Eso einai el heharim
meayin yovo ezri
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains,
from where will my help come?
Levavi oculos meos in montes,
unde veniet auxilium meum
I lifted up my eyes to the mountains,
from whence my help will come.
Ezri meim hashem
ose shamayim vaarets.
My help is from the Lord
who created the heavens and the earth.
Mon secours vient de l'Eternel,
qui a fait les cieux et la terre.
My help comes from the Eternal One,
who has made the heavens and the earth.
He will not allow your foot to be shaken,
nec dormitet qui cistodit te
nor will he slumber who watches over you.
No dará tu pie al resbaladero ;
ni se dormirá el que te guarda.
He will not allow your foot to slip,
nor will he who guards you fall asleep.
Celui qui te garde ne sommeillera point.
He who guards you will not fall asleep.
He who guards you will not fall asleep.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ii7eTRnxLs
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Friday, June 16, 2017
ACROSTICS IN THE PSALMS
The acrostic is a literary form in which every line, verse, or section of a work begins with a particular letter. Usually these initial letters spell out a name or a sentence, or in some cases, the alphabet. I am aware of eight acrostics in the Psalms, and all of them are alphabetic.
These acrostics can be quite useful to us. For example, the psalms numbered 9 and 10 in the Hebrew Bible were originally one psalm. We know this because the verses form an alphabetic acrostic. The two parts appear together in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible that was done in Alexandria in the second century BCE. They appear separately, though, in the official Masoretic Hebrew text, and that is why we have two numbering systems for the Psalms.
Psalm 110 (111) and Psalm 111 (112) are both alphabetic acrostics having very short lines. This makes their versification certain, and allows us to study Hebrew poetic meter. Similarly, Psalm 118 (119) is a unique alphabetic acrostic in which each section (there are eight lines per section) begins with a letter of the alphabet. The Hebrew alphabet has twenty-two letters. and 8 x 22 = 176, which is the total number of lines in this psalm, which clarifies the versification and gives us an even larger sample for the study of Hebrew metrics.
Finally, in Psalm 144 (145) the verse corresponding to the letter "Nun" is missing entirely from the official Masoretic text. This has given rise to all sorts of conspiracy theories concerning the missing verse. Fortunately for us, the missing verse is still found in the Greek of the LXX, in the Syriac of the Peshitta (ca. 500 CE), and in both of Jerome's Latin translations of the Psalms, the first of which is based on the Greek of the LXX, and the second of which is based on a Hebrew text of his day (ca. 400 CE), which was evidently in better condition than the official Masoretic text. It's not difficult to turn the Greek or the Syriac or the Latin back into Hebrew, and when you do, it does, indeed, begin with "Nun." As to the conspiracy theories, they are quite unnecessary. The missing verse translates to: "The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his works."
What about non-alphabetic acrostics? Well, I haven't yet found any in the Psalms. I would think the most likely text to spell out would be the Shema. It has twenty-five letters, so the psalm would have to have that number of verses. Happy hunting.
These acrostics can be quite useful to us. For example, the psalms numbered 9 and 10 in the Hebrew Bible were originally one psalm. We know this because the verses form an alphabetic acrostic. The two parts appear together in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible that was done in Alexandria in the second century BCE. They appear separately, though, in the official Masoretic Hebrew text, and that is why we have two numbering systems for the Psalms.
Psalm 110 (111) and Psalm 111 (112) are both alphabetic acrostics having very short lines. This makes their versification certain, and allows us to study Hebrew poetic meter. Similarly, Psalm 118 (119) is a unique alphabetic acrostic in which each section (there are eight lines per section) begins with a letter of the alphabet. The Hebrew alphabet has twenty-two letters. and 8 x 22 = 176, which is the total number of lines in this psalm, which clarifies the versification and gives us an even larger sample for the study of Hebrew metrics.
Finally, in Psalm 144 (145) the verse corresponding to the letter "Nun" is missing entirely from the official Masoretic text. This has given rise to all sorts of conspiracy theories concerning the missing verse. Fortunately for us, the missing verse is still found in the Greek of the LXX, in the Syriac of the Peshitta (ca. 500 CE), and in both of Jerome's Latin translations of the Psalms, the first of which is based on the Greek of the LXX, and the second of which is based on a Hebrew text of his day (ca. 400 CE), which was evidently in better condition than the official Masoretic text. It's not difficult to turn the Greek or the Syriac or the Latin back into Hebrew, and when you do, it does, indeed, begin with "Nun." As to the conspiracy theories, they are quite unnecessary. The missing verse translates to: "The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his works."
What about non-alphabetic acrostics? Well, I haven't yet found any in the Psalms. I would think the most likely text to spell out would be the Shema. It has twenty-five letters, so the psalm would have to have that number of verses. Happy hunting.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
PSALM 32 (33)
Praise the Lord, all ye just,
it is fitting to praise the upright.
Celebrate the Lord on the harp,
and sing to him with the ten-string psaltery.
Sing to him a new song,
and play with skill and joyfully,
for the word of the Lord is right,
and faithful are all his works.
He loves justice and judgment,
the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
The heavens were created
by the word of the Lord,
and by the breath of his mouth
all their majesties,
gathering the waters of the sea
as in a wine-skin,
and putting the deeps
into storehouses.
Let the whole earth fear the Lord,
let all who dwell in the world
be in awe of him,
for he commanded and it was made,
he spoke and it stood forth.
The Lord has scattered the councils
of the nations,
he has frustrated the designs
of the peoples,
but the Lord's plan
shall stand forever,
and the thoughts of his heart
from generation to generation.
Blessed is that people whose God is the Lord
who has chosen them as a heritage for himself.
The Lord looked down from heaven
and he saw all the children of Adam.
From his established dwelling place
he looked upon all the inhabitants of the earth:
he who alone fashioned their hearts,
observed all their works.
A king is not saved by the size of his army,
nor shall the strong man be freed by increase of strength.
The horse is a false hope for victory,
and by its great strength it will not save.
Behold the eye of the Lord
is upon those who fear him
and await his mercy,
that he may snatch their soul from death,
and keep them alive in famine.
Our soul has waited for the Lord,
he is our help and our shield.
For in him our heart shall rejoice,
because we have hoped
in his holy name.
May your mercy be upon us, O Lord,
as we have been awaiting you.
Praise the Lord, all ye just,
it is fitting to praise the upright.
Celebrate the Lord on the harp,
and sing to him with the ten-string psaltery.
Sing to him a new song,
and play with skill and joyfully,
for the word of the Lord is right,
and faithful are all his works.
He loves justice and judgment,
the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
The heavens were created
by the word of the Lord,
and by the breath of his mouth
all their majesties,
gathering the waters of the sea
as in a wine-skin,
and putting the deeps
into storehouses.
Let the whole earth fear the Lord,
let all who dwell in the world
be in awe of him,
for he commanded and it was made,
he spoke and it stood forth.
The Lord has scattered the councils
of the nations,
he has frustrated the designs
of the peoples,
but the Lord's plan
shall stand forever,
and the thoughts of his heart
from generation to generation.
Blessed is that people whose God is the Lord
who has chosen them as a heritage for himself.
The Lord looked down from heaven
and he saw all the children of Adam.
From his established dwelling place
he looked upon all the inhabitants of the earth:
he who alone fashioned their hearts,
observed all their works.
A king is not saved by the size of his army,
nor shall the strong man be freed by increase of strength.
The horse is a false hope for victory,
and by its great strength it will not save.
Behold the eye of the Lord
is upon those who fear him
and await his mercy,
that he may snatch their soul from death,
and keep them alive in famine.
Our soul has waited for the Lord,
he is our help and our shield.
For in him our heart shall rejoice,
because we have hoped
in his holy name.
May your mercy be upon us, O Lord,
as we have been awaiting you.
Monday, June 12, 2017
In the Land my Grandmother Left
In the land my grandmother left,
the June days are very long.
When the sun comes out it's heaven,
and the mourning doves sing
a different song,
inviting me to know
how it must have been.
I think of her wrenching step
as her foot left the land.
June 12 2016
the June days are very long.
When the sun comes out it's heaven,
and the mourning doves sing
a different song,
inviting me to know
how it must have been.
I think of her wrenching step
as her foot left the land.
June 12 2016
Sunday, June 11, 2017
MOSAIC - Psalm 32 (33)
Laudate iusti Dominum rectos decet laudatio
Praise the Lord, O ye just,
it is fitting to praise the upright.
Exultate iusti in Domino rectos decet laudatio.
Rejoice, O ye just, in the Lord,
it is fitting to praise the upright.
Exsultate, iusti, in Domino:
rectos decet collaudatio.
Rejoice, O ye just, in the Lord:
it is fitting to praise the upright together.
Alegraos, justos, en Jehová:
á los rectos es hermosa la alabanza.
Rejoice, O just, in Jehova:
the praise of the upright is beautiful.
Justes, réjouissez-vous en l'Eternel !
La louange convient aux hommes droits.
O ye just, rejoice in the Eternal!
Praise is suitable for the upright.
Criez de joie pour le Seigneur, les justes;
aux coeurs droits la louange va bien.
Shout with joy for the Lord, O ye just:
praise is fitting for upright hearts.
Praise the Lord, O ye just,
it is fitting to praise the upright.
Exultate iusti in Domino rectos decet laudatio.
Rejoice, O ye just, in the Lord,
it is fitting to praise the upright.
Exsultate, iusti, in Domino:
rectos decet collaudatio.
Rejoice, O ye just, in the Lord:
it is fitting to praise the upright together.
Alegraos, justos, en Jehová:
á los rectos es hermosa la alabanza.
Rejoice, O just, in Jehova:
the praise of the upright is beautiful.
Justes, réjouissez-vous en l'Eternel !
La louange convient aux hommes droits.
O ye just, rejoice in the Eternal!
Praise is suitable for the upright.
Criez de joie pour le Seigneur, les justes;
aux coeurs droits la louange va bien.
Shout with joy for the Lord, O ye just:
praise is fitting for upright hearts.
Friday, June 9, 2017
MIXTOS - III
The cliff is too quick,
the dog wags its tail.
Unlike number zero,
forty-five dies in jail.
the dog wags its tail.
Unlike number zero,
forty-five dies in jail.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
PSALM 31 (32)
Blessed is he whose
iniquity has been forgiven
and his sin has been
put out of sight.
Blessed is the man
to whom the Lord
does not impute iniquity,
nor is there dishonesty
in his spirit.
Because I did not speak,
my bones wasted away
in groaning all the day,
for day and night
your hand weighed upon me,
my strength was consumed
as in the heat of summer.
I confess my sin to you,
and do not hide
my iniquity.
I said "I shall confess
my crime before the Lord,"
and you forgave the iniquity
of my sin.
Because of this every devoted
one prays to you
in time of need,
and when floods of
many waters come,
they will not reach him.
You are my protection--
guard me against
the enemy.
You will surround me
with the joy
of my salvation.
I will instruct you
and show you the way
in which you should go.
I will keep you in my sight.
Do not become like
a horse or a mule,
that lacking understanding
will not come to you
without bit and bridle.
Many are the sorrows
of the impious,
but the one who trusts
in the Lord
will be surrounded by
his mercy.
Exult and rejoice in the Lord,
all ye just,
and praise him,
all ye of righteous heart.
Blessed is he whose
iniquity has been forgiven
and his sin has been
put out of sight.
Blessed is the man
to whom the Lord
does not impute iniquity,
nor is there dishonesty
in his spirit.
Because I did not speak,
my bones wasted away
in groaning all the day,
for day and night
your hand weighed upon me,
my strength was consumed
as in the heat of summer.
I confess my sin to you,
and do not hide
my iniquity.
I said "I shall confess
my crime before the Lord,"
and you forgave the iniquity
of my sin.
Because of this every devoted
one prays to you
in time of need,
and when floods of
many waters come,
they will not reach him.
You are my protection--
guard me against
the enemy.
You will surround me
with the joy
of my salvation.
I will instruct you
and show you the way
in which you should go.
I will keep you in my sight.
Do not become like
a horse or a mule,
that lacking understanding
will not come to you
without bit and bridle.
Many are the sorrows
of the impious,
but the one who trusts
in the Lord
will be surrounded by
his mercy.
Exult and rejoice in the Lord,
all ye just,
and praise him,
all ye of righteous heart.
