PSALMS 131

PSALM 131

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Childlike Trust in theLord MT Intro A Song of Ascents, of David	Simple Trust in the Lord	Act of Humble Submission to God's Will and Guidance	A Prayer of Humble Trust	Childlike Trust
131:1-3	131:1	131:1-2	131:1-3	131:1-3
	131:2	131:3
	131:3

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 131:1-3
¹O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.
²Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
³O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.

131:1 "Lord" This is the covenant name for Israel's Deity, first used in Genesis 2:4.

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

▣ "heart" This is a Hebrew idiom referring to a person.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEART

▣ "not proud" The psalmist describes his humble attitude toward God in several phrases in Ps. 131:1-2.

not proud (lit. "not lifted up") ‒ BDB 146, KB 170, Qal PERFECT
eyes not haughty (lit. "my eyes not raised") ‒ BDB 926, KB 1202, Qal PERFECT
do not involve (lit. "walk," BDB 229, KB 246, Piel PERFECT) myself in
1. great matters (BDB 152)
2. things too difficult (BDB 810, see SPECIAL TOPIC: WONDERFUL THINGS) for me
composed my soul ‒ BDB 1000, KB 1436, Piel PERFECT
quieted my soul ‒ BDB 198, KB 226, Poel PERFECT

Proud and haughty people are the recipients of YHWH's wrath (cf. Ps. 18:27; 101:5; Zeph. 3:11) because it reveals the results of the Fall of Genesis 3. Humility shows the results of a spiritual conversion and acceptance of God's revelation.

There is a real question about what the imagery of #3 means.

simply an idiom of humility
simply an idiom of dependance
someone who does not question God's great acts
someone who does not presume on God's power
a human who knows his/her place in the scheme of things (cf. Ps. 89:10)

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FALL OF MANKIND

131:2 The psalmist continues to describe his humble attitude by using the imagery of a child. Notice the imagery is of YHWH as a mother.

Gen. 1:2 ‒ the Spirit "brooded" (a FEMININE VERB)
Deut. 32:11; Exod. 19:4 ‒ actions of female eagle
the word Shaddai (see SPECIAL TOPIC: SHADDAI)
Isaiah 49:15; 66:9-13
even Jesus used feminine images for Himself ‒ Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34

For more information, listen to my sermon on Mother's Day, "The Femininity of God" online, second green box, #111; www.freebiblecommentary.org

▣ "soul" This is nephesh (BDB 659), a way, like "heart," of referring to the whole person. See full note at Gen. 35:18 online.

SPECIAL TOPIC: NEPHESH

131:3 The psalmist uses his own humble heart and peaceful hope/trust/patience (BDB 403, KB 407, Piel IMPERATIVE, cf. Ps. 130:5,6,7) to encourage national Israel to the same place.

▣ "O, Israel" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL (the name)

▣ "From this time forth and forever" This Hebrew idiom uses three words beginning with "ע" (cf. Ps. 113:2; 115:18; 121:8; 125:2).

BDB 773 ‒ ADVERB for current time (i.e., first phrase)
BDB 723 III ‒ PREPOSITION
BDB 761 ‒ IMPERATIVE, 'olam

SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam)