Approved/78/Expanded Paraphrase

Text (Hebrew)	Verse	Expanded Paraphrase
מַשְׂכִּיל לְאָסָף הַאֲזִינָה עַמִּי תּוֹרָתִי הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם לְאִמְרֵי־פִי׃	1	A maskil. By Asaph the Levitical singer and head of the family of Levitical musicians, whom David appointed to minister before the Ark of the Covenant in the tent he had established for worship in Zion (1 Chr 16). Listen, my people, to my teaching, as if it was coming from YHWH himself; turn your ear to the words of my mouth.
אֶפְתְּחָה בְמָשָׁל פִּי אַבִּיעָה חִידוֹת מִנִּי־קֶדֶם׃	2	Let me open up my mouth with a parable about how God chose David as our king, which requires wisdom to understand. Listen carefully, because you will need to pay attention until the end to understand it. Let me pour out puzzling problems of the seeming endless cycle of God's patience and covenant faithfulness towards our ancestors, even though they, in their continual unfaithfulness and rebellion, did not deserve it. They are problems from long ago, which our ancestors did not figure out for generations but were commanded to pass on to us.
אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ וַנֵּדָעֵם וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ סִפְּרוּ־לָנוּ׃	3	The things which we heard, and which we learned and our ancestors told us —you and I both know them,
לֹא נְכַחֵד מִבְּנֵיהֶם לְדוֹר אַחֲרוֹן מְסַפְּרִים תְּהִלּוֹת יְהוָה וֶעֱזוּזוֹ וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה׃	4	we will not hide from their children in the latest generation, that is, the present generation, proclaiming the praiseworthy deeds of YHWH and his power and his wonderful deeds which he has accomplished:
וַיָּקֶם עֵדוּת בְּיַעֲקֹב וְתוֹרָה שָׂם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהוֹדִיעָם לִבְנֵיהֶם׃	5	Let me offer some background on how he established a testimony among Jacob and set up a teaching among Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,
לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ דּוֹר אַחֲרוֹן בָּנִים יִוָּלֵדוּ יָקֻמוּ וִיסַפְּרוּ לִבְנֵיהֶם׃	6	so that the latest —that is, the present— generation might know —children who were yet to be born — [that] they might begin to tell their children
וְיָשִׂימוּ בֵֽאלֹהִים כִּסְלָם וְלֹא יִשְׁכְּחוּ מַֽעַלְלֵי־אֵל וּמִצְוֺתָיו יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃	7	and they might put their trust in God, [so that] they might not forget God's deeds but might obey his commands
וְלֹא יִהְיוּ כַּאֲבוֹתָם דּוֹר סוֹרֵר וּמֹרֶה דּוֹר לֹא־הֵכִין לִבּוֹ וְלֹא־נֶאֶמְנָה אֶת־אֵל רוּחֽוֹ׃	8	and might not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation who did not keep their heart committed and whose mind was not faithful to God, in that their will and intentions were not aligned to YHWH's will and intentions.
בְּנֵי־אֶפְרַיִם נוֹשְׁקֵי רוֹמֵי־קָשֶׁת הָפְכוּ בְּיוֹם קְרָב׃	9	The same ancestors who were unfaithful were charged with passing on these historical lessons. It all came to a head when Ephraimites, armed [with a bow], archers with a reputation for fierceness in war, actually turned back on a day of battle. But how did they get to that point?
לֹא שָׁמְרוּ בְּרִית אֱלֹהִים וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ מֵאֲנוּ לָלֶכֶת׃	10	Their defeat was not on account of a superior opponent, but because they did not keep the covenant of God and covenantal unfaithfulness results in military defeat. They refused to walk in and live by his teaching, which expresses YHWH's covenant expectations and stipulations,
וַיִּשְׁכְּחוּ עֲלִילוֹתָיו וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָם׃	11	in that they forgot his deeds and [they forgot] his wonders which he had shown them for centuries.
נֶגֶד אֲבוֹתָם עָשָׂה פֶלֶא בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׂדֵה־צֹֽעַן׃	12	In front of their ancestors and ours he performed miracles in the land of Egypt, the region of Zoan where they were building store cities as slaves.
בָּקַע יָם וַיַּעֲבִירֵם וַיַּצֶּב־מַיִם כְּמוֹ־נֵד׃	13	And after all his miracles in Egypt, he divided the sea and brought them through; he made the waters stand like a heap, making their crossing secure and without risk.
וַיַּנְחֵם בֶּעָנָן יוֹמָם וְכָל־הַלַּיְלָה בְּאוֹר אֵֽשׁ׃	14	He led them by cloud during the day and [he led them ] all night by fire light.
יְבַקַּע צֻרִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיַּשְׁקְ כִּתְהֹמוֹת רַבָּֽה׃	15	He would split rocks in the wilderness of all places and provide drinking water abundantly, as from oceans.
וַיּוֹצִא נוֹזְלִים מִסָּלַע וַיּוֹרֶד כַּנְּהָרוֹת מָֽיִם׃	16	He would bring streams out from rock and make water flow down like rivers.
וַיּוֹסִיפוּ עוֹד לַחֲטֹא־לוֹ לַמְרוֹת עֶלְיוֹן בַּצִּיָּה׃	17	But again, even in those times, just as the Ephraimites would continue to do, they sinned against him; again they rebelled against the Most High in the desert.
וַיְנַסּוּ־אֵל בִּלְבָבָם לִשְׁאָל־אֹכֶל לְנַפְשָׁם׃	18	They put God to the test in their thoughts, by asking for food for their throat.
וַיְדַבְּרוּ בֵּֽאלֹהִים אָמְרוּ הֲיוּכַל אֵל לַעֲרֹךְ שֻׁלְחָן בַּמִּדְבָּר׃	19	They spoke against God, saying: "Is God not able to prepare a table in the wilderness, a substantial meal with us as his guests?
הֵן הִכָּה־צוּר וַיָּזוּבוּ מַיִם וּנְחָלִים יִשְׁטֹפוּ הֲגַם־לֶחֶם יוּכַל תֵּת אִם־יָכִין שְׁאֵר לְעַמּוֹ׃	20	Since he struck a rock so that waters gushed out and streams began to flow, is he not able to give bread, too? Or can he not provide meat for his people? He's the God who brought us out of Egypt; surely if we open our mouth, he will fill it? (Ps 81:11)."
לָכֵן שָׁמַע יְהוָה וַיִּתְעַבָּר וְאֵשׁ נִשְּׂקָה בְיַעֲקֹב וְגַם־אַף עָלָה בְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃	21	Therefore, when YHWH heard he became furious that they would doubt him; fire flared up against Jacob and also anger rose against Israel,
כִּי לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ בֵּאלֹהִים וְלֹא בָטְחוּ בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ׃	22	because they had not believed in God and they had not trusted in his provision.
וַיְצַו שְׁחָקִים מִמָּעַל וְדַלְתֵי שָׁמַיִם פָּתָח׃	23	So, even when he brought them what they asked for, they still did not trust him and in their lack of faith they brought his anger upon them once again again. This was when he ordered clouds from above and opened heavenly doors;
וַיַּמְטֵר עֲלֵיהֶם מָן לֶאֱכֹל וּדְגַן־שָׁמַיִם נָתַן לָמוֹ׃	24	he rained down upon them manna to eat and he gave them grain from heaven.
לֶחֶם אַבִּירִים אָכַל אִישׁ צֵידָה שָׁלַח לָהֶם לָשֹׂבַע׃	25	People ate bread of angels, meaning it was sent directly from heaven; he sent them provisions until they were satisfied and did not need any more.
יַסַּע קָדִים בַּשָּׁמָיִם וַיְנַהֵג בְּעֻזּוֹ תֵימָן׃	26	He caused an east wind to blow in the sky and he drove a south wind with his might.
וַיַּמְטֵר עֲלֵיהֶם כֶּעָפָר שְׁאֵר וּכְחוֹל יַמִּים עוֹף כָּנָף׃	27	So he made meat rain upon them, immeasurable like dust and [he made] winged birds [rain upon them] like the sand on the seashore,
וַיַּפֵּל בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֵהוּ סָבִיב לְמִשְׁכְּנֹתָיו׃	28	and he made them fall inside his camp, all around his tents, so they did not even have to work for it or go anywhere to attain it.
וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׂבְּעוּ מְאֹד וְתַֽאֲוָתָם יָבִא לָהֶֽם׃	29	So they ate and were completely satisfied when he brought them what they craved. This was all they needed, but they did not trust him to provide another meal, so they kept on eating and gorged themselves even beyond satisfaction.
לֹא־זָרוּ מִתַּאֲוָתָם עוֹד אָכְלָם בְּפִיהֶֽם׃	30	They had not turned away from trying to satisfy themselves with the object of their craving rather than being satisfied in their trust in YHWH, who provided for their needs. Their food was still in their mouth, even though they were more than full,
וְאַף אֱלֹהִים עָלָה בָהֶם וַיַּהֲרֹג בְּמִשְׁמַנֵּיהֶם וּבַחוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִכְרִיעַ׃	31	when the anger of God rose against them and he killed some of their strong men, whose obsession with food, even when God granted it, still could not save them when they abandoned God, and he struck down young men of Israel. So that place became called "Graves of Craving" (Num 11:34).
בְּכָל־זֹאת חָטְאוּ־עוֹד וְלֹֽא־הֶאֱמִינוּ בְּנִפְלְאוֹתָיו׃	32	In spite of this, they sinned again by treating YHWH with contempt and refusing to believe in him (Num 14:11) when the spies returned from the land with a negative report (Num 13) and did not trust in his wonderful deeds that he had already performed among them.
וַיְכַל־בַּהֶבֶל יְמֵיהֶם וּשְׁנוֹתָם בַּבֶּהָלָה׃	33	So he made them spend their days in vain and [he made them spend] their years in anguish, wandering around the desert for a generation—one year for every day they spied out the land (Num 14:34).
אִם־הֲרָגָם וּדְרָשׁוּהוּ וְשָׁבוּ וְשִׁחֲרוּ־אֵל׃	34	Throughout this time, when he was providing for their every need — their sandals didn't even wear out! — they would still sin. Judgment was sometimes death, and, whenever he killed them, then they would seek him and again look for God.
וַיִּזְכְּרוּ כִּי־אֱלֹהִים צוּרָם וְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן גֹּאֲלָם׃	35	They would remember that God was their rock, providing for the needs of his people, no matter their circumstances, and [that] God, the Most High, was their redeemer, who had brought them out of Egypt.
וַיְפַתּוּהוּ בְּפִיהֶם וּבִלְשׁוֹנָם יְכַזְּבוּ־לוֹ׃	36	But their repentance was not sincere, since they were only trying to deceive him with their mouth and with their tongue were lying to him.
וְלִבָּם לֹא־נָכוֹן עִמּוֹ וְלֹא נֶאֶמְנוּ בִּבְרִיתוֹ׃	37	Their heart was not committed to him and they were not faithful to his covenant that he had established with them in the wilderness.
וְהוּא רַחוּם יְכַפֵּר עָוֺן וְלֹא־יַשְׁחִית וְהִרְבָּה לְהָשִׁיב אַפּוֹ וְלֹֽא־יָעִיר כָּל־חֲמָתוֹ׃	38	But he is compassionate. He forgives iniquity and does not destroy. Back then he repeatedly turned back his anger. And he would not stir up all his wrath.
וַיִּזְכֹּר כִּי־בָשָׂר הֵמָּה רוּחַ הוֹלֵךְ וְלֹא יָשׁוּב׃	39	He remembered that they were mortal flesh, just as ephemeral as a breeze that goes by and will not return.
כַּמָּה יַמְרוּהוּ בַמִּדְבָּר יַעֲצִיבוּהוּ בִּֽישִׁימוֹן׃	40	Nevertheless, how often did they rebel against him in the wilderness! [How often] did they grieve him in the desert!
וַיָּשׁוּבוּ וַיְנַסּוּ אֵל וּקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הִתְווּ׃	41	Again they put God to the test and they provoked the Holy One of Israel
לֹא־זָכְרוּ אֶת־יָדוֹ יוֹם אֲֽשֶׁר־פָּדָם מִנִּי־צָר׃	42	when they not only forgot his miraculous deeds in the wilderness, but also did not remember his strength as their redeemer; [they did not remember] the day in which he saved them from an adversary.
אֲשֶׁר־שָׂם בְּמִצְרַיִם אֹתוֹתָיו וּמוֹפְתָיו בִּשְׂדֵה־צֹעַן׃	43	[They did not remember the day] in which he displayed his signs in Egypt and [displayed] his miracles in the region of Zoan showing that he had the power and willingness to faithfully lead his covenant people, but also showing he had the power and willingness to completely destroy their enemies, which could have ultimately been their end, too —
וַיַּהֲפֹךְ לְדָם יְאֹרֵיהֶם וְנֹזְלֵיהֶם בַּל־יִשְׁתָּיוּן׃	44	how he turned their rivers into blood and they could not drink [from] their streams even though naturally they should have had water in abundance.
יְשַׁלַּח בָּהֶם עָרֹב וַיֹּאכְלֵם וּצְפַרְדֵּעַ וַתַּשְׁחִיתֵם׃	45	He sent a swarm of insects among them and it devoured them; [he sent] a plague of frogs [among them] and it destroyed them.
וַיִּתֵּן לֶחָסִיל יְבוּלָם וִיגִיעָם לָאַרְבֶּה׃	46	He gave their crops to young locusts and [he gave ] the fruit of their labor to locusts.
יַהֲרֹג בַּבָּרָד גַּפְנָם וְשִׁקְמוֹתָם בַּֽחֲנָמַל׃	47	He killed their vines with hail and [he killed ] their sycamore trees with frost.
וַיַּסְגֵּר לַבָּרָד בְּעִירָם וּמִקְנֵיהֶם לָרְשָׁפִים׃	48	He gave their livestock over to hail and [he gave] their herds [over] to lightning, so they had nothing left to eat, even though naturally they should have had food in abundance.
יְשַׁלַּח־בָּם חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ עֶבְרָה וָזַעַם וְצָרָה מִשְׁלַחַת מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִים׃	49	He sent among them the wrath of his anger: fury and indignation and trouble, by a deputation of angels bringing disaster, the Passover destroyer (Exod 12:23), as if it were YHWH himself (Exod 11:4; 12:12, 23).
יְפַלֵּס נָתִיב לְאַפּוֹ לֹא־חָשַׂךְ מִמָּוֶת נַפְשָׁם וְחַיָּתָם לַדֶּבֶר הִסְגִּיר׃	50	He cleared a path for his anger and went for them, instead of turning back his anger as he would do with our ancestors; he did not spare their soul from death but gave their life over to plague.
וַיַּךְ כָּל־בְּכוֹר בְּמִצְרָיִם רֵאשִׁית אוֹנִים בְּאָהֳלֵי־חָם׃	51	He killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of strength among the tents of Ham,
וַיַּסַּע כַּצֹּאן עַמּוֹ וַיְנַהֲגֵם כַּעֵדֶר בַּמִּדְבָּר׃	52	but they also did not remember how he had dealt with their enemies like this in order to redeem a people for himself, such that after completely destroying the Egyptians he led out his people from Egypt like a flock and guided them in the wilderness like a herd —already incredibly numerous but at risk of being scattered.
וַיַּנְחֵם לָבֶטַח וְלֹא פָחָדוּ וְאֶת־אוֹיְבֵיהֶם כִּסָּה הַיָּם׃	53	He led them securely out of their slavemasters' land and they were not afraid, but the sea covered their enemies when YHWH stirred up all his wrath and YHWH destroyed them.
וַיְבִיאֵם אֶל־גְּבוּל קָדְשׁוֹ הַר־ זֶה קָנְתָה יְמִינוֹ׃	54	This is something he was unwilling to do to our ancestors. Rather, he brought them all the way through the wilderness, as we discussed above, to his holy territory, the hill-country which his right hand had acquired and prepared for his people.
וַיְגָרֶשׁ מִפְּנֵיהֶם גּוֹיִם וַיַּפִּילֵם בְּחֶבֶל נַחֲלָה וַיַּשְׁכֵּן בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶם שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃	55	He drove out nations from their presence, nations who were much bigger and stronger than they were (Deut 7:1), and allotted them as an inheritance by measurement; he let the clans of Israel live in their dwelling places.
וַיְנַסּוּ וַיַּמְרוּ אֶת־אֱלֹהִים עֶלְיוֹן וְעֵדוֹתָיו לֹא שָׁמָרוּ׃	56	But even then, again they rebelliously put God, the Most High, to the test, and they did not observe his testimonies, paying attention to everything they heard YHWH had accomplished,
וַיִּסֹּגוּ וַיִּבְגְּדוּ כַּאֲבוֹתָם נֶהְפְּכוּ כְּקֶשֶׁת רְמִיָּה׃	57	but they, too, went astray and acted unfaithfully, like their ancestors. They became like a slack bow, which is good for nothing in battle and cannot be trusted—useless, covenantally dysfunctional in their continual rebellion despite YHWH's continual patience. They had hit rock bottom and there was no coming back from this on the part of Israel's leadership, especially that of the Shiloh temple, which was situated in Ephraim and had been the place chosen for centralized worship since YHWH had given them the land (Josh 18).
וַיַּכְעִיסוּהוּ בְּבָמוֹתָם וּבִפְסִילֵיהֶם יַקְנִיאוּהוּ׃	58	They made him angry with their high places of worship of idols all over the hill country, not respecting centralized worship, and with their carved images of false gods they made him jealous.
שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים וַיִּתְעַבָּר וַיִּמְאַס מְאֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃	59	God heard their impure and tainted worship, just as he heard their grumbling in the wilderness all those years previously, and he became furious, so that this time he completely rejected Israel's current leadership
וַיִּטֹּשׁ מִשְׁכַּן שִׁלוֹ אֹהֶל שִׁכֵּן בָּאָדָם׃	60	and he abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent which he had set up especially to dwell among mankind.
וַיִּתֵּן לַשְּׁבִי עֻזּוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ בְיַד־צָר׃	61	After the battle of Aphek (1 Sam 4) he gave his strength, the Ark of the Covenant, into captivity and [he gave] his glory into the possession of an adversary. Having allowed the Ark to be taken into captivity, he also expressed that his own strength and glory were out of reach for his people, and thus, in their covenant unfaithfulness, they could expect military defeat.
וַיַּסְגֵּר לַחֶרֶב עַמּוֹ וּבְנַחֲלָתוֹ הִתְעַבָּר׃	62	So, he gave his people over to the sword and against his inheritance he raged .
בַּחוּרָיו אָכְלָה־אֵשׁ וּבְתוּלֹתָיו לֹא הוּלָּלוּ׃	63	Fire consumed his young men and his young women were not sung to, since they had no one to marry and no one with whom they could enjoy wedding songs.
כֹּהֲנָיו בַּחֶרֶב נָפָלוּ וְאַלְמְנֹתָיו לֹא תִבְכֶּינָה׃	64	His priests fell by the sword and his widows could not mourn, since their enemies did not give them the opportunity.
וַיִּקַץ כְּיָשֵׁן אֲדֹנָי כְּגִבּוֹר מִתְרוֹנֵן מִיָּיִן׃	65	Now, having been inactive throughout the defeat of Shiloh and end of Eli's priestly line, the Lord arose like one who had been asleep to carry out vengeance for his people, like a warrior shouting from [the effects of] wine,
וַיַּךְ־צָרָיו אָחוֹר חֶרְפַּת עוֹלָם נָתַן לָמוֹ׃	66	and he struck back his adversaries, all of the Philistines and Canaanites people who would rise up against them between the time of Judges and king David's reign. He gave them eternal shame, such that they would not rise up again.
וַיִּמְאַס בְּאֹהֶל יוֹסֵף וּֽבְשֵׁבֶט אֶפְרַיִם לֹא בָחָר׃	67	But, at the same time, he rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the clan of Ephraim, who had proven themselves covenantally dysfunctional and unworthy to administer either YHWH's priesthood or monarchy,
וַיִּבְחַר אֶת־שֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה אֶת־הַר צִיּוֹן אֲשֶׁר אָהֵב׃	68	but once and for all he chose the clan of Judah, Mount Zion which he loves"more than all the dwelling places of Jacob" (Ps 87:2),
וַיִּבֶן כְּמוֹ־רָמִים מִקְדָּשׁוֹ כְּאֶרֶץ יְסָדָהּ לְעוֹלָם׃	69	and, Zion being where his earthly king would rule, he built his holy place like heaven, like the earth which he has established forever and will not be shaken, such that, unlike abandoned Shiloh, its continued existence is a sign of YHWH's faithful promises that his chosen king's rule will not be shaken either.
וַיִּבְחַר בְּדָוִד עַבְדּוֹ וַיִּקָּחֵהוּ מִמִּכְלְאֹת צֹאן׃	70	YHWH passed on the role of shepherding the people to his earthly king. For this role, he chose David, his servant, not an Ephraimite, and took him from working as a shepherd in a sheep pen.
מֵאַחַר עָלוֹת הֱבִיאוֹ לִרְעוֹת בְּיַעֲקֹב עַמּוֹ וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל נַחֲלָתוֹ׃	71	From [looking] after nursing animals he brought him to shepherd none other than Jacob, his people, and [to shepherd] Israel, who were still his inheritance despite the rejection of their previous leadership, but who were just as vulnerable and in need of protection as nursing animals, so that they would continue in covenant faithfulness.
וַיִּרְעֵם *בְּ*תֹם לְבָבוֹ וּבִתְבוּנוֹת כַּפָּיו יַנְחֵם׃	72	He shepherded them with the integrity of his heart and with his wise actions he led them, so that they would never again become a covenantally dysfunctional slack bow.