This limmud is part of the ongoing FHJC Psalm 27 Series. The rest of the content can be found here : https://www.sefaria.org/groups/FHJC-Psalm-27-Series .
Before we start speaking about this prayer-poem together, first just take a few minutes to read through it on your own, trying your best to approach it with fresh eyes.
As you do, here are two sets of questions to keep in mind. The first set includes initial guiding questions which we will continually circle back to throughout our sessions. The second set will be the first topic we will really focus on.
Initial Guiding Questions
- Who is the speaker? (How many are there? What is the speaker/s like? What is the speaker/s' age? Sex? Socio-political standing? Religious beliefs/convictions?)
- What is the speaker/s doing? (Asking for something? Expressing something? Trying to accomplish something?)
- What are the speaker/s' emotions?
- Who is the intended audience?
Genre and Division
- What genre would you place this Psalm into? (The convention is divide psalms into 5 genres; praise, wisdom, royal, thanksgiving, and lament.)
- How many units, or sections are there?
- What are the various themes, or motifs, in each section?
- Why might the sections be in this order?
(א) לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א יְהוָ֥ה מָֽעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃
(ב) בִּקְרֹ֤ב עָלַ֨י ׀ מְרֵעִים֮ לֶאֱכֹ֪ל אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י צָרַ֣י וְאֹיְבַ֣י לִ֑י הֵ֖מָּה כָשְׁל֣וּ וְנָפָֽלוּ׃ (ג) אִם־תַּחֲנֶ֬ה עָלַ֨י ׀ מַחֲנֶה֮ לֹֽא־יִירָ֪א לִ֫בִּ֥י אִם־תָּק֣וּם עָ֭לַי מִלְחָמָ֑ה בְּ֝זֹ֗את אֲנִ֣י בוֹטֵֽחַ׃
(ד) אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־יְהוָה֮ אוֹתָ֪הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יְ֭הוָה כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י לַחֲז֥וֹת בְּנֹֽעַם־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר בְּהֵיכָלֽוֹ׃ (ה) כִּ֤י יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי ׀ בְּסֻכֹּה֮ בְּי֪וֹם רָ֫עָ֥ה יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵ֣תֶר אָהֳל֑וֹ בְּ֝צ֗וּר יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי׃ (ו) וְעַתָּ֨ה יָר֪וּם רֹאשִׁ֡י עַ֤ל אֹֽיְבַ֬י סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה בְ֭אָהֳלוֹ זִבְחֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה לַיהוָֽה׃
(ז) שְׁמַע־יְהוָ֖ה קוֹלִ֥י אֶקְרָ֗א וְחָנֵּ֥נִי וַעֲנֵֽנִי׃
(ח) לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃ (ט) אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ אַֽל־תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ
עֶזְרָתִ֥י הָיִ֑יתָ אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי וְאַל־תַּֽ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃
(י) כִּי־אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֣י עֲזָב֑וּנִי וַֽיהוָ֣ה יַֽאַסְפֵֽנִי׃
(יא) ה֤וֹרֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֗ה דַּ֫רְכֶּ֥ךָ וּ֭נְחֵנִי בְּאֹ֣רַח מִישׁ֑וֹר לְ֝מַ֗עַן שׁוֹרְרָֽי׃ (יב) אַֽל־תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ צָרָ֑י כִּ֥י קָֽמוּ־בִ֥י עֵֽדֵי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר וִיפֵ֥חַ חָמָֽס׃
(יג) לׅׄוּלֵׅׄ֗אׅׄ הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי לִרְא֥וֹת בְּֽטוּב־יְהוָ֗ה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּֽים׃
(יד) קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְה֫וָ֥ה חֲ֭זַק וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃
(1) YHWH is my light and my rescue; whom should I fear? YHWH is the stronghold of my life; whom should I dread? (2) When evil men assail me to devour my flesh— my foes and my enemies - it is they who stumble and fall. (3) Should an encampment encamp against me, my heart would not fear. Should war rise against me, in this would I have utter confidence. (4) Just one thing I ask of YHWH, only that do I seek: to live in the house of YHWH all the days of my life; To behold the beauty of YHWH, and to gaze upon his palace. (5) For he will shelter me in his pavilion on an evil day, will conceal me in the secrecy of his tent, will raise me high upon a rock. (6) Now my head is raised high over my enemies roundabout! And I sacrifice in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy! May I sing and hymn to YHWH! (7) Hear, O YHWH, my voice when I call! Be gracious to me, and answer me! (8) Of you my heart has said, "Seek, O my face!" Your face, YHWH, I indeed seek.(9) Do not hide your face from me! Do not thrust aside in anger your servant! You have ever been my help. Do not forsake me, do not abandon me, O Elohei-yish'i! (10) Though my father and mother abandon me, YHWH will take me in. (11) Teach me, O YHWH, your way, and place me on a level path because of my adversaries! (12) Do not turn me over to the maw of my foes; For false witnesses have risen against me, breathing threats of violence. (13) Had I not trusted in seeing the YHWH-goodness in the land of the living... (14) Hope for YHWH!; Strengthen, and firm-up your heart, and hope for YHWH!
Let's start talking about genre. You might have had a hard time placing this one prayer cleanly into one, for it certainly exhibits elements which would pull it in different directions.
That is not uncommon when categorizing Judean and Israelite prayer-poems. The reason for this is a sudden and dramatic shift in tone at some point. (Can you spot where that happens here?)
So take another look, but this time treating the poem until this moment as one prayer-poem, and the everything after this moment as a separate prayer poem. Can you now cleanly place each of these into one genre?
Here is something fascinating, which many people never notice on their own; But then once it is pointed out to them, they start seeing everywhere;
The above phenomenon, of a Judean or Israelite prayer-poem starting off one way, but then exhibiting a complete! turnaround, is an incredibly widespread feature throughout all of the prayer-poems they have left us.
The most common genre of the prayer-poems is the lament, or an urgent and desperate plea. But most laments will not end until becoming, suddenly and quite jarringly, a joyous and celebratory prayer of thanksgiving!
Here are three examples. Can you spot this sudden mood-switch?
(2) O YHWH! Don't, in your anger, rebuke me! And don't, in your wrath, chastise me!
(3) Be gracious to me, YHWH, for I am wretched. Heal me, YHWH, for my bones are bewildered.
(4) My whole life is bewildered utterly. And you, YHWH, how much longer?
(5) Come back, YHWH! Release me. Rescue me, for the sake of your faithfulness!
(6) For none in death remember you; In sheol, who could know you?
(7) I am exhausted from groaning; I make my bed swim every night; With tears, I water my couch.
(8) Dimmed, from frustration are my eyes; Ripped out by my tormentors.
(9) Turn from me, all you wrong-doers! For YHWH has heard the sound of my cries!
(10) YHWH has heard my supplication; YHWH has accepted my prayers!
(11) May they be shamed and bewildered utterly, all of my enemies. May they be turned back and shamed. Instantly.
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֤חַ ׀ עַל־י֬וֹנַת אֵ֣לֶם רְ֭חֹקִים לְדָוִ֣ד מִכְתָּ֑ם בֶּֽאֱחֹ֨ז אֹת֖וֹ פְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים בְּגַֽת׃ (ב) חָנֵּ֣נִי אֱ֭לֹהִים כִּֽי־שְׁאָפַ֣נִי אֱנ֑וֹשׁ כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם לֹחֵ֥ם יִלְחָצֵֽנִי׃ (ג) שָׁאֲפ֣וּ שׁ֭וֹרְרַי כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם כִּֽי־רַבִּ֨ים לֹחֲמִ֖ים לִ֣י מָרֽוֹם׃ (ד) י֥וֹם אִירָ֑א אֲ֝נִ֗י אֵלֶ֥יךָ אֶבְטָֽח׃ (ה) בֵּאלֹהִים֮ אֲהַלֵּ֪ל דְּבָ֫ר֥וֹ בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בָשָׂ֣ר לִֽי׃ (ו) כָּל־הַ֭יּוֹם דְּבָרַ֣י יְעַצֵּ֑בוּ עָלַ֖י כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֣ם לָרָֽע׃ (ז) יָג֤וּרוּ ׀ יצפינו [יִצְפּ֗וֹנוּ] הֵ֭מָּה עֲקֵבַ֣י יִשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כַּ֝אֲשֶׁ֗ר קִוּ֥וּ נַפְשִֽׁי׃ (ח) עַל־אָ֥וֶן פַּלֶּט־לָ֑מוֹ בְּ֝אַ֗ף עַמִּ֤ים ׀ הוֹרֵ֬ד אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (ט) נֹדִי֮ סָפַ֪רְתָּ֫ה אָ֥תָּה שִׂ֣ימָה דִמְעָתִ֣י בְנֹאדֶ֑ךָ הֲ֝לֹ֗א בְּסִפְרָתֶֽךָ׃ (י) אָ֥֨ז יָ֘שׁ֤וּבוּ אוֹיְבַ֣י אָ֭חוֹר בְּי֣וֹם אֶקְרָ֑א זֶה־יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים לִֽי׃ (יא) בֵּֽ֭אלֹהִים אֲהַלֵּ֣ל דָּבָ֑ר בַּ֝יהוָ֗ה אֲהַלֵּ֥ל דָּבָֽר׃ (יב) בֵּֽאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה אָדָ֣ם לִֽי׃ (יג) עָלַ֣י אֱלֹהִ֣ים נְדָרֶ֑יךָ אֲשַׁלֵּ֖ם תּוֹדֹ֣ת לָֽךְ׃ (יד) כִּ֤י הִצַּ֪לְתָּ נַפְשִׁ֡י מִמָּוֶת֮ הֲלֹ֥א רַגְלַ֗י מִ֫דֶּ֥חִי לְ֭הִֽתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּ֝א֗וֹר הַֽחַיִּֽים׃
(2) Be gracious to me, O Elohim, for man swallows me up! All day long, war oppresses me!
(3) My tormentors swallow me up all day long, for many are those who wage war against me, O Most High!
(4) The day that I fear, to you I shall trust.
(5) In Elohim I will praise his word; In Elohim I shall trust! I shall not fear... What could mere flesh do to me?
(6) All day long, my words they pain; All of their intentions are malicious.
(7) They gather... they hide... observing my footsteps, hoping for my life.
(8) For their mischief, deliver (me?) from them! In wrath, bring down nations, O Elohim!
(9) My sorrow, you, you have counted; collected my tears in your sackloth; Have you not counted each one?
(10) Then may my enemies be turned backward on the day that I call out; This I know; that Elohim is for me!
(11) In Elohim I shall praise the word! In YHWH I shall praise the word!
(12) In Elohim I trust, and shall not fear! What can mere man do to me?
(13) Upon myself, Elohim, are your vows. I shall pay thanksgiving-offerings to you!
(14) For you have saved my life from death; yes, my feet from slipping! In order to walk before Elohim in the light of life!
(2) Hear-Elohim, my voice when I speak! From terror of the enemy, guard my life!
(3) Conceal me from the secrets of the evil-doers; From the insurrection of the workers of iniquity!
(4) Those who have sharpened, like a sword, their tongue; They have pulled back their arrow, a word of bitterness.
(5) To shoot, secretly, the wholesome. Suddenly! They will shoot, not fearing.
(6) They strengthen themselves, words of wickedness they speak of hiding snares, asking, Who would see them?
(7) They seek out iniquities; But we have hidden them from even the most diligent search! In the midst of man, in the depths of the heart.
(8) Elohim will shoot an arrow at them - suddenly, they shall be wounded!
(9) It will cause them to stumble, their very own tongues; All who see them shall wag their heads.
(10) Everyone will see, and will speak of the deeds of Elohim, and of his actions, they will reflect upon.
(11) The righteous will revel with YHWH, and will shelter him! And they will praise, all the upright-of-heart!
With that, let's look back our prayer-poem of interest, Psalm 27. Here it is again.
How is this one similar and different from what we have seen in the above three examples?
(א) לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א יְהוָ֥ה מָֽעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃ (ב) בִּקְרֹ֤ב עָלַ֨י ׀ מְרֵעִים֮ לֶאֱכֹ֪ל אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י צָרַ֣י וְאֹיְבַ֣י לִ֑י הֵ֖מָּה כָשְׁל֣וּ וְנָפָֽלוּ׃ (ג) אִם־תַּחֲנֶ֬ה עָלַ֨י ׀ מַחֲנֶה֮ לֹֽא־יִירָ֪א לִ֫בִּ֥י אִם־תָּק֣וּם עָ֭לַי מִלְחָמָ֑ה בְּ֝זֹ֗את אֲנִ֣י בוֹטֵֽחַ׃ (ד) אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־יְהוָה֮ אוֹתָ֪הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יְ֭הוָה כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י לַחֲז֥וֹת בְּנֹֽעַם־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר בְּהֵיכָלֽוֹ׃ (ה) כִּ֤י יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי ׀ בְּסֻכֹּה֮ בְּי֪וֹם רָ֫עָ֥ה יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵ֣תֶר אָהֳל֑וֹ בְּ֝צ֗וּר יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי׃ (ו) וְעַתָּ֨ה יָר֪וּם רֹאשִׁ֡י עַ֤ל אֹֽיְבַ֬י סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה בְ֭אָהֳלוֹ זִבְחֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה לַיהוָֽה׃ (ז) שְׁמַע־יְהוָ֖ה קוֹלִ֥י אֶקְרָ֗א וְחָנֵּ֥נִי וַעֲנֵֽנִי׃ (ח) לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃ (ט) אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ אַֽל־תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ עֶזְרָתִ֥י הָיִ֑יתָ אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי וְאַל־תַּֽ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃ (י) כִּי־אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֣י עֲזָב֑וּנִי וַֽיהוָ֣ה יַֽאַסְפֵֽנִי׃ (יא) ה֤וֹרֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֗ה דַּ֫רְכֶּ֥ךָ וּ֭נְחֵנִי בְּאֹ֣רַח מִישׁ֑וֹר לְ֝מַ֗עַן שׁוֹרְרָֽי׃ (יב) אַֽל־תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ צָרָ֑י כִּ֥י קָֽמוּ־בִ֥י עֵֽדֵי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר וִיפֵ֥חַ חָמָֽס׃ (יג) לׅׄוּלֵׅׄ֗אׅׄ הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי לִרְא֥וֹת בְּֽטוּב־יְהוָ֗ה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּֽים׃ (יד) קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְה֫וָ֥ה חֲ֭זַק וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃
(1) YHWH is my light and my rescue; whom should I fear? YHWH is the stronghold of my life; whom should I dread?
(2) When evil men assail me to devour my flesh— my foes and my enemies - it is they who stumble and fall.
(3) Should an encampment encamp against me, my heart would not fear.
Should war rise against me, in this would I have utter confidence.
(4) Just one thing I ask of YHWH, only that do I seek: to live in the house of YHWH all the days of my life;
To behold the beauty of YHWH, and to gaze on his palace.
(5) For he will shelter me in his pavilion on an evil day, will conceal me in the secrecy of his tent, will raise me high upon a rock. (6) Now is my head raised high over my enemies roundabout!
And I sacrifice in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy!
May I sing and hymn to YHWH!
(7) Hear, O YHWH, my voice when I call! Be gracious to me, and answer me!
(8) Of you my heart has said, "Seek, O my face!" Your face, YHWH, I indeed seek.(9) Do not hide your face from me! Do not thrust aside in anger your servant!
You have ever been my help. Do not forsake me, do not abandon me, O Elohei-yish'i!
(10) Though my father and mother abandon me, YHWH will take me in.
(11) Teach me, O YHWH, your way, and place me on a level path because of my adversaries!
(12) Do not turn me over to the maw of my foes; For false witnesses have risen against me, breathing threats of violence.
(13) Had I not trusted in seeing the YHWH-goodness in the land of the living...
(14) Hope for YHWH!; Strengthen, and firm-up your heart, and hope for YHWH!
As you might have picked up on, while the examples above go from lament to thanksgiving/praise; this one seems to go the other way around!
Take a moment to think on this. Why would this be?
Consider the different moments in your life when you would feel a need to turn to the Almighty in prayer, and feel free to respond to any of the following questions:
- Are there moments when, if praying with your own words and from your own heart, you might express something which is consistent with the structure of any of what we have seen above?
- When and why would you utter something which has the structure of, say, Psalm 6? And when would it look like Psalm 27?
- What kind of an impact would you, as the pray-er, be intending to have on YHWH when reciting something which follows either of the above structures?
- How might you, as the pray-er, be affected during and after the recitation of one of these types verses the other?
It also pays to keep in mind when the a Judean (or Israelite) poet picks up on a root that had already been used and revisits it.
Oftentimes when this happens, the psalter is intending a juxtaposition between the two vereses with shared roots in order to emphasize a contrast or a common denominator.
Let's look at some of that here:
(א) יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א יְהוָ֥ה מָֽעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃
(ט) אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ אַֽל־תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ עֶזְרָתִ֥י הָיִ֑יתָ אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי וְאַל־תַּֽ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃
(1) YHWH is my light and my rescue; whom should I fear?
YHWH is the stronghold of my life, whom should I dread?
(9) Do not hide your face from me; do not thrust aside your servant in anger; You have ever been my help.
Do not forsake me, do not abandon me, O my Eloha, my deliverer!
(ה) כִּ֤י יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי ׀ בְּסֻכֹּה֮ בְּי֪וֹם רָ֫עָ֥ה יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵ֣תֶר אָהֳל֑וֹ בְּ֝צ֗וּר יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי׃
(ט) אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ אַֽל־תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ עֶזְרָתִ֥י הָיִ֑יתָ אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי וְאַל־תַּֽ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃
(5) He will shelter me in his pavilion on an evil day, grant me the protection of his tent, raise me high upon a rock.
(9) Do not hide Your face from me; do not thrust aside your servant in anger; You have ever been my help.
Do not forsake me, do not abandon me, O Eloha, my deliverer!
What do you think about this point? Does reading these verses in light of each other add any dimension of meaning for you? Could the psalter be trying to communicate something beyond the mere meaning of the words themselves?
