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PSALM 5
STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS
NASB | NKJV | NRSV | TEV | NJB |
Prayer For Protection From the Wicked MT Intro "For the choir director; for flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David" |
A Prayer for Guidance |
Prayer for Deliverance From Personal Enemies (a Lament) |
A Prayer for Protection |
Morning Prayer |
5:1-3 | 5:1-3 | 5:1-3 | 5:1-3 | 5:1-2 |
5:3 | ||||
5:4-7 | 5:4-6 | 5:4-6 | 5:4-6 | 5:4-5a |
5:5b-6 | ||||
5:7-8 | 5:7-8 | 5:7-8 | 5:7 | |
5:8-10 | 5:8 | |||
5:9-10 | 5:9-10 | 5:9-10 | 5:9 | |
5:10 | ||||
5:11-12 | 5:11-12 | 5:11-12 | 5:11-12 | 5:11 |
5:12 |
READING CYCLE THREE(see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.
WORD AND PHRASE STUDY
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 5:1-3
1Give
ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my groaning.
2Heed the sound of my cry
for help, my King and my God,
For
to You I pray.
3In
the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my
prayer to You and eagerly watch.
5:1-2 This prayer begins with three IMPERATIVES.
These do not represent a fear on the psalmist's part that God will not hear, but Hebrew parallelism.
5:1 "O Lord" Notice the parallelism of titles.
For #3 there are several forms of the term "God/god." A good example is Deuteronomy 32.
All are based on El, which denotes power and strength. It is the general name for deity in the ANE. In poetry all are used interchangeably.
SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, A., B., C.
5:3 This Psalm denotes a morning prayer. For post-exilic Jews there were several set times a day when prayers were offered.
This faithful follower structured his day around times with God. He believed God heard and would respons (i.e., eagerly watch," Ps. 5:3b, BDB 859 I, KB 1044, Piel IMPERFECT.
The daily sacrifices in the tabernacle (cf. Exod. 29:38-42), and later temple, occurred every morning and evening. They were called "The Continual." These were special times to draw near to YHWH.
▣ | |
NASB | "I will order" |
NKJV | "I will direct" |
NRSV | "I will plead" |
TEV | "I will offer" |
NJB | "I will lay" |
LXX | "I will present" |
Peshitta | "I will prepare myself" |
This VERB (BDB 789, KB 884, Qal IMPERFECT) has a wide semantic field but basically means "to arrange something." Here it could be (1) words or (2) sacrifice.
▣ "eagerly watch" This VERB (BDB 859, KB 1044, Piel IMPERFECT) denotes expectant waiting for something, here for YHWH to respond to the psalmist's prayer (cf. Lam. 4:17; Micah 7:7; Hab. 2:1).
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 5:4-7
4For
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
5The boastful shall not
stand before Your eyes;
You
hate all who do iniquity.
6You
destroy those who speak falsehood;
The
Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
7But as for me, by Your
abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house,
At Your holy temple I will bow in
reverence for You.
5:4-6 The psalmist describes God (El, לא, see note at Ps. 5:1).
5:5 "You hate" This is shocking to us—that YHWH, the Creator, the desirer of fellowship with all humans, "hates" (BDB 971, KB 1338, Qal PERFECT). The Bible uses human terms to describe deity. This always causes tensions. See SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD DESCRIBED AS HUMAN (anthropomorphism).
His love for those "made in His image" (cf. Gen. 1:26-27) causes the opposite reaction when they treat each other in destructive ways!
5:7 In contrast to the faithless follower, the psalmist knows that because of YHWH's "abundant lovingkindness" (cf. Ps. 6:4b), he will worship Him in the tabernacle/temple in reverence.
The term "lovingkindness" is the NASB's way of translating the powerful covenant term hesed (BDB 338).
SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (HESED)
▣ "temple" There was no temple in David's day! But the same term (BDB 228) is used in 1 Sam.1:9 and 3:3 for the tabernacle. This Hebrew term was used of YHWH's house (i.e., where He dwelt).
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 5:8-10
8O
Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of
my foes;
Make Your way
straight before me.
9There
is nothing reliable in what they say;
Their
inward part is destruction itself.
Their throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.
10Hold them guilty, O
God;
By their own devices
let them fall!
In the
multitude of their transgressions thrust them out,
For they are rebellious against You.
5:8 This is the content of the psalmist's prayer mentioned in Ps. 5:1-2.
5:9 The psalmist is concerned about the words and deeds of his foes ("enemies," Ps. 5:8, BDB 1004).
Paul quotes this verse in his litany of OT texts which reflect the fallen nature of mankind in Rom. 3:10-18.
5:10 The psalmist asks God to act against the enemies because of their words and deeds.
Notice the different words the psalmist uses to describe his enemies.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 5:11-12
11But
let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let
them ever sing for joy;
And
may You shelter them,
That
those who love Your name may exult in You.
12For it is You who
blesses the righteous man, O Lord,
You surround him with favor as with
a shield.
5:11-12 In contrast to the wicked enemy, the psalmist now describes the faithful followers (i.e., PLURALS, the prayer and experience of one became the description of all).
In light of this, YHWH
One can tell the difference between a faithful follower and a faithless follower by their fruit (cf. Matt. 7:15-22)!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
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