EXEGESIS OF PSALM 11

___________________

A Paper Presented to Dr. Richard Taylor Dallas Theological Seminary

___________________

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course OT104 Principles of Hebrew Exegesis

___________________

by Ryan Nolterieke February 2005 Box #1235

Introduction Nothing in this life gives evidence of faith and trust in the Lord like the choices one makes in the midst of trials and persecution. In times of comfort and prosperity it is easier to follow the Lord and obey His voice because when we do it typically does not cost us much. However, when the trials of life are crashing in on us we usually find ourselves confronted with the difficult choice: Should I trust the God who is unseen and do what I know He wants me to do, with the very real risk of loss, suffering, or even death? Or should I compromise my faith and do what I know will keep me from suffering? This is the situation in which David found himself as he wrote Psalm 11. This psalm is an individual song of confidence1. In a psalm of this type, the psalmist expresses lament over a current circumstance, but then rises above this and expresses resolute confidence that obedience to the Lord is the right and best course of action. Though the exact historical setting of this psalm is unknown, it is clear that David was in imminent danger from his enemies (v. 2). The situation had come to the point where he had to make a decision whether to take refuge in God and trust Him for protection or take his safety into his own hands and flee to a secure location. This psalm gives us glimpse into the mind of David as to how he viewed each of these options and his reasons for choosing one over the other. Seeing Davids faith in the midst of a crisis serves as a great example for us and should give comfort to us all when we face difficulties in our own lives. Confidence in the Lord is a mark of Christian maturity. Counsel to Flee (11:1-3)

Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary, ed. David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983), 132.
1

3 1 The psalm begins with a superscript, which indicates that it was written for the

musical director and was authored by David.2 The exact meaning of the Hebrew term for musical director (x:Cen;m.) is uncertain, so it can only be conjectured that this psalm was added to the musical directors collection of songs to be sung in worship at the temple. Unfortunately, no other information is supplied in this superscript that would help us place this psalm in a specific historical setting. Some have proposed that David wrote this psalm during the time when Saul was pursuing him.3 The main basis for this is Davids statement in 1 Samuel 26:20 that Saul was searching for David as one hunts a partridge in the mountains. Since this parallels the advice from Davids friends to flee to the mountain like a bird (Ps 11:1), it is thought that this must be the likely setting for Psalm 11. The main difficulty with this position is that David reacts with indignation to the advice that he should flee to the mountain, rather than place his trust in God. Yet when Saul pursued David that is exactly what he did! He fled to the mountains and hid from him in caves. Another option for the historical setting of this psalm is the time when Absalom rebelled against David and tried to usurp the throne.4 This would fit well with Davids statement that the foundations are being destroyed (Ps 11:3). The social order that was in place was being threatened by Absaloms attempt to become king. David was also in danger from many men with weapons who were pursuing him at night (11:2; cf. 2 Sam 17:1, 16). Despite these parallels, this setting also suffers from the fact that David fled (2 Sam 15:14), though this time it was not to the mountains, but across the Jordan River. Though it is difficult to identify an exact
2

In the superscript the preposition l. is used in two different ways. With reference to x:Cen;m.

it is being used as a lamed of advantage and with reference to dwid' it is being used as a lamed of authorship (or lamed auctoris) (An Outline of Hebrew Syntax (Unpublished class notes in OT102 Elements of Hebrew, Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring 2004), 51).
3 Willem A. VanGemeren, Psalms - Song of Songs, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991), 130.

Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms, trans. Francis Bolton, Commentaries on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959), 186-87.
4

4 setting in which David wrote this psalm, the principle of confidence in God in the midst of trials is timeless and a specific historical setting is not necessary for this interpretation. After the brief superscription, the psalm begins with the statement, In the LORD I have taken refuge.5 This is essentially the theme of the psalm6 and David emphasizes that it is in the LORD that he has taken refuge by placing this prepositional phrase first in the sentence.7 Many commentators view this refuge in the Lord as being protection in the asylum area of the temple,8 but this view seems to put Davids trust in the ritual-judicial system of that time and culture, rather than in God Himself. This is Davids first use of figurative language, which he will use liberally throughout the psalm. This is an example of a synecdoche in which he gave the reader a picture of him seeking shelter or refuge in the Lord, which stands for the idea of him trusting God for his protection. David then indirectly introduces the reader to a group of his well-intentioned advisors or friends.9 It seems that this group should not be seen as his enemies10 because in their quote in

The Hebrew verb ytiysix' is in the perfect verbal form. Bellinger (and others; see NIV and NASB), however, translates it as a present tense because he thinks translating the perfect in the normal past tense rendering would imply that the crisis had passed (W. H. Bellinger, Jr., The Interpretation of Psalm 11, Evangelical Quarterly 56, no. 2 (1984), 96). This is unnecessary, however, because the English present perfect tense is a common way to translate the Hebrew perfect (Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., From Exegesis to Exposition: A Practical Guide to Using Biblical Hebrew (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 88) and it conveys the meaning of a completed action with continuing results. In this way the crisis does not have to be viewed as over and the perfect can be translated according to its normal usage.
5 6 James L. Mays, Psalms, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, ed. James L. Mays (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1994), 75.

Charles A. and Emilie G. Briggs Briggs, The Book of Psalms, The International Critical Commentary, ed. Alfred Plummer and Charles A. Briggs Samuel R. Driver (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1906), 89.
7

E.g., Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalms 1-59: A Commentary, trans. Hilton C. Oswald (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1988), 201; Samuel Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary, The Eerdmans Critical Commentary, ed. David N. Freedman (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), 148.
8

It is clear from the Hebrew that you in verse 1 is plural because Wrm.aTo is a second person, masculine, plural verb.
9

Contra Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms, vol. 1, The NIV Application Commentary, ed. Terry Muck, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 249.
10

5 verse 2 they say that the wicked are set to shoot at the upright in heart. Surely Davids enemies would not describe themselves as wicked and call him upright. Before David even tells us the counsel that he has received from these advisors, the reader knows that he is indignant and shocked at their advice by his use of erotesis. How can you say11 to me12 expresses to the reader that he has rejected their recommendation. What was the advice that David rejected? They told him to Flee13 to the mountain like a bird. 14 The mountains of Israel are rugged terrain and would certainly be a good place to hide from enemies. The simile like a bird is a further use of figurative language in this psalm and it emphasizes the speed with which they need to flee. David was surprised at this fearful

11

The Hebrew verb Wrm.aTo is being used here as an imperfect of capability (Chisholm, Jr.,

From Exegesis to Exposition, 93.). The formula %yae + the imperfect of rm;a' is used five other times in the Old Testament (Judg 16:15; 2 Sam 12:18; Isa 19:11; Jer 2:23; 48:14) and rm;a' is always used as an imperfect of capability in these constructions. The prepositional phrase translated to me is literally to my soul in Hebrew (yvip.n;l.), but this is simply an idiom that was commonly used to mean to me. Craigie posits that this phrase could also imply that this was an internal voice of fear that the psalmist was hearing (Craigie, Psalms 1-50, 132-133), but the only
12

other uses of the construction yvip.n;l. rm;a' (Ps 3:3; 35:3) do not support this conclusion. Terrien sees a Hebrew nuance to this phrase meaning in secret (Terrien, The Psalms, 148), but this too fails when compared with the other uses of the construction in Ps 3:3 and 35:3.
13

Though the difference cannot be seen in English, this translation takes the qere ydiWn as being

original and the kethiv WdWn as a corruption. This is supported by many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, the Cairo Geniza, the Septuagint, Aquila, the Syriac, and the Targums. The kethiv does not seem to be original because there is no antecedent to the plural subject, it does not fit the context, rAPci at the end of the sentence is singular, and it seems to be a change made to match the suffix of ~k,r.h;, which also is probably not part of the original text. The qere is a second person, feminine, singular imperative of advice (Chisholm, Jr., From Exegesis to Exposition, 106). Terrien rejects this reading because he thinks the feminine verb implies that the writer of the psalm had to be a woman (Terrien, The Psalms, 148). However, this overlooks the fact that vp,n, is the antecedent to the implied subject of the verb and it is a feminine noun.
14

This translation accepts the reading AmK.

rh; as original. This is supported by the Septuagint,

the Syriac, and the Targums. The word mk,rh; found in the MT has a second person, masculine, plural pronominal suffix. This suffix does not make sense in the context and there is no antecedent to the implied pronoun. Therefore, it was probably combined with the previous noun rh; when the waw was inadvertently left out of a manuscript.

6 response that he received from his friends. He must have expected that they would have had faith, as he had, in the Lords loving protection of them. Instead, in this time of crisis their response was to value security over trust in God and obedience to Him. This advice is easy to critique from afar, but when faced with serious trials or persecution this is a very real temptation. Trusting God is always the right thing to do, but it does not always lead to safety and security. That is why it is all the more inspiring that David would not even let himself consider it as an option. What an outstanding example of trust in the Lord in all circumstances! 2 The reader now learns in verse 2 the reason15 why the advisors told David to

flee. The imminent danger that David is in is heightened by their exclamation: Look! The wicked are already preparing to carry out their scheme. David utilizes a literary technique called anabasis16 with the next two verbs to continue the heightened tension he has created. The tense of each verb is different and the impending threat is gradually increased with each one. First, the wicked are in the process of treading17 the bow, which was the ancient method of stepping on the bow in order to bend it to the point where it could be strung. Then they fixed18 their19 arrow on the string. Now they are ready to shoot! The question that quickly arises for the reader is, Are the bow and arrow of the wicked literal or figurative? This question is difficult to answer without having more information on the historical setting when this psalm was written. The remainder of the psalm
15

Verse 2 begins with the word yKi, which is used here in an explanatory sense.

It is likely that this literary device was Davids intent because, otherwise, it is strange to go from one phrase where the wicked are preparing the bow to the next phrase where the arrow is already on the string.
16 17

!Wkr.d.yi is in the imperfect, implying an incomplete action. Wnn.AK is in the perfect, implying a completed action.
There is not much external evidence for emending ~C'xi to ~yCixi. Only the Septuagint has

18

19

this reading. Though ~y[iv'r.h' is plural, tv,q, is singular and, therefore, it makes sense for ~C'xi to be singular, too. The ending, then, should stand as a third person, masculine, plural pronominal suffix, which in this case is a possessive genitive.

7 only implies that some form of injustice has occurred and that David expected God to take note of it and set things right. If the conjecture is correct that this was written during Absaloms attempt to seize the throne, then the bow and arrow might be both literal and figurative. David was certainly being pursued at that time by men with weapons who wanted to kill him. But also, Absalom stole away the hearts of the people of Israel (2 Sam 15:6).His words were threatening Davids kingly authority and the arrow of the wicked could be a hypocatastasis for the verbal abuse David received. The insidious nature of the attack on David is seen in the fact that these archers were preparing to shoot him in the dark20. This is another use of figurative language in the psalm as the dark is a hypocatastasis for the secret, undercover nature of the evildoers plan. It should also be noted in the last part of verse 2 that David is not the only target of the wicked, for the upright in heart21 is plural in Hebrew. The wicked were seeking to secretly carry out their selfish desires in a way that would bring harm to those who were obedient to the Lord. But no matter how well they kept their schemes hidden from the eyes of men, the Lord saw what they were doing (v. 4). 3 The counselors are again emphatic in their message to David. Indeed22, the

foundations are being destroyed23 is their conclusion regarding what the wicked have done. The
The editors of BHS have proposed that this prepositional phrase should be read as @A[-AmK.

20

instead of lp,ao-AmB.. This, however, has very little manuscript evidence behind it, as only a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts have AmK. and there is no textual support for @A[. Craigie notes that this change misses the psalmists point. To shoot in the dark implies that the enemies hoped to achieve their criminal goal without being seen; yet, as the psalmist eventually perceives, the eyes of God see all things (v. 4). (Craigie, Psalms 1-50, 133.)
21

ble is used here as a genitive of specification.

The introductory yKi is interpreted as emphatic. The Septuagint reading, which differs from the MT only in the pointing of the consonantal text,

22

23

should be rejected. It requires an object for the verb t'ATV;h; that is not found in the Hebrew text. Also, the implied subject of t'ATV;h; is second person, singular, yet it seems that whatever the wicked had destroyed

8 foundations is a hypocatastasis for the moral and social order of the nation. What these wicked men have done has threatened to undermine the order that had been established and bring about a new structure that would surely favor those involved in the evil plot. The advisors conclude their message to David with another use of erotesis: What have24 the righteous done25? They felt hopeless after relaying to David the plans of the wicked and it caused them to exclaim in despair. At this point they must have felt as if God was not paying attention to them and did not realize the situation they were in. It was not uncommon in the Old Testament for writers to complain to God about the seeming fact that the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer (e.g., Jer 12:1; Hab 1:4). But God does not always work in ways that we expect and many times the retribution or reward does not come in this life, but the next. This takes great faith in the unseen to trust that God will bring about justice, even when we will not see it in our lifetime.

would have had to have been prepared by more than one person in order for it to be significant enough to receive mention and cause concern among the advisors. The subject, qyDic;, is singular, but it has been taken as a collective noun because it parallels the upright, which is plural in verse 2 and collective in verse 7.
24

The editors of BHS proposed to read the perfect l['P' as an imperfect l['p.yi. However, this has no textual support and the verb can be well understood in the context as a perfect, so this emendation is considered
25

unnecessary. In this case l['P' is used as a present perfect.

9 Confidence in the Lord (11:4-7) 4 David now responds to the words of his advisors and, just as he did in verse 1,

he shows his eyes are not only on the physical realm, but the spiritual realm as well. David first recognizes that the LORD26 is in His holy27 temple. The word temple is a hypocatastasis (since the temple was not built until after David lived) for Gods presence among His people and the statement was meant to be a comfort to Davids listeners that God had not forsaken them. God is immanent and always present with them. But the Lords presence alone would not bring comfort to them unless they had faith that God was able to do something about the wicked men. So Davids next statement addressed that issue: The LORDs28 throne29 is in the heavens. In this case throne is used as a metonymy for Gods power and authority. Therefore, David is heaping even more encouragement on his advisors by telling them that not only does Gods presence mean that He knows about our fear and concerns, but He is sovereign and powerful and, therefore, can do something about it. He is not impotent before the wicked. On the contrary, he has a throne and it is not merely on earth, but it is in the heavens. His authority does not end at the borders of nations it extends to all of creation. The advisors must have felt their hearts rising in their chests at this moment! Next David uses anthropomorphic language to make the point that, though the wicked take aim at the upright in the dark, the eyes (and eyelids) of God see everything. With this language, David begins to move away from the character of God, which was expressed through

26

hw'hy. is a nominative of subject. Avd.q' is a genitive of attribute. hw'hy. is a nominative absolute. This would literally be rendered: The Lord in the heavens is Aas.Ki is a nominative of subject.

27

28

His throne.
29

10 the images in verse 4a, to the actions of God. The phrase His eyes watch30 shows that God is involved with the affairs on earth and that He is not unaware. David here used synonymous parallelism to describe Gods watchful activity. The first line seems to be without a direct object31, but the sons of man in the second line serves as the object for both verbs.32 In the second line, His eyelids examine the sons of man, the word eyelids is parallel with eyes and, therefore, connotes the same meaning. The Hebrew word translated examine was also used for the testing of precious metals. In this sense, the eyes of the Lord scrutinize and examine the works of everyone for purity. 5 In this verse Gods feelings toward the righteous and wicked are brought out.

He examines33 (this is the same verb that was used in verse 4) both the righteous34 and the wicked. But it is the one who loves violence His soul hates35. David weaves several figurative devices into this short line. The Hebrew idiom regarding soul is used again, this time in reference to God. He also used hyperbole when saying that God hates those who love violence. Finally, rather than simply saying that God hates those who commit violence, he played off of the lovehate contrast and wrote that God hates those who love violence. The poetry is beautifully written and acts as a mnemonic device to help the reader remember the truth of Davids words.

30

The parallel verbs Wzx/y, and Wnx]b.yi are both characteristic present uses of the

imperfect. The lack of a direct object for the verb Wzx/y, seems to have enticed the translators of the Septuagint and Syrohexapla to add one, but there is not textual evidence for these additions.
31 32

Bellinger, Jr., The Interpretation of Psalm 11,, 98.

33

!x'b.yi is a characteristic present use of the imperfect.

qyDic; is probably an accusative of direct object, though an argument could be made that it is a nominative in apposition to hw'hy.. This option is not favored, however, because v. 4 says that God examines
34

the sons of man, which is general, and v. 5 gets more specific by stating that He examines both the righteous and the wicked.
35

ha'n.f' is a characteristic present use of the perfect.

11 It certainly makes many uncomfortable to think of God hating anyone, even those who are violent. For our culture does not easily accept anything that would hinder our comfort, happiness, or pleasure. Though this is a use of hyperbole, we must not neglect the fact that God is holy and He takes no pleasure in evil. He is eternally opposed to those who use violence to further their own selfish desires.36 Those who love sin and do not turn to the Lord will one day face His wrath. 6 David has gradually progressed from speaking of Gods character (v. 4a) to

His awareness of what is happening on Earth (v. 4b) to His emotions concerning the righteous and wicked (v. 5) and, finally, to the actions that He takes regarding the wicked (v. 6). David had resolved in his mind to take refuge in the Lord and not to take his safety into his own hands. So then he asked God to act against the wicked as a preemptive strike. May He rain down37 coals38 of fire39 and brimstone on the wicked must have conjured up images of Sodom and Gomorrah in the minds of the readers. As would be expected, David again is using a great deal of figurative language to paint a picture for the reader. Coals of fire and brimstone are hypocatastases for judgment that David wants the Lord to bring on the wicked. He asked God to rain down this judgment on them, which is another example of hypocatastasis. Instead of just asking God to judge the wicked, David wrote figuratively of judgment falling down from heaven like coals of fire.

36

Wilson, Psalms, 253.

rjem.y; is clearly a hiphil jussive, since the hiphil imperfect would be written ryjim.y;. In this context it is a jussive of prayer (Chisholm, Jr., From Exegesis to Exposition, 104-05).
37

The MT reads bird traps, fire, and brimstone, which cannot be original. The translation of the OT by Symmachus reads coals of fire and brimstone, which is surely correct. The error must have occurred early in the transmission of the text since there is little textual evidence for the better reading. The error came about due to
38

the inversion of the mem and yod in ymex]P;.

39

ymex]P; is used as an accusative of direct object and vae is used as a genitive of attribute.

12 In Davids final words concerning the wicked he said that a raging wind is the portion of their cup. The raging wind is another use of hypocatastasis and it represents judgment, as the coals of fire and brimstone did earlier in the verse. The portion of their cup was a Hebrew idiom expressing someones lot. The righteous get to drink from Gods cup of salvation (Ps 116:13) while those who do evil must drink from the cup of His wrath (Isa 51:17, 22; Ezek 23:31-33). 7 The reason40 that the Lord acts this way toward the wicked is because He is

righteous. He is in direct contrast with those who love violence because God loves righteous deeds. This implies either that God loves to do righteous deeds or that He loves those who do righteous deeds. The latter seems more likely in this context since the focus has shifted from how God views those who commit violence to how He views those who act righteously.41 This attribute of God was the basis for Davids confident hope in the midst of his crisis. He was confident in Gods love for him, and so he knew that God had his best interests at heart. David then made the statement that the upright see42 His43 face. This immediately raises questions, however, because it seems to contradict what God told Moses in Exodus 33:20. Exodus 34:23 gives us a clue to how to answer this difficulty. It is not clear from English translations, but in Hebrew it says, Three times a year all your males are to appear to the face of the Lord GOD. Since these two passages are only a chapter apart, it would be difficult to make the argument that the author forgot what he had written and contradicted himself. The face of God must be used in two different senses. In Exodus 33 it seems that God is saying that a man

40

Verse 7 begins with the word yKi, which is used here in an explanatory sense. Craigie, Psalms 1-50, 134.

41

Wzx/y, is a characteristic present use of the imperfect. Many translations render this verb as a simple future, but seeing Gods face seems to be a blessing for the upright in the present, rather than a reward in the future.
42 43

Amynep' has an archaic third person, masculine, singular pronominal suffix.

13 cannot physically see Gods full glory without dying. In Exodus 34 appearing before Gods face is a use of anthropomorphism to describe a special experience of Gods presence. That meaning fits very well with Psalm 11:7. Those who are upright and walk in the ways of the Lord get to experience a special presence of God. This is a blessing that David would not let out of his grasp not even for the sake of his own security. Conclusion David has brought the reader full circle in these seven verses. He started with his confession that he had taken refuge in the Lord, wandered through the depths of his crisis and the deeds of the wicked, and returned to the righteous God and the blessings that He gives. At the end of the psalm it is easy to see why David was so indignant concerning the advice to flee. There is no better place to put our security than into the hands of the ever-watchful God, who despises wickedness and loves righteousness. The beauty of Hebrew poetry is on display in Psalm 11. David could have made the simple statement that God is trustworthy and that in times of crisis His people should have faith in Him. But with the liberal use of figurative language in this psalm, the reader is drawn into the poem and gets a full picture of who God is and why He can be trusted. The visual images bring out an emotional response in the reader, which inspires him or her to follow Davids example. We know that trials will come in each of our lives, so let us keep these images in our minds so that when they do we will be able to seek refuge in Him and, ultimately, see His face.

14

BIBLIOGRAPHY Bellinger, Jr., W. H. The Interpretation of Psalm 11. Evangelical Quarterly 56, no. 2 (1984): 95-101. Briggs, Charles A. and Emilie G. Briggs. The Book of Psalms. The International Critical Commentary, ed. Alfred Plummer and Charles A. Briggs Samuel R. Driver. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1906. Chisholm, Jr., Robert B. From Exegesis to Exposition: A Practical Guide to Using Biblical Hebrew. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998. Craigie, Peter C. Psalms 1-50. Word Biblical Commentary, ed. David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983. Delitzsch, Franz. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms. Translated by Francis Bolton. Commentaries on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959. Kraus, Hans-Joachim. Psalms 1-59: A Commentary. Translated by Hilton C. Oswald. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1988. Mays, James L. Psalms. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, ed. James L. Mays. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1994. Terrien, Samuel. The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary. The Eerdmans Critical Commentary, ed. David N. Freedman. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003. VanGemeren, Willem A. Psalms - Song of Songs. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991. Wilson, Gerald H. Psalms, vol. 1. The NIV Application Commentary, ed. Terry Muck. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.