Questions tagged [psalms]
The book of Psalms, also known as "the Psalter", a collection of many poems and hymns from ancient Israel and Judah.
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What does Your Word דְבָרֶ֑ךָ mean in Psalm 119:105?
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path. (ESV)
has similar wording to John 1:1,4.
In the beginning was the Word... In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (ESV)
Is ...
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Is Psalm 74:13 prophetic of the future or a reference to the past? Was that part of the process of taming the chaotic abyss?
Psalm 74:13You crumbled the sea with Your might; You shattered the heads of the sea monsters on the water. https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16295/jewish/Cha
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How to correctly interpret Psalm 35:3?
I'm studying Psalm 35, and I am not sure how to interpret the last (in bold) part of v. 3
Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”
So far, I have ...
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Does Psalm 114 indicate that a major earthquake occurred at Mount Sinai?
A person describing being on a hill during a major earthquake told me he could see the surface of the earth moving like ocean waves. This seems to fit the description in Psalm 114.
When Israel went ...
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Who is the handmaid, and who is her son, in Psalm 86:16?
O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy
servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. (Psalm 86:16 KJV)
Reading this Psalm today today it struck that the psalmist describes ...
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In Psalm 68:18, why "received" rather than "taken"?
Psalm 68:18 reads (NIV):
When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts
from people, even from the rebellious— that you, LORD God, might dwell
there.
The word translated as &...
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Psalm 147:4 - Stars = Angels/Divine Beings?
Psalm 147:4 (ESV)
He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
Are the stars referenced above to be understood in the astronomical sense, or as a reference to angels/...
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Is there a connection in meaning between Psalm 103 and Luke 10:25-37?
In Sarah Liberman's music video she sings Psalm 103 in Hebrew, but the video obviously portrays the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Is there a connection in meaning between these two?
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What is the relevance of the reference to moon in Ps 81: 3-4?
We read in Psalms 81:3-4 (NRSVCE) :
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our festal day.
For it is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob
In those days when ...
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What was the pre-Christian interpretation of Psalm 2:7?
What was the common interpretation among the Jews Psalm 2:7, before the birth of Jesus?
I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
How would ...
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What happened on the day the son was begotten in Psalm 2?
Psalm 2:6-7 (KJV)
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
What was the nature of ...
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What is the meaning of the Hebrew word כארו as used in Psalm 22:17?
In the book "Vetus Testamentum Hebraicum : cum variis lectionibus" Kennicott, Benjamin, a comparison of manuscripts with the Masoretic text is given, of which more than 600.
https://archive....
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Is there a contradiction in Psalm 44:17?
In Psalm 44, the psalmist seems to be mourning over the present conditions they are facing in Babylon.
You handed us over like sheep to be eaten; you scattered us among the nations. (Psalms 44:11 ...
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How are we to understand the words "womb" "begotten" and "morning" in Psalm 110:3?
Psalm 110:3 Brenton Septuagint Translation, With thee is dominion in the day of thy power, in the splendours of thy saints: I have begotten thee from the womb before the morning.
Psalm 110:3 Peshitta ...
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Why is "גל" translated variously in Psalm 22:8?
The first part of Psalm 22:8 is translated variously between translations. Most translations render it as:
“He trusted in the Lord..." (NKJV)
Other translations render it:
"Commit thyself ...
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Who are the builders in Psalm 118:22 and why did the Psalmist call them "builders?"
In Psalm 118:22 (KJV) we read:
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
As I understand, the "stone" is Jesus Christ and the builders' refusal refers ...
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Is a completely generic 'speaking of oppression' a viable reading of Ps. 73:8
Psalm 73 is my favourite Psalm. Verse 8 seems to be a little obscure.
In the NASB, one clause is rendered, "they mock wickedly and speak of oppression".
Other formal equivalence translations ...
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Who are the rulers of Psalm 2:2?
The kings are described as being of the earth but the rulers are not necessarily of the earth. It does not read the kings and rulers of the earth, only the kings are of the earth. And the kings merely ...
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Has Psalms 22:16 been deliberately mistranslated? [duplicate]
Translation error
Psalms 22:16 (17 in the Jewsih Tanakh) is translated inaccurately.
Psalm 22:16
The translation given is:
"Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands ...
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Is the speaker in Psalm 22:1 forsaken literally or poetically?
The well-known Psalm 22 begins with the following as the first verse (KJV):
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
It is ...
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Is God hidden or not?
The following passages seem to support divine hiddenness:
Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. (Isaiah 45:15 ESV)
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How ...
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Why does the book of Proverbs portray a negative bias towards wine?
Proverbs 4:17 KJV
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Proverbs 20:1 KJV
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
...
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What is ‘dew’ as described in scripture and what is the application of this to our lives?
What is the dew from heaven?
Zechariah 8:12 - For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall
give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens
shall give their dew. And I ...
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Who was anointed in Psalm 45:7 and Hebrews 1:9.?
Psalm 45:7 ASV Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Whose fellows are the ones mentioned on both ...
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What is 'put on' in Psalm 132:9 ? What is the 'righteousness' and the 'salvation' that clothes?
Singing through the Songs of Degrees, morning by morning, I was struck by 132:9 and 16 and pondered on what it actually (in experience and in practice) means . . . .
... thy priests do put on ...
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Can man bless God!? Psalm 115:18
But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
Praise the Lord.
(Psalm 115:18 KJV)
But we, the living, will bless the Lord, from henceforth and for
ever. (PS 115:18 LXX - Brenton)
...
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How can we reconcile Revelation 13:8 with Psalms 69:28?
We compare:
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name
has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of
life of the Lamb who has been slain.” Revelation ...
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How do we reconcile psalms 127:3 with Ephesians 2:3?
We read:
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a
reward. Psalm 127:3
And:
And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously
walked according to the ...
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Psalm 11:5 does God’s soul hate the wicked, or does the wicked hate his own soul?
In Psalm 11:5, most English translations say something to the effect of “God’s soul hates the wicked”
(NASB) The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates....
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Psalms, difference between the Lord and his name?
Psalms 113:2; KJV;
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
Psalms 41:13; KJV;
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and ...
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Can elohim in Isaiah 53:4 be understood as gods plural, not God singular?
I'm currently trying to understand the atonement and Isaiah 53 often comes up as a proof text in penal substitution theory. I noticed in verse 4 that it often is translated as it was God who struck ...
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Psalms 48:1; 145:3; translations didn't mention "great is the Lord"?
Psalms 48:1; DRB;
48 Unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Core.
Psalms 48:1; KJV;
48 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
Psalms ...
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Does anyone know if there is a complete translation table from the Masoretic numbering to the Greek numbering of the Psalms available somewhere?
I asked myself this question today and could not find anything. I have thus decided to answer my own question here.
The basic translation table (found e.g. in Wikipedia) is the following:
Hebrew ...
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Are Psalm 41:1-2 & Psalm 51:11-12 referring to the same spiritual experience?
Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV):
As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
Psalm 51:11-12 (ESV):...
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Are promises in the psalms for today? [closed]
Can we still today claim promises in the psalms for today? Or did they ended when the NT was written?
For example psalm 145 14 "The lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down&...
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What is the most accurate rendering of Psalms 11:7
4 different translations:
“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance
beholds the upright.” Psalms 11:7 NKJV
“Certainly the Lord is just; he rewards godly deeds; the ...
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What is the most accurate rendering of Psalms 7:11 (Textual Criticism)
A few different translations:
“God judgeth the righteous, And God is angry with the wicked every
day.” Psalm 7:11 KJV
“God is a righteous judge, And a God who shows indignation every day.”
...
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Can the departed spirits / Rephaim rise (Isaiah 14:9) or not (Psalm 88:10, Isaiah 26:14)?
According to Isaiah 14:9, they can:
Sheol below is excited about you, to meet you when you come;
It stirs the spirits of the dead (Or shades (Heb Repha’im)) for you, all the leaders of the earth;
It ...
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What does "never" mean in "...the earth...it should never be moved". Psalm 104:5?
Psalm 104:5
"He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved". ESV. My emphasis.
Benson Commentary gives a time limit to this "never". It says,"till the ...
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Do the Lord of glory in 1 Corinthians and the King of glory in Psalm 24 have the same referent?
Psalm 24:7-10 says:
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD ...
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Psalms 53:2-3 vs Romans 3:10-11 “all turned aside/none seek after God”
Between the variants of the Psalms & Romans it would appear that Paul added the words “there is none who seeks after God” when it would also appear he is quoting the psalms:
“God looks down from ...
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What is the "wide place" in Psalm 119:45?
Psalm 119:44-45:
I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever,
and I shall walk in a wide place,
for I have sought your precepts.
What, exactly, is the "wide place" in this context ...
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Did David and Saul have different afterlife theologies?
On the one hand, one could arguably say that David seemed to have believed that the dead were unconscious, based on what he said in Psalm 146:4 (YLT):
His spirit goeth forth, he returneth to his ...
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Psalm 16:2 first person or second person
Some translations render “said” in Psalm 16:2 as first person singular, while others choose second person singular. Which of these two translations has a stronger textual basis?
From what I can see, ...
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Didn't David and Isaiah believe they would go to a paradise, in the presence of God, where they would worship Him, as soon as they died?
I admit one can get this impression from the following passages, which are commonly cited to make this point:
17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.
[Psalm 115:17 ...
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Hebrew of Psalm 82:8 - Gender Mismatch?
This Psalm has been dug into frequently for it's peculiar use of Elohim and conflating this name for God with children of God. It is quoted in John 10:34 as part of Jesus's discourse with the Jewish ...
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Is to die gain or not? Paul (Philippians 1:21-24, 2 Corinthians 5:8) vs. David (Psalm 6:4-5, 30:9)
According to Paul, it is:
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard ...
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God fashioning Human Hearts in Psalms 33:15
I have a Psalm I knew for years, yet I never understood it.
It’s Psalms 33:15. This Psalm makes it sound like God fashions/crafts/designs human personality, yet the word used is “heart”.
Is there any ...
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What is the primary method/meaning in “test” in Psalms 11:5?
What does it mean that the Lord tests the righteous?
I know for some other Christians this seems easy for them to interpret but for me I am curious about the exact definition. Thanks!
“The Lord ...
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How to correctly interpret the psalmist's prayer in Psalm 30:9-10?
I'm meditating in the prayer of Psalm 30:9-10:
9 “What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be ...