Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist praises the righteous, denounces his enemies, and asks God to raise him from his sickbed.
II. Photo
God heals the righteous: “The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed; [He] shall wholly transform his bed of suffering.” (v. 4)
III. Select Verses
2-4: Happy is he who is thoughtful of the wretched; in bad times may the LORD keep him from harm. May the LORD guard him and preserve him; and may he be thought happy in the land. Do not subject him to the will of his enemies. The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed; You shall wholly transform his bed of suffering.
5: I said, “O LORD, have mercy on me, heal me, for I have sinned against You.”
6: My enemies speak evilly of me, “When will he die and his name perish?”
10: My ally in whom I trusted, even he who shares my bread, has been utterly false to me.
14: Blessed is the LORD, God of Israel, from eternity to eternity. Amen and Amen.
IV. Outline
1. Superscription
2-4. Pedagogic description of the righteous
5. Invocation, initial plea, confession
6-10. Complaint: Enemies and past friends
11. Petition/imprecation
12-13. Hope/confidence
14. Conclusion of Psalm Book #1
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
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 taken from http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2005/06/28/256151/PatientComplaintHandlingSoftware.jpg
