Showing posts with label Psalm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm. Show all posts

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Psalm 104

This psalm contains these two stanzas:

14He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

15And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

Wine gladdens the heart of man, oil makes his face shine, and bread fills the belly. Amen.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Psalm 30

Driving to work today, having made my left turn onto Merrick Boulevard, gone three blocks to 243rd Street and made a right turn, I saw a vehicle with the license plate PSALM 30. That got me curious; once in the library, I began a little research on the psalm.

It begins: I will exalt you, O LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

The Oxford Companion to the Bible quotes Hermann Gunkel (1862-1932), a German scholar and Old Testament scholar. He is noted for his contribution to form criticism and the study of oral tradition in biblical texts. He was an outstanding representative of the "History of Religion School." (Wikipedia)

Oxford states that he "originated the modern literary analysis of the psalter." Psalm 30 is characterized as a prayer "offered up after deliverance from stress" - counterpart to lament.