Psalm 59 – “Petition/Imprecation”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist begs God to destroy his enemies.

II. Photo
The psalmist describes his enemies: “They come each evening growling like dogs, roaming the city.” (v. 7)

III. Select Verses
2-5: Save me from my enemies, O my God; secure me against my assailants. Save me from evildoers; deliver me from murderers. For see, they lie in wait for me; fierce men plot against me for no offense of mine, for no transgression, O LORD; for no guilt of mine do they rush to array themselves against me. Look, rouse Yourself on my behalf!
7-8: They come each evening growling like dogs, roaming the city. They rave with their mouths, sharp words are on their lips; [they think,] “Who hears?”
13b-15: Let them be trapped by their pride, and by the imprecations and lies they utter. In Your fury put an end to them; put an end to them that they be no more; that it may be known to the ends of the earth that God does rule over Jacob. Selah.
17-18: But I will sing of Your strength, extol each morning Your faithfulness; for You have been my haven, a refuge in time of trouble. O my strength, to You I sing hymns; for God is my haven, my faithful God.

IV. Outline
1. Outline
2-3. Invocation, petition
4-5a. Complaint; Proclamation of innocence
5b. Petition
6. Imprecation
7-8. Refrain = Complaint/description of the wicked
9. Praise/hope
10-11. Affirmation of confidence
12-14. Imprecation
15-16. Refrain = Complaint/description of the wicked
17-18. Vow/hymn

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Gerstenberger, Erhard S. “Psalms Part 1 with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry” Forms of Old Testament Literature (Michigan: Eerdmans, 1988).
Tate, Marvin. “Psalms 51-100” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 20 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1990).
Photo copied from http://www.dog-obedience-training-online.com/images/dog-growling.jpg

Psalm 58 – “Pedagogic Imprecation”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist challenges the wicked, asks God to crush them, and guarantees revenge for the righteous.

II. Photo
The psalmist speaks of the wicked: “The wicked are defiant from birth; the liars go astray from the womb!” (v. 4)

III. Select Verses
2-3: O mighty ones, do you really decree what is just? Do you judge mankind with equity? In your minds you devise wrongdoing in the land; with your hands you deal out lawlessness.
4-6: The wicked are defiant from birth; the liars go astray from the womb. Their venom is like that of a snake, a deaf viper that stops its ears so as not to hear the voice of charmers or the expert mutterer of spells.
7-9: O God, smash their teeth in their mouth; shatter the fangs of lions, O LORD; let them melt, let them vanish like water; let Him aim His arrows that they be cut down; like a snail that melts away as it moves; like a woman’s stillbirth, may they never see the sun!
11-12: The righteous man will rejoice when he sees revenge; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Men will say, “There is, then, a reward for the righteous; there is, indeed, divine justice on earth.”

IV. Outline
1. Superscription
2-3. Confrontation = rhetorical questions
4-6. Pedagogic descripition of the wicked
7a. Invocation
7b-10. Imprecation
11-12. Guarantee/hope for the righteous

V. Comment
Psalm 58 is a judgement speech directed at a specific group. As Gerstenberger notes, the identity of this group is elusive: “Among the many obscure passages v. 2a is enigmatic. Who is being addressed? For more than two centuries most exegetes have been pleading the case for the emendation אלים “divine beings,” instead of the MT’s אלם “in silence” (?). Yahweh’s chastising the lesser gods in Psalm 82 is adduced as supporting evidence. The emendation is precarious because the context has nothing to reinforce it. And even if אלים were the right reading, it could mean only human potentates, not the heavenly court of Yahweh. Psalm 58 refers to the rulers who abuse their power.” (233)

In support of this interpretation, Gerstenberger notes the following verses where human beings are referred to by quasi-divine names:

Exodus 4:16: And he shall speak for you to the people. Thus he shall serve as your spokesman, with you playing the role of אלהים to him,
Exodus 7:1: The LORD replied to Moses, “See, I place you in the role of אלהים to Pharaoh, with your brother Aaron as your prophet.
Psalm 45:7: Your throne of אלהים is everlasting; your royal scepter is a scepter of equity.
Zechariah 12:8: In that day, the LORD will shield the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and the feeblest of them shall be in that day like David, and the House of David like a אלהים — like an angel of the LORD — at their head.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Gerstenberger, Erhard S. “Psalms Part 1 with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry” Forms of Old Testament Literature (Michigan: Eerdmans, 1988).
Tate, Marvin. “Psalms 51-100” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 20 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1990).
Photo copied from http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/evil_baby.jpg

Psalm 57 – “Petition/Vow”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist asks God to save him and vows to praise God in the future.

II. Photo
The psalmist describes his situation: “As for me, I lie down among man-eating lions whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongue is a sharp sword!” (v. 5)

III. Select Verses
2: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for I seek refuge in You, I seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings, until danger passes.
4: As for me, I lie down among man-eating lions whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongue is a sharp sword.
7: They prepared a net for my feet to ensnare me; they dug a pit for me, but they fell into it. Selah.
8-11: My heart is firm, O God; my heart is firm; I will sing, I will chant a hymn. Awake, O my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will wake the dawn. I will praise You among the peoples, O LORD; I will sing a hymn to You among the nations; for Your faithfulness is as high as heaven; Your steadfastness reaches to the sky.

IV. Outline
1. Historical superscription
2a. Invocation, initial petition
2b. Rationale = affirmation of confidence
3-4. Petition/wish
5. Complaint
6. Refrain = hymnic petition
7. Complaint
8a. Affirmation of confidence
8b-11. Vow
12. Refrain = hymnic petition

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Gerstenberger, Erhard S. “Psalms Part 1 with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry” Forms of Old Testament Literature (Michigan: Eerdmans, 1988).
Tate, Marvin. “Psalms 51-100” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 20 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1990).
Photo copied from http://www.outdoorphoto.co.za/gallery/data/517/214_20060116_KALG_HK.jpg

Psalm 56 – “Petition / Affirmation of Confidence”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmists trusts in God and asks to be saved from his enemies.

II. Photo
The psalmist trusts in God: “You keep count of my wanderings; put my tears into your flask, into your record.” (v. 9)

III. Select Verses
2-3: Have mercy on me, O God, for men persecute me; all day long my adversary oppresses me. My watchful foes persecute me all day long; many are my adversaries, O Exalted One.
4-5: When I am afraid, I trust in You, in God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid; what can mortals do to me?
7: They plot, they lie in ambush; they watch my every move, hoping for my death.
9: You keep count of my wanderings; put my tears into Your flask, into Your record.
13-14: I must pay my vows to You, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. For You have saved me from death, my foot from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

IV. Outline
1. Historical superscription
2a. Invocation, initial petition
2b-3. Complaint
4-5. Refrain = affirmation of confidence
7. Complaint
8. Imprecation (?)
9-10. Affirmation of confidence
11-12. Refrain = affirmation of confidence
13. Vow
14. Rationale

V. Comment
Psalm 56 appears to have all of the components of the petition/complaint/imprecation genre. Yet, it is unique in that its petition is relatively short (v. 2a) and its affirmations of confidence are relatively long (vv. 4-5, 9-12). Additionally, it is to be noted that the meaning of the imprecation in v. 8 is unclear. If the Septuagint’s reading of אין “no/nobody” instead of און “iniquity” is to be accepted, the verse would read as follows: “Thou wilt on no account save them; thou wilt bring down the people in wrath!” (Brenton’s translation)

Psalm 55 – “Imprecation”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist wishes death upon his former friends.

II. Photo
The psalmist begs to be alone: “O that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and find rest; surely, I would flee far off; I would lodge in the wilderness!” (vv. 7b-8a)

III. Select Verses
3b-6: I am tossed about, complaining and moaning at the clamor of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they bring evil upon me and furiously harass me. My heart is convulsed within me; terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling invade me; I am clothed with horror.
7-9: I said, “O that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and find rest; surely, I would flee far off; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah. I would soon find me a refuge from the sweeping wind, from the tempest.”
13-15: It is not an enemy who reviles me — I could bear that; it is not my foe who vaunts himself against me — I could hide from him; but it is you, my equal, my companion, my friend; sweet was our fellowship; we walked together in God’s house.
16: Let Him incite death against them; may they go down alive into Sheol! For where they dwell, there evil is.

IV. Outline
1. Superscription
2-3a. Invocation, initial petition
3b-9. Complaint, personal quotation
10a. Imprecation
10b-12. Complaint
13-15. Address to a former friend
16. Imprecation
21-22. Complaint
23. Pedagogic affirmation of confidence
24a. Imprecation
24b. Affirmation of confidence

V. Comment
Psalm 55 contains all of the elements of the petition/complaint/imprecation genre. Gerstenberger writes: “The reader of the psalm is impressed by the prevalence of complaints and imprecations and by the variety of complaint forms. They indeed exceed the three types defined by Westermann, namely, lament over one’s own situation, over enemies, and over God. We apparently are dealing with an enemy psalm. The confrontation with hostile powers is thus prominent in the song.” (223)

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Gerstenberger, Erhard S. “Psalms Part 1 with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry” Forms of Old Testament Literature (Michigan: Eerdmans, 1988).
Tate, Marvin. “Psalms 51-100” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 20 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1990).
Photo copied from http://icons-ecast.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/c/carlskou/117.jpg

Psalm 54 – “Petition/Imprecation”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist asks God to punish his enemies.

II. Photo
The psalmist cries out to God: “For strangers have risen against me, and ruthless men seek my life; they are unmindful of God!” (v. 5)

III. Select Verses
(the entire psalm)
1-2: For the leader; with instrumental music. A maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and told Saul, “Know, David is in hiding among us.”
3-5: O God, deliver me by Your name; by Your power vindicate me. O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen against me, and ruthless men seek my life; they are unmindful of God. Selah.
6-7: See, God is my helper; the LORD is my support. He will repay the evil of my watchful foes; by Your faithfulness, destroy them!
8-9: Then I will offer You a freewill sacrifice; I will praise Your name, LORD, for it is good, for it has saved me from my foes, and let me gaze triumphant upon my enemies.

IV. Outline
1-2. Historical superscription
3-4. Invocation, initial petition
5. Complaint
6. Affirmation of confidence
7. Imprecation
8. Vow
9. Wish/rationale

V. Comment
This short psalm has all of the marks of the complaint/petition/imprecation genre. Gerstenberger calls it a “true complaint of the individual, rooted in small-group ritual and employed in order to save and rehabilitate suffering group members.” (222) It is not clear when and where Psalm 54 was written and if the enemies in vv. 5, 7 were foreign or local.

Psalm 53 – “Pedagogic Lesson/Imprecation”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist describes a state of lawlessness, curses his oppressors, and puts his trust in God.

II. Photo
God looks down from his abode: “The Lord looks down from heaven on mankind to find a man of understanding, a man mindful of God.” (v. 3)

III. Select Verses
2: The benighted man thinks, “God does not care.” Man’s wrongdoing is corrupt and loathsome; no one does good.
3-4: God looks down from heaven on mankind to find a man of understanding, a man mindful of God. Everyone is dross, altogether foul; there is none who does good, not even one.
5-6: Are they so witless, those evildoers, who devour my people as they devour food, and do not invoke God? There they will be seized with fright — never was there such a fright — for God has scattered the bones of your besiegers; you have put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
7: O that the deliverance of Israel might come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, Jacob will exult, Israel will rejoice.

IV. Outline
1. Superscription
2. Description of the fool
3-4. Description of anarchy
5-6. Pedagogic lesson/imprecation about the wicked
7. Wish

V. Comment
Psalm 14, which is almost identical to Psalm 53, is one of the most enigmatic psalms in the entire Psalter. According to Gerstenberger, even “Gunkel openly admits that the explanation of this psalm is impossible, apart from a preconceived notion of what the text could mean” (219). The psalm, which has features of the wisdom genre, might also be classified as a lament. Support for interpreting it as a pedagogic lesson can be drawn from the fact that Paul uses it in one of his sermons (Romans 3:10-18). Gerstenberger believes that the Psalm’s message is about social inequality: “[The psalm is] aimed at justifying and strengthening the miserable peasants and craftsmen organized in precarious groups who had to pay the bills for the luxurious life of the high society” (220). He also notes that the exhortation in vv. 5-6, “in its threatening part in any case, is directed exclusively against those godless people, not against all humankind. This disproves all dogmatic interpretation from Paul to the modern exegetes… [Thus,] like Psalms 12, 36, 49, 52, etc., this poem belongs to the broader category of early Jewish synagogal speeches. More precisely, it is an instruction of the community concerning the fate of the godless.” (220)

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Craigie, Peter C. “Psalms 1-50” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 19 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1983).
Gerstenberger, Erhard S. “Psalms Part 1 with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry” Forms of Old Testament Literature (Michigan: Eerdmans, 1988).
Photo copied from http://www.customdroid.com/getcontent/image-11-02-08/18.jpg

Psalm 52 – “Condemnation of the Haughty”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist challenges and curses a haughty and wicked person.

II. Photo
The psalmist confronts the haughty man: “Your tongue devises mischief, like a sharpened razor that works treacherously!” (v. 4)

III. Select Verses
1-2: For the leader. A maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and informed Saul, telling him, “David came to Ahimelech’s house.”
3: Why do you boast of your evil, brave fellow? God’s faithfulness never ceases.
4-6: Your tongue devises mischief, like a sharpened razor that works treacherously. You prefer evil to good, the lie, to speaking truthfully. Selah. You love all pernicious words, treacherous speech.
7-9: So God will tear you down for good, will break you and pluck you from your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous, seeing it, will be awestruck; they will jibe at him, saying, “Here was a fellow who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in his great wealth, relied upon his mischief.”

IV. Outline
1-2. Historical superscription
3. Confrontation with haughty wrong-doers
4-6. Accusation
7-9. Imprecation (with quote of the righteous)
10. Affirmation of confidence
11. Vow

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

Psalm 51 – “Confessional Petition”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist confesses his guilt and begs God to be purified.

II. Photo
The psalmist begs to be cleansed of his guilt: “Purge me with hyssop till I am pure; wash me till I am whiter than snow.” (v. 9)

III. Select Verses
1-2: For the leader. A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had come to Bathsheba.
4-6: Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity, and purify me of my sin; for I recognize my transgressions, and am ever conscious of my sin. Against You alone have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are just in Your sentence, and right in Your judgment.
7: Indeed I was born with iniquity; with sin my mother conceived me.
9: Purge me with hyssop till I am pure; wash me till I am whiter than snow.
17: O LORD, open my lips, and let my mouth declare Your praise.
18-19: You do not want me to bring sacrifices; You do not desire burnt offerings; True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God, You will not despise a contrite and crushed heart.
20: May it please You to make Zion prosper; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

IV. Outline
1-2. Historical superscription
3. Invocation, initial plea
4. Petition
5-8a. Confession of guilt
8b-16. Petitions
17. Petition for prayer
18-19. Statement about sacrifice and prayer
20-21. Petition for Jerusalem and its sacrifices

V. Comment
Psalm 51 is categorized by many as a “Penitential Psalm.” Tate writes: “This is the best known of the seven traditional penitential psalms (6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143). However, the psalm is not easily classified in the usual form-critical categories. It is usually placed in the general classification of the laments of the individual. However, such characteristic features as complaint about enemies and prayer for their defeat and/or punishment is missing, as well as any protestation of innocence on the part of the speaker in the psalm (cf Pss 7:4–5; 17:2–5), and there is no motivational appeal to God for action (cf 22:10–11). On the other hand, there is a full confession of sin which is without parallel in any other biblical psalm… The paucity in the Psalms of the confession of sin and pleading for forgiveness is striking. B. W. Anderson treats the “Psalms of Penitence” (6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143) as a subcategory of individual laments and suggests that they differ in that they tend to internalize the problem of evil (94) and argues that “they agree on the fact that there is no human ground for claiming God’s grace (hΩesed)” (99). Anderson (Out of the Depths, 95) also argues that the confession in 51:3–7 serves as the complaint element of the lament. Westermann (Praise and Lament, 185) contends that in such prayers as that found in Ps 51 (he cites 27:9) “the complaint lies hidden in the petition,” assuming that in later Israelite religion there was a gradual curtailment of the direct complaint to and against God and an increase in petition, with the element of complaint tending to disappear (186). Thus in a broad sense, Ps 51 may be called an individual lament, but it is more specifically an individual confession of sin and a prayer for forgiveness (cf Kraus, I, 58–59).” (19)

Like the psalm before it, Psalm 50 speaks about the purpose of sacrifice: “You do not want me to bring sacrifices; You do not desire burnt offerings; True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God, You will not despise a contrite and crushed heart.” (vv. 18-19) As Tate points out, this sentiment is primarily found in the prophetic books:

Amos 5:21-22: I loathe, I spurn your festivals, I am not appeased by your solemn assemblies. If you offer Me burnt offerings — or your meal offerings — I will not accept them; I will pay no heed To your gifts of fatlings.
Hos. 6:6 For I desire goodness, not sacrifice; Obedience to God, rather than burnt offerings.
Is. 1:11-13: “What need have I of all your sacrifices?” Says the LORD. “I am sated with burnt offerings of rams, And suet of fatlings, And blood of bulls; And I have no delight In lambs and he-goats. That you come to appear before Me — Who asked that of you? Trample My courts no more; Bringing oblations is futile, Incense is offensive to Me. New moon and sabbath, Proclaiming of solemnities, Assemblies with iniquity, I cannot abide.
Jer. 6:20: What need have I of frankincense That comes from Sheba, Or fragrant cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.
Jer. 7:22: For when I freed your fathers from the land of Egypt, I did not speak with them or command them concerning burnt offerings or sacrifice.
Jer. 14:22: Can any of the false gods of the nations give rain? Can the skies of themselves give showers? Only You can, O LORD our God! So we hope in You, For only You made all these things.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Craigie, Peter C. “Psalms 1-50” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 19 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1983).
Gerstenberger, Erhard S. “Psalms Part 1 with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry” Forms of Old Testament Literature (Michigan: Eerdmans, 1988).
Photo copied from

Psalm 50 – “Oracle About Sacrifice”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
God speaks about sacrifice and delivers a warning to those who do wrong.

II. Photo
God speaks about sacrifice: “Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of he-goats?” (v. 13)

III. Select Verses
2: From Zion, perfect in beauty, God appeared!
4-6: He summoned the heavens above, and the earth, for the trial of His people. “Bring in My devotees, who made a covenant with Me over sacrifice!” Then the heavens proclaimed His righteousness, for He is a God who judges. Selah.
8-13: I censure you not for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings, made to Me daily; I claim no bull from your estate, no he-goats from your pens. For Mine is every animal of the forest, the beasts on a thousand mountains. I know every bird of the mountains, the creatures of the field are subject to Me. Were I hungry, I would not tell you, for Mine is the world and all it holds. Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of he-goats?
16-22: And to the wicked, God said: “Who are you to recite My laws, and mouth the terms of My covenant, seeing that you spurn My discipline, and brush My words aside? When you see a thief, you fall in with him, and throw in your lot with adulterers; you devote your mouth to evil, and yoke your tongue to deceit; you are busy maligning your brother, defaming the son of your mother. If I failed to act when you did these things, you would fancy that I was like you; so I censure you and confront you with charges. Mark this, you who are unmindful of God, lest I tear you apart and no one save you.

IV. Outline

1a. Superscription
1b-2. Account of God’s call/appearance
3-4. Introduction before God’s arrival
5-15. Oracle
    8-15. Part 1
        8. Exordium (introduction)
        9-13. Lesson: God does not need sacrifice
        14-15. Exhortation to sacrifice and pray
    16a. Speaker’s introduction to part 2
    16b-22. Part 2
        16b. Confrontation
        17-20. Accusation
        21-22. Warning
    23. Encouragement to sacrifice

V. Comment
Like Psalm 81, Psalm 50 is comprised of an introduction and an oracle. As Craigie points out, God’s main message is about sacrifice: “The essence of the divine speech concerns the meaning and purpose of sacrifices, and it was vital that the people have the meaning clear in their minds before the actual sacrifices were offered later in the day. God did not need sacrifices; the people did need them. God possessed already all the animals of the world, birds and beasts, domestic and wild (vv 10–11). He had no pressing need for an extra steer or a couple of billy goats, as if he were running short of provisions (v 13)! From one perspective, the language is comical, for it presupposes a rather weak and hungry God, waiting desperately for the next sacrifice to fill his belly, but the power of the language comes from its nature as caricature. To think of sacrifices as something that God literally required was precisely to reduce God to this absurdly hungry deity; yet a superficial and formal offering of sacrifices, based on obedience to stipulations and nothing else, was tantamount to such a view of God. The essence of the whole sacrificial system was to be found in “thanksgiving” and the fulfillment of “vows” (v 14); for at root, the covenant community did not exist for the temple, but the temple and its cult existed only as an avenue through which the worship and thanksgiving of the covenant people could be directed to God. Covenant was a relationship with God; thanksgiving to God could be expressed through the sacrificial cult, thereby enriching the relationship. And when the relationship with God was healthy, then the people in turn could confidently call upon God in times of distress and experience his deliverance and salvation (v 15).” (365-366)