Psalms 28 - 35
Psalm 28 Said to: address being tired/weak; deal with hypocrisy; provide joy & vindication:
To YOU I call, O LORD My rock (protector); do not turn a deaf ear to Me. For if YOU remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear My cry for mercy as I call to YOU for help, as I lift up My hands toward YOUR Most Holy Place. Do not drag Me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts. Repay them (see Psalms 25 - 27 Psalm 26 1. Some were tested... C. & D.; s.a. Psalms 36 - 41 Psalm 41 ref. responding in love) for their deeds & for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done, & bring back upon them what They deserve.
Since They show no regard for the Works of the LORD & what HIS Hands have done, HE will tear them down & never build them up again. Praise be to the LORD, for HE has heard My cry for mercy. The LORD is My strength & My shield; My heart trusts in Him, & I am helped. My heart leaps for joy & I will give thanks to HIM in song. The LORD is the strength of HIS People, a fortress of salvation for HIS Anointed One. Save YOUR People & bless YOUR Inheritance; be Their shepherd (rule Them) & carry Them forever.
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Psalm 29 A psalm. Said to: address being a quitter, tired/weak & worshipful; provide knowledge:
Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory & strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due HIS Name; worship the LORD in (with)the splendor of HIS Holiness.
- The Voice of the LORD is over the waters; the GOD of Glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
- The Voice of the LORD is powerful; the Voice of the LORD is majestic.
- The Voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
HE makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion (Mt. Hermon) like a young wild ox.
- The Voice of the LORD strikes with (cuts out-- see Exo 19:18) flashes of lightening.
- The Voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
- The Voice of the LORD twists the oaks [makes the deer give birth (be in pain)] & strips the forest bare. And in HIS Temple all cry, Glory!
The LORD sits (sat) enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as KING forever.
The LORD gives strength to HIS People; the LORD blesses HIS People with peace.
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Psalm 30 A psalm, a song for the dedication of the temple (palace) of David. Said to address being proud:
I will exalt YOU, O LORD , for YOU lifted Me out of the depths & did not let My enemies gloat over Me. O LORD My GOD, I called to YOU for help & YOU healed Me. O LORD, YOU brought Me up from the grave; YOU spared Me from going down to the pit.
Sing to the LORD, You Saints of HIS; praise HIS Holy Name. For HIS Anger lasts only for a moment, but HIS Favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing (singing) comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, 'I will never be shaken.'
O LORD, when YOU favored Me, YOU made My mountain (hill country) stand firm; but when YOU hid YOUR Face, I was dismayed. To YOU, O LORD, I called; to the LORD I cried for mercy: 'what gain is there in My destruction (if I am silenced), in My going down to the pit? Will the dust praise YOU? Will it proclaim YOUR Faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, & be merciful to Me; O LORD, be My help.'
YOU turned My wailing into dancing; YOU removed My sackcloth & clothed Me with joy, that My heart may sing to YOU & not be silent. O LORD My GOD, I will give thanks forever.
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Psalm 31 A psalm for the director of music. As noted in PerspectivesB B.1.b. the author is commonly said to have been David, but was perhaps Jeremiah. Said to: address being distressed; provide protection. We saw in Psalms 25 - 27 Psalm 26 1. Some were tested... C. how that God had appeased Jeremiah's anger when he had been provoked:
In YOU, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let Me never be put to shame; deliver Me in YOUR Righteousness. Turn YOUR Ear to Me, come quickly to My rescue; be My rock of refuge (protection for strength), a strong fortress (house of defense) to save Me. Since YOU are My rock & fortress, for the sake of YOUR Name lead & guide Me.
Free Me from the trap that is set for Me, for YOU are My refuge. Into YOUR Hands I commit My spirit; redeem Me, O LORD, the GOD of truth. I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD. I will be glad & rejoice in YOUR Love, for YOU saw My affliction & knew the anguish of My soul. YOU have not handed Me over to the enemy but have set My feet in a spacious place.
Be merciful to Me, O LORD, for I am in distress; My eyes grow weak with sorrow, My soul & My body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish & My years with groaning; My strength fails because of My affliction (guilt), & My bones grow weak. Because of all My enemies, I am the utter contempt of My neighbors; I am a dread to My friends-- those who see Me on the street flee from Me.
I am forgotten by Them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery (a perishing vessel). For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; They conspire against Me & plot to take My life. But I trust in YOU, O LORD. I say, 'YOU are My GOD.'
My times are in YOUR Hands; deliver Me from My enemies & from Those who pursue Me. Let YOUR Face shine on YOUR Servant; save Me in YOUR Unfailing Love. Let Me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to YOU; but let the wicked be put to shame & lie silent in the grave (Sheol).
Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride & contempt they speak arrogantly (harshly) against the righteous. How great is YOUR Goodness, which YOU have stored up for Those who fear YOU, which YOU bestow in the sight of men on Those who take refuge in YOU. In the shelter of YOUR Presence YOU hide Them from the intrigues of men; in YOUR Dwelling YOU keep Them safe from accusing tongues.
Praise be to the LORD, for HE showed HIS Wonderful Love to Me when I was in a besieged (fenced) city. In My alarm I said, 'I am cut off from YOUR Sight!' Yet YOU heard My cry for mercy when I called to YOU for help.
Love the LORD, all HIS Saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud HE pays back in full. Be strong & take heart, all You who hope in the LORD.
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Psalm 32 A maskil (giving of instructions); said to: address being guilty & penitent/sorry; provide forgiveness & guidance. Texted in grape is the passage (vv. 1-2) that is quoted in the N.T. (see Psalms 12 - 18 Psalm 15 2. N.T. Quotes from Psalms A.):
Blessed is He whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against Him & in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, My bones wasted away through My groaning all day long. For day & night YOUR Hand was heavy upon Me; My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah
Then I acknowledged My sin to YOU & did not cover up My iniquity. I said, 'I will confess My transgressions to the LORD'-- & YOU forgave the guilt of My sin. Selah
Therefore, let everyone who is godly (desires righteousness) pray to YOU while YOU may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach Him. YOU are My hiding place; YOU will protect Me from trouble & surround Me with songs of deliverance. Selah
I will instruct You, congregation, & teach You in the way You should go; I will counsel You & watch over You. Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding, but must be controlled by bit & bridle or they will not come to You. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD'S Unfailing Love surrounds the man who trusts in HIM. Rejoice in the LORD (Yahwah) & be glad, You righteous; sing, all You who are upright in heart!
If you were a Gentile (anybody not a Jew), you could still live a life acceptable to God-- but without the prospect of being in the cloud of witnesses-- & eventual eternal life.
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Psalm 33 Author anonymous; said to provide stability:Sing joyfully to the LORD, You righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise HIM. Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to HIM on the 10-stringed lyre. Sing to HIM a new song; play skillfully, & shout for joy. For the Word of the LORD is right & true; HE is faithful in all HE does. The LORD loves righteousness & justice; the earth is full of HIS Unfailing Love (Mercy).
By the Word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of HIS Mouth. HE gathers the waters of the sea into jars (as into a heap); HE puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere HIM. For HE spoke, & it came to be; HE commanded, & it stood firm. The LORD foils (Yahweh frustrates) the plans of nations; HE thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the Plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the Purpose of the LORD through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose GOD is the LORD, the people HE chose for HIS Inheritance. From Heaven the LORD looks down & sees all mankind; from HIS Dwelling Place HE watches all who live on earth-- HE who forms the heart of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the Eyes of the LORD are on Those who fear HIM, on Those whose hope is in HIS Unfailing Love, to deliver Them from death & keep Them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; HE is Our help & Our shield. In HIM Our hearts rejoice, for We trust in HIS Holy Name.
May YOUR Unfailing Love rest upon Us, O LORD, even as We put Our hope in YOU.
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Psalm 34 When David pretended to be insane before king Abimelech [or king Achish (1stSa 21:10-13)-- not to be confused with the priest Ahimelech in the same chapter], who drove Him away, & He left. An acrostic poem (the 1st word of each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet-- see PerspectivesB B.2. for the other acrostic poems). Said to: address being depressed; deal with doubts, sorrow & troubles. Texted in grape are the passages (vv. 12-16a, 20b) that are quoted in the N.T. (see Psalms 12 - 18 Psalm 15 2. N.T. Quotes from Psalms A. ):
I will extol the LORD at all times; HIS Praise shall always be upon My lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear & rejoice. Glorify the LORD with Me; let Us exalt HIS Name together. I sought the LORD, & HE answered Me; HE delivered Me from all My fears.
Those who look to HIM are radiant; Their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, & the LORD heard Him; He saved Him out of all His troubles. The Angel of the LORD encamps around Those who fear HIM, & HE delivers Them.
Taste & see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in HIM. Fear the LORD, You HIS Saints, for Those who seek HIM lack nothing. The lions may grow weak & hungry, but Those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come My children, listen to Me; I will teach You the Fear of the LORD. Whoever of You loves life & desires to see many good days, keep Your tongue from evil & Your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil & do good; seek peace & pursue it.
Distant/Far Distant prophecies The Eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, & HIS Ears are attentive to Their cry; the Face of the LORD GOD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, & the LORD GOD hears Them; HE delivers Them from all Their troubles. The LORD GOD is close to the brokenhearted & saves Those who are crushed in (contrite of) spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD GOD delivers Him from them all; HE protects (will protect) all His bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked-- He bore the sins of many & was crucified, affording us to be born again; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD GOD redeems HIS Servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in HIM. EOP
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Psalm 35 Perh. written when David was being pursued by Saul (1stSa 24). Said to: deal with criticism, evil people, enemies, slander/insults & verbal cruelty; provide vindication. Texted in grape is the passage (v. 19c) that is quoted in the N.T. (see Psalms 12 - 18 Psalm 15 2. N.T. Quotes from Psalms A.):
Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with Me; fight against those who fight against Me. Take up shield & buckler; arise & come to My aid. Brandish spear & javelin (block the way) against those who pursue Me. Say to My soul, I am YOUR Salvation. After these 4 sentences of David addressing the Lord directly (in the 1st person) we have David pronouncing 11 curses himself (as opposed to asking God in prayer to take care of the matters). This might appear to be a case of majoring-in-minors, but it demonstrates one's presumption-of-righteousness-- as in instructing the Lord. Note that he said, "I am YOUR Salvation" as opposed to "I am the recipient of YOUR Salvation."
The 7 curses here (4 more below) possibly pronounced "without the radar" (explained in Psalm 69 - 72 Psalm 69 2. "Within/Without the radar"):
- May those who seek My life be disgraced & put to shame;
- may those who plot My ruin be turned back in dismay.
- May they be like chaff before the wind, with the Angel of the LORD driving them away;
- may their path be dark & slippery, with the Angel of the LORD pursuing them. Since they hid their net for Me without a cause & without cause dug a pit for Me,
- may ruin overtake them by surprise--
- may the net they hid entangle them,
- may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
Then My soul will rejoice in the LORD & delight in HIS Salvation.
My whole being will exclaim, Who is like YOU, O LORD? YOU rescue the poor from those too strong for Them, the poor & needy from those who rob Them.
Distant prophecy Ruthless (False) witnesses come forward (Matt 26:59-60); they question Me on things I know nothing about. They repay Me evil for good & leave My soul forlorn (deprived). Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth & humbled myself (afflicted My soul) with fasting. When My prayers returned to Me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for My friend or brother, I bowed My head in grief as though weeping for My mother. But when I stumbled carrying the cross, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against Me when I was unaware. They slandered Me without ceasing. Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked (circle of mockers); they gnashed their teeth at Me. EOP
O LORD, how long will YOU look on? Rescue My life from their ravages, My precious life from these lions. I will give YOU thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of (strong) people I will praise YOU. Let not those gloat (falsely rejoice) over Me who are My enemies without cause; let not those who hate Me without reason maliciously wink the eye. They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against Those who live quietly in the land. They gape at Me & say, 'Aha! Aha! With our eyes we have seen it.' O LORD, YOU have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from Me, O LORD. Awake, & rise to My defense! Contend for Me, My GOD & LORD. Vindicate Me in YOUR Righteousness, O LORD My GOD; do not let them gloat over Me.
Do not let them think, 'Aha (Ah, ah, our soul), just what we wanted!' or say, 'We have swallowed Him up.'
4 more curses possibly pronounced "without the radar":
- May all who gloat over My distress be put to shame & confusion;
- may all who exalt themselves over Me be clothed with shame & disgrace.
- May Those who delight in My vindication shout for joy & gladness;
- may They always say, 'The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of HIS Servant.'
My tongue will speak of YOUR Righteousness & of YOUR Praises all day long.
