SPECIAL TOPIC: godly ones, holy ones (from Psalm 79:2)

Ps. 79:2

NASB  "Your godly ones"
NKJV, Peshitta  "Your saints"
REB  "everyone loyal to you"
NRSV, NJB, JPSOA  "your faithful"
LXX  "your devout"
TEV  "your servants"

This ADJECTIVE (BDB 339, KB 337) is based on the powerful covenant NOUN hesed (BDB 338, KB 336), which denoted God's covenant loyalty! So, the ADJECTIVE denotes His faithful covenant followers (e.g., 1 Sam. 2:9; Ps. 4:3; 12:1; 30:4; 31:23; 37:28; 50:5; 79:2; 85:8; 89:19; 97:10; 116:15; 132:9; 145:10; 148:14; 149:1,5,9; Mic. 7:2).

The phrase can also be used for

  1. priests ‒ Deut. 33:8; 2 Chr. 6:4; Ps. 132:16
  2. the Messiah ‒ Ps. 16:10
  3. angels of the heavenly council ‒ Ps. 29:1; 103:19-22; 148:2; see SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVENLY COUNCIL

In this context it is parallel to "your servants" in Ps. 7:2a.

The problem identifying the persons that this refers to is Ps. 16:10, which seems to be Messianic!

I have included my exegetical notes from Ps. 16:10.

Ps. 16:10

NASB, NKJV, Peshitta  "Your Holy One"
NRSV, JPSOA  "your faithful one"
NJB, REB  "your faithful servant"
LXX  "your devout"
NET Bible, Peshitta  "your faithful follower"

The Hebrew has "your godly one" (חסיד BDB 339, KB 337). This word is used often to describe

  1. those covenant people who loved, served, and obeyed YHWH (cf. Ps. 4:3; 12:1; 32:6; 86:2; Micah 7:2)
  2. when used of YHWH it is translated "kind" (cf. Ps. 18:25; 145:17) or "gracious" (cf. Jer. 3:12) because this verse is quoted by both Peter (cf. Acts 2:27,31) and Paul (cf. Acts 13:35) to refer to Jesus' resurrection. In this Psalm the term is translated "Holy One" (NASB, NKJV). I am not sure how to view this verse in the context of Psalm 16. In context it obviously refers to a godly, faithful Israelite (note the parallelism of Ps. 16:10). It could then have been understood by Apostles as Messianic
  1. prophecy (see SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY [OT])
  2. typology (see SPECIAL TOPIC: TYPOLOGY)
  3. multiple fulfillment

The Apostles looked back into the OT and saw many signs and foreshadowing, as well as specific predictions, of the life, work, death, resurrection, and coming again of Jesus Christ! I trust their inspiration.

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