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Psalms №27 has a very tight thematic structure, with a set of word plays around שיר–מישור–שוררי (straight lines of verse, path, those that line up against me/opponents), צור–צרי–צרי (Rock, those that trap/trouble me, dire straits), and the consonance between צוררי–שוררי. We also get the heavy parallelism and light chiastic structure in the framing, repeated call backs to images and phrases (My Salvation, raising, no fear, God’s Face, being forsook), word play (parents forsake so God is my הורני – the one who instructs me as a parent). There is also the contrasting image of God’s prolonged angry snort vs the shallow exhalation of violence of the lying witnesses. Note too that this is an early example of “words as violence”. The penultimate verse calls back to verse 4, looking upon God’s delightful goodness, and life or the land of the living is compared to the Temple. There is also a fascinating external reference to Moses (and Elijah) being hidden in the cleft of the Rock and from there seeking to see God’s Face. Finally, there is a rather intriguing question about what it means for God to keep us on the straight and narrow path for the sake of those that line up against us. Is God acting on their behalf? Thru them? Is this the classic “antisemitism aids in Jewish unity” argument from three millennia ago or do we walk this path in order to actually save even our opponents in some way. Perhaps צוררי–שוררי is about opponents vs adversaries and praying God will draw a fine line between them from which we will not cross over or stray into.
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| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ |
For David- |
יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א יְהוָ֥ה מָֽעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃ |
God, my light and my salvation, whom do I fear? God, my life’s fortress, whom do I dread? |
בִּקְרֹ֤ב עָלַ֨י ׀ מְרֵעִים֮ לֶאֱכֹ֪ל אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י צָרַ֣י וְאֹיְבַ֣י לִ֑י הֵ֖מָּה כָשְׁל֣וּ וְנָפָֽלוּ׃ |
When the evil, injurious grazers close in to consume my flesh They are my trappers and enemies, (in their haste to consume me) they stumble and fall |
אִם־תַּחֲנֶ֬ה עָלַ֨י ׀ מַחֲנֶה֮ לֹֽא־יִירָ֪א לִ֫בִּ֥י אִם־תָּק֣וּם עָ֭לַי מִלְחָמָ֑ה בְּ֝זֹ֗את אֲנִ֣י בוֹטֵֽחַ׃ |
If a camp be pitched against me, my heart shall not fear If war be raised against me, in this I will trust |
אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־יְהוָה֮ אוֹתָ֪הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יְ֭הוָה כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י לַחֲז֥וֹת בְּנֹֽעַם־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר בְּהֵיכָלֽוֹ׃ |
One request I have made from God, this I seek To sit in God’s House all the days of my life To gaze upon the Divine delightfulness and to contemplate in His Temple |
כִּ֤י יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי ׀ בְּסֻכֹּה֮ בְּי֪וֹם רָ֫עָ֥ה יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵ֣תֶר אָהֳל֑וֹ בְּ֝צ֗וּר יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי׃ |
For He hides me as a treasure in His Sukkah on an evil day He secrets me away in the secret corners of His Tent Within the rock He raises-exalts me |
וְעַתָּ֨ה יָר֪וּם רֹאשִׁ֡י עַ֤ל אֹֽיְבַ֬י סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה בְ֭אָהֳלוֹ זִבְחֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה לַיהוָֽה׃ |
Thus, now my head is raised over my surrounding enemies And I will sacrifice in His Tent sacrifices with crying blasts I will sing and chant to God |
שְׁמַע־יְהוָ֖ה קוֹלִ֥י אֶקְרָ֗א וְחָנֵּ֥נִי וַעֲנֵֽנִי׃ לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃ |
God listen! My voice calls to you! And you graced me! And You answered me: “To you My heart says, ‘Seek My Face’” (Thus) The Face of God I seek |
אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ אַֽל־תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ עֶזְרָתִ֥י הָיִ֑יתָ אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי וְאַל־תַּֽ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃ |
Do not hide Your Face from me Do not prolong Your angry snort at Your servant My aid You have been Do not brush me off and do not forsake me, my God, my Salvation |
כִּי־אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֣י עֲזָב֑וּנִי וַֽיהוָ֣ה יַֽאַסְפֵֽנִי׃ |
For my father and mother forsook me And God will gather me in |
ה֤וֹרֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֗ה דַּ֫רְכֶּ֥ךָ וּ֭נְחֵנִי בְּאֹ֣רַח מִישׁ֑וֹר לְ֝מַ֗עַן שׁוֹרְרָֽי׃ |
Teach me as a parent Your path, God, and rest me on Your straight path, for the sake of my opponents (those who keep me on the straight and narrow) |
אַֽל־תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ צָרָ֑י כִּ֥י קָֽמוּ־בִ֥י עֵֽדֵי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר וִיפֵ֥חַ חָמָֽס׃ |
(But) Do not confine my soul in dire straits For lying witnesses have stood against me, exhaling violence |
לׅׄוּלֵׅׄ֗אׅׄ הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי לִרְא֥וֹת בְּֽטוּב־יְהוָ֗ה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּֽים׃ |
Except I trusted that I would see of God’s Goodness in the Living Land |
קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְה֫וָ֥ה חֲ֭זַק וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃ |
Attend with hope toward God, strength and take courage in your heart, and attend with hope toward God |
“תהלים כ״ז | Psalms 27 (translation by Yosef Razin)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
Yosef Razin
the Masoretic Text
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