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Psalm 96:5 – Word Play
Today’s responsorial Psalm is Psalm 96. In verse 5, there is a word play between the words translated “gods of the peoples” and the word translated “idols” (or “worthless idols” or “worthless” dependent on which translation you are reading). I wanted to see if you can hear it. Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of…
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Psalm 85.11 – Translation Comparison
Psalm 85.11 (English verse 10) is the kind of verse in comparing parallel translations that could drive a sane man crazy. Five different translations and three different renderings of the word hesed and three different renderings of the verb tenses. Parallel Comparison of Psalm 85.11 Here are the parallel translations in BibleWorks: Notice that the…
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Psalms by Westermann (A Review)
I have always enjoyed reading Westermann for some reason or another. I just finished reading Westermann’s book entitled Psalms for the second time with the first time being a very long time ago back when I was in seminary. And, I would have to say that I would heartily recommend the book. It is a…
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The Superscription of Psalm 34
Abimelech in Psalm 34? There is an interesting anomaly in verse 1 of Psalm 34. It reads: Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who forced him to depart. The problem is that in the episode where David feigns madness the king is actually Achish (see 1 Samuel 21), not Abimelech. So, how has…
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Psalm 34 Listening
Psalm 34 has inspired, in my opinion, some of the best Psalmody in modern times within my own church tradition. Below I’ve posted a YouTube video of one of my favorite responses based on Psalm 34, “The Cry of the Poor,” though this is not the greatest rendition. The Cry of the Poor (Psalm 34)…
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A Heaping up of Individual Requests
… asking for something, occurs only peripherally in the Psalms, if at all. Almost always petitions of the Psalms are concerned with deliverance from acute trouble. We never meet what is so common and entirely natural in our modern prayers: a heaping up of individual requests. Claus Westermann, Psalms (Chapter 1, “The Community Psalm of…
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God is Neither a Rescue Machine …
God is neither a rescue machine nor a supernatural force. God is a person, and one can ask him for help only when that personhood is taken seriously. Claus Westermann on the Community Psalm of Lament, Psalms (Chapter 1, “The Community Psalm of Lament”) Related – Check out some of my other Psalms posts from…
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Psalm 1.1 – Translation Comparison
The Responsorial Psalm for today is Psalm 1 as you might have gathered from my previous post. In reading through Psalm 1 in the New American Bible (=NAB), I felt like it obscured the progression to be found in verse 1, so I took a look at the verse in parallels. It turns out that…
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Psalm 1.4 – A Video Illustration of Chaff
Psalm 1.4 But not the wicked! They are like chaff driven by the wind. (NAB) Have you ever wondered what chaff being driven by the wind looks like? Of course, modern Africa is not Ancient Israel, but I doubt chaff being driven by the wind has changed much. Here is a video that shows chaff…
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Psalm 103 & Prosperity Thought
I was reading Psalm 103 from the lectionary and was particularly struck today by verse three. It contains a pretty big, bold sounding statement that without looking I’m sure has probably been seized upon by prosperity preachers. Now, I would be the first to tell you that I think health-wealth and prosperity preaching is a…