Psalm 23/Notes/Lexical.V. 6.74322

• The verb "to pursue" (רדף) is often used with "hostile purpose," with a sense of causing harm (e.g., Pss 7:2; 18:38; 69:27; 71:11; etc.) so the use of this verb with "goodness and loyalty" as the subject is surprising. Of all of the things that could pursue David such as disaster (Prov 13:21); the angel of the Lord (Ps 35:6); sword, famine, and pestilence (Jer 29:18); and adversaries (Ps 71:10-11), it is YHWH's goodness and loyalty that pursues David. Following is the Venn diagram of the verb To pursue (רדף):

• אֹרֶךְ יָמִים ("length of days" >> "length of life, long life" >> "for as long as I live"). The expression אֹרֶךְ יָמִים "does not mean 'forever'; the viewpoint of the poem is in and of the here and now and is in no way eschatological." Moreover, the expression אֹרֶךְ יָמִים is parallel with the former expression כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּי ("all the days of my life"). The idea is that the psalmist will dwell in YHWH's house for "the rest of his life," that is, he will continue to receive all the privileges and blessings of being YHWH's guest, in YHWH's presence, for as long as I live (NVSR: "Pour la durée de mes jours"; GNT: "as long as I live" [So, Kraus 1988, 304]; NRSV: "my whole life long").