Here's a laugh - dot-liturgy. it might be called, amen, amen, I say unto you, follow the money.
Kurk Gayle and I (somewhat off his topic) talked about Psalm 27. The subject verse is rather interesting.
Here's some nostalgia for you bridge players - autobridge from the 40s. (No that's not an auto on a bridge).
Long conversation here on praying the psalms and how the long psalms become longer and longer when you follow the Anglican tradition. A colleague told me of the weekly monastic rule of reading the Psalter once a week! I hope it was a good translation. [KJV has law for Torah. This is a misleading translation if there ever was one.] Long psalms are not a chore when you see the poetic devices the poet was using and let yourself play as well as pray.
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Monday, 25 June 2012
Take the God survey
Of course if you have any questions - leave them in a comment :_:
Messing around with genre as inscribed
Working only with the Hebrew - the question is - do the genres in the inscriptions form a pattern?
Here is the raw data [updated].
Notes and observations:
several have double even triple genre
No prayer in Book 2
The prayers of Book 4 are a significant frame for that book.
No insight (maskil, Kimhi : a poem requiring an interpreter) in Book 4
psalm 14 the double of psalm 53 - one is an insight but the other is not
Miktamim (gold, inscribed, atonement ?) only in Books 1 and 2
Analysis could be impacted by the placement of acrostics (in bold)
A side note re inscriptions: Kimhi cites the tradition that ‘of David : a Psalm signifies that the Holy Spirit rested upon him, and (then) afterwards he uttered a Psalm while a Psalm of David signifies that he uttered a Psalm and (then) afterwards the Holy Spirit rested upon him’. See Psalms 24, 40, 68, 101, 109, 110, 139. That these are the 7 psalms that are marked in this way is an argument in favour of Kimhi’s comment.
| ........Book 1......... | .........Book 2......... | .........Book 3......... | .........Book 4......... | .........Book 5......... |
| 1-2 no genre 3-6 psalm 7 reel 8-9 (10) psalm 11 no genre 12-13 psalm 14 no genre 15 psalm 16 miktam 17 prayer 18 no genre 19-24 psalm 25-28 no genre 29 psalm 30 song, psalm 31 psalm 32 insight 33,34,35 no genre 36 oracle 37 no genre 38-41 psalm | 42 (43) 44-45 insight 46 song 47 psalm 48 song, psalm 49-51 psalm 52-55 insight 56-60 miktam 61 no genre 62-64 psalm 65 psalm, song 66 song, psalm 67 no genre 68 psalm 69-72 no genre | 73 psalm 74 insight 75-76 psalm, song 77 psalm 78 insight 79 psalm 80 testimony, psalm 81 no genre 82-85 psalm 86 prayer 87 psalm, song 88 song, psalm, insight 89 insight | 90 prayer 91 no genre 92 psalm, song 93-97 no genre 98 psalm 99 no genre 100-101 psalm 102 prayer 103-106 no genre | 107 no genre 108 song, psalm 109 psalm 110 oracle, psalm 111,112,113-119 no genre 120-134 song 135-138 no genre 139-141 psalm 142 insight 143 psalm 144 no genre 145 praise 146-150 no genre |
several have double even triple genre
No prayer in Book 2
The prayers of Book 4 are a significant frame for that book.
No insight (maskil, Kimhi : a poem requiring an interpreter) in Book 4
psalm 14 the double of psalm 53 - one is an insight but the other is not
Miktamim (gold, inscribed, atonement ?) only in Books 1 and 2
Analysis could be impacted by the placement of acrostics (in bold)
A side note re inscriptions: Kimhi cites the tradition that ‘of David : a Psalm signifies that the Holy Spirit rested upon him, and (then) afterwards he uttered a Psalm while a Psalm of David signifies that he uttered a Psalm and (then) afterwards the Holy Spirit rested upon him’. See Psalms 24, 40, 68, 101, 109, 110, 139. That these are the 7 psalms that are marked in this way is an argument in favour of Kimhi’s comment.
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Rhetorical Criticism, Fish netted
I am reading Phyllis Trible's little book on Jonah. The book begins with a historical review of Rhetorical Criticism. It is a lovely review from Aristotle to Frye and all points since to 1990. Here though - part way through her description of reader-response criticism is a cute sentence that stands apart as my quote of the day:
Fish, Is there a Text in this Class?
Bayard would help us place these titles in our Library.
Now for the continuation of Triblisms as she nets out the Fish metaphor:
Susan Suleiman identified six approaches within reader-response criticism: rhetorical, semiotic and structuralist, phenomenological, subjective and psychoanalytical, sociological and historical, and hermeneutic. Even then she found it difficult to anchor the floating work of the critic Stanley Fish. He began his literary voyage by countering New Criticism. "Meaning" is not the end result of analyzing the formal structures but rather develops as the reader experiences the text.... Yet a common level hooked Fish into assuming once again the stability of the text for controlling the reader's experience...pause for book titles: Suleiman, The reader in the Text ...
Fish, Is there a Text in this Class?
Bayard would help us place these titles in our Library.
Now for the continuation of Triblisms as she nets out the Fish metaphor:
...He wrote of the constant transformation of interpretation. The process meant, however, that the reader no longer controlled the text. At the end of Fish's voyage, the reader did not respond so much as disappear into the belly of "rhetoricizing".(Page 66) She hasn't mentioned Jonah yet - but I've had a sufficient intro to Rhet. Crit.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Why Bible Study
John Hobbins has a remarkable summary of what the canon of the Bible represents. This small sample is not the only part worth the effort to read and ponder.
The question, then, is how biblical literature makes assertions about the way things are. Let me count the ways: through myth, legend, and chronicle; through the description of the bios of a people and individuals thereof; through the critique of prescription (torah) and prediction (prophecy); through satire, parody, and parable (e.g., Jonah, Esther, and the parables of Jotham and Nathan); through prayer, by definition the most fundamental indictment of the way things are; through praise, the affirmation of particular features of the way things are; through empirical observation and speculative inquiry within the bounds of philosophical religion (Proverbs; Job; Qohelet).I was struck by these concise definitions of prayer and praise (my emphasis). There is more...
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Comparing Psalms 96 and 98
I was looking at old posts, playing the role of archivist, and I noted - of course we all knew how psalms 96-99 seem to be one song, but I had forgotten how closely related psalms 96 and 98 are, sharing over 50% of their words.
If we assume that such grand repetition frames other text, then the framed text is Psalm 97. Imagine yourself observing these three pictures in a gallery. You attention would be drawn to the picture in the middle, between two such similar images. Why, you ask, would the curator have placed that picture between the other two? Surely like things should be adjacent? Maybe the one in the middle is worth a gander. So you stop for a moment and stretch your neck to stare at the words. You find you are in the midst of ascension and the words recall Psalm 47, bringing to mind the command to Abraham to offer Isaac as a whole burnt offering. It's a remarkable reach that these psalms have.
If we assume that such grand repetition frames other text, then the framed text is Psalm 97. Imagine yourself observing these three pictures in a gallery. You attention would be drawn to the picture in the middle, between two such similar images. Why, you ask, would the curator have placed that picture between the other two? Surely like things should be adjacent? Maybe the one in the middle is worth a gander. So you stop for a moment and stretch your neck to stare at the words. You find you are in the midst of ascension and the words recall Psalm 47, bringing to mind the command to Abraham to offer Isaac as a whole burnt offering. It's a remarkable reach that these psalms have.
יְהוָה מָלָךְ
תָּגֵל הָאָרֶץ יִשְׂמְחוּ אִיִּים רַבִּים | 1 | יְהוָה reigns let the earth rejoice let the multitude of coasts be glad |
עָנָן וַעֲרָפֶל סְבִיבָיו
צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט מְכוֹן כִּסְאוֹ | 2 | clouds and dark turbulence surround him righteousness and judgment are the stability of his throne |
אֵשׁ לְפָנָיו תֵּלֵךְ
וּתְלַהֵט סָבִיב צָרָיו | 3 | fire walks in his presence and will blaze his surrounding foes |
הֵאִירוּ בְרָקָיו תֵּבֵל
רָאֲתָה וַתָּחֵל הָאָרֶץ | 4 | his lightnings light the world the earth saw and was in birth |
הָרִים כַּדּוֹנַג נָמַסּוּ
מִלִּפְנֵי יְהוָה מִלִּפְנֵי אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ | 5 | hills melted like wax from the presence of יְהוָה from the presence of the Lord of all the earth |
הִגִּידוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם צִדְקוֹ
וְרָאוּ כָל הָעַמִּים כְּבוֹדוֹ | 6 | the heavens make evident his righteousness and all the peoples see his glory |
יֵבֹשׁוּ כָּל עֹבְדֵי פֶסֶל
הַמִּתְהַלְלִים בָּאֱלִילִים הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ כָּל אֱלֹהִים | 7 | all servants of a graven image will be ashamed boasting in the good for nothing worship him all gods |
שָׁמְעָה וַתִּשְׂמַח צִיּוֹן
וַתָּגֵלְנָה בְּנוֹת יְהוּדָה לְמַעַן מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ יְהוָה | 8 | Zion heard and was glad and the daughters of Judah rejoiced on account of your judgments יְהוָה |
כִּי אַתָּה יְהוָה עֶלְיוֹן
עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ מְאֹד נַעֲלֵיתָ עַל כָּל אֱלֹהִים | 9 | for you יְהוָה are Most High over all the earth you are utterly ascended over all gods |
אֹהֲבֵי יְהוָה שִׂנְאוּ רָע
שֹׁמֵר נַפְשׁוֹת חֲסִידָיו מִיַּד רְשָׁעִים יַצִּילֵם | 10 | those loving יְהוָה hate evil he guards the beings of those who know his mercy he delivers them from the hand of the wicked |
אוֹר זָרֻעַ לַצַּדִּיק
וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה | 11 | light is sown for the righteous and gladness to the upright of heart |
שִׂמְחוּ צַדִּיקִים בַּיהוָה
וְהוֹדוּ לְזֵכֶר קָדְשׁוֹ | 12 | be glad in יְהוָה you righteous ones and give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness |
Hebrew words: 95. Percentage of Hebrew words that recur in this psalm: 43%. Average keywords per verse: 3.4.
| 2 | dark turbulence ערפל (`rpl) only here and in Psalm 18, recalls the darkness of Exodus 20:21 and of the people, perhaps ironically in Isaiah 60, the Surge Illuminare. |
| 7 | [Hebrews 1:6] |
| 9 | Ascended, עלה (`lh) is used for offering, for going up, for ascent, even climbing. It is the word of the offering of Isaac. The ascension of Jesus written of in the NT is part of the whole offering of his life and its acceptance. It is not then a magical space journey, but a recognition that the offering is complete and accepted. In the same way, the goodness of יְהוָה is noted in his superiority to other things that might be worshiped. |
Selected recurring words in relative order
| Word and gloss * first usage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 1 | Vs | Root |
תגל let rejoice
|
░
| 1 | גיל | ||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| 1 | ארץ | ||||||||||
ישׂמחו let be glad
|
░
| 1 | שׂמח | ||||||||||
סביביו surround him
|
░
| 2 | סבב | ||||||||||
צדק righteousness
|
░
| 2 | צדק | ||||||||||
ומשׁפט and judgment
|
░
| 2 | שׁפט | ||||||||||
לפניו in his presence
|
░
| 3 | פנה | ||||||||||
סביב surrounding
|
░
| 3 | סבב | ||||||||||
האירו light
|
░
| 4 | אור | ||||||||||
ראתה saw
|
░
| 4 | ראה | ||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| 4 | ארץ | ||||||||||
מלפני from the presence of
|
░
| 5 | פנה | ||||||||||
מלפני from the presence of
|
░
| 5 | פנה | ||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| 5 | כל | ||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| 5 | ארץ | ||||||||||
צדקו his righteousness
|
░
| 6 | צדק | ||||||||||
וראו and see
|
░
| 6 | ראה | ||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| 6 | כל | ||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| 7 | כל | ||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| 7 | כל | ||||||||||
ותשׂמח and was glad
|
░
| 8 | שׂמח | ||||||||||
ותגלנה and rejoiced
|
░
| 8 | גיל | ||||||||||
משׁפטיך your judgments
|
░
| 8 | שׁפט | ||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| 9 | כל | ||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| 9 | ארץ | ||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| 9 | כל | ||||||||||
אור light
|
░
| 11 | אור | ||||||||||
לצדיק for the righteous
|
░
| 11 | צדיק | ||||||||||
שׂמחה gladness
|
░
| 11 | שׂמח | ||||||||||
שׂמחו be glad
|
░
| 12 | שׂמח | ||||||||||
צדיקים you righteous ones
|
░
| 12 | צדיק |
Translation and Notes last updated on 2012.06.16-11:27
Selected words occurring in each of psalms -96,-98 - The frame for Psalm 97.
| Word and gloss * first usage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 1 | 2 | Vs | Stem |
שׁירו sing
|
░
| -96.1 | שׁיר | |||||||||||||||||||||
שׁיר a song
|
░
| -96.1 | שׁיר | |||||||||||||||||||||
חדשׁ new
|
░
| -96.1 | חדשׁ | |||||||||||||||||||||
שׁירו sing
|
░
| -96.1 | שׁיר | |||||||||||||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| -96.1 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| -96.1 | ארץ | |||||||||||||||||||||
שׁירו sing
|
░
| -96.2 | שׁיר | |||||||||||||||||||||
ישׁועתו his salvation
|
░
| -96.2 | ישׁע | |||||||||||||||||||||
בגוים among the nations
|
░
| -96.3 | גוי | |||||||||||||||||||||
בכל to all
|
░
| -96.3 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||||
העמים the peoples
|
░
| -96.3 | עם | |||||||||||||||||||||
נפלאותיו his wonders
|
░
| -96.3 | פלא | |||||||||||||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| -96.4 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| -96.5 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||||
העמים the peoples
|
░
| -96.5 | עם | |||||||||||||||||||||
עשׂה made
|
░
| -96.5 | עשׂה | |||||||||||||||||||||
לפניו are in his presence
|
░
| -96.6 | פנה | |||||||||||||||||||||
במקדשׁו in his sanctuary
|
░
| -96.6 | קדשׁ | |||||||||||||||||||||
עמים the peoples
|
░
| -96.7 | עם | |||||||||||||||||||||
ובאו and come
|
░
| -96.8 | בוא | |||||||||||||||||||||
קדשׁ holiness
|
░
| -96.9 | קדשׁ | |||||||||||||||||||||
מפניו from his presence
|
░
| -96.9 | פנה | |||||||||||||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| -96.9 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| -96.9 | ארץ | |||||||||||||||||||||
בגוים to the nations
|
░
| -96.10 | גוי | |||||||||||||||||||||
מלך reigns
|
░
| -96.10 | מלך | |||||||||||||||||||||
* תבל the world
|
░
| -96.10 | תבל | |||||||||||||||||||||
עמים the peoples
|
░
| -96.10 | עם | |||||||||||||||||||||
במישׁרים with uprightness
|
░
| -96.10 | ישׁר | |||||||||||||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| -96.11 | ארץ | |||||||||||||||||||||
ירעם let thunder
|
░
| -96.11 | רעם | |||||||||||||||||||||
הים the sea
|
░
| -96.11 | ים | |||||||||||||||||||||
ומלאו and its fullness
|
░
| -96.11 | מלא | |||||||||||||||||||||
וכל and all
|
░
| -96.12 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||||
ירננו will shout for joy
|
░
| -96.12 | רנן | |||||||||||||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| -96.12 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||||
לפני in the presence of
|
░
| -96.13 | פנה | |||||||||||||||||||||
בא he comes
|
░
| -96.13 | בוא | |||||||||||||||||||||
בא he comes
|
░
| -96.13 | בוא | |||||||||||||||||||||
לשׁפט to judge
|
░
| -96.13 | שׁפט | |||||||||||||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| -96.13 | ארץ | |||||||||||||||||||||
ישׁפט he will judge
|
░
| -96.13 | שׁפט | |||||||||||||||||||||
* תבל the world
|
░
| -96.13 | תבל | |||||||||||||||||||||
בצדק in righteousness
|
░
| -96.13 | צדק | |||||||||||||||||||||
ועמים and the peoples
|
░
| -96.13 | עם | |||||||||||||||||||||
באמונתו in his faithfulness
|
░
| -96.13 | אמן | |||||||||||||||||||||
שׁירו sing
|
░
| -98.1 | שׁיר | |||||||||||||||||||||
שׁיר a song
|
░
| -98.1 | שׁיר | |||||||||||||||||||||
חדשׁ new
|
░
| -98.1 | חדשׁ | |||||||||||||||||||||
נפלאות wonders
|
░
| -98.1 | פלא | |||||||||||||||||||||
עשׂה he has done
|
░
| -98.1 | עשׂה | |||||||||||||||||||||
הושׁיעה brought salvation
|
░
| -98.1 | ישׁע | |||||||||||||||||||||
קדשׁו holy
|
░
| -98.1 | קדשׁ | |||||||||||||||||||||
ישׁועתו his salvation
|
░
| -98.2 | ישׁע | |||||||||||||||||||||
הגוים the nations
|
░
| -98.2 | גוי | |||||||||||||||||||||
צדקתו his righteousness
|
░
| -98.2 | צדק | |||||||||||||||||||||
ואמונתו and his faithfulness
|
░
| -98.3 | אמן | |||||||||||||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| -98.3 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||||
ארץ the earth
|
░
| -98.3 | ארץ | |||||||||||||||||||||
ישׁועת the salvation of
|
░
| -98.3 | ישׁע | |||||||||||||||||||||
כל all
|
░
| -98.4 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| -98.4 | ארץ | |||||||||||||||||||||
ורננו and shout for joy
|
░
| -98.4 | רנן | |||||||||||||||||||||
לפני in the presence of
|
░
| -98.6 | פנה | |||||||||||||||||||||
המלך the king
|
░
| -98.6 | מלך | |||||||||||||||||||||
ירעם let thunder
|
░
| -98.7 | רעם | |||||||||||||||||||||
הים the sea
|
░
| -98.7 | ים | |||||||||||||||||||||
ומלאו and its fullness
|
░
| -98.7 | מלא | |||||||||||||||||||||
תבל the world
|
░
| -98.7 | תבל | |||||||||||||||||||||
ירננו shout for joy
|
░
| -98.8 | רנן | |||||||||||||||||||||
לפני in the presence of
|
░
| -98.9 | פנה | |||||||||||||||||||||
בא he comes
|
░
| -98.9 | בוא | |||||||||||||||||||||
לשׁפט to judge
|
░
| -98.9 | שׁפט | |||||||||||||||||||||
הארץ the earth
|
░
| -98.9 | ארץ | |||||||||||||||||||||
ישׁפט he will judge
|
░
| -98.9 | שׁפט | |||||||||||||||||||||
תבל the world
|
░
| -98.9 | תבל | |||||||||||||||||||||
בצדק in righteousness
|
░
| -98.9 | צדק | |||||||||||||||||||||
ועמים and the peoples
|
░
| -98.9 | עם | |||||||||||||||||||||
במישׁרים in uprightness
|
░
| -98.9 | ישׁר |
Friday, 15 June 2012
Similitude and forehead
וְהֵם יִרְאוּ אֶת־פָּנָיו וְנָשְׂאוּ אֶת־שְׁמוֹ עַל־מִצְחָם
and they will see his face and they will bear his name on their foreheads
What a delightful distraction, reading random verses of the NT in Hebrew. Psalm 17:15 anticipates the ultimate vision of the Apocalypse.
I in righteousness will gaze on your face
I will be satisfied to awaken in your similitude
This is phrased in terms that contrast such an awakening with normal human satisfaction (Psalm 17:14b)
Let them be satisfied with children
and leave their surplus to their progeny.
Now to jump to my super-conclusion: The whole Bible TNK+NT records a single act of giving birth. We are in the midst of Creation. The birth imagery is everywhere in the Psalms. It is central in Revelation. And this final chapter in the final book of the NT reflects the opening of Genesis (tree of life) as well as the opening of the Psalms (leaf does not wither).
This verse also reflects the mark on the forehead. There is no use of forehead in the Psalms (!) but I guess it's OK to point out that it is a contrast with the mark of the beast, and the stone in the forehead of Goliath, and similar to Aaron's plate of pure gold (Exodus 28:36-37, the first use of forehead in TNK) and not something to be taken for granted as did the beauty of Ezekiel 16.
I suppose too I could get carried away with the use of bear, = lift up, but enough's enough.
I suppose too I could get carried away with the use of bear, = lift up, but enough's enough.
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