1למנצח לדוד For the director of music for David > Disclaimer: I rarely consult commentaries. Only when my translation doesn’t make sense or I just can’t begin to understand the meaning of a verse despite its being correctly translated do I refer to one, that of Delitzsch, whose commentaries are based on his analysis of the Hebrew text.

אמר נבל בלבו “אין אלוהים” 1 The fool [nahbahl/נבל] has said in his heart “There is no God.” Where have we heard the word ‘nabal?’ That’s right, it is the name of Abigail’s husband, who would not help David and his cohort when they were running from Saul. Imagining that David may have written this psalm upon reflecting on that incident, I think it would be beneficial for us to review it in its entirety – why the run-in between David’s messengers and Nabal as laid out in I Samuel 25, where not only is Nabal’s behavior described, but his overall character?

As we are told, David had sought refuge from King Saul’s efforts to kill him by fleeing into the wilderness of Paran. From there, upon hearing that Nabal was shearing sheep in Carmel, he and his men too went to Carmel where they voluntarily served as protection for Nabal’s shepherds. Not only had David and his men protected them from others; they did not take advantage of them in any way. David therefore sent ten of his young men to recount to Nabal the good they had performed on the latter’s behalf, expectantly requesting to be rewarded. Just the opposite transpired, however, as Nabal, angrily calling into question David’s credentials, declined to express his gratitude and acknowledge their service by replenishing their larders. Certainly, David had seized on this target of opportunity, but with no intention of aggrandizement. In fact, he may have chosen Nabal because he was a Calebite, a member of the tribe of Judah, and may have felt an affiliation of kinship; he thus considered Nabal’s refusal to help him an act of treason. In a fit of unquenchable ire, David vowed that by daybreak not a man [literally: anything that relieves itself against a wall – a dysphemism that refers to a male dog] who worked for Nabal would be left alive.

But before David could act, Abigail, having been warned of his intentions by some of the shepherds, put together a bounty of foodstuffs, mounted her donkey, and delivered them to David. Even more importantly, she took upon herself her husband’s guilt, admitting on the one hand, that as the name he was known by, so he was – a worthless and wicked fool; on the other hand, confessing that David was God’s anointed to be appointed leader over Israel. Surely, she reminded David, it would be wrong to avenge himself, thereby being guilty of unwarrantedly shedding blood because it is Yahwah Who fights his battles on his behalf.

Abigail’s hailing David as the future leader of Israel is an indictment of the superior, self-aggrandizing attitude displayed by Nabal when he intimated that David was nothing more than a runaway slave. Granted, Abigail’s awareness of who David was may have been inspired by the Holy Spirit to prevent David from “presumptuous sin” by the unjustified slaughter of Nabal and his men. However, it is certainly within the realm of possibility that Abigail, and therefore Nabal too, would have heard of the young man, famous for his courageous exploits and deeds on the battlefield in the service of King Saul, making Nabal’s behavior atrociously egregious and disrespectful. The scene was set at the beginning of the chapter as the writer described Nabal as severe/insolent and bad-tempered/evil/committing morally depraved deeds [מעללים (ma’alahlim) > related מעל (mah’al > to be unfaithful (against God).] These character traits easily lend themselves to the logical conclusion that Nabal was being unfaithful to God in his business dealings, in his personal relationships – above all with his wife, Abigail as well as when he railed against Yahwah’s anointed and forewent the opportunity to bless and be blessed. Abigail had recognized Nabal’s actions toward David to be rebellion against not only David but foremost against Yahwah. [פשע > the word translated as ‘offense,’ ‘blame,’ ‘transgression,’ literally means ‘rebellion’ or ‘revolt.’]

For his part, David praised both Abigail, for her good sense, the result of which was that she “restrained me this day from entering into blood;” and Yahwah, “Who restrained me from doing evil to you because | if you had not come quickly to meet me there would not remain to Nabal by the light of the morning that which urinates against the wall [a contemptuous expression for masculinity, i.e., a dog].” And, when he heard that Nabal had died, David further praised Yahwah, “Blessed be Yahwah Who pled the case of my disgrace from the hand of Nabal and to restrain His servant from evil and the evil of Nabal Yahwah returned on his head.” Nabal died as he had lived – with a heart of stone.

[A thought on the name Nabal: there are other meanings by using different vowels in the radical נבל. This could have been the case. Perhaps he was born in the fall when leaves wither and fall (nahbehl) or for the stringed instrument (nehbehl), but his churlish behavior brought about the play on words, such as Carl the churl/snarler, mild Milt, Steve the sleaze/sieve, Pete’s the pits, Neil the stealer, etc. (Use your imagination)]

Now let’s return to David’s description of the fool:

השחיתו, התעיבו עלילה They wreak havoc, they act abominably From the testimony of the writer of 1 Samuel 25, Nabal epitomized the truth of this statement regarding the fool. His behavior toward David was merely representative of the way he treated everyone. Had Abigail not intervened at Yahwah’s superintendence for both David’s and her deliverance, Nabal would have been the cause of the havoc that would rain down on him along with the impending ruin of his household.

!אין עושה טוב There is no one who does good. Our first assignment is to determine what is ‘good’ and even more to the point here, who is ‘good?’ The Apostle Mark records in chapter 10:18 that Yeshua tells the rich (young) ruler that God/Elohim alone is good. To the ruler’s question, what good thing [only Matthew in chapter 19:16+ records the ruler saying this] must he do to inherit eternal life, Yeshua responds, to sell all that he has, give it to the poor, and follow Him. So, neither keeping the law as outlined in the 10 commandments, which the rich ruler had kept since his youth, nor philanthropic altruism, i.e., ‘good works’ would save; only following Yeshua would secure eternal life for the ruler. The Apostle John in chapter 6:29 expresses the same truth when he records Yeshua telling the Pharisees who had inquired of Him, what they should do [ποιω/poio] to do [εργαζομαι/ergazomai, lit. ‘to work’] the works of God that “the work [εργον/ergon; sg.] of God is to believe in the One He sent.”

“Who does” implies ‘to work,’ i.e., to expend energy physically, mentally, or psychologically. To do good, to David, meant to obey God’s commands; ipso facto, not to obey God’s commands was not to do good. In these latter days, defined theologically as the period from the first coming of Christ (haMoshiach/המשיח) to His second coming, the one command by which we do good is to believe in the One Whom He sent, i.e., Yeshua haMoshiach. So, in addition to the physical, mental, and psychological components of work, we are told there is also the spiritual work to believe, which, once accomplished through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit [ruah qodesh/רוח קודש] is the umbrella under which the other expenditures of energy are performed to the glory of God: physically [“…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” < 1 Corinthians 10:31], mentally [“subjugate every thought to the mind of Christ” < 2 Corinthians 10:5] or psychologically [rather than worrying or being anxious, “in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known to God” < Philippians 4:6]. This regeneration – our heart of stone is softened to God’s Word – is the precursor to justification – being made right with God – the end result of which is our salvation (yeshu’ah/ישוח), through which our eternal welfare is secured. To believe, then, is to realize God’s love for us, which we feel compelled to return (2 Corinthians 5:14-15]. How do we do this? By “lov[ing] the Lord your God with [lit.: from out of] all your heart and with [ibid.] all your soul [psyche/ψυχη, i.e., all that you are] and with [ibid.] all your mind and with [ibid] all your strength.” < Mark 12:30

 2 יהוה משמים השקיף על בני אדם Yahwah looks down from the heavens on the sons of man In his mind’s eye, David sees Yahwah sitting on His throne, whether in the heavens (here) or on Mt. Zion (Ps. 9), above the fray occurring on the earth He created. His chief concern is the welfare of His people: “For You have judged in my favor having pled my case; You have seated Yourself on the throne, a Righteous Judge. Yahwah is seated forever, His throne established for judgment. He will judge the earth justly…Praise Yahwah Who inhabits Zion Proclaim His deeds among the nations.” < Psalm 9:4, 7(5, 8), 12

לראות היש משכיל To see, is there a wise/prudent/godly/pious [man] In contrast to the fool, one who is aware that “the beginning of wisdom is fear of Yahwah.” < Proverbs 9:10

:דורש את-אלוהים who seeks God. David dovetails wisdom and the desire to know God, primarily through His Word. Instructive is the mention of God’s Word in the Psalms, in particular, Psalm 119, which is basically a poem lauding the Word of God.

3 !הכל סר, יחדיו נאלחו  Everyone has turned aside together they are corrupt!

The Apostle Paul, in his section in Romans 3:9-20 on the theme ‘There is None Righteous,’ combines vv. 1-3 of this psalm and its companion Psalm 53, where David pens almost word-for-word the same content, together with Ecclesiastes 7:20, where the ‘Preacher’ (Qoheleth/קהלת) proclaims: There is no man who is righteous on the earth who does good and does not sin (כי אדם אין צדיק בארץ אשר יעשה-טוב ולא יחטא). By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul begins his interpretation of the concepts of corrupt vs. righteous by introducing the universality and extensive nature of sin, that “everyone is under sin” and therefore “no one is righteous, not even one…there is no one who does good [in the sense of ‘moral goodness;’ ‘integrity’/khristotis/χρηστοτης], even one.” David exclaims that the corrupt are those who do not do good. Paul, in his translation of the Hebrew, substitutes the negative particle with the Greek adjectival noun ‘righteous’ (dhikios/δικαιος), thus equating his phrase with the Hebrew passive ‘they have become/are corrupt’ (ne’elahkhyu/נאלחו). The Apostle John, in his first epistle, juxtaposes the conditions of the corrupt vs. the righteous by equating sin to lawlessness on the one hand, while on the other hand, just as does the Preacher, points out that righteousness is incongruous with [habitual] sin.

4 הלא ידעו כל-פועלי און אוכלי עמי אכלו לחם יהוה לאקראו Surely/Have not they perceived/regarded all the workers of injustice devourers of my people they have made a meal (lit. eaten bread) They have not called upon Yahwah. Needless to say, the deeds David ascribes to the corrupt in verse 4 are consistent with their overall demeanor. They care nothing for justice – only that which is to their advantage is considered just. The people of Yahwah, i.e., the poor and wretched (v6), the corrupt see as fodder to feed upon to satisfy their own desires. The corrupt do not call upon Yahwah, since they do not recognize Him; He has no part in their lives, and do not consider themselves accountable to Him. David prophetically declares, “Thus says the wicked, ‘rebellion is in the depths of my heart’; there is no fear of Elohim before his eyes.” < Psalm 36:1 The wicked, observes David, proudly brag of their rebellious disposition regarding God’s commands. Why should they fear the consequences for actions from someone they have neither seen with the eye nor their hardened hearts perceived with the senses. Why has Elohim not punished them, why have they not suffered retribution for their unjust acts toward ‘My people,’ of which Elohim accuses them through David as His prophet. It needs to be established that the ‘poor’ David is expressing concern for are not so much those materially poor, but who are spiritually so-defined. Yeshua, in the Sermon on the Mount, declares, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” <Matt. 5:3

5 :שם |  פחדו פחדכי-אלוהים בדור צדיק, there | they tremble with fear because Elohim is with the generation of the righteous. David points to this accusation by Elohim as the turning point in the wicked’s relationship with the One Whom they had rejected to have any relevance concerning their treatment of His people, whom David identifies here as those who are righteous. Though not expressed explicitly in this verse, it has been established above that love is part and parcel of the reciprocal relationship between Elohim and His people; by definition, then, Elohim has made righteous those whom He loves. The generation of which David speaks is not finite; rather, it has extended from eternity-past into the present and will extend into eternity-future as Elohim continues to gather His people, who, at the end of time, will possess the kingdom of Heaven. He will not allow them to be touched by the corrupting evil of the wicked and because of Elohim’s constant care and His ‘burning eye’ [cf. https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/141166234/posts/5069704696 ]on the wicked, the latter have retracted their bravado and now tremble with the realization that Elohim “will not be mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” < Galations 6:7

6 :עצת עני תבישו כי יהוה מחסהו The counsel of the wretched/poor you would shame but Yahwah is their refuge. [This verse presents difficulties:

1) the number of possible translations for the conjunction כי, here glossed as ‘but’ to nullify the intent of the wicked, which is the argument made by Delitzsch as well as the gloss for several translations. I would argue glossing כי as ‘because’ gives more weight to David’s characterization of the wicked’s disdain for Elohim: “The counsel of the wretched/poor you would shame because Yahwah is their refuge.” That is, the wicked razz the poor for seeking protection where there obviously is none to be found. Look at us. We do what we want with no regard for Elohim’s commands and we’re on top! The secondary and tertiary meanings of עצה (a’tsah > plan, scheme; revolt, rebellion) should not be considered as viable translation options, since to do so would attribute some possible action attempted by the poor to rectify the wrongs inflicted on them by the wicked, when their only recourse is to take refuge in Yahwah, on Whom they can rely because of His steadfast, loyal love (hesed) for them. David testifies to this when he proclaims, יהוה בהשמים חסדך אמונתך עד-שחקים Yahwah to the heavens Your hesed Your steadiness, reliability is to the clouds (i.e, where Yahwah is enthroned, He is high above, from where He dispenses His hesed) צדקתך | כהררי-אל משפטיך תהום רבה אדם ובהמה תושיע יהוה Your righteousness | is like the mountains of God Your judgments a great deep You come to the assistance of man and beast Yahwah. מה-יקר חסדך אלהים ובני אדם בצל כנפיך יחסיון How valuable, precious Your hesed Elohim in the shadow of your wings they will take refuge. < Psalm 36:6-8 David praises Yahwah that He and His attributes are as durable as the mountains and measureless, unfathomnable as the deep. David assures the poor that if Yahwah is concerned for the animals, which are His creation, how much more for His ultimate creation, man. And once again, David points to Yahwah’s steadfast, loving kindness, His hesed, another proof of which is the refuge Elohim provides for them under His wings, not to be borne away by, but as protection from the heat that the wicked bring down on them, the poor.

2) Koehler and Baumgartner’s The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament suggests that the noun ‘counsel’ should be the participle ‘counsellor’ (one who advises), while the verb, I suggest, should be the Hiphil (transitive/causative) 3rd person sg. with 3rd person pl. objective suffix, ‘will shame them.’ Verse 6 would then read, “Counsellor of the wretched/poor, He will shame them; indeed, Yahwah is their refuge.” This rendering of the verse is very much in keeping with the commentary given in the New Geneva Bible New King James Version: “God can overrule the wicked plans of evildoers for the good of the afflicted.” The ‘counsellor’ is to be equated with the paraklete (παρακλητος) in the New Testament, the 3rd person of the Trinitarian Godhead, the Holy Spirit, Who was given not only to be our Counsellor, but also Comforter. I believe it is the application of this ministry to which David is pointing. Yahwah Elohim, the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, is both the refuge and the One Who gives refuge, in other words, He gives His refuge in Himself. By His tender, active intervention on behalf of the poor, He shames the wicked for their evil machinations by which they intended to crush them. The schemes of the wicked fail to disturb the poor, who rest unperturbed, being covered in His hesed that saves the righteous; the wicked however cannot withstand His hatred of evil :יהוה בקר תשמע קול בקר אערך-לך ואצפה: כי | לא אל-חפצ רשע | אתה לא יגרך רע Yahwah in the morning You will hear my voice In the morning I will prepare for You and wait expectantly. Because | not the God Who takes pleasure in injustice | are You Evil does not sojourn. לא-יתיצבו הוללים לנגד עיניך שנאת כל-פעלי און The deluded will not stand before Your eyes You have hated all doers of injustice. < Psalm 5:4-6 The poor wait in expectation for Yahwah’s deliverance, being confident that their Counsellor/Comforter does not abide evil, the perpetrators of which are the deluded – the corrupt, wicked fool; remember Nabal? – those who scoffed at Yahwah’s very existence, let alone His care for the poor as well as His ability, based on His character, to punish the wicked for their injustices. Yahwah’s burning eye will cause them to shrink back and fall down at the display of His hatred for their actions; their delusions have been rendered impotent before His omnipotence.

7 מי יתן מציון ישועת ישראל שוב יהוה שבות עמו יגל יעקוב וישמח ישראל Who will give from Zion the deliverance/salvation of Israel? When Yahwah returns the captives of His people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad. This, obviously, is David returning to the role of prophet as he foresees a time of captivity from which the people of Israel will be delivered. He answers his question, who will be Israel’s deliverer, by declaring that it will be Yahwah, Who, just as He actively protected the poor from the wicked because of His hesed, will, for the same reason, act to bring His people out of a place of captivity where the wicked were preeminent. David triumphantly declares that Yahwah’s deliverance of His people will result in rejoicing because of what Yahwah has accomplished for them. As Isaiah prophesied: העם ההלכים בחשך ראו אור גדול ישבי בארץ צלמות אור נגה עליהם: הרבית הגוי לא הגדלת השמחה שמחו לפגיך…כי-ילד ילד-לנו בן נתן-לנו ותהי המשרה על-שכמו ויקרא שמו פלא יועץ אל גבור אבי-עד שר-שלום: לסרבה המשרה ולשלום אין-קץ על-כסא דוד ועל-ממלכתו להכין אתה ולסעדה במשפט ובצדקה מעתה ועד-עולם קנאת יהוה צבאות תעשה-זאת The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, living in a land of deep gloom light has shone on them [Comment: The word I have translated as ‘deep gloom,’ according to Delitzsch, is a compound word made by combining the word for ‘shadow’ (tsael/צל) with the word for ‘death’ (moat/מות) and was translated in the Septuagint/LXX literally as ‘shadow of death’ (skiya thanatu/σκια θανατου) and is the word so translated in Psalm 23]. You have increased the nation For it You have made great the joy [with which] they have rejoiced before You…For a Child has been born unto us, a Son has been given unto us and the dominion shall be upon His shoulders and His name will be Miracle, Counselor [Comment: In the phrase with which we are familiar, ‘Wonderful Counselor,’ ‘wonderful’ is an adjective derived from the noun used here, ‘miracle.’ While I am reluctant to fault this well-known translation, I agree with Delitzsch that these first two designations are independent one from the other. But I prefer to go with the gloss ‘miracle,’ for His whole life was a miracle, from His inception to His resurrection and His miraculous deeds during his lifetime. As for ‘counselor,’ we have discussed that designation above in the context of Yahwah. To apply it to the Child-Son, i.e., Yeshua, is to assign to Him the same attribute as the Eternal Father], Mighty Hero God [Comment: The title of the One Supreme God, El (אל) is used here rather than the more common Elohim (אלהים). Although it is argued that the latter form, which is the plural of El, is not intended to show a plurality, but rather a plural of respect, there does seem to be adequate inferential textual evidence to the contrary. In this Psalm alone, David appeals to Yahwah (another designation for El), Elohim, The One Who will deliver/save, The Counselor/Comforter. This certainly intimates the trinitarian aspect of God (Elohim) – The One Who rules over all (Yahwah/יהוה), The One Who saves (Yeshua/ישוע), and The One Who counsels and comforts (Holy Spirit/Ruah Kodesh/רוח קודש)], Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. To the increase of the dominion and to peace there is no end; upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and support it in judgment and righteousness from now and forever. The zeal of the LORD OF HOSTS (Yahwah Tsavaoth/יהוה צבאות) will do this. Amen.