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1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.
9 And in the temple of the Lord *
all are crying, "Glory!"
10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
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This is the selected Psalm of David that will either be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on Trinity Sunday, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This song will follow a reading from Isaiah, which says, “Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.” Following this song of praise will come a reading from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, where he wrote: “if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from John, where Jesus said, “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
In these eleven verses, the word written by David eighteen times, which has been translated as “the Lord” is “Yahweh.” Yahweh is the name of the One God of Israel, which means Yahweh was the One God of Jesus. To lower this name to “the Lord” becomes a statement of self-will, which indirectly says, “I do not want to identify with the God of Jews." In the New Testament Greek, the word used to denote Yahweh was “Theos,” or “God” [capitalized]. David did not sing praises to a god or a lord.
When Moses asked Yahweh who he should tell the Israelites had sent him, we read Yahweh told Moses, “’eh·yeh ’ă·šer ’eh·yeh,” which says, “I Am who I Am.” That has become the letters “YHWH,” with vowels added so it becomes: YaHWeH. The meaning of “I Am who I Am” says Yahweh IS whoever – whose soul – He marries and becomes One with. In Exodus 3, where this name is told, the name Yahweh appears written seven times, all before Moses asked that question. That says the name is meant to be used from that point on [before any divine texts were written]. Anything lesser in verbiage means one is not One with Yahweh [He is a stranger one is ashamed to call by name]. Such translations reflect how Christianity has degenerated into a lost flock religion.
In verses 1 and 2, both are shown to begin with “Ascribe to the Lord.” That is stated twice in verse 1, so three times that is said in two verses. Such a translation is wonderful, if the lambs in the pews understand the meaning of “ascribe.” It sounds like “subscribe,” so weak brains think [always a weakness in human beings] Yahweh filled David’s heart and led him to write, “Tell everyone to give me some praise, so my Ego will swell.” That is not what is repeated here at the beginning of this song of praise.
The comma mark following “Yahweh” means “hā·ḇū Yah·weh” is a complete statement in one two-word segment. It says, "give Yahweh." The only thing a human being possesses that is worthy of being “given to Yahweh” is one’s soul. A soul is above and beyond one’s brain of flesh, which often claims possession of the soul within. If a soul is to be one’s “gift to Yahweh,” then one needs to know the name of the God one’s soul is marrying. To get to know that name Yahweh, one needs to free itself [one's soul] from its brain's control.
Following the comma mark in verse 1 is written “bə·nê ’ê·lîm,” which the Episcopal Church has translated as “you gods.” The NRSV shows, “O heavenly beings,” with a footnote that says the Hebrew says “sons of gods.” The truth of what is written by David is “sons gods,” where “elim” is akin to “elohim,” as an abbreviated form that states in the plural number “gods.”
It is a routine practice for the Episcopal Church [and others] to fund translators so they change every use of “elohim” to “God.” They love to pretend "elohim" is a statement of "Yahweh" that has not been stated correctly by someone they call the "E writer." If they did that here, the words would be shown as “sons of God,” or maybe “Sons of God.” In reality, the act of giving one’s soul to Yahweh makes a neuter soul take on the masculine essence of the heavenly, so a neutered soul has transformed [through marriage] into being a “son" [regardless of human gender, as souls are eternal and sterile – no need to reproduce]. That marriage - union - makes those souls have the powers of “elohim,” as a "wedding gift" returned by Yahweh.
That is the truth of the last segment of verse 1, where David wrote “hā·ḇū Yah·weh kā·ḇō·wḏ wā·‘ōz.” Because all “glory and strength” is a statement of Yahweh and not human in any way, thus making it incapable for a soul to “give Yahweh power and glory,” the way to translate this is as “Yahweh gives [His sons elohim] glory and strength.” These "gifts" are what Paul termed the “gifts of the Spirit," as that which makes one Set apart by God ["Holy" or "Sacred"]. One gives a soul to Yahweh and Yahweh gives that soul the “glory and strength” of Him.
Verse 2 then expands on this return “gift.” In repeating “hā·ḇū Yah·weh” ["give Yahweh"], David added “kā·ḇō·wḏ šə·mōw” ["glory in his name"] which [again repeats] “glory,” while stating that “glory” is from taking on “His name.” When one investigates the ritual of marriage, it is traditional [regardless of how aborted all traditions have become in the modern era] for a wife to lose her family name [daddy’s family name] and assume the family name of her husband. That is why a father "gives away" a daughter in marriage. Since all human beings are feminine in essence [males and females alike], all are expected to have their souls [a neuter spirit presence, which assumes the “name” of the flesh – feminine] lose that earthly family and assume the “name of Yahweh.” We generally call those "Saints" these days, but "Apostles" also works; and, while David did not know Jesus of Nazareth when he was alive in the flesh, being reborn in the “name of Jesus, reborn as a Christ” reflects the same transformation of marriage, as marriage comes with the expectation to produce a child of Yahweh.
Following a long dash [“---“] after “his name,” David then said to “worship Yahweh in the beauty of holiness.” The meaning of “worship” means “to bow down” to Yahweh, such that a wife [a soul] must be obedient and submissive to her Husband [again, regardless of the slackadasical attitude of modern human beings]. This is the attitude shown by Ezekiel, when asked a question by Yahweh. A subservient wife does not offer personal opinions [Yahweh knows all those anyway]. A submissive wife says, “Oh lord of my soul, You know.” This is said with the “beauty of holiness,” which means one obeys while being “adorned” [“beauty”] with that which sets one “apart” and makes one “sacred.” A “Saint” always obeys Yahweh.
The next three verses all begin by saying, “qō·wl Yah-weh,” or “the voice of Yahweh." Verse 4 states this twice, so the same words were written four times in three verses. When one has read the repetition of the first two verses and understands that “give Yahweh” means marriage, the “voice Yahweh” is not limited to one’s ability to hear Yahweh speak [“voice”]. Just as in the Ezekiel example, after Yahweh told Ezekiel what to do, Ezekiel then did that. Thus, Ezekiel became the physical “voice of Yahweh,” who prophesied to dry bones, their breath, and the house of Israel. Ezekiel spoke what Yahweh told him to say, the way He told him to say it. A soul married to Yahweh is so betrothed because that soul must become “the voice of Yahweh,” and love being "His voice."
It is in the remaining verses that metaphor takes over and needs to be understood. As such, “the voice of Yahweh” is “upon the waters” [from “‘al- ham·mā·yim”]. When David wrote about the leviathan, it swam beneath the “waters” that was the “sea of Yahweh’s hands,” or those whose souls had become married to Him. The leviathan was the “Spirit” of Yahweh that inter-related them as a “sea.” In the Gospel reading this Sunday, from John 3, Jesus told Nicodemus one must be “born from above of water and Spirit.” This is the flow from Yahweh that is the breath of life that is a soul. A soul must be seen as water, in metaphor. A soul is the "breath" that returned moisture to "dry bones," so they could produce sinew, flesh, and skin. This watery essence makes the soul reflect the ever-changing states of emotions, just as the tides of the earth ebb and flow. When not married to Yahweh, a soul has no control over human emotions, which are the symbolic waters ships sail atop, but fear sinking into.
When the NRSV translates the second segment of verse 3 to say, “the God of glory thunders,” where this is an example of the knee-jerk reaction of reading “el” and transforming it to “God.” One “el” comes from a sea of “elim,” which is the collection of the married souls of Yahweh. One "el" is one soul married to Yahweh. This means what David wrote says, “a wife adorned in the glory of Yahweh thunders.” Again, by realizing that it is a “son el” ["ben el," the singular of "bə·nê ’ê·lîm"] who becomes the “voice of Yahweh,” the metaphor of “thunder” is the power of Yahweh’s truth being spoken by a wife of Yahweh. We saw Ezekiel have that power.
When verse 3 ends with a segment of words saying, “Yahweh is upon the mighty waters,” this multiplies “el” to “elim” [“elohim”] and the “waters” become the sea I mentioned from Psalm 104 [Pentecost Sunday]. When David was led to write this, he was one who was a soul married to Yahweh. Still, as the leader of Israel [a "Christos" chosen to be “Anointed” by the prophet Samuel], all of Israel followed suit and likewise married their souls to Yahweh. They too became reproductions of David, all as a "sea" of souls married to Yahweh. That must be seen as a projection [a [a prophecy] to Jesus, as Jesus is NOT the only “el” of Yahweh. “Yahweh is upon souls many” [David did not add the word “mighty”]. The implication is they all have the “glory and strength of Yahweh,” as “His sons.”
In verse 4 is stated, “The voice of Yahweh is powerful --- the voice of Yahweh is full of majesty.” The aspect of “powerful” [from “koach”] implies “human strength” that is sourced from the divine. Samson has such divine power as physical strength. When this is attributed to the “voice of Yahweh,” the power and strength become an “ability” or “efficiency” [Brown-Driver-Briggs] to understand prophecy.
Again, using the Ezekiel example, when Yahweh told him to “prophesy,” and he did, that means speaking the Word so the souls led by human brains could see the power that was written. Ezekiel exposed the truth that they could not see. Ezekiel spoke with the 'Advocate' within - the Spirit of truth. Thus, the Word of Yahweh is found to be “full of majesty” or “splendor,” the great power of which cannot be known by souls not married to Yahweh. Therefore, it is the role of Saints to become “Messengers” [the meaning of “Apostles”] that expose the “power and beauty” of the “voice of Yahweh,” which has been spoken through His prophets.
Verse 5 then begins by singing, “The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedar trees.” What the NRSV does not translate here is the long dash [“---”] that adds “way·šab·bêr,” where the repetition of “breaks” [from “šō·ḇêr,” of the same root “shabar”] becomes a way of emphasizing “breaks to pieces” or “splinters.” It is that word that attaches to the second segment that translates as “Yahweh breaks the cedars of Lebanon,” where “splintering" must be seen.
The “cedars of Lebanon” must be seen as the strong trees that marked the northern border of Israel, from which strong dwellings were made. When this is seen as metaphor for the “voice of Yahweh,” the strong dwellings for His Word are the holy books written by prophets married to Yahweh. Thus, the “cedars” are metaphor for Divine Scripture.
A couple of Psalm trees standing side-by-side.
The aspect of “breaking to pieces” is what I do here, now and in other Biblical commentaries I produce and publish freely. One must break to pieces, “splinter” the words of the texts and examine each word for the “voice of Yahweh. Only after doing that can one begin to see the “power and glory” of what is contained therein.
It should be noted that verse 6 is the only verse in this song of praise that does not include the name “Yahweh.” The translation that sings, “He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox” actually first states, “and he makes them skip about like a calf.” This says a Saint does not stay put. It says they do not wear a cow path to the same church pew, Sunday after Sunday. Instead, they are filled with the delight of youth [“like a calf”] that keeps them always on the move.
Following a semi-colon separation, when David then combined two words together – Lebanon Hermon [“lə·ḇā·nō·wn wə·śir·yōn”] – he did so by separating the two by a comma mark. This become prophetic of the range Jesus took in ministry, where he went to Tyre and Sidon, which were Lebanon and Syria [Mark 7], before he crossed the northern reaches of Israel and "came to the region of Caesarea Philippi," before going up the “high mountain” that is Mount Hermon. [Matthew 16 & 17] There he was Transfigured. Thus, “like the son of a wild ox” [from “kə·mōw ḇen- rə·’ê·mîm”] Jesus appeared as the youngest offspring of a holy line of metaphoric oxen - him being of Moses and Elijah. As 'oxen,' Yahweh's wives all have His strength with their souls.
Verse 7 is the shortest verse of the song of praise, as it only states, “ The voice of Yahweh splits the flames of fire.” What the Episcopal Church places in verse 7 is actually in verse 8; and, the NRSV shows that truth in their version in English translation. The literal translation of verse 7 says, “voice Yahweh divides , flames of fire.” The placement of a comma mark needs to be seen as a point of necessary separation, such that one who has married Yahweh and has become “His voice” then becomes one who “hews, chops, cuts in pieces, or hews out” the “cedars of Lebanon.”
The “cedars of Lebanon” act as the Holy Texts that people bow down before [worshiping] without knowing what they honor. They take for granted the whole, while never doing the work of “chopping wood,” which is the work of a servant of Yahweh [a wife]. While belief is a step in the right direction, the “splintering” must be done so one knows personally the power of the splinters. It is those “splinters” that ignite the “flames” within that sets a soul on “fire” with passion for Yahweh. To have a "fire" within, one must "cut some wood," otherwise one takes for granted the source that burns, warming oneself from the past actions of others.
Verse 8 then sings, “the voice of Yahweh shakes the wilderness; Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh” [which the Episcopal Church has incorrectly made subdivisions of verse 7]. The use of “shakes” should be read as a “dance” or the “twirls” of “anxious longing” [Brown-Driver-Briggs]. This should be read as seductive moves that are only between Yahweh and His new bride. In this, the "wilderness" must be seen as a place of seclusion.
In the capitalization of “Kadesh,” the actual word written is “qā·ḏêš,” which is “qadesh.” The word is not capitalized [there are no capital letters in the Hebrew alphabet], so it simply means “sacred.” The "wilderness" implies an area without named places. The repetition of “wilderness” [from “miḏ·bār”] says that this is the separation of oneself from society, for the purpose of ‘honeymooning’ with one’s new Husband. This is not a normal 'honeymoon,' because it is "sacred."
The aspect of the number “forty,” which does not matter if it is days or years, is it boils down to representative of a 4 [40 > 4 + 0 = 4]. The number four is symbolic of a foundation or a solid base, upon which a structure is built. Thus, Moses spent forty days atop the mountain with Yahweh, the Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness with Moses led by Yahweh, and Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness with Yahweh - all to build a solid relationship with Yahweh. Thus, the forty days of the Easter season should depict the “wilderness” experience, when one tests one’s soul for its “sacredness” as the wife of Yahweh. Because the “voice of Yahweh” must be on the move in ministry, skipping as a calf, reincarnated as an oxly Saint, it must be tested in the “wilderness,” separate from all distractions. Think of it as a real good time to ponder Scripture, while Yahweh tenderly stokes the synapses of one's brain, so enlightenment takes place.
The Episcopal Church then shows verse 9 as saying: “The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe and strips the forests bare.” In reality, they have reduced a most important element of this verse [which they number as verse 8] to a confusing afterthought. That reduced is “yə·ḥō·w·lêl,” which is a variation of the prior use of “yā·ḥîl,” translated as “shakes.” Their translation tosses in "writhe" here, following their translation of "shakes" before.
Both words are rooted in “chuwl,” which is defined as meaning “to whirl, dance, writhe.” Whereas before the “dances” in the wilderness symbolized the consummation of a soul as one being united with her Husband, now the same word can be read as the “pains” and “writhing.” The essence “to bring forth” are then meant to be seen as the natural “dances” of childbirth.” [Brown-Driver-Briggs] To now associate that with an “oak tree” [as the Episcopal Church translation implies] makes the word lose all intent and purpose. Thus, the first segment of words in verse 9 says [from “qō·wl Yah-weh yə·ḥō·w·lêl”], “voice of Yahweh makes give birth.” [BibleHub Interlinear]
Omitted completely from both the Episcopal rendition and the NRSV is the Hebrew word “’ay·yā·lō·wṯ,” which translates as “a hind, doe,” which is a female red "deer.” It is this that is said to “strip the forests bare.” After having realized this verse begins with “the voice of Yahweh gives birth,” following a ‘honeymoon’ with a soul-wife in the “wilderness,” that which is born is as gentle as a “doe.” Here, one must be returned to the “splintering” of the “cedars of Lebanon,” which are the “firewood” that produces the “flames” of love for Yahweh, leading to marriage and a honeymoon.
With the birth of a doe [the female gender indicates a soul in human form], which “strips bare the forests,” it is then with gentleness and tenderness that the prior splintering has been practiced, so it is learned to be presented in ministry. Knowing "deer" are not known to be notorious devourers of trees [they may rut against them], the only "stripping bare" would be the leaves. Such feasting can then be read as metaphor for the words and verses that make up a divine book of Scripture [a cedar tree].
The “doe” can then be seen as the soul of Jesus being reborn within the soul-body of a wife of Yahweh. This birth of a doe then makes perfect sense of what Jesus told Nicodemus about being “born from above.” Without giving birth to the "doe," as a human being whose soul has married Yahweh, one is still as ignorant as Nicodemus [without him pondering how a deer could take his place in his mother's womb].
This then leads to the third segment of words in verse 9, which says [according to the Episcopal Church, similar to the NRSV], “And in the temple of the Lord all are crying, “Glory!” In that, David wrote the word “ū·ḇə·hê·ḵā·lōw,” which means “and in his temple” or “palace” [from “hekal”]. Remembering that there existed no ‘Temple of Solomon’ while David reigned, with the Ark of the Covenant still housed in a portable tabernacle, there should be no impression given to a brain that interprets metaphor about forests and a temple as being literal. There are no deer devouring forests of trees and there is no Temple upon Mount Zion to think about. The metaphor of a “temple” is the body animated by a soul, which has married Yahweh and become His voice. That now is possible to be seen as the presence of a little “doe” named “Jesus” – “Yah[weh] Will Save.”
The comma marks that create a one-word statement that says, “everyone” [from “kul·lōw”], then speaks of “all” whose bodies of flesh have also become “temples” for the “voice of Yahweh.” The high priest of that temple is then the “Spirit” of Yahweh, which will be known as Jesus reborn. It is that “all” who were Israelites under David, “all” married to Yahweh as “His voices,” and it will be “all” reborn as Jesus, another Christ “temple,” who will “speak” [as “the voice of Yahweh”] all the “glory” that is His Word. Ezekiel was possessed by that Spirit when he prophesied to dry bones and the breath that came to those relics.
This means "everyone" will "voice" meaning that comes from Yahweh within. They will not “all” be chanting in unison one word of meaningless value: “Glory.” Without one having been married to Yahweh [in soul], so one has “given birth” to His Son reborn [as oneself], so one’s body has become the “temple” of Yahweh, where His high priest rules, there can be no “glory” to sing about.
The Episcopal Church finally catches up and lists verse 10 as singing, “The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.” This is a weak translation that needs to be more closely inspected. The Hebrew written by David shows: “Yah-weh lam·mab·būl --- yā·šāḇ ; way·yê·šeḇ Yah-weh me·leḵ lə·‘ō·lām .” That literally translates to state: “Yahweh outpouring --- dwelling ; remains Yahweh as king forever .”
In that, the aspect of a “flood” [from “mabbul”] brings one again to the aspect of “water,” seen in verse 3. The word should then take on the motion of an overwhelming flow of Spirit, which is the filling that becomes one’s true baptism. As stated before, about the symbolism of water to the emotional state of human beings, the “flood” of emotions brought on by Yahweh’s presence is the truth of God’s love, which cannot be defined by human brains. All "water" is metaphor for Spirit merging with spirit [soul].
A long dash then leads to a one-word statement that says “dwells, sits, or remains.” This says that once one has been filled with the Spirit of Yahweh, one is always filled. It is the “everlasting waters” of which Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well. It stays with a soul, as that soul remains the wife of Yahweh forevermore.
Following that one-word statement, the same word is repeated [in a variant form], saying this “siting” of Yahweh makes the body of flesh that has been possessed then transform the soul into His “temple.” There, He will “be enthroned” as king forever.” This is possible countless times, so the same Yahweh [as His extension, Jesus] is enthroned is a "sea" of souls. Yahweh cannot be limited in any way. He has the greatness to marry all souls, should they all agree to His Covenant of marriage.
When the Israelites asked Samuel to tell Yahweh to give them a human king to lord over them, Yahweh said, “I am their king.” The meaning of that truth is individual, not collective. Each soul must marry Yahweh and create their body of flesh as His throne upon which He will sit.
Finally, verse 11 sings [Episcopal Church, similar to the NRSV], “The Lord shall give strength to his people; the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.” In that, there is no conditional stated, as “shall” implies. The first segment of words states a truth: “Yahweh strength to his people.” That says “Yahweh is strength,” plain and simple. There is no conditions that can be set upon that truth. For all who become “his people,” individually, and then collectively, the “strength of Yahweh” exists in the world.
Following a long dash after “to his people” [“lə·‘am·mōw”] is written the additional part of this first segment: “will give” [“yit·tên”]. This then says that all “the people” who become Yahweh’s [through the marriage of their souls to Him], they “will give” to Him their soul and He “will give” back to them His Spirit. It is the union of a "soul" ["spirit"] to Yahweh's "Spirit" that transforms a neuter "spirit" into a Holy Spirit. The addition of the Divine makes one's soul Sacred, a Saint, one Set apart as holy. That means it will require “strength” to “give” of oneself to Yahweh, but once given, Yahweh will forevermore feed one’s strength needed. The only conditional is whether or not a soul takes the first step towards that marriage.
Once that statement is concluded with the word meaning “will give,” the result of that marriage is then said to be: “Yahweh will bless his people with peace.” The aspect of “blessing” means there will be an “abundance” of Yahweh’s Spirit present, which matches the “flood of Yahweh” that fills one’s soul. The element of “peace” says there will be no fear, as “completeness” will have been found. The greatest fear humans face is death; but once a soul has married Yahweh and become His wife, then there can never be anything more than a known death of a physical body of flesh [as a mortal]. That does not elicit fear, but joy. That is because at which point there will be no return to a material prison. Peace is the certainty of faith.
As the Psalm of David chosen to be sung aloud on Trinity Sunday, which signals the beginning of ministry for Yahweh, it is clear why the elders chose this song of praise. It states the truth of ministry, which was known by David, through the marriage of his soul to Yahweh. The metaphor is thick, but with divine assistance the message shines brightly through.