Psalms 11–7
Psalm 11:1-7
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Psa.11.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- למנצח: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ביהוה: PREP+PN,sg
- חסיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- איך: ADV
- תאמרו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- לנפשי: PREP+NOUN,f,sg+PRON,1,sg
- נודי: VERB,qal,impv,2,,pl
- הרכם: VERB,qal,impv,2,,pl
- צפור: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 7:1 (verbal): Same psalmic formula: ‘O LORD my God, in you I take refuge’ (Hebrew בְּיהוָה חָסִיתִי), a close verbal parallel asserting refuge in Yahweh.
- Psalm 31:1 (verbal): Another occurrence of the exact refuge formula ‘In you, O LORD, I take refuge,’ echoing the Psalmist’s trust language found in Ps 11:1.
- Psalm 55:6–7 (thematic): Uses bird/flight imagery to express a desire to escape danger (‘Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest…’), paralleling the idea of ‘fleeing like a bird to the mountain.’
- Psalm 91:4 (thematic): Shares the refuge motif—God as the place of protection (‘He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge’), corresponding to Ps 11:1’s confidence in God rather than flight.
Alternative generated candidates
- To the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge—how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’?
- To the choirmaster. A psalm of David. In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain"?
Psa.11.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- הנה: PART
- הרשעים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ידרכון: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- קשת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כוננו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- חצם: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- על: PREP
- יתר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- לירות: VERB,qal,inf
- במו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- אפל: ADV
- לישרי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 64:3–4 (verbal): Uses the same imagery of bending bows and shooting arrows—enemies 'sharpen their tongues' and 'bend their bows' to attack the blameless, closely mirroring Ps 11:2's language and intent.
- Jeremiah 5:26–28 (verbal): Speaks of wicked men who lie in wait and 'bend their tongues like a bow' to ensnare the innocent—similar metaphor of intentional, deceitful attack on the righteous.
- Psalm 7:12–13 (structural): Employs the bent-bow motif in a closely related way—here God 'bends his bow' and prepares weapons—providing an antithetical/parallel use of the same battle imagery.
- Job 16:12–13 (verbal): Job complains of being wounded by arrows and a terrifying bow—parallel language of bows and arrows used to injure the upright, emphasizing personal assault by hostile forces.
Alternative generated candidates
- For look, the wicked bend the bow; they set their arrow on the string to shoot in secret at the upright of heart.
- For behold, the wicked bend the bow; they make ready their arrow on the string to shoot in the dark at the upright of heart.
Psa.11.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- השתות: VERB,hithpael,impf,3,pl
- יהרסון: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מה: PRON,int
- פעל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 82:5 (verbal): Uses the same image of the earth's foundations being shaken/undermined—echoing the psalm's concern that the basic supports (moral or cosmic) are destroyed.
- Job 38:4–6 (verbal): God's challenge about who laid the foundations of the earth invokes the language of foundations—contrasts human powerlessness to the Creator who establishes (or rescinds) foundations.
- Matthew 7:24–27 (thematic): Jesus' house-on-rock vs. sand parable uses the foundation image to ask what happens when foundations fail—parallels the rhetorical question about what the righteous can do if foundations are destroyed.
- Psalm 18:7–8 (Heb. 18:8–9) (thematic): Describes earth and its foundations trembling in divine judgment/rescue; thematically parallels the cosmic/shaking imagery underlying the psalmist's crisis about ruined foundations.
Alternative generated candidates
- If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
- If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Psa.11.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בהיכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- קדשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בשמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כסאו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- עיניו: NOUN,f,pl,suff
- יחזו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- עפעפיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- יבחנו: VERB,qal,imprf,3,pl
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 33:13-14 (verbal): Uses very similar language and imagery: Yahweh looks from heaven and 'beholds' humanity—parallels 'his eyes behold' and the heavenly vantage point.
- Proverbs 15:3 (verbal): 'The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good'—same motif of God's ubiquitous, discerning gaze on human beings.
- 2 Chronicles 16:9 (verbal): 'For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth'—comparable phrasing about God's searching, surveying look over people and nations.
- Isaiah 6:1 (structural): Vision of Yahweh seated on a high throne in the temple—parallels the combined temple/throne imagery ('LORD in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven').
- Hebrews 4:13 (thematic): New Testament reflection on divine scrutiny ('all things are naked and opened before the eyes of him to whom we must give account'), echoing the theme of God testing and observing human hearts.
Alternative generated candidates
- The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven. His eyes see; his eyelids test the children of man.
- The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold; his eyelids test the children of man.
Psa.11.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יבחן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ורשע: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואהב: CONJ+VERB,qal,ptc,m,sg
- חמס: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שנאה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נפשו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 7:9 (verbal): Uses the same idea of God testing hearts/reins and distinguishing righteous from wicked — 'God tests the hearts' echoes 'The LORD tests the righteous.'
- Jeremiah 20:12 (verbal): Explicitly calls on 'the LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous,' paralleling the language of divine testing and judgment in Ps 11:5.
- Proverbs 17:3 (verbal): Says the LORD tests hearts (like a crucible for metal), a succinct proverbial parallel to God's testing of the righteous in Psalm 11:5.
- 1 Peter 1:7 (thematic): Speaks of trials that test the genuineness of faith, connecting to the theme of God testing the righteous and the purifying/final judgment of those tested.
Alternative generated candidates
- The LORD is righteous: he tests the righteous; but the wicked and the one who loves violence his soul hates.
- The LORD is righteous; he tests the righteous and the wicked. He hates the one who loves violence; his soul abhors him.
Psa.11.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ימטר: VERB,hiph,impf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- פחים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וגפרית: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ורוח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זלעפות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- מנת: NOUN,f,sg,const
- כוסם: NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 34:9-10 (verbal): Uses the same image of land/people turned into burning brimstone and unquenchable fire—strong verbal parallel to “fire and brimstone” and perpetual burning.
- Ezekiel 38:22 (verbal): God ‘rains’ hail, fire, and brimstone on the foes—closely parallels the motif of divine raining of fire/brimstone on the wicked.
- Jeremiah 25:15 (verbal): God commands Jeremiah to ‘take the cup of the wine of this fury’—parallel to the cup/portion (כוסם) imagery of punishment in Ps 11:6.
- Deuteronomy 32:22 (thematic): Speaks of a fire kindled in God’s anger that burns and consumes—thematic kinship with divine wrath pictured as consuming fire.
- Revelation 14:10-11 (thematic): New Testament fulfillment/echo: the wicked ‘drink the wine of God’s wrath’ and suffer smoke/torment—echoes the cup-of-judgment and fiery punishment of Ps 11:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will rain down upon the wicked snares, fire and brimstone; a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
- He will rain snares on the wicked—fire and brimstone and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
Psa.11.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- צדקות: NOUN,f,pl,constr
- אהב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ישר: ADJ,m,sg
- יחזו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- פנימו: NOUN,m,sg,suff(3,m,sg)
Parallels
- Psalm 33:5 (verbal): Uses the same affirmation that the LORD 'loves righteousness' and links God's character to justice, closely echoing Psalm 11:7's language about the LORD's righteousness.
- Psalm 34:15 (verbal): Declares that 'the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous,' paralleling the idea that the upright shall behold God's face—both stress God's attentive regard for the righteous.
- Proverbs 15:9 (thematic): Contrasts God's disapproval of the wicked with his love for those who pursue righteousness, echoing Psalm 11:7's claim that the LORD is righteous and loves righteousness.
- 1 Peter 3:12 (allusion): New Testament echo of the Psalms: 'The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous... but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,' which mirrors Psalm 11:7's linkage of God's righteousness, his love of righteousness, and his relation to the upright versus the wicked.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteousness; the upright shall behold his face.
- For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteousness. The upright will behold his face.
To the choirmaster. A psalm of David. In the LORD I have taken refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to the mountain”?
For behold, the wicked bend the bow; they set their arrow upon the string to shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids examine the children of man.
The LORD tests the righteous, but he hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
He will rain down coals upon the wicked; fire and brimstone and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteousness; the upright shall behold his face.