A series on the texts of #Messiah #Psalter

I have always wanted to examine the texts used for Handel's Messiah in part to deal with my assumptions about them. My history with Messiah goes back well over 50 years. I have sung it as chorister I don't know how many times, or in how many places. I have also sung it as the tenor soloist. 

My theological relationship to the texts used to be one of proof-texting -- using texts to prove what I had been taught and what I was told to think was the truth. I don’t think I thought enough.

There is an essay by Daniel Block on the texts of Messiah here. He writes: "By Handel’s own testimony, the text for the oratorio was compiled by the wealthy and arrogant Leicestershire country gentleman, Charles Jennens." Arrogant is a word that would describe my proof-texting. Arrogant is not a characteristic that would describe Messiah.

I will start with a text that is not in those that Handel used. Isaiah 42:3. Whatever the character of a human is, arrogance is not a property I would expect of Messiah. It's ironic that this is the first thought I have about these texts.

קָנֶ֤ה רָצוּץ֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה כֵהָ֖ה לֹ֣א יְכַבֶּ֑נָּה לֶאֱמֶ֖ת יוֹצִ֥יא מִשְׁפָּֽט		3 A damaged purchase he will not break, and dim flax he will not quench. To truth he will bring forth judgment.
g qnh rxux la iwbor upwth chh la icbnh lamt ioxia mwp't	17 7	qnh rxx la i/wbr v/pwt\h chh la i/cb\nh l/amt iv/x\ia m/wp't

The traditional text does not use purchase, but reed. I'm always going to have trouble with translation. I did my translation with minimal overlap of English words to multiple Hebrew stems. That means first of all that I cannot base my theology on sentiment. (Just because I like the familiar English words.) Nonetheless, even though I suspect that Messiah is not prone to consumerism, this verse suggests that Messiah is careful not to destroy a fragile or disabled life. And this has something to do with truth and judgment.

No wonder people love Messiah - not just for the sake of their arrogance. Here's the music for the above verse.

A characteristic of the servant.

As one of the servant songs, I wonder why Jennens did not choose this verse? He did chose several verses from this area of Isaiah and many verses from the psalms. That is another reason I think I should pursue these texts of my past to see if my reading of the psalms has led me to any truth or wise judgment.

Let us not be arrogant and therefore not force the earlier prejudices of our thoughts onto our thoughts today. Let us hope that the text will have its voice untrammeled by the stubbornness of our ears.

שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּֽעֲל֗וֹת לְדָ֫וִ֥ד יְהוָ֤ה ׀ לֹא־גָבַ֣הּ לִ֭בִּי וְלֹא־רָמ֣וּ עֵינַ֑י וְלֹֽא־הִלַּ֓כְתִּי ׀ בִּגְדֹל֖וֹת וּבְנִפְלָא֣וֹת מִמֶּֽנִּי		1 ♪f A song of the ascents, Of David. Yahweh not haughty is my heart nor exalted my eyes, nor do I walk in great things or in wonders beyond me.
a wir hmylot ldvid ihvh la-gbh libi vla-rmu yinii vla-hilcti bgdolot ubnplaot mmni	8 11 14	wir hm/yl\vt l/dvd ihvh la gbh lb\i v/la rm\v yin\i v/la hlc\ti b/gdl\vt vbn/pla\vt m/mn\i

I wander in as many wonders as I can. And I must continue to realize that I cannot be certain of complete knowledge of anything. Even this music that I plug! But I do consider it a special gift to learning and hearing.

Keep calm and carry on with discretion and courage