Please, browse the many free commentaries available on https://www.katrinapearls.com/blog
1 [1] I love Yahweh, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, *
[2] because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him.
2 [3] The cords of death entangled me;
the grip of the grave took hold of me; *
I came to grief and sorrow.
3 [4] Then I called upon the Name of Yahweh: *
"Yahweh, I pray you, save my life."
4 [5] Gracious is Yahweh and righteous; *
welohenu is full of compassion.
5 [6] Yahweh watches over the innocent; *
I was brought very low, and he helped me.
6 [7] Turn again to your rest, O my soul, *
for Yahweh has treated you well.
7 [8] For you have rescued my life from death, *
my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.
8 [9] I will walk in the presence of Yahweh *
in the land of the living.
--------------------
This is the companion Psalm that will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 19], Year B, if the Track 2 Old Testament option is chosen, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. In that track, a reading from Isaiah will state, “Yahweh helps me … therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near.” That pair will precede the Epistle reading from James, where the Apostle wrote, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” All will accompany the Gospel selection from Mark, where Jesus said, “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
In the above English translation of Psalm 116, you will note that I have made some amendments. First, in one place the text had been incorrectly translated to say, “our God, when the Hebrew written is “welohenu,” which is in the plural number, as “our gods.” I have restored the Hebrew text. Next, there are seven places where “Yahweh” has incorrectly been translated as “the Lord.” Yahweh is a proper name, while “Lord” is a generic that David did not praise. He named “Yahweh” specifically, for a purpose; so, I have restored those proper names. Finally, the Episcopal Church has made the executive decision to change the numbering of this Psalm, as the numbers they show do not reflect what the truth is AND what the NRSV shows [supposedly the source for what the Episcopal Church presents]. I have adjusted the verses to show the correct numbering [there are nine, not eight], shown in bold type, between brackets. This is odd (in my mind), as half the time the Episcopal Church simply does not number anything. Perhaps that is because when they do number the verses, they do it wrong?
Psalm 116 is nineteen verses in length, in total. It is a little odd, in that it does not begin with an announcement of any kind, such as: A psalm of David. It simply begins. Half of it will be read today and on a day during Easter week. The other half will be read on two other dates in the lectionary cycle; with one other reading being some of these verses, combined with the verses from the second half. So, a total of five times some part of Psalm 116 will be read aloud. Because of the misnumbering by the Episcopal Church, I can only assume [without deeper investigation] verses eighteen and nineteen are read on those dates when the second half is read aloud. Otherwise, verses eighteen and nineteen will never be read.
The literal English translation of verse one is this: “I love that he has heard ׀ Yahweh ; my voice , my supplications .” In this, there is a bar [“׀”] placed after “he has heard” and before “Yahweh,” which acts as [I assume] a musical direction that can relate to a pause. That pause makes “I love that he has heard” be a statement, with “Yahweh” being the explanation of who “he” is, after the mark of pause. In the BibleHub Interlinear heading of verses, this whole song is headed: “He Listens to My Voice.” The NRSV heads it as “Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness.” Neither headers were part of the actual song. However, the assumption made by the BibleHub Interlinear translator is that the Yahweh listens to what prayers ask for. I think this is limited and a one-way view of what is written by David.
Because “Yahweh” is followed by a semi-colon, the second half of this verse is a separate thought, although related to that before. The relationship is Yahweh hearing the one praying to Him. The separation must then also be read as relative to both Yahweh and the soul praying. As such, “my voice” is more than one praying for help. It says Yahweh has answered the prayer and become one’s “voice.” That “voice” is then the actions of “Yahweh” within a wife of His, who has not just listened to one’s “supplications,” but acted on them. It says Yahweh has asked the one praying [His wife] to do what needs to be done, as Yahweh pleading with His wife to follow His directions. Those then become the wife's to comply with, as "my supplications." The key to this assumption of a Husband listening to and then helping His wife reverts back to the first word of this verse – “’ā·haḇ·tî” – which says “I love.” That is a statement of the “love” that reciprocates in marriage.
The literal English translation of verse two then sings, “that he has extended his ear to me ; as long as I live I will proclaim .” When this verse is read as if David sang, “Oh boy! Yahweh listens to me! Now I can ask for everything in the Sears Wish Book!” it is wrong. By seeing how the “ear” of Yahweh has been “extended,” it is then David’s “ear” that can divinely hear the Spiritual insights of his Holy Husband. Therefore, after the semi-colon, David stated he could hear what Yahweh spoke to him, so he would “proclaim” that heard. That becomes a reflection of ministry, so others can also hear the Word of God. The aspect of "as long as I live" means marriage is forever; but ministry in divine marriage does not stop while one is a soul in the flesh, once ministry begins.
Verse three then literally translates into English as singing: “surrounded me the bands of death , the distress of Sheol found me ; distress and sorrow I discovered .” Here, when David wrote “ḥeḇ·lê-mā·weṯ,” as [NRSV] “the cords of death,” where “chebel” can mean “cord, territory, band” (Strong’s), the “territory” of death is one’s body of flesh. It is the “rope” that ties a soul to the material realm, keeping it captive, unable to freely return to the spiritual realm. The “distress of Sheol” means the threat of death AND Judgement, as a place in between, where a soul is still kept from returning to the spiritual realm, pending Yahweh's review of the life past in the flesh.
The Hebrew word “sheol” refers to “underworld (place to which people descend at death).” (Strong’s) This means a soul descends into a non-physical realm, where it is in holding before Judgment. This means “Sheol” is where a soul is either deemed clean spiritually and able to ascend into the divine plane with Yahweh; or, when its sins committed in the flesh condemn that soul, causing it to return into new flesh [start over again], or worse [be cast into the eternal darkness due to unredeemable sins]. For David to then moan, “distress and sorrow I discovered,” this means his soul has been made aware of all its past sins, through having an “ear extended” to and from Yahweh.
Verse four is then literally translated into English as: “and in the name of Yahweh I proclaimed ; I beseech you Yahweh save my soul .” In this, it must be realized that “in the name of” [from “ū·ḇə·šêm”] is a statement of marriage, such that a wife takes on the “name” [“shem”] of the husband. When David sang about being “in the name of Yahweh,” he declared he was such a wife; therefore, he proclaimed as Yahweh’s extension on earth. His declarations “implored” outwardly to others to also marry their souls to Yahweh, because salvation is only possible through such a divine marriage of love.
The literal English translation of verse five then sings, “gracious Yahweh and just ; of us elohim of love .” In this verse is found the Hebrew “welohenu,” where the plural number [“elohim” as “gods”] is amended to be more than simply David, but others like him. As such, that says Yahweh has many “elohim” [therefore the plural]. The multiplicity is then “of us” or “our,” in the possessive or genitive case. By beginning this verse singing, “gracious Yahweh,” this speaks of the presence of Yahweh upon a soul, which is the truth of His “grace.” That, again, sings of divine marriage; and, it says that this union of Holy Matrimony is what makes all past sins “justified,” as the soul-flesh then becomes totally submissive to the Will of God, out of reciprocal love. Therefore, following the semi-colon, David sang out that this state of being is the same in all of Yahweh’s wives, with all being divinely possessed “elohim.”
Verse six then literally translates into English as singing, “keeps watch the simple Yahweh ; I was brought low , and me he delivered .” In the segment of words in this verse that says, “keeps watch the simple Yahweh,” the mind wants to only see them as saying “Yahweh watches over His wives.” While that is true, the same words also say that the wives of Yahweh [His elohim] also “keep watch” or “care” [from “shamar”] the “simple” [“pthiy”]. In that, the wives of Yahweh have sacrificed self-ego, so their brains are not an altar of self-worship, making them “open-minded” or “simple” in knowledge. This makes them like children who need to be taught; and, in that way the wives of Yahweh will “care” for the “simple” who know nothing about how to marry their souls to Yahweh.
Following the semi-colon mark, the segment that says, “I was brought low” stems from the Hebrew word “dalal,” which means, “bring low, dry up, be emptied, be not equal, fail, be impoverished, be made thin.” This should be seen in terms of the word “pthiy,” or the state of being “simple.” The biggest hurdle to clear, when a soul is being led to accept a marriage proposal from Yahweh, is its own brain making a soul think it is self-sufficient and all-knowing. It is that obstacle within that must be “emptied, made thin, and impoverished,” relative to one's dependence on intellect. This is so one stops thinking how to be saved and one accepts the brain cannot supply that state of being. This reflects on receiving Yahweh's Spirit and from personal experience [unknown prior] one being able to have true spiritual faith. It says one must die of self-ego and self-will, from having reached the depths of self-reliance, so one can become simply led by Yahweh. Then salvation can be gained.
The seventh verse then translates literally into English as, “return my soul to your permanence ; for Yahweh has dealt adequately with you .” When one is searching for the assured state of salvation, the singing of David that says [NRSV], “Turn again to your rest, O my soul,” the “return” of a “soul” to the presence of Yahweh is divine marriage. This takes place when a soul is still animating its flesh. When the death of the flesh comes and a soul has not married Yahweh prior then, instead of finding the “permanence” that is “rest,” such peace will not be found after descending into Sheol for Judgment. Without receiving Yahweh's Spirit prior to physical death, no soul is capable to die with all sins washed clean. This means a soul must find its way to sacrifice its self-will [symbolic death], so Yahweh’s Spirit can return the soul into that presence of eternal life while the soul is still residing in a body of flesh. Thus, when David then sang, “for Yahweh has dealt adequately with you,” this sings of the path of righteousness that a soul-flesh will lead, which must be walked in order to find a favorable Judgment for a soul in Sheol.
Verse eight then literally translates into English as singing, “for you have withdrawn my soul , from death my eyes from tears ; my feet from falling .” In this, the Hebrew word “chalats” means “to draw off or out, withdraw,” with an intent of use being “to rescue” or “to ready, arm, make fat.” This scope of meaning says one’s “soul” has been increased, by the addition of a divine Spirit, which “withdraws” the soul from control over its body of flesh, so it backs away in submission to a higher power. This is the only way a human being can truly live righteously. That transfer then eliminates all fear of “death,” so the soul no longer sees that transition as a point of Judgment, foreseeing sorrow to come. When David sang of his “feet” kept “from falling,” this sings of his body of flesh being led by the Spirit of Yahweh to walk in His ways. This sings of a joyful ministry for Yahweh.
The final verse in this selection [verse nine] then translates literally into English as singing, “I will walk before Yahweh ; in the land , of the living .” Here, the Hebrew word written that translates as “before” is “lip̄·nê,” which is rooted in “panim,” meaning “face.” This then says David will “walk” while wearing the “face” of Yahweh “before” his own "face." This is the truth of the First Commandment, which literally says, “not you shall have other elohim upon face.” The last two Hebrew words there are “‘al- pā·nā·ya,” which says “upon face.” The meaning says to wear one’s own face [self-ego] is to deny Yahweh and not wear His face before one’s own face. Such a refusal says one's self-ego will not have been “withdrawn” and moved back in submission. Refusing to agree to the first vow of divine marriage means one's soul rejects Yahweh and turns away from Him, seeing self as more important. Therefore, David sang about his soul’s marriage to Yahweh, by singing that he wore the “face of Yahweh” when he “walked” [righteously].
Following the semi-colon mark, David then made it clear that his “walking” was “in the land,” or “on the earth,” which means “of the flesh” and “in the physical.” This says salvation is only assured when one marries Yahweh while a soul in the flesh, so all past sins are cleansed and a new self [one's soul led by the Spirit] then proceeds through life, wearing the “face” of righteousness, in the name of Yahweh. Because the “earth” or “land” [“eretz”] is a soul giving animation to the death of matter, the following statement – “of the living” – is then the truth of salvation. That sings of when the soul can truly be freed to eternal life, no longer trapped in the death that is a body of flesh, in the physical realm.
As the accompany Psalm to Isaiah 50, to be sung aloud on the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for Yahweh should already be well underway, the lesson of David’s song is to marry one’s soul to Yahweh and wear His face to the world. Ministry for Yahweh can only come from His presence, so His voice is personally heard and His message proclaimed for all to know. Wanting to be good and trying to read lots of good researched opinions and then go out armed with those opinions as one’s own will invariably lead one to be positioned between a rock and a hard place. There, one will be forced to admit, “It wasn’t my idea, so I can’t explain it.” True ministry for Yahweh makes one’s mouth appear before others, unprepared, as one who is “simple.” Then, welcomed by others as non-threatening, one lets Yahweh do the talking. No one will be led to marry their souls to Yahweh by preaching a sermon only one person can understand.