Psalm 95/Verse by Verse/Notes

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v. 1

Hebrew Line English
לְ֭כוּ נְרַנְּנָ֣ה לַיהוָ֑ה 1a Come, let us shout for joy to YHWH!
נָ֝רִ֗יעָה לְצ֣וּר יִשְׁעֵֽנוּ׃ 1b Let us cry out to the rock of our salvation!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

Come to the temple, let us shout for joy to YHWH! Let us cry out to the rock of our salvation, whose salvation included the Exodus and even the provision of water at Massah and Meribah!

Notes


v. 2

Hebrew Line English
נְקַדְּמָ֣ה פָנָ֣יו בְּתוֹדָ֑ה 2a Let us approach his presence with praise;
בִּ֝זְמִר֗וֹת נָרִ֥יעַֽ לֽוֹ׃ 2b in songs we will cry out to him

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

Let us approach his presence, where he rests (Ps 132:8), with praise; in songs we will cry out to him

Notes


v. 3

Hebrew Line English
כִּ֤י אֵ֣ל גָּד֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה 3a because YHWH is a great God
וּמֶ֥לֶךְ גָּ֝ד֗וֹל עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִֽים׃ 3b and great king over all gods,

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

because YHWH is a great God and a great king over all gods, which he showed us after creating everything and sitting down to rest in his temple and reign over the cosmos.

Notes


v. 4

Hebrew Line English
אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ מֶחְקְרֵי־אָ֑רֶץ 4a in whose hand are the unexplored depths of the earth
וְתוֹעֲפ֖וֹת הָרִ֣ים לֽוֹ׃ 4b and the peaks of the mountains are his;

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

He is[a God] in whose hand are the unexplored depths of the earth and the peaks of the mountains are his;

Notes


v. 5

Hebrew Line English
אֲשֶׁר־ל֣וֹ הַ֭יָּם וְה֣וּא עָשָׂ֑הוּ 5a to whom belongs the seahe made it
וְ֝יַבֶּ֗שֶׁת יָדָ֥יו יָצָֽרוּ׃ 5b and the dry land which his hands formed.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

to whom belongs the sea —he made it— and the dry land which his hands formed. Both high and low, both sea and land—nothing is outside the scope of his sovereignty.

Notes


v. 6

Hebrew Line English
בֹּ֭אוּ נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה וְנִכְרָ֑עָה 6a Come, let us bow down and kneel!
נִ֝בְרְכָ֗ה לִֽפְנֵי־יְהוָ֥ה עֹשֵֽׂנוּ׃ 6b Let us kneel down before YHWH, our maker,

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

So as we come and continue our entrance into his holy place of rest (Ps 100:4), let us bow down and kneel! Let us kneel down before YHWH, our maker,

Notes


v. 7

Hebrew Line English
כִּ֘י ה֤וּא אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ 7a because he is our God and we
עַ֣ם מַ֭רְעִיתוֹ וְצֹ֣אן יָד֑וֹ 7b people he shepherds, the flock led by his hand.
הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אִֽם־בְּקֹל֥וֹ תִשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ 7c Today, if you want to obey his voice,

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

because he, the great king over all gods, is our God and we are the people that he redeemed from Egypt and he shepherds (Ps 78:52), the flock led by his hand to resting places (Ps 23:2), including the promised land and his own resting place (Deut 12:8-9)—the same hand to which belongs all of creation. Do not take this entrance into his presence for granted, however. Today, if you want to obey his voice, fully relying on his provision and covenantal promises to provide you with a place of rest as an inheritance...

Notes


v. 8

Hebrew Line English
אַל־תַּקְשׁ֣וּ לְ֭בַבְכֶם כִּמְרִיבָ֑ה 8a do not harden your heart as[at] Meribah,
כְּי֥וֹם מַ֝סָּ֗ה בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ 8b as[on] the day of Massah in the wilderness,

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

"Do not harden your heart as back then[at] Meribah, that place of hostility, as [on] the day of Massah, that place of testing, in the wilderness,

Notes


v. 9

Hebrew Line English
אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֭סּוּנִי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם 9a where your ancestors put me to the test.
בְּ֝חָנ֗וּנִי גַּם־רָא֥וּ פָעֳלִֽי׃ 9b They tested me. They had even seen my work!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

where your ancestors put me to the test with their grumbling, despite my provision. They tested me when they lost faith in me and would have preferred to return to their former life in Egypt. They had even seen my work of splitting the seas, setting them up like a heap and providing a stable path through, just as I separated the waters at creation and provided stability for the earth!

Notes


v. 10

Hebrew Line English
אַרְבָּ֘עִ֤ים שָׁנָ֨ה ׀ אָ֘ק֤וּט בְּד֗וֹר 10a forty years I was disgusted with a generation
וָאֹמַ֗ר עַ֤ם תֹּעֵ֣י לֵבָ֣ב הֵ֑ם 10b and I would think: They are a people whose heart strays
וְ֝הֵ֗ם לֹא־יָדְע֥וּ דְרָכָֽי׃ 10c and they do not recognize my ways."

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

For forty years I was disgusted with a n entire generation —a year for each day they surveyed the promised land of their rest and chose not to trust me that they would inherit it— and I would think: 'They are a people whose heart strays, desirous of the blessings rather than me, the one who blesses, which leads to idolatry, and they do not recognize my ways laid out in my covenant stipulations as my special people, but would prefer to think just as the nations around them think and fear the things that they fear, rather than holding me in fear and awe.

Notes


v. 11

Hebrew Line English
אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי בְאַפִּ֑י 11a about whom I swore in my anger,
אִם־יְ֝בֹא֗וּן אֶל־מְנוּחָתִֽי׃ 11b They will not enter into my rest!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

[They are a people] about whom I swore in my anger, "They will not enter into my place of rest in the promised land!"'" So here we are, today, entering into YHWH's temple (Deut 12:9). Will you remain as stubborn and unfaithful as our ancestors were? Or will you recognize his provision and expectation that you believe in him, with faithful worship, and enter in to enjoy the rest found in his presence?

Notes