Psalm 119 ל lamed
Verse 96 came up as I was working on an extensive study on the root כלה. This is where I went on a (very productive) rabbit trail. Falling down rabbit holes can be enlightening.
Psalms 119:89-96
(ל LAMED)
89 Forever, O LORD,
Your word is settled in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness (endures) to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
91 They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all (are) Your servants.
92 Unless Your Torah (had been) my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life.
94 I (am) Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.
95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
(But) I will consider Your testimonies.
96 I have seen the consummation of all perfection,
(But) Your commandment (is) exceedingly broad.
Psalms 119:89-96 The subheading is added in English versions: note each line begins with ל ⬇︎
89 לְעוֹלָ֥ם יְהוָ֑ה דְּ֝בָרְךָ֗ נִצָּ֥ב בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
90 לְדֹ֣ר וָ֭דֹר אֱמֽוּנָתֶ֑ךָ כּוֹנַ֥נְתָּ אֶ֝֗רֶץ וַֽתַּעֲמֹֽד׃
91 לְֽ֭מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ עָמְד֣וּ הַיֹּ֑ום כִּ֖י הַכֹּ֣ל עֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃
92 לוּלֵ֣י תֹ֭ורָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י אָ֝֗ז אָבַ֥דְתִּי בְעָנְיִֽי׃
93 לְ֭עוֹלָם לֹא־אֶשְׁכַּ֣ח פִּקּוּדֶ֑יךָ כִּ֥י בָ֝֗ם חִיִּיתָֽנִי׃
94 לְֽךָ־אֲ֭נִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי כִּ֖י פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ דָרָֽשְׁתִּי׃
95 לִ֤י קִוּ֣וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לְאַבְּדֵ֑נִי עֵ֝דֹתֶ֗יךָ אֶתְבּוֹנָֽן׃
96 לְֽכָל תִּ֭כְלָה רָאִ֣יתִי קֵ֑ץ רְחָבָ֖ה מִצְוָתְךָ֣ מְאֹֽד׃
I have recently also been working on a study of ל lamed. Hopefully I will get to share it before long.
Psalms 119:95-96
95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
(But) I will consider Your testimonies.
96 I have seen the consummation of all perfection (h8502. תִּכְלָה ṯiḵlâ),
(But) Your commandment (NOT PLURAL) is exceedingly broad.
- Occurs in this form only one other time:
Deuteronomy 26:12-13
12 כִּ֣י תְכַלֶּ֞ה לַ֠עְשֵׂר אֶת־כָּל־מַעְשַׂ֧ר תְּבוּאָתְךָ֛ בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ת שְׁנַ֣ת הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֑ר וְנָתַתָּ֣ה לַלֵּוִי֙ וְלַגֵּר֙ לַיָּתֹ֣ום וְלָאַלְמָנָ֔ה וְאָכְל֥וּ בִשְׁעָרֶ֖יךָ וְשָׂבֵֽעוּ׃
13 וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ לִפְנֵי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ בִּעַ֧רְתִּי הַקֹּ֣דֶשׁ מִן־הַבַּ֗יִת וְגַ֨ם נְתַתִּ֤יו לַלֵּוִי֙ וְלַגֵּר֙ לַיָּתֹ֣ום וְלָאַלְמָנָ֔ה כְּכָל־מִצְוָתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתָ֑נִי לֹֽא־עָבַ֥רְתִּי מִמִּצְוֹתֶ֖יךָ וְלֹ֥א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃
Deuteronomy 26:8-15
8 And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God. 11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.
12 “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the LORD your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment (NOT PLURAL) that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me. 15 Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’
Levite לַלֵּוִ֗י
BDB All Results: לֵוִי הַ לְ
לֵוִי
GLOSS Levi
PARSING Hebrew, noun, proper
Sojourner לַגֵּר֙
BDB All Results: גֵּר הַ לְ
גֵּר
GLOSS sojourner
PARSING Hebrew, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute
[• גִּר-chalk(-stone). Is27:9
• גֵּר-alien, sojourner, stranger.
h1615. גִּר g̱ir; perhaps from h3564. כּוּר kûr ?? Is27:9
h1616. גֵּר g̱êr; or (fully) גֵּיר geyr; from h1481. גּוּר gûr; (92 occ.)]
GV p.44 גרר swirl [around]; p.43 גרה enrage [conflict]; p.38 גור live fearfully; p.100 יגרfear; p.149 נגר flow [downward]
DV אגר – p.44 גרר swirl [around]; p.38 גור live fearfully > p.3 אגר collect [store for safe keeping]
DV הגר – p.44 גרר swirl [around]; p.43 גרה anger [enrage; conflict]; p.38 גור live fearfully > p.56 הגר isolate from social contact – Note this is Hagar
DV גהר – p.44 גרר swirl [around] > p.37 גהר stretch over No DV גאר
CM גרר encircle (C43); גרה limit activity (C40); גור cover/uncover (C7); יגר express concern (C48); נגר separate (D72); אגר and הגר concentrate energy (A15); גהר extend/contain (C16)
Fatherless לַיָּתֹ֣ום
BDB All Results: יָתוֹם הַ לְ
יָתוֹם
GLOSS orphan
PARSING Hebrew, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute
Widow וְלָֽאַלְמָנָ֔ה
BDB All Results: אַלְמָנָה הַ לְ וְ
אַלְמָנָה
GLOSS widow
PARSING Hebrew, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute
h0490. אַלְמָנָה ’almânâ; fem of h0488. אַלְמָן ’almân; a widow; also a desolate place: — desolate house (palace), widow.
h0488. אַלְמָן ’almân; prolonged from h0481. אָלַם ’âlam in the sense of bereavement; discarded (as a divorced person): — forsaken.
AV (1) – forsaken 1
h0481. אָלַם ’âlam; a primitive root; to tie fast; hence (of the mouth) to be tongue-tie: — bind, be dumb, put to silence.
And consider אל + מנה
[• אַל-nay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.
• אַל-not.
• אֵל-God (god), [idiom] goodly, [idiom] great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in ‘-el.’
• אֵל-these, those. Compare אֵלֶּה[ʼêl-leh].
• אֵל-these.
• אֵל-about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both…and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).
h0410. אֵל ’êl (245 occ.); shortened from h0352. אַיִל ’aiyl; from / same as h0193. אוּל ’ûl; h0411. אֵל ’êl (9 occ.); h0412. אֵל ’êl (Ez5:15); (Aramaic) corresponding to 411: h0413. אֵל’êl (38 occ.);]
GV p.10 אלל deny [obstruct development]; p.10 אלה master [combine elements for control]; p.5 אול vacillate [lack clarity of purpose]; p.99 יאל decide [initiate action; begin a process]; p.9 איל strengthen
¿ DV אהל – p.10 אלל deny [obstruct development]; p.10 אלה master [combine elements for control] > p.4 אהל radiate in all directions ? No other DVs
CM אלל encourage/deny growth (A34); אלה develop/decline (A33); אול restrain (A5); אילmove directly/circularly (A11); יאל activate/deactivate (C2); (אהל no cognates)
+
Levite, sojourner, fatherless, widow
What is in common?
All are dependent upon others.
For all, an element of fear and confusion.
To these we are to give our support, our tithe.
And please note how the word “together” keeps appearing.
Matthew 23:23
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier (g0926. βαρύς barys) (matters) of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
g0926. βαρύς barys LXX ↔︎ h3515. כָּבֵד ḵâḇêḏ
Important to notice how Yeshua/Jesus phrases it – justice and mercy and faith. Justice and mercy you likely see easily in supporting those who are dependent upon others. What is the “faith” element? As so often in Hebraic thinking, one must think of these situations from both sides, both directions. Those in that position, whether voluntarily or by life circumstances, must have the faith that support will come, come from God, but come through others, the messengers/angels in their lives. Life circumstances have a tendency to make us bitter. If our bitterness brings a crusty attitude we may not get a lot of support. If our life circumstances have us on our knees, our Sustainer hears and “sees to it” (h3070. יְהוָֹה יִרְאֶהyhwh iyr’eh). Difficult circumstances in life bring good for mankind, on both sides of the equation••• the “weightier matters,” justice, mercy, and faith.
Your Commandment
You are richly blessed. In whatever way you are richly blessed, Pay It Forward. Change the World.
November 2021 logandspeck.com please cite if copying