. See the aleph-taf in the text of the fourth quadrant. 
• The vowels fit into this word a little unexpectedly: The vowel pattern from the concordance for this word shows: _eiֽ_i_i֔_. 
• The mem is a preposition, 
• Again, ma is a pair of consecutive consonants, so there is a little glottal stop between them (since a and y are glottal sometimes). 
• There is a tsere .. an 'ei' vowel below the m and the aleph carries an 'i'. 
• The taf carries an 'i' also and there is a final yod indicating the first person singular pronoun suffix.

Now read it again: bruç alohim // awr la-hsir tpilti vksdo maiti

And sing it.

Blessed be God,
who has not put aside my prayer and his mercy from me.

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 66:20

 

Even after a test

בָּר֥וּךְ אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־הֵסִ֘יר תְּפִלָּתִ֥י וְ֝חַסְדּ֗וֹ מֵאִתִּֽי		20 Blessed be God, who has not put aside my prayer and his mercy from me.
c bruç alohim awr la-hsir tpilti vksdo maiti	5 14	brvc alh\im awr la h/sr t/pl\ti v/ksd\v m/at\i

See also the next post.

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 65:5

 

אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ תִּֽבְחַ֣ר וּתְקָרֵב֮ יִשְׁכֹּ֪ן חֲצֵ֫רֶ֥יךָ נִ֭שְׂבְּעָה בְּט֣וּב בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ קְ֝דֹ֗שׁ הֵיכָלֶֽךָ		5 Happy the one you have chosen and brought near, who will dwell in your courts. We will be satisfied in the good of your house, the holy of your temple.
h awri tbkr utqrb iwcon kxriç nwbyh b'tub bitç qdow hiclç	13 8 6	awr\i t/bkr vt/qrb i/wcn kxr\ic n/wby\h b/'tvb bit\c qdw hicl\c

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 64:8

 

Karma

וַיֹּרֵ֗ם אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים חֵ֥ץ פִּתְא֑וֹם הָ֝י֗וּ מַכּוֹתָֽם		8 But God is shooting at them an arrow suddenly, they become their defeat.
k viorm alohim kx ptaom hiu mcotm	9 5	v/ir\m alh\im kx pt\avm h/i\v mc\vtm

I wonder what it would have been like to live in the temple precincts when this ancient music was taught. I don't think I would have used this particular mode as often as Haïk-Vantoura suggests. Here is a journey in the imagination.

There are many today who doubt that this deciphering key is likely. I think they too should learn probability theory. I cannot imagine being able to decode a set of symbols so consistently if they had not been defined that way to begin with. For examples outside the psalms, see this introduction.

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 63:2

 David's poetry expresses desire from the wilderness of Judah. He is not disappointed. The middle verses express his full satisfaction. The final verse heralds the cessation of falsehood.

Another poetic tricolon

אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֵלִ֥י אַתָּ֗ה אֲ‍ֽשַׁחֲ֫רֶ֥ךָּ צָמְאָ֬ה לְךָ֨ ׀ נַפְשִׁ֗י כָּמַ֣הּ לְךָ֣ בְשָׂרִ֑י בְּאֶֽרֶץ־צִיָּ֖ה וְעָיֵ֣ף בְּלִי־מָֽיִם		2 God my God are you, I will seek you early. My being thirsts for you. My flesh pines for you, in an arid and exhausted earth, failing in waters.
b alohim ali ath awkrç xmah lç npwi cmh lç bwri barx-xiih vyiif bli-mim	11 13 11	alh\im al\i ath a/wkr\c xma\h l\c npw\i cmh l\c bwr\i b/arx xih v/yip bl\i mim

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 62:10

 

Surely - the psalter is not in favour of oligarchy - sung here

אַ֤ךְ ׀ הֶ֥בֶל בְּנֵֽי־אָדָם֮ כָּזָ֪ב בְּנֵ֫י־אִ֥ישׁ בְּמֹאזְנַ֥יִם לַעֲל֑וֹת הֵ֝֗מָּה מֵהֶ֥בֶל יָֽחַד		10 ♪C Surely the children of humanity are futility, a lie, the children - each. To ascend in the balance, they are altogether weightless.
i aç hbl bni-adm czb bni-aiw bmazniim lylot hmh mhbl ikd	11 6 7	ac hbl bn\i adm czb bn\i aiw bm/azn\im l/yl\vt hm\h m/hbl ikd