a lament

December 8, 2017

The lamentation for Assyria (Nah 3:18-3:19)

“Your shepherds

Are asleep!

O king of Assyria!

Your nobles slumber!

Your people are scattered

On the mountains!

There is no one

To gather them!

There is no assuaging

Your hurt!

Your wound is mortal!

All who hear

The news of you,

Clap their hands

Over you.

Who has ever escaped

Your endless cruelty?”

It almost seems like Yahweh, via Nahum, was sorry about the situation in Assyria.  Nahum has a lament for their situation.  Nahum said that all their leaders or shepherds were asleep, while their nobles also slumbered.  The people had been scattered to the mountains, with no one to gather them back.  They had suffered a mortal wound.  Unfortunately, everyone who heard the news about them were clapping their hands in joy.  Assyria would never escape from its cruel position.  Ding dong, Assyria was dead.

August 31, 2015

A prayer for deliverance from enemies (Ps 25:1-25:3)

“A psalm of David

Aleph

To You!

Yahweh!

I lift up my soul!

O my God!

Bet      

In you I trust.

Do not let me be put to shame!

Do not let my enemies exalt over me!

Gimel

Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame!

Let them be ashamed

Who are wantonly treacherous.”

Psalm 25 is a psalm of David for deliverance from personal enemies in an acrostic form like Psalm 9 and Psalm 10, where each verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet as indicated. This is a lament against the enemies of David. David lifted up his soul. He trusted in God. He did not want to be put to shame. He did not want his enemies to exalt over him. Rather they should be put to shame because of their treacherous behavior.

August 18, 2015

The wicked are all around us (Ps 12:1-12:2)

To the choirmaster leader, according to the Sheminith, a psalm of David.

“Help!

Yahweh!

There is no longer anyone who is godly.

The faithful have disappeared from humankind.

They utter lies to each other.

They speak

With flattering lips.

They speak

With a double heart.”

Once again, Psalm 12 is another short psalm like Psalm 11. However, there is this note about Sheminith, the Hebrew word for 8th so that it may mean to sing this psalm in an 8th key or octave, perhaps the lowest male note. This generally means a lament as the choirmaster must note this. As usual, this is also a psalm of David. However, there is no mention of stringed instrument like in Psalm 6. There is no mention of the circumstances of David in this short Psalm 12. He clearly wanted Yahweh to help him because there are no more faithful ones, no more godly people around him. Everyone was lying and using double speak. All the faithful ones had disappeared.

August 8, 2015

David asks Yahweh to listen to him (Ps 4:1-4:1)

“To the choirmaster leader, with stringed instruments, a psalm of David.

Answer me!

When I call,

O God of my right!

You gave me room

When I was in distress.

Be gracious to me,

Hear my prayer.”

This Psalm 4 has a leader or choirmaster in charge with stringed instruments used. This is also a psalm of David, but without any particular circumstances. It is a cry for help or a lament. David wanted God to answer him. God gave him room when he was upset. He wanted God to pity him or be gracious to him. The biggest thing is that he wanted God to hear his prayer.