RR Psalm 35:18 Part 11

Shalom,

Psalm 35:18 I praise You in the great assembly, acclaiming You among a throng of people.

This verse is like an oasis positioned between two diatribes.  It offers us a break not seen since verse 9.  For 8 verses (10 thru 17) the psalmist has been pleading with God to be rescued from his enemies’ taunts.  After this verse, it will be more of the same for another three verses (19 thru 21).  But for now, let’s enjoy these words of praise (Yadah, Yud-Dalet-Hey) and acclaim (Halal, Hey-Lamed-Lamed) as we break them down.

You may have heard the Hebrew idiom “Todah” meaning “thank you.”  This is another form of “Yadah” we are translating here as praise.  A “Yad” in Hebrew is an arm or a hand (the arm extended).  This word is first used in Scripture to describe the naming of Judah in Genesis 29:35.  The reference is to extend the hand in praise or worship.

Rabbi Trail:  How curious that in Messianic Judaism (as in much of Protestant Christianity) it is normative to extend our arms upward as an expression of praise to our God.  However; in traditional Judaism, nothing of the kind is normative.  

In synagogues, we stand or sit, as the local custom dictates, but we never raise our hands in praise to God.  This is upside down (in Hebrew, “Afuch,” from which we get the word for Cappuccino, which is upside down coffee and cream (less coffee and more cream).  

How strange that the people who taught the world how to praise God no longer practice the original intent of the Hebrew words they use in prayer.  End RT.

This takes us to the other word, “Halal.”  This Halal is a shorter verse of the now English word, “Hallelujah” which you all know means “praise the Lord.”  In paleo-Hebrew (early cuneiform writing) the letters were pictographs.  The “Lamed” is the only letter to extend above the line of other letters.  There are two of them in “Halal” as a picture of two hands raised in praise.  Yes, even our posture gives glory to God.  

In closing, our subject verse is sandwiched between six verses and three more verses of detailed descriptions on how our enemies want to take us down, and celebrate our defeat.  But as for us… we must have the faith of Job (you may have heard of the “patience of Job” which is one aspect of Job’s faith) who said famously after much suffering…

Job 13:15 Even if He slays me, I will wait for Him; I will surely defend my ways before Him. 16 This, too, will be my salvation for no godless can come before Him.

We control what we can control… Ephesians 4:29 Let no harmful word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for building others up according to the need, so that it gives grace to those who hear it… and let’s all give praise to God.  Shalom shalom.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
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