Ps. 10 (opening)

O Yhwh / why / do you stand / at a distance

why / do you conceal yourself / in times of trouble?

In arrogance / the wicked / hotly pursue / the afflicted;

Let them / be caught up / in the devices / they have planned

for / the wicked / has boasted / of his / innermost desires

and / the robbers / has cursed.

A common manner of reading this portion of the psalm is that the psalmist moves from a place of confusion and/or despondency to a place of confidence in Yhwh; when interepreted in this manner these opening verses are relativized as the originating from a place of insecurity and, thereby, as not the fullest or ‘truest’expressions of faith. The psalm is, then, interpreted as a type of inward-spiritual transformation; it is, in a word, rather pietistic. As an example—some would say that Yhwh is not really ‘far off’ or ‘standing at a distance’, but that the psalmist is so overcome by injustice that he cannot ‘see’Yhwh as enthroned and present. Yhwh’s ‘distance’ is therefore not an objective state of affairs but an internal blindness on the part of the psalmist. In a sense, this makes these opening verses to be a type of ‘shadow-expression’, something that has not emerged into the fully light of true faith-vision—the progression in the psalm is purely internal to the psalmist. I think this has a lot going for it; the psalm does shift perspective as it progresses. However, I want to see if there is a way of tracking this psalm that takes these initial verses with seriousness, or, in a way, more literally. Essentially, what happens when we read this as it stands: that Yhwh is, in times of trouble, actually standing far off (meaning, to state it more explicitly, Yhwh’s distance is, in fact, real and not something caused by the internal/subjectivity of the psalmist). To begin: the psalmist asks why Yhwh ‘stands far off’ and ‘conceals’ himself in times of trouble. Initially, we must observe this: so far, we have encountered this idea of Yhwh’s absence; however, what we have not seen is that Yhwh is somehow incapable of being present. Rather, it seems to be rooted in his prerogative. Notice the words used “standing far off”is matched by “conceal”. The predominate idea is that Yhwh is choosing to stand far off/conceal himself. In addition, the word ‘conceal’ is suggestive: he actually is present but he is ‘in hiding’ or ‘in cognito’. Is the psalmist somehow attempting to gain traction on the idea by matching these two images: one of absence, the other of hidden presence? Might it be that the psalmist has no way to formulate, in abstract precise terms, Yhwh’s ‘location’ in times of trouble? My understanding of what it means for Yhwh to ‘conceal’ himself is limited; the only instances I know of refer to him as being ‘concealed in darkness’ and ‘in cloud’. Interestingly, there is, perhaps, an indication that the original ‘darkness’of creation was but a ‘concealment’ of Yhwh: a type of shrouding or a waiting for him to begin his act. Exactly what this means, though, is difficult to determine. Often, his concealing of himself is in order to guard the people against his unmediated presence: something that would destroy them. It is, therefore, an act of protection; this is an interesting concept but not one that I think need detain us for long (in order to be in Yhwh’s presence was to be in the presence of a concealed Yhwh). Here, though, his ‘concealment’ actually leaves the psalmist in a very vulnerable position and subject to attack. These are just some initial thoughts. But they are important because I think we are going to find that they flow, quite naturally, into the psalmist mediation upon “the wicked” who claim Yhwh does not see their action, or, will do nothing about it. Note, however, this fact: the “wicked” are the ones who believe Yhwh is unable to detect their wickedness or unable to do anything about it; the psalmist, on the other hand, never indicates that is his belief, only that Yhwh is concealing himself; he knows Yhwh could intervene.

From these initial considerations, we move into the arena of ‘the wicked’, and the shift is abrupt. The opening verses are a complaint against the passivity of Yhwh (he is, intentionally, either doing nothing about the situation or he is present but concealing himself; either way he refuses to engage in the injustice being performed). These verse, by contrast are full of the wicked’s activity: they “hotly pursue” the afflicted in arrogance. Whereas Yhwh appears to be veiled, these men’s faces of arrogance are fully revealed. Whereas Yhwh’s presence is almost entirely reserved and undetectable, these men’s actions are performed openly and without reserve. The use of the word ‘arrogance’ is important to note: these men, in these verses, are portrayed as flaunting their wickedness. They are not acting by stealth, but in the full light of day. This type of wickedness is, perhaps, the most blatant: to act in stealth is to still act as if one could be caught by a greater power; to act in the open is to say that the person against whom one is committing the crime, is unable to stop the activity (in essence, the wicked are saying they are stronger than Yhwh). This ‘arrogance’ is a direct contrast to Yhwh’s ‘concealment’.We have seen something vaguely similar in Ps. 2—there, the nations were allowed to congregate and muster their strength. They were allowed to travel to the mountain of God and they were allowed to issue their threats. In the context of that psalm, their ability to ‘gather their strength’served as a foil to Yhwh’s booming laughter. It was as if Yhwh was allowing them (‘concealing himself’) to build themselves up as high as possible to show them that, as high as they could get, was no comparison with his might (their words of war were but a source of laughter to Yhwh). Approaching this psalm may be getting ahead of ourselves: it does point, however, to this open rebellion on the part of the wicked (in other words, this ‘arrogance’ of the wicked) and of Yhwh’s ‘concealment’ or allowing the wicked space to grow in order to show them just how infantile they are. From this the psalmist issues what we have seen so often: “Let them be caught in their own devices”. The psalmist is, very appropriately, calling down judgment on these wicked men, but in the manner we have come identify in almost every psalm: the ‘judgment’ is in simply permitting them to be caught in their own webs; it is, in other words, allowing them to continue their evil actions in such a way that the edifice they create comes crashing down on their own heads (or, in an image of Psalm 9—allow them to continue digging their own pit and Sheol (the idea of Sheol as being ‘excavated’by the wicked I find fascinating)). “For the wicked has boasted of his innermost desire”—this is reminiscent of something we saw previously, in ps. __. There, the righteous man commanded to wicked to keep his wicked thoughts to himself; he was allowed to grind away on his bed, but he was not permitted to actually perform his evil actions. Here, though, we find that these ‘innermost thoughts’ have come to fruition: the wicked have ‘given birth’ to them and this is described as “boasting”. There are, in the prophets, indications that ‘boasting’is a form of idolatry (a ‘boaster’ is someone who sets up and worships a foreign god; it may be that they set up these foreign gods in close proximity, if not in, the Temple). Here, the image is similar, as we will see more fully later: the boasting of wickedness is a direct claim that Yhwh is unable or unwilling to counter it. It is, in effect, an idolatrous statement because it places another being alongside Yhwh as more powerful than he: the wicked person himself (or, his god). To hold the thoughts in is, like the ‘stealth’ described above, a statement that one still works within a framework that could ‘bring down judgment’. However, when these thoughts are no longer ‘inner’ and have emerged into the light, they are ‘boasting’ in that they allow the wicked actions complete reign in the public/communal sphere

Ps. 9 (let nations know they are only human)

Arise / O Yhwh / do not let / humans / prevail

Let / the nations / be judged / before you

Put fear / in them / O Yhwh

Let / the nations / know / they are / only human.

There are two initial observations. The first is that, again, we see the motif of the ‘rising’ or ascending of Yhwh in order to become the judge of the nations/earth. It is one of the most common directives issued at Yhwh we have seen in the previous psalms; and, note, it is a command issued to Yhwh. The psalmist is imploring Yhwh to ascend to his throne and, in light of the previous verses, the reason is that the hope of the afflicted is about to be quenched, and the poor forgotten. This is an intercessory prayer by one who, reflecting upon the absolute destruction of nations by Yhwh, does not want this same destruction to fall upon Yhwh’s afflicted. For that reason, he stands within this space of hope and a fading memory, and asks that Yhwh ascend—it is this action, this ‘ascension’,that will re-ignite hope and memory because, as we have seen, the ascension of Yhwh to his throne is his both rescuing of the afflicted/righteous and his condemning/judging of the perpetrators (here, the nations). That is the first aspect. The second is the use of the word “let”: do not let humans prevail…let the nations be judged…let the nations know. Again, this is something we have had the opportunity to reflect on before but it deserves more attention in light of our first observations. The first use of the word, “do not let”,implies an almost active agency on the part of Yhwh: the psalmist is asking Yhwh to intervene in some manner, actively. The second and third use, however, seem more passive: “let the nations be judged….let the nations know”. The psalmist is not saying, “judge the nations” or “make the nations know”. There is a sense here that Yhwh simply needs to notdo anything in order for these (judgment and ‘knowing’) to take place. Now, this observation must be counter-balanced this fact: Arise Yhwh (active), Let nations be judged (passive), Put fear in them (active), Let nations known (passive). The dynamism here is unmistakable. And I think we can, very tentatively, say something to this effect: the rising of Yhwh as ‘judge’ of the nations effects both of these movements (the active and the passive). What I mean is this: when Yhwh ascends his throne, evil is ‘brought to its completion’as it boomerangs back upon the heads of the evildoing, and righteousness is redeemed to Yhwh’s praise. It is as if Yhwh’s presence, alone, reveals things as they are (evil, as evil and therefore as judged; righteousness, as innocent and therefore redeemed). Yhwh’s ascension is like a sun: hardening clay that is wicked, but softening wax that is able to be molded. It is the nature of the objects that stand in his light (as the ascended king) that determines the judgment; their nature ‘effects their own judgment’ (passive), and yet this judgment is effected because Yhwh has ascended his throne (active).

A final observation to make is in regard to the last two lines. There, we see the psalmist pleading with Yhwh to “put fear” in the nations. The effect, however, is so they “know they are only human”. It seems like an important insight given the fact that wisdom is said to “begin with fear of Yhwh”. Essentially, the psalmist is asking that the nations be cured of their foolishness, but it is one rooted in their esteeming themselves as ‘more than human’. If we look back at how the ‘nations’ have been treated in this psalm something interesting conclusions can be reached regarding why this ‘fear’is so important. The ‘nations’ are only mentioned, explicitly (other than the two times in these concluding verses), three times. In the first—they are ‘rebuked’by the enthroned Yhwh. They are also in the company of the ‘wicked’ who ‘perish’.They are also described, in this first instance, as having been subjected to utter destruction: Yhwh has ‘wiped out their names’. As we saw, this utter destruction is contrasted to the current plight of the afflicted, who also stand close to ‘perishing’. So, we see here the fact that, in the past, nations have not only been ‘struck down’ by Yhwh but annihilated, without remainder. In between the first and second mention there is a long description of Yhwh as the‘refuge of the oppressed’ and the “Enthroned of Zion”. The second time we find them, shovel in hand, digging a pit, only to find, once Yhwh ‘arises’, themselves plunging headlong into the cavern they created; again, the nations are described as being in the company of (or, being identified as) the ‘wicked’.The third time is likely a development of the second: the nations “return” to Sheol. Importantly, here they are described as ‘forgetting God’ and, in their absentmindedness, afflicted the righteous. These forsaken ones are perhaps the central character of the entire psalm (thus far). They have been forced into the dust by these wicked nations and the psalmist is imploring Yhwh to ascend, presumably ‘higher’ than the nations so that he can effectuate judgment, restore the earth to justice and thereby re-ignite the hope that is in danger of being snuffed out. Importantly, the ‘afflicted’ are those who are in the present. The psalm fluctuates wildly between the past, the present and the future. The past is marked by the destruction of nations—the future by the ‘setting things to right’ by Yhwh. The present is a time of affliction for Yhwh’s people, which is precisely why the psalmist implores him to “arise”. In sum, what we see is that the nations have begun to do again what they have done in the past: they have arisen against Yhwh’s people and afflicted them. They have ‘raised their heads’ so high that they are in danger of eclipsing the Enthroned of Zion. Their‘raising themselves up’ though is actually revealed to be their forcing (or attempting to force) Yhwh’s people into “the pit”; they are not, therefore, climbing higher as much as driving everyone else into the ground. Two further observation is this—1) the nations are described as “forgetting God”. In this last line it is implored by Yhwh that he “let the nations know they are only human”. It is an important juxtaposition: in the one, something is absent from their minds that should be (God), in the second it would seem that something is there that shouldnot be (they think they are “more than human”). While these should probably not be equated, they do relate to each other: to forget God can lead, disastrously, to a belief that a nation is more than human (and, vice versa, to remember God is to know that the nation is‘only human’); 2) this is not described as relation to individuals but to ‘nations’.When one is involved within such a unified force, as in a nation, it is almost impossible to keep in mind that that nation is just “as human” as Adam. The sheer size, power and durability of a nation would (almost inevitably) lead to an understanding that the nation is imbued with a force that exceeds what is mere ‘human’ and, in fact, is informed with the life of the divine. Throughout Scripture we see nations take on these additional powers: they are often described with terrifying power (often as monstrous beasts). They seem like anything but ‘human’. It is tempting to say that to view a nation as ‘merely human’ is not something that would/could come naturally to it but that it is only those who have stood within the Divine Name who see this fact so clearly (and, here, we see an additional ‘reality’ that springs from the Divine Name: that nations themselves are entirely relativized and brought low, even as much as man is revealed to be “Adam” and ‘raised up’). The question then becomes, “How would they ever know they were ‘only human’?” With these thoughts in mind these lines take on an added poignancy: “Let the nations know they are only human”. For the nations to know they are ‘only human’ they must be brought within the governance of Yhwh. As we saw in Ps. 2, they must become vassals and submit themselves to Yhwh (and, there, his anointed). They do not ‘become Israel’; they remain other ‘nations’. They do, however, come to recognize what must be ‘beheld’in this psalm: that Yhwh is the Enthroned of Zion and, for that reason, they are ‘only human’

Ps. 9 (to end)

Nations / have sunk / into the pit / they have made.

Their foot / was caught / in the net / which they hid.

Yhwh / has revealed / himself / he has executed / judgment

by the action / of his hands / striking down / the wicked.

At first glance the opening verses appear very similar to previous psalms: the idea Yhwh punishing the wicked by allowing their evil to ‘boomerang’back upon their own heads. In addition, the idea of Yhwh as the judge/adjudicator of the nations is very familiar. What is not common though (thus far in our psalms) is the combining of both of these ideas. Previously, the ‘boomerang’ of judgment descended upon individual wicked men who were attacking the righteous, ‘chosen’ possessions of Yhwh. Here, the ‘boomerang’ is extended to apply to entire nations. This, in and of itself, may not seem surprising. But note how we have already encountered the nations in our psalm: they were to ‘uprooted’ and made a ‘perpetual waste’; Yhwh’s previous judgment effected an erasure of their ‘name’ from the earth. Are we to understand this ‘making waste’ as similar to this current form of judgment? If so, it seems to me that the same re-orientation we have needed as to previous psalms, now applies to ‘world-history’(biblically speaking); it something that requires a fundamentally different vision of what is ‘natural’ and what is ‘supernatural’. What is interesting to note (and we have commented on this before) is that this ‘wrath’ or ‘judgment’by Yhwh that applied in individual circumstances is something that applies in national (world-wide) judgment as well. Paul will later pick up on this idea, although in a different key, in Romans when he says God’s wrath is ‘revealed’by his giving the nations up to their passions. This leads into another (almost startling) observation (in both Paul and this psalm): this falling of the nations into their own pit is regarded as a ‘revelation’ of Yhwh. It is fascinating that this almost passive act by Yhwh is regarded as a positive manifestation of his sovereignty over history and the nations. The contrast in the psalm couldn’t appear starker: the nations fall into a pit they dig, and get trapped in a net they have set—and this is regarded as a revelation of Yhwh himself striking down the nations with his hand. As I have argued previously, this vision of Yhwh is something that emerges from contemplation of the Divine Name; it arguably cannot be seen from some ‘neutral’vantage point. One final point regarding these verses: notice how the nations ‘sink into the pit’, while, in the previous verses Yhwh was designated as the psalmist’s “guardian from the gates of death”. While one is redeemed, delivered, and ‘lifted up’ from “the pit”, the other (who actually dug the pit to begin with) ‘sinks down’ into this Sheol-type pit of destruction. It is an interesting idea: that Sheol is somehow the pit made by the wicked, as if their evil actions actually construct the underworld to which they will descend. And this image coheres very well with what we have observed in other psalms: that ‘judgment’ is not simply the destruction of the wicked but the redemption of Yhwh’s chosen; there is no redemption without destruction—there is no ‘lifting up’ from the ‘the pit’ without a sending down into the pit those who attacked Yhwh’s people

The wicked / shall return / to Sheol

all nations / that forget / God

for the poor / will not / always / be forgotten

nor will / the hope / of the afflicted / perish / forever.

One of the most interesting, and puzzling aspects, of these verses is the fact that the wicked are deemed to be ‘returning’to Sheol. Had it said the wicked shall ‘descend’ into Sheol, it would have made more sense. Yet, we see here the fact that the wicked came from Sheol, walked on the earth for a time, and are now, by Yhwh’s hand, shoved back into Sheol. I honestly do not know what to make of it: the previous verse did describe them as digging “the pit” and perhaps what this means is that they were ‘in’ the pit digging, came out to lay a trap for the innocent and are now, because of Yhwh’s judgment, ‘returning’ to the pit they dug. Or, perhaps this should be taken more ‘metaphorically’: the wicked are those whose ‘home’ is Sheol, the place where Yhwh is forgotten. In this sense, the wicked’s actions begin at the same place the foolish man begins—forgetfulness of Yhwh—and their ‘return’ is understood as their ‘sinking’ back into the origin of their wickedness. And, again, notice how there is the reference to the ‘nations’—this is not some personalized/individualized judgment; it is absolute in scope—entire ‘nations’now sink into the underworld and become the shades that dwell in the land where Yhwh’s name does not.

For the poor / will not / always / be forgotten nor will / the hope / of the afflicted / perish / forever. There are a few things we need to observe about these lines, and, back into some previous insights. First, it spears that the poor are, now, forgotten; they are suffering. What is not being stated here is that their position is one of perspective, or one to be endured for some greater end. Rather, the point of the verse is to stress that they will be remembered, concretely, in the future—there will be a time when, in history and reality, they will be redeemed (much like Israel was redeemed from Egypt). Likewise, these afflicted people are in danger of losing hope; it is as if their nourishment is drying up and they are in danger of dying. Again, the impetus to these verses is the fact that there will be a time of real and true redemption and that the present is one of a very precarious existence; they, again like Israel, are in danger of losing their ability to ‘cry out’ because their ability to hope is in danger. In this psalm, and as we have seen, things really can be lost and return to dust. This is described as “being forgotten”. And, we have encountered this phrase already. Earlier in the psalm there was recounted the fact that Yhwh has utterly destroyed certain nations; so much so, in fact, that their ‘memory’ is erased from the earth. Here, the loss of memory is applied not to the wicked nations but to the righteous afflicted of Yhwh. However, whereas there the memory of these nations was utterly wiped out, here, the poor are assured that they will not suffer the same fate. Their memory was “finished, in perpetual ruins, and perished”—these men’s hope “will not perish forever”; although, it is not necessarily because of something inherent in them as much as the fact that Yhwh will ‘remember’ them so that their ‘memory’ may persist and they will be able to avoid going down to Sheol where there is no ‘memory’ of Yhwh but praise Yhwh in the gates of daughter Zion and memorialize his saving deeds (of them). There is this dual image here: they will not be ‘forgotten’ and their hope will not ‘perish’. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to reverse these images? “They will not perish and their hope will not be forgotten”? Yet, their very existence is tied here to Yhwh’s remembrance of them; it is a fascinating detail. By merging these two images we see that existence of the afflicted is grounded in the memory of Yhwh, as if his ability to ‘turn’ in his mind towards these people and take notice of them is itself what grants them life/redemption. We find here a subtle confirmation of what we have observed before: that to appeal to Yhwh’s ‘memory’ is to appeal to him for his deliverance and life-giving power. Likewise, their ability to ‘hope’ is intimately, if not irrevocably, tied to this—Yhwh will not forget, their hope will not perish. Hope is the sphere in which the afflicted dwell that enables them to ‘remembered’ by Yhwh. Likewise, it may be that hope is sphere in which Yhwh’s acts are ‘remembered’ and recounted which, as we saw, is the vehicle in which those who dwell with Yhwh secure their ‘dwelling’. To lose hope is to forget Yhwh; to forget Yhwh is to already embody Sheol (where there is no memory of Yhwh); to embody Sheol is “to perish”.

Ps. 9.8-16

Behold / Yhwh / shall reign / forever

he / has established / his throne / of judgment

And he shall / judge / the world / with righteousness

And he shall / adjudicate / the peoples / with equity.

It is an interesting contrast to what we saw previously. Just one verse ago the nations were described as being utterly annihilated, “laid waste” and their names “forgotten.” Yet here we find Yhwh as judge who adjudicates with righteousness and equity. The entire world falls stands beneath his throne and purview of his governance is absolute and all encompassing. A continuous belief in an ‘omnipotent’ god may blind us to this rather shocking claim, something that falls so easily off of the lips of the psalmist and yet something that inspired the greatest measure of praise and security. He begins with “Behold”, a term that conjures up images of a herald announcing the arrival of a king. It is a type of ‘unveiling’; it provides us with the sense that what is about to be seen is something not simply worthy of our attention but, in fact, demands our attention. In this way to “behold”something also carries with it a sense that the mind and spirit must be engaged to truly appreciate/revere what is about to be displayed, this ‘appreciation’/reverence being an aspect of ‘seeing’ in the first place (one who does not appreciate/revere what is about to be displayed will not, actually, see it; in this way what is about to be seen requires an aesthetic perception). Likewise, to use this term creates a momentary space for the reader; it is a preface. It asks the reader to ‘gather themselves’ together and focus. Once the veil is pulled back one is given a vision of Yhwh (in the future) reigning forever. This is not something that be immediately grasped. One must be prepared for this vision, and, therefore, by implication, one can be looking and “not see”. Notice how the future tense is used: Yhwh—shall reign, shall judge, shall adjudicate. He has already, though, established his throne. It seems to me that you see here Yhwh establishing his throne, sitting upon it, and, through the course of time, adjudicating the nations. This can take on a ‘total’ perspective and move toward a type of ‘final’ judgment; but it can also embody this sense that Yhwh’s judgment is an ongoing matter, something he ‘shall’ do in a continuous sense. The interesting question is what his ‘establishing his throne’ could refer to. Is creation itself to be understood in this manner? Or, is it the creation/birth of Israel and Yhwh’s subsequent descent into their camp where (now) his ‘footstool’ dwells and from which he rules over the nations. Does it mean then, “Yhwh has established his throne of judgment (in Israel)”?Future prophecies tend to focus on this aspect: judgment goes forth from Zion and Solomon’s wisdom is one centered in Jerusalem and it is to Jerusalem that everyone will stream in order to learn. This could be understood as an interesting take on Exodus: the deliverance of Israel from Egypt was Yhwh’s becoming King of the earth (in contrast to the Pharaoh/king of the world). Perhaps this is (yet another) effect of the revealing of the Divine Name? Could it be that when Yhwh revealed his name to Israel he was actually making them into his throne, preparing them, so to speak, to be the vessel of his enthronement? This would have interesting implications for Jesus: his life, as the new Exodus, would be his ‘becoming’ the true and final king, and his crucifixion and resurrection would be both the establishment of his throne (as Paul seems to imply) and the final judgment (as John seems to imply), and an ongoing matter (as Luke-Acts seems to imply, in the Church). Lastly, one thing that this Psalm highlights that, perhaps, has not been at the forefront of every other judgment psalm is the fact that Yhwh’s judgment takes place in “righteousness and equity”.Previous psalms have certainly spoken to this, either explicitly or implicitly, however, many of those references center on the speaker’s own righteousness—Yhwh will defend the individual because the individual is righteous. Here, on the other hand, we see something a little more abstract. It is referring to the quality inherent in Yhwh and is ability to adjudicate with equity; it is not, as we saw in other psalms, something that is as tied to the individual. This is really not much of a difference. It does, however, open a window perhaps a little bit further than we had previously seen.

And Yhwh / shall be / a refuge / for / the oppressed

a refuge / for times / of trouble

And the ones / who know / your name /shall trust / in You

for You / have not forsaken / those / who seek you / O Yhwh.

A common theme running throughout our reflections on this psalm is the fact that we have already encountered many of the deployed images and phrases. Here, we find a reference to the “refuge” that David referred to in Ps. 7. There, we noted how a ‘refuge’ is not something directly appealed to in a time of battle (it is not, for example, like calling out for one’s “arm to be strengthened”). Rather, a ‘refuge’ tends to be an image that a person in distress and extreme vulnerability will revert to; a person, as in Ps. 7, in extreme exposure to enemies and seeking a place of rest. Those conclusions are reinforced here: the refuge (also could be translated as a ‘fortress’) is for the ‘oppressed’, those who cannot fight for themselves. Likewise it becomes a type of ‘haven’ in “times of trouble”. In Ps. 7 we noted how a ‘refuge’ is often described as a harbor to the churning ocean, or a cave from a predator. Here, the refuge is specifically designated as a place of safety in “times of trouble”: what is not sought is that the chaos swirling outside be calmed as much as a place of safety within that chaos be established. Interestingly, this ‘refuge’ imagery quickly leads int0 the Divine Name. It seems as if the Divine Name, itself, might operate as this ‘refuge’.Importantly, it is those who “know your name” that will finds this refuge; it is not something that is as ‘evident’ as a harbor, or a cave. To ‘know’ the Name, arguably, is to incorporate all of our reflections on the Name thus far: it is to see that creation and history itself spring from that Name, it is to see that the name is ‘majestic’ and that it inspires, in creation, a sense of insignificance, the name is also what reveals Adam (Adam ‘springs from the name’)and the fact that he is the king of creation. In short, to ‘know’ the Divine Name, is to simply know the letters Y-H-W-H. It is to ‘know’, in an intimate fashion, how that name ‘acts’. Likewise, as the opening of this Psalm indicates, it is to ‘praise’ the Divine Name and his “wondrous works”. This incorporates the significance we saw in Deut. 8 of the fact that remembrance of Yhwh is what, in a way, maintains one’s acceptance to His presence; it is what guards the covenant partner against rebellion or indifference. To remember his works, is to praise his works: and, as Deuteronomy also makes clear (rather shockingly), this is rooted in a love of Yhwh. In an almost back-door approach, we have come to the heart of the covenant for Israel: to ‘know the name’ is to love the name and that ‘love’ is something that can be (and must be) approached from a variety of angles, including all of the above described means (reverence, fear, insignificance, creation, time, etc…). Each one of these provides a unique avenue into the Name, and it is along each of these avenues that one comes to see that the Divine Name is not only a source of strength but also a ‘refuge’for the oppressed. It is a continuous movement: one does not ever come to ‘know’the Divine Name if, by that, one means a comprehension of the Name. Rather, to ‘know’the name is to seek the name.

Sing praises / to Yhwh / the Enthroned One / of Zion

declare / his deeds / among / the peoples!

For the Avenger of Blood / has remembered / them

he has not / forgotten / the cry / of / the afflicted.

I do not believe we have seen before what occurs in these few lines: there is, here, a type of re-application and re-interpretation of the opening. There, the psalmist declared, “I will praise the Lord…I will recount your works…I will rejoice…I will sing the praises of your name.” Here, we see, “(You all) sing praises to Yhwh…declare his deeds among the peoples!”. What began as a future declaration, “I will” has now moved into a present action, “Sing praises…” and, what began as individual, “I will sing praises”, has become communal command “(You all” sing praises to Yhwh”. Actually, once this pattern is detected we notice a movement that we would not have seen before:

A (vs. 1-2): singing praises

B (vs. 3-4): Yhwh as protector

C (vs. 4-5) rebuking of nations

C1 (vs. 6-7): judging the nations

B1 (vs. 8-9): Yhwh as refuge/protector

A1 (vs. 10-11): singing praises.

This type of movement reveals a development at work in the Psalm:

beginning as a call for future praise (A),

moves into the Yhwh as the (future) protector (B),

the past/present rebuking of the nations (C),

beholding the seated King (C1),

Yhwh as the current protector (B1),

the present signing of praises for deliverance (A1).

The action, therefore centers into and flows out of vs. 4-7, the verses that sum focus the readers attention onto the present ruling and protective action of Yhwh. What began as a future hope, moved into a present vision (Behold!), and flowed back out into a praise that is no longer something anticipated but something currently experienced. The crux, I believe, is the statement we have already reflected upon, “Behold, Yhwh shall reign forever, he has established his throne of judgment.” These verses stand at the middle of this movement and also express the sense of time we have noticed throughout between a past action, a future hope, and a present reality. As we saw, though, the present reality is one that must make its way through the word of “Behold” and its command for attention. The reason this is important is because the current signing of praises in this portion of the psalm comes after that ‘turn’. It is as if those verses were the gateway, and, unless one properly understands them one is not able to get to the ‘present’ singing of praise in the verses today. From that moment on the psalmist began to mention not just “my enemies”, as he does in the first movement, but now he begins to talk about Yhwh as a refuge “for the oppressed.” It looks like this:

I will sing praises (A)

Yhwh has been my protector (B)

Yhwh has uprooted cities (C)

Yhwh judges the world (C1)

Yhwh shall be refuge for oppressed, the ones who seek your name (B1)

(You all) sing praises (A1)

There is something interesting to note about this movement and how it ties into the changes between the opening call to praise and the current call: the opening call centered upon the individual’s past recalling of the actions of Yhwh. We saw how the ‘wonders’ of Yhwh often had connotations of the wonders performed in the Exodus story. Now, though, the source of the ‘recounting’of the works is different: it is Yhwh’s present remembering of the afflicted cries. What began as a recounting of the past deliverance as the source of praise is now a present deliverance as the source of praise. However, and this is fascinating, the psalmist employs a very ancient title of Yhwh in the present fulfillment: the “Avenger of Blood”. This reaches back to the time of Cain and Abel, long before the Exodus, and points the original action of violence experienced outside the garden. The psalmist has placed the ‘afflicted’in the position of Abel who suffered murder at the hands of his brother Abel and whose “blood cries out from the ground”. He has also, though, tied to this the “remembering” of the “afflicted” which calls to mind the Exodus story: the “afflicted” “cried out” to Yhwh who didn’t “forget them”. Just as Cain and Pharaoh were punished (or ‘stricken’) because of their attack on the righteous, so too will the “Enthroned One of Zion” now punish, or ‘strike’/curse, those who are his attacking his “afflicted ones”.

The last observation to make is the use of “the Enthroned One of Zion”. We have encountered this term before, in Psalm 2, when the Enthroned One shouted at the nations that they must submit to “his anointed one”. One interesting difference is, there, he was not referred to as the “Enthroned One of Zion” although he did say that his anointed was established on Zion “my holy mountain”.Here, the term has simply become a single identification: Enthroned One of Zion. Here, too, there is no mention of an anointed as taking the action of deliverer but Yhwh himself as “taking up the cause” of the afflicted. No more is the rebuke delivered by a “rod of iron” placed in David’s hand, but the rebuke seems almost unmediated—except for this fact: now “Zion” itself seems to be the mediating place of Yhwh’s presence. We will see later how the center of attention has focused on the city in a way unlike in Psalm 2.

Be gracious / to me / O Yhwh / Look upon / my affliction from / those / who hate me

my guardian / from / the gates / of death

that / I may / recount / all your praise / in the gates / of / the daughter / of Zion

I will / rejoice / in / Your deliverance.

After our previous reflections regarding to movement from the “I” of the opening to the “us” of the later verses, we find ourselves again in the deeply personal sphere. The nationalistic perspective has sunk again into the background (Yhwh is not here to be referred to as the Enthroned of Zion). Rather, we are in the territory of Ps. 6 and the “plea of the sick man”; it is apparent though that this man is encountering Sheol because of false accusations rather than a pressing and debilitating sickness. There is a tendency to see the opening words as an appeal for the “undeserved and unmerited” glance of Yhwh. While this may be true I think it tends to obscure the intimacy that one senses in these words. Two things need to be said here. The first—these are not the words of a foreigner but of an intimate. It is certainly the case that this man stands on nothing of his own in his appeal (and this is an important point we will need to return to), however, where one orients this appeal adds the ‘color’ through which we see it. This is a man who stands within a covenantal relationship with Yhwh; we have seen throughout this psalm his desire to praise Him, to recount his works and to see him as the arbitrator of the entire world. It is from this deep and broad perspective that this appeal emerges—we might say that the more one comes into an intimate contact with Yhwh, the more one inhabits this realm of appeal. The second—it is crucial that we recognize that this appeal for graciousness emerges from within a particular realm: the saving from death. Here, I think, we miss something essential if we abstract the principle of ‘graciousness’ from where this man stands. Without rehashing everything we have said about Sheol we must reemphasize this: Israel, the more it reflected upon the Divine Name, the more it came to realize that death was not a divine realm (there was no ‘god of the underworld’ in Iraelite thought). For that reason, man, in reflecting upon death, understood that he (man: Adam) is simply dust—there is no ‘divine principle’ or ‘spark’. When he dies, he returns to dust. Understood in this context the appeal to ‘graciousness’is absolutely necessary—in the face of death, nothing will or can save man/Adam, other than the gracious ‘glance’ of Yhwh. Both of these reflections combine in the phrase:“my guardian from the gate of death”. Notice how, although this request is a call for ‘graciousness’ it is grounded in this very intimate awareness of Yhwh: he is “my guardian”. What this reveals is that this appeal is not one grounded on the ‘nothing’ speaking to the ‘One’. Rather, it emerges from an intimate to a loving superior: covenantal relationship with Yhwh is one that both heightens this intimacy and instills within the covenant partner that Yhwh is the only one who can and is a ‘guardian’from Sheol. This sense of Yhwh as ‘guardian’ may emerge from the covenantal relationship itself: the duties of the superior to the inferior partner as bonded through the act of familial love and devotion. And, again, this appeal to grace is saturated with the reality of ‘death’ and ‘living’. We might say this: in this psalm, grace cannot be understood apart from the covenantal relationship between Yhwh and Israel and the reality, that emerged with that relationship, of the banality of death.“Gates of death” and “gates of daughter of Zion”: there are several unique features of this portion of the psalm. We have already commented on one: Yhwh as guardian of death. The second is this image of the ‘two cities’: death and Zion. There are a few things to notice about this. The first is that death has no familial designation (“daughter” of Zion). It is simply “death”. It holds no bond to Zion and, in fact, holds no bonds to anything. We have already spoken about this in an earlier reflection. “Daughter Zion”on the other hand is a city that is, in its nature, a familial city. The question, though, is “Who is the father/mother?” Israel, in the Exodus, is often referred to as the redeemed “first-born” son of Yhwh (in contrast to the ‘first-born’of the Egyptians). The nation is, then, understood to be the ‘first-born’priest of Yhwh to the world. Here, we see that the city Jerusalem, is the daughter of Zion. Jerusalem’s birth, in contrast to Israel’s, emerges from Zion (not from Yhwh directly). This is a fascinating insight: Zion is something that is ‘fatherly’and is not identical to Jerusalem itself. The Temple, perhaps, is what this psalm is thinking of. If that is so, the Temple (that came much later than the city) is understood as the real source of the city’s foundation; it is the ‘source’of the city. Or, it could mean that Zion is a heavenly reality that has descended to earth and, thereby, constitutes Jerusalem as its ‘daughter’.This image can, of course, work well with the Temple as well (the Temple as being given by God to Moses in contrast to the tower of Babel as being built from the ‘earth’ upward): perhaps we see here that “Zion” is what gives birth to the Temple, rather than the Temple giving ‘birth’ to the city. Whatever its referent, what we see is profound: Yhwh guards against the gates of death and stands with Zion and his daughter, Jerusalem/Temple. The ‘home’ of Yhwh is in Zion and, from there (where the Name dwells) emerges remembrance and praise (Deut. 8). What is crucial for our purposes is what this adds to previous reflections on Ps. 6—now, Zion is understood as the source of the living presence of Yhwh. It ‘gives birth’ to children (Eve-like). Is it too much to suggest that Yhwh has married Zion who gives birth to daughter Jerusalem-Temple?

Ps. 9.6-7 (destruction of a name)

You / have rebuked / the nations / you /have made / the wicked perish 
You / have wiped out / their name / forever and ever 
The enemy / are finished / perpetual ruins,  
and you have / uprooted cities / their memory / has perished.  

One thing I did not mention in the last reflection was how the ‘recalling’ of the works of Yhwh pulled those works forward, like a blanket, into the present. In the previous reflection we saw the psalmist applying Yhwh’s actions to the present and the (near) future. The enemies will be destroyed because Yhwh now sits upon the throne and takes up his cause. This awareness is not something that is sheerly based on a subjective religious intuition; rather, the recalling of the works of Yhwh guarantees their application in the present and the future. One wonders whether this ‘recalling’ of the works also operated as a type of plea: because you have done this in the past, perform it again now. If that is the case it is much like those attempts we have seen to ‘prick Yhwh’s heart’ so that he would turn his face toward the petitioner and deliver him. I’m not sure, though, there is this ‘hidden plea’ in the recalling of the works; those first few verses seem so centered upon praise rather than a type of intercession. And, not to belabor the point, but it deserves repeating: this ‘recalling’ is not something performed in the absence of Yhwh. It is something performed in his presence; they are like the songs sung in the audience with a king, recounting his great works. The more they are sung the more the singer is attuned to his king. Deuteronomy makes this clear: memory of Yhwh is not memory of a absent Yhwh but the mode by which Yhwh’s covenant partners maintain their position as covenant partners. Moving into today’s verses: we see here a recalling of the ways in which Yhwh has dealt with the nations. This emerged in Ps. 2 and the language seems reminiscent. There, the nations came to do war with the Enthroned One and his anointed (David). As they approached, however, they were strongly rebuked and ‘encouraged’ not to act in rebellion any longer. A point of contact with this psalm are these ‘nations’—they seem to be, so far, almost entirely understood as enemies of Yhwh. They are properly ‘rebuked’ and wicked. There, however, the nations were ‘put in their place’; although they were threatened with extinction (if they continued in their rebellion they would be ‘smashed like a potters vessel’), the intent of Yhwh was to have them, rather, as vassals of his anointed. David was to be the king of an international kingdom; not merely the destroyer of foreign nations. Here, the remembrance is of a different action by Yhwh. Perhaps on the psalmists mind is the destruction of Amalek. There is present throughout the OT the threat, and the reality, that certain nations, in their rebellion, are not merely rebuked but annihilated. And yet there is a crucial twist to this: Israel itself is often threatened with the same punishment. Throughout the Exodus, the time when the nation was effectively ‘born’, Israel repeatedly stands face to face with this reality, and it is one that would have consumed them except for the intercession of Moses. I don’t believe that that is explicitly found in the context here, except for the fact that Israel knew that its existence was not a guaranteed one, just like the other nations. “Wiping out their name”: notice how the psalm began with the praising of the Divine Name, Yhwh. In contrast to his name, we find these nations whose ‘names’ stand to be ‘wiped out forever and ever’. One obvious implication of this is that their ‘name’ will no longer be able to be passed down, generation to generation. They will become like all the barren women in the OT who cannot have children: their name will cease. There are several comments to make about this in light of what we have already said: to continue on one’s posterity is not only to continue a name, but to continue the ability to offer praise—the ability to ‘remember’. This ongoing command of Moses, in Deut. 8, is firmly grounded in this fact—to remember Yhwh is to remain in the land, which means to continue to be ‘fruitful and multiply’. It is manifestly not an individual thing: it is a communal reality. One’s name is not one’s individual name but a family, clan and nations ‘name’.  In a sense this goes back to our original observation that this psalm tends to have a more ‘global’ emphasis—large vistas are taken into account (i.e. entire nations and Yhwh’s ‘works’). This leads into the second part of our verses: their ‘perpetual ruin’, the ‘destruction of their name’ is also understood as “their memory” perishing. It seems to be a constant observation (from Homer to here) that the ability to be remembered is incredibly important; I would hesitate to call it a form of ‘immortality’ but there is a profound sense that if one is ‘forgotten’ then something truly terrible has occurred. It is as if in their being forgotten, Sheol (the place where memory of Yhwh cannot occur) has obtained its greatest victory. It could be, in part, the fact that ‘memory’ of dead only occurs in and by the living and that, in some way, by perpetuating the memory of the dead, they are, in some manner, still ‘living’. If the community that perpetuates that memory is utterly destroyed (not one person being left alive to ‘remember’ the dead), then that final last thread binding them to the land of the living is severed. This is something that man is always aware of: his “name” is mortal, close to death (not just his individual name, but his communal identity), while Yhwh’s name is understood as ‘unable to die’, and to be subject to these forces (which is a quite astonishing assertion in light of Jesus who, because he ‘went down into death’ was “given the name above all names”). One final comment: there seems to be here language very reminiscent of Jeremiah, who is told that he will, in his prophetic career, “uproot cities” and “tear them down”. At one point he takes a “potters vessel” and, in the sigh of Israel’s elite, tells them that what he is about to do Yhwh is about to do to Israel: he smashes it into pieces. Throughout the book there is an overwhelming sense that a final destruction is taking place (Jeremiah is specifically told not to interceded like Moses or Abraham so that Yhwh’s wrath can have its full effect). The point is not that Jeremiah refers to this Psalm; the point is that the sense of utter destruction is something that Israel was aware of in various forms and here it is combined with aspects of “name destruction”, posterity annihilation and the “loss of memory”.

Ps. 9.4-5 (judgment as death-dealing)

When / my enemies / turn back 
they shall be / thrown down / and / perish / before you 
for you / have undertaken / my judgment / and / my cause 
you / have sat / upon the throne / judging righteously.

We are, here, in familiar territory. Much of this can be understood as a condensed version of Ps. 7.  There, we saw Yhwh ‘arising’ to his throne as judge and, likewise, that his acts of judgment declaring one party guilty involved their destruction—Here, we see the “Most High” sitting upon his throne and declaring one party guilty. Furthermore, this act of judgment was understood to be an act on behalf of David—Here, see Yhwh “undertaking my judgment and my cause”. There, the act of destroying David’s enemy was portrayed as a ‘lowering’ into the dust—Here, we see that they shall be “thrown down”. Along these same lines, there the imagery moved from the “low” of death and dust to the ‘arising’ of the “Most High”—Here, we have an appeal to the “Most High” who “sits upon the throne”. There are a few differences, though, but more in tone than anything: there, we saw David placing himself, along with everyone else, in front of the throne of Yhwh. He even went so far as to pronounce a curse upon himself if he was found guilty. Here, there is a different emphasis. The distance of Ps. 7 is gone and Yhwh is actively undertaking the psalmist’s cause and judgment. And I wonder if the word “thrown down” has any similarity to the “throwing down” of the Egyptians from their chariots in the Reed Sea? If so, that act of ‘judgment’ was a ‘taking upon himself’ the ‘cause of Israel’ much like we see here. Perhaps what should be emphasized again is the fact that Yhwh’s judgments are not mere declarations of ‘innocence’ or ‘guilty’ but involve the destruction of the evil. The proclamation of his judgment is the execution of that judgment: the safeguarding of the innocent and the ‘perishing’ of the guilty. Likewise, this points to another aspect—the judgment’s of Yhwh are judgments of life and death. To have Yhwh take up one’s cause is to stand within life; to have Yhwh pronounce one guilty is to be “thrown down” and “perish” before him; as we saw yesterday, and will see again, this “life” consists of memory and praise in the real presence of Yhwh, this “death” consist of descending into Sheol were Yhwh cannot be remembered and where his presence is absent (to be judged guilty by Yhwh is to be ‘cast out’ from life itself).  

Ps. 9 (praise, memory and presence)

I will / praise /  Yhwh / with all / my heart 
I will / recount / all / your / wonderful works 
I will / rejoice / and / I will / exult / in you 
I will / sing / the praise / of your name / O Most High

Following on the heels of Ps. 8, the opening to this psalm seems, at first, to be very similar. Ps. 8 concluded with the refrain: “O Lord our master, how majestic your name is in all the earth.” Here, we find the ‘name’ appear again as the object of praise. The tone of the psalm, though, is very different. Ps. 8 felt very detached. It was, in a sense, a very ‘global’ psalm; it was spoken from a great distance with massive (almost absolute or total) vistas in mind. Here, the psalmist’s praise is much more personal and individual. We might explain it this way: whereas Ps. 8 was primarily a psalm reflecting on Yhwh’s name as revealing creation, Ps. 9 (as we will see) focuses more on Yhwh’s name as being the source of deliverance. This, of course, is not to suggest these are two separate realities. As we have already commented on: in the revelation of the Divine Name both of these realities sprang into view (Yhwh as source of ‘creation’ and, therefore, also as source of ‘power’; to see Genesis properly is to see Isaiah properly as well). How the heart approaches these two realities, though, finds different expressions: the opening of Genesis is very liturgical; it is rhythmic and is composed almost like a hymn. In this sense it is ‘detached’ or ‘distant’ because of the nature of the object contemplated (all of creation). When the Divine Name is revealed to Moses, on the other hand, it is more intimate and set within the context of a people crying out for deliverance. Without overly schematizing things, the opening of Genesis and Psalm 1 and 8 have a very detached sense of praise (which does not mean it is not passionate; I only mean to imply that the object contemplated is so vast that the person singing the praise is almost eclipsed). Exodus and, for example, Psalm 2 speak about deliverance but in almost national terms; it is a ‘creation’ story but of a people and, in this way, it is more ‘personal’ or intimate than Genesis/Psalm 8. Psalms 3-7 are almost entirely personal; they speak about an individual’s suffering and deliverance. Our Psalm, as I think will become evident, seems more like Exodus and Psalm 2: it is not as personal as Psalms 3-7 but not as global as Psalms 1, 8 and Genesis. There is another, formal reason that creates this impression: this Psalm is an acrostic psalm, meaning it starts with the first letter of Hebrew alphabet and proceeds to the (with each ‘stanza’ beginning with a different letter). This formal aspect to the psalm creates this sense of ‘distance’ and rhythm. While not liturgical, per se, it inhabits that same perspective; it does not seem to me that an acrostic psalm would ever be very successful if employed to express an individual’s lament and desire for deliverance (although apparently Ps. 25 does just that). This, I think, begins to point to one thing that this opening establishes: this psalmist’s praise is rooted in reciting the ‘works of Yhwh’. Generally, the ‘works of the Lord’ refer to acts of deliverance (the plagues of Egypt, for example, are often referred to as ‘works’ of the Lord). There is, here, that sense of distance, of taking in large vistas, not of creation, but of time. The interesting question is this: what is accomplished by praising Yhwh from this vantage point rather than the purely personal? I would submit that when this perspective is employed one of, at least, two things are happening. In Ps. 8, this sense of distance led to ‘foundational’ realizations: the nature of man as king and as being ‘crowned with glory’. Here, in the context of a psalm about deliverance, it seems that these works are recounted because the present reality is not ‘where it should be’. In this way, the psalmist, in recounting Yhwh’s works, is reciting ‘foundational’ realities of Yhwh. By steadily recounting his works of deliverance, the “I” standing at the source of those works begins to emerge (or, is recalled afresh). In this context, I would wager, the psalmist is attempting to praise the “I” behind the works in order to properly ask for his intercession in the present. This is not well worded. What I am trying to convey is the similar reality as when a person has had a long relationship with another person: a person is not reducible to their actions (the “I” is not simply what they ‘do’). However, the “I” is exemplified in their actions. Yhwh, of course, in revealing his ‘Name’ revealed that his “I” is, ultimately, a mystery (“I am who I will be”).  Deuteronomy 8 catches this sense of remembering/praising the works of Yhwh and why its continuous remembrance/praise is necessary. There, we see that recalling the works of Yhwh leads to humility and the abiding sense of dependence upon Yhwh. Likewise, this acts as a shield to two specific forms of temptation: arrogance/pride (that Israel itself conquered the land) and idolatry (that other gods were and are the source of their success). Furthermore, and working in tandem with all of these, is the fact that remembrance of Yhwh leads to “life in the land”, while forgetting Yhwh leads to punishment and exile; ‘remembering’ Yhwh is not merely a form of ‘protection’ but a source of praise and life. What is clear is that Yhwh’s presence with Israel in the land is dependent upon Israel’s remembering of his actions; in other words, their remembrance might not so much “make Yhwh present” as making them to be the proper vessels or dwelling of his presence. In this way, memory becomes a key component of covenant; it is what makes/maintains Israel as a covenant partner. Yhwh’s presence to the people, though, is not something ‘manifestly obvious’ but requires this subjective and inner predisposition. If one ‘forgets’ Yhwh, one might become prideful. One final comment before we sum this up: the Name was delivered to Israel and dwelled within the Temple. The “I” dwelled within the camp. Yhwh was there. To recount/remember his ‘praises’ should never be divorced from this fact. This is not merely an act of ‘recall’. The real presence of Yhwh, the “I” who actually performed all these acts, was the recipient of the praise of memory. It was an act homage to the King sitting upon the throne in the Temple. “Memory” does not mean “absence”, but is rather to be understood as the praising of the abiding “I” that vivifies, protects, loves and fathers his children gathered around Him. The opening lines, in this light, take on added depth: “I will praise Yhwh with all my heart. I will recount all your wonderful works. I will rejoice and I will exult in you. I will sing the praises of your name, O most High.” Notice how he flows in and out of ‘recounting the works’ and directly praising ‘you’. These are the words of a psalmist who is enlivened with the reality of Deuteronomy 8.