Acrostics in the (Book of ) Psalms

[Benaiah468]

Psalm 37 is an acrostic psalm.

Each letter contains two verses with the exception of the 4th, 11th and 19th letters

4. ד Dalet
11. כ כּ Kaf/Khaf
19. ק Quph

which contains one verse each.

The letter Ayin is missing, but could be hidden in the verse

For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Ps 37:28
כי יהוה אהב משפט ולא-יעזב את-חסידיו לעולם נשמרו וזרע רשעים נכרת׃


E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes makes an interesting comment on this

The letter Ayin is hidden behind the preposition Lamed, in the first word “for ever” (Hebrew. le “olam,).

כי יהוה אהב משפט ולא-יעזב את-חסידיו לעולם נשמרו וזרע רשעים נכרת׃

The Hebrew word olam literally means beyond the horizon.

When you look into the distance, it is difficult to see details, and what is beyond this horizon cannot be seen. This concept is the olam.

The word olam is also used for the distant past or the distant future as a time that is difficult to know or perceive.

Bullinger goes on to say

Dr. John Lightfoot says it is cut off like the "seed" of the "wicked" in same clause, both these words ending with Ayin. He sees in this the seed of Joram being cut off (i.e. Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. Matthew 1:8). Compare with 1 Chronicles 3:11, 1 Chronicles 3:12.

where both words, wicked (rasha) and seed (zara), end with Ayin

כי יהוה אהב משפט ולא-יעזב את-חסידיו לעולם נשמרו וזרע רשעים נכרת׃


He (Lightfoot) sees in this that the seed of Jehoram will be cut off (i.e. Ahaziah, Joash and Amaziah; cf. Mt 1:8; 1 Chr 3:11-12

Joram was king of Judah; his reign is dated to 849-842 BCE or 848-841 BCE.

He entered into an unholy union by marrying Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, cf. 2 Kgs 8:18. He killed his six brothers and introduced the worship of Baal in Jerusalem. He was punished by the Philistines and Arabs, who took possession of his treasures and led his wives and children into captivity. He was made aware of the falseness of his ways by “a writing” from the prophet Elijah (which had undoubtedly been written some time before; cf. 2 Chr. 21:12). In this scripture it was foretold that G-d would strike his people with a great plague. The king was to become so seriously ill that eventually his intestines would spill out. He then died miserably in this way; cf. 2 Kings 8:16-29.

 

[Benaiah468]

Psalm 145 is also an irregular acrostic. It has 21 verses

תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד אֲרֹומִמְךָ אֱלֹוהַי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַאֲבָרֲכָה מְךָ לְעֹולָם וָעֶד׃ 1
בְּכָל־יֹום אֲבָרֲכֶךָּ וַאֲהַלְלָה מְךָ לְעֹולָם וָעֶד׃ 2
גָּדֹול יְהוָה וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד וְלִגְדֻלָּתֹו אֵין חֵקֶר׃ 3
דֹּור לְדֹור יְשַׁבַּח מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּגְבוּרֹתֶיךָ יַגִּידוּ׃ 4
הֲדַר כְּבֹוד הֹודֶךָ וְדִבְרֵי נִפְלְאֹותֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה׃ 5
וֶעֱזוּז נֹורְאֹתֶיךָ יֹאמֵרוּ [וּגְדוּלֹּתֶיךָ כ] (וּגְדוּלָּתְךָ ק) אֲסַפְּרֶנָּה׃ 6
זֵכֶר רַב־טוּבְךָ יַבִּיעוּ וְצִדְקָתְךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ׃ 7
חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְהוָה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וּגְדָל־חָסֶד׃ 8
טֹוב־יְהוָה לַכֹּל וְרַחֲמָיו עַל־כָּל־מַעֲשָׂיו׃ 9
יֹודוּךָ יְהוָה כָּל־מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְבָרֲכוּכָה׃ 10
כְּבֹוד מַלְכוּתְךָ יֹאמֵרוּ וּגְבוּרָתְךָ יְדַבֵּרוּ׃ 11
לְהֹודִיעַ לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם גְּבוּרֹתָיו וּכְבֹוד הֲדַר מַלְכוּתֹו׃ 12
מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל־עֹלָמִים וּמֶמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ בְּכָל־דֹּור וָדֹור׃ 13
סֹומֵךְ יְהוָה לְכָל־הַנֹּפְלִים וְזֹוקֵף לְכָל־הַכְּפוּפִים׃ 14
עֵינֵי־כֹל אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּ וְאַתָּה נֹותֵן־לָהֶם אֶת־אָכְלָם בְּעִתֹּו׃ 15
פֹּותֵחַ אֶת־יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל־חַי רָצֹון׃ 16
צַדִּיק יְהוָה בְּכָל־דְּרָכָיו וְחָסִיד בְּכָל־מַעֲשָׂיו׃ 17
קָרֹוב יְהוָה לְכָל־קֹרְאָיו לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאֻהוּ בֶאֱמֶת׃18
רְצֹון־יְרֵאָיו יַעֲשֶׂה וְאֶת־שַׁוְעָתָם יִשְׁמַע וְיֹושִׁיעֵם׃ 19
שֹׁומֵר יְהוָה אֶת־כָּל־אֹהֲבָיו וְאֵת כָּל־הָרְשָׁעִים יַשְׁמִיד׃ 20
תְּהִלַּת יְהוָה יְדַבֶּר־פִּי וִיבָרֵךְ כָּל־בָּשָׂר שֵׁם קָדְשֹׁו לְעֹולָם וָעֶד׃ 21

It is striking:

The letter is missing

14. נ Nun 50

מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל-עֹלָמִים וּמֶמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ בְּכָל-דֹּור וָדֹור׃ 13
...
סֹומֵךְ יְהוָה לְכָל-הַנֹּפְלִים וְזֹוקֵף לְכָל-הַכְּפוּפִים׃ 14

Psalm 145 is not the only case of a missing letter.

We have already seen similar things in other psalms.

Psalm 34 begins with every letter except the Vav, Psalm 37 contains verses of every letter except the Ayin.

In Psalm 25 even three letters are missing.

The 145th Psalm is found in the fifth book of the Psalter. It is entitled A Song of Praise to David and thus belongs to the group of Psalms of David. No acrostic psalm is better known or more frequently recited in the Jewish liturgy. It is a hymn of praise to G-d's greatness and goodness

1 I will extol thee, my G-d, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
10 All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.
11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

The G-d of David, whom he sings about in his song, is a deeply philanthropic and human G-d. And when, centuries after David, a little child was born in a sukkah in Bethlehem, this became visible once again in a completely new way.

G-d appeared to people as a human being and came close to them in Jesus Christ.

 

[Benaiah468]

While the Masoretic text of Ps 145 does not contain a verse that begins with the letter Nun,

מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל-עֹלָמִים וּמֶמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ בְּכָל-דֹּור וָדֹור׃ 13
...
סֹומֵךְ יְהוָה לְכָל-הַנֹּפְלִים וְזֹוקֵף לְכָל-הַכְּפוּפִים׃ 14

however, there is an additional verse in the LXX where one would expect to find the new verse

The Lord is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. Ps 145:13a LXX

The first Greek word of this verse, pistos,

13a Πιστὸς

could be a translation of the Hebrew word neʾeman (נֶאֶמָן; root aman), meaning faithful, which begins with the letter Nun.

It is conceivable that the LXX translators translated from a Hebrew manuscript that contained this verse. This is significant because the LXX is much older than the Masoretic text. Therefore, it is possible that the LXX reflects the original Hebrew text better than the Masoretic text in places where it differs significantly from the Masoretic text.


A Hebrew manuscript of the Qumran parchment scrolls, 11QPSa supports the LXX version

נאמן אלוהים בדבריו וחסיחס בכל מעשיו
The Lord is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works.

The textual agreement between the LXX and the scrolls suggests that the Masoretic text is incorrect and that the Hebrew text did indeed originally contain the missing verse.

Due to the discovery of Qumran, some modern translations include this verse, such as the New International Version (NIV)

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. [One manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text do not have the last two lines of verse 13.] The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:13-14 NIV

However, since no one wanted to renumber the verses, the missing verse was simply included in verse 13.

The translation from the Syriac reads

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in his words and righteous in all his works. The LORD upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Bible critics point out that today we no longer have the original manuscripts, but only copies of copies made by imperfect human scribes who made mistakes in copying their manuscripts, sometimes even omitting whole verses.

While this may be true, it does not mean that we can never know what the original manuscripts contained.

The missing verse of Psalm 145 is a beautiful demonstration of this.

 

[Benaiah468]

The psalm itself and its liturgical setting are an intellectual, aesthetic and spiritual work of incredible beauty.

As the text says

I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. Ps 145:5

The stanzaic structure is quite clear

1 I will extol thee, my G-d, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

10 All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.

11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

A1 Commitment to worship King YHVH v.1-2
B1 Reasons for worship: G-d's greatness v.3-6
B2 Reasons for worship: G-d's goodness v.7-9
A2 Commitment to worship King YHVH v.10
B1 Reasons for worship: G-d's greatness v.11-13
B2 Reasons for worship: G-d's goodness v.14-16
B3 Reasons for worship: G-d's justice v.17-20
A3 Commitment to worship King YHVH v.21

 

[Benaiah468]

In the Jewish prayer liturgy, Psalm 145 is known as the Ashrei, with a verse from Ps. 84 and 144 added at the beginning and a verse from Ps. 115 at the end.

The first two verses that are added begin with the word Ashrei, Hebrew esher, meaning happiness, joy, hence the name.

This is thought to be the earliest alphabetical acrostic prayer.

Each line begins with a letter of the Hebrew alef prayer in alphabetical order except the letter Nun. No Jewish text ever adds the missing letter to the psalm.

But why then do Jews add verses to this psalm?

One answer is that the psalm is incomplete. The verses they add do not begin with the letter Nun, indicating that it has always been incomplete.

The psalm is a joyful psalm, but it also speaks of those who stumble, of the downtrodden, whom G-d lifts up again

The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. Ps 145:14

and deliverance from the wicked

The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. Ps 145:20

The world is not perfect. It is not finished. The end is that all creatures will bless G-d's holy name, which implies a happy future when the process of this creation will be completed and there will be complete happiness.

More than the mere statement of incompleteness, the missing letter is striking. It seems that a knowledgeable reader of Hebrew takes note of this every time. G-d points to the value attached to Nun in relation to the other letters.

Does the letter Nun have a special feature?

The answer is

Yes!

 

[Benaiah468]

The letter Nun has the gematria

14. נ Nun 50

50 is the number of the jubilee year.

The jubilee year (year of freedom or year of release) is a commandment of the Torah and a picture of the Messianic kingdom.


In continuation of the sabbatical year, the Israelites are asked to declare a year of jubilee after 7*7 years

And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Lev 25:8

It begins on the 10th day of the 7th month

Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. V.9

In every 50th year special regulations are to be observed,

And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. Lev 25:10

in which every Israelite living in bondage is to be set free and leased land is to be returned to its previous owner, without the buyer being able to prevent it.

The Year of Jubilee thus heals the economic inequalities caused by the vicissitudes of time and imparts the spirit of forgiveness and repentance to an entire nation.

The concept of the Year of Jubilee is not a peripheral detail of Scripture. It will be an essential part of the social and political transformation in the messianic era.

50 is the number for redemption, freedom and happiness and marks the change from one generation to another. In this age group, one should have lived long enough to gain wisdom from experience. It is the time to exercise it.

The psalm alludes to this

One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. Ps 145:4

One generation praises and proclaims the works and deeds of G-d to the next generation.

In the Hebrew text, the mighty deeds of G-d that are praised and proclaimed are G-d's creation and G-d's deliverance of His people in the Exodus from Egypt.

These mighty deeds still deserve our praise and proclamation today. The praise and proclamation transcends generations.

The historical event of the Exodus is mentioned a total of 50 times in the Torah

I am the Lord thy G-d, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Ex 20:2

Indeed, G-d liberated the Children of Israel to accept the Torah. Their transcendental nature transcends the physical existence of this world.

Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks that follows the seven weeks of counting the Omer, is called the time of the giving of the Torah and it is the time when the gift of the Spirit of G-d came upon the apostles to write it on tablets of the heart made of flesh. The Omer period lasts 50 days (but there are only 49 days to count).

Shavuot is also understood as the time of the wedding. The man gives the bride price to the woman's father. The Torah prescribes a bride price of at least 50 shekels of silver

But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire. And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.

If a man seduces a virgin who is not yet betrothed, and he lies with her, he must take her as his wife by paying the bride price. But if her father will not give her to him at all, he shall pay him as much as the bride-price of a virgin. Ex 22:15-16

If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days. Deu 22:28-29

This sum finds its perfect counterpart in the giving of the Torah at Sinai, where the contractual obligations of the wedding day came into effect on the 50th day after the Exodus. The first commandment therein calls for having children

So G-d created man in his own image, in the image of G-d created he him; male and female created he them. And G-d blessed them, and G-d said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen 1:27-28

The instruction in the Torah is still an important guideline for a life true to the Bible. The commandment to be fruitful and multiply has not been abolished.

Marriage is characterized by an unrestricted commitment between two parties. The obligations of a marriage contract are set out in the ketubah, the marriage contract.

All 12 tribes and the strangers who had migrated with them stood at the foot of Mount Sinai as a bride and Yhvh is the bridegroom who gave the Torah, the marriage contract (ketubah) to His bride

and there Israel camped before the mount. Ex 19:2b

This sentence is in the singular in Hebrew to express that the 12 tribes camped like one person with one heart.

The giving of the Torah thus had a prerequisite:

The people had to unite, that is, become one.

May we very soon experience the true unity of the Israeli people in the Messianic era.

 

[Benaiah468]

The letter Nun has the ordinal number 14,

14. נ Nun 50

which corresponds to the gematria of King David.

The heir of David is

Mashiach ben David

of whom it is said

His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued [increase/blossom/propagate] as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Ps 72:17
יְהִי שְׁמֹו לְעֹולָם לִפְנֵי-שֶׁמֶשׁ [יָנִין כ] (יִנֹּון ק) שְׁמֹו וְיִתְבָּרְכוּ בֹו

The Targum (translation of the Hebrew into Aramaic) adds in Ps 72:1 the word

mashiach

and there are rabbinic allusions to the Psalm that reveal the same opinion

The verb which in the above translation is translated as

enlarge/blossom/propagate

is rendered, Heb.

(יִנֹּ֪ון ק) [יָנִין כ]
yinnon

derived from nun (נוּן) #H5125 now in V.17, appears in reference to the ideal king. It is an expression of kingdom and dominion.

Jewish scholars interpret this verb to refer to the Messiah. They take the word yinnon, which is used here for the name of the Messiah, and say

His name will last forever, before the sun (existed), his name was Yinnon

With regard to Lord Jesus, all the people of Israel will one day sing the last verses of Ps 72 before Him and to the glory of the Father

Blessed be the Lord G-d, the G-d of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. Ps 72:18-19

 

[Benaiah468]

Psalm 119 is one of the most complete and extensive acrostics with 22 stanzas of 8 verses each.

Each verse begins with the same letter in an orderly fashion. Thus 8 verses begin with Alef; 8 verses with Bet/Vet and so on, until the entire Hebrew Alefbet was used 8 times by the Holy Spirit.

8 is the number of the renewed covenant and this is undoubtedly also the meaning of the eightfold structure of this Psalm. It shows how the Torah is written in the heart and mind. When G-d promised Israel and Judah the New Covenant, He said, quoting Heb. 8:16

I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; Jer 31:33b

Here we see that G-d's plans in the New Covenant include His Torah.

In the Renewed Covenant, the word nomos, the Greek translation of the Hebrew word torah, is used about 200 times. None of these 200 passages ever say that the Torah was abolished or taken away.

Rather, the New Covenant affirms the existence of the Torah

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Lk 16:17

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. James 1:25

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Mt 5:17-18

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: Acts 21:20

How does sin relate to the Torah?

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (= torahlessness). Mt 23:27-28

Sin is the transgression of the Torah.

In 1 John 3:4 it says that everyone who commits sin also commits lawlessness (torahlessness), and sin is lawlessness (torahlessness), gr. anomia.

The Hebrew word Torah is normally translated as law. Because of this translation, there is a great misunderstanding about what the Torah really is. When we use the word law, we assume a certain meaning and concept of the word that is not present in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Torah means

Commandment, instruction, teaching.

Parents take the position of G-d in the upbringing of children.

A Hebraic definition of Torah is therefore a set of instructions given by parents to their children. Violations of these instructions are disciplined to encourage obedience and to train them

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Pro 1:8
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: Pro 3:1

The purpose of the parental Torah is to teach the children and bring them to maturity. If the Torah is violated out of disrespect or defiant disobedience, the child will be punished. If the child wants to follow the instructions out of loving obedience but does not fulfil the expectations, he or she is praised for the effort and advised on how to carry out the instructions better next time.

G-d, as Heavenly Father, gives His Torah to His children in the same way

Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law; Ps 94:12
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. Isa 54:13

In contrast to the Torah, the law is a set of rules of a state authority that is binding for a community. Breaches of the rules require punishment. With this type of law there is no room for teaching, either the law was broken with the punishment or it was not broken.

The Torah is a way of life.

G-d's Torah teaches His people from birth to death how to live a holy life. The Torah covers such areas as community, medicine, diet, health, clothing, housing, safety, morality, ceremonies, holidays, worship, relationships between family and neighbours. The list is practically endless.

It is not a book to be left on the shelf, but a living word to guide, lead and direct the lives of G-d's people every day

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: Pro 6:23

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Ps 1:1-3

King David describes the attitude that the man of G-d should take towards the Torah when he wrote

The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. Ps 119:72

The Torah is not meant to be a drudgery of requirements, as the word law implies, but a joy and a pleasure for mankind.

 

[Benaiah468]

The central question of every age, the answer to which defines this age, is

Who is Jesus Christ?

For the present, antinomian age, the answer must be

Jesus Christ is the incarnated Torah of G-d.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G-d, and the Word was G-d. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:1-3 .14

The implications of this understanding cannot be overstated. It is the seed from which the healing of all our ills emerges, society is renewed and nations recover from the ravages wrought by humanism.

In the eyes of humanists, man is the measure of all things. Anyone who sees Jesus through the eyes of the humanists will only recognise him as a good man and will not know what to make of His divine nature.

As G-d incarnate, Jesus Christ was also the proclamation of justice and the law of G-d. By means of the above statements, He made Himself inseparable from the G-dhead or the law. He is the Torah or direction of G-d, as the Torah can also be defined. Through His declaration, He has made both Himself and the Law more easily identifiable.

From the beginning of Israel's relationship with G-d, there was necessarily a law or authoritative direction. Prior to that, Adam, the line of Seth, Noah and his descendants, Abraham and his heirs, and other men (as witnesses Melchisedec and Job) had received authoritative direction.

It is impossible for a relationship with G-d to exist without law.

 

[Benaiah468]

The number 8, as it appears in Psalm 119, also always alludes to a turning away from the natural world and entering the supernatural world. It stands for the spiritual world.

olam hazeh, Hebrew for this world, is the world in which we live, in which each of us is given the opportunity to honour the name of the LORD by performing mitzvot and learning the Torah according to His word and teaching its gifts and conducting ourselves with honest and decent behaviour towards our fellow human beings

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Ps 19:8-10

Olam Haba, on the other hand, means the world to come in Hebrew. In contrast to Olam Hazeh (this world), the expression refers to the Messianic age, in which the minds of the people of Israel will be filled with His Torah and it will be written in their hearts.

The 8th letter in Hebrew is the

8. ח Chet 8

Chet is also the Hebrew word for fence.

As worldwidewings, a messianic service of restoring our faith in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which precedes the second coming of the Messiah in the spirit of Elijah, rightly points out in their article Torah? What is it exactly?, the Torah is a fence

Figuratively, the Torah can easily be imagined as a fence. G-d builds a fence for us, within which we can move freely and safely.

Freedom, life and joy reign there. That is a gift! But if we break out of the fence, dangers lie in wait for us.

Incidentally, this is the principle of blessing and curse described in the Bible (Deuteronomy 28).

It is easy to visualise that fences are a good thing:

1. imagine your house was on many cliffs. Wouldn't you take care of your children's safety and build fences - or even walls?
2. imagine you are facing a tiger. A fence between you and the tiger definitely feels better.

An experiment was once carried out with children in a large field, where toys were placed in the centre of the field. The children went there and played, but stayed close together and didn't move too far away from the centre of the field. The experiment was then changed slightly by putting a fence around the area this time. Everything else was the same as before.

What do you think happened now?

The children didn't just play in the centre of the field, but across the whole area!

Why?

Because the fence made them feel safe!

There are many treasures, many gems that we can draw from Psalm 119.

What I take from it is that we are to love the law, Hebrew Torah. And if we love the Torah, we will also love the Messiah. The Lord Jesus, the sum of His name in Greek is 888, is the divine, incarnate Torah and He as Torah is the conceptual centre of the Fourth Gospel

 

[Benaiah468]

Over two thousand years ago, a Hebrew psalmist wrote the beautiful words of Psalm 92 in honour of YHVH and His Sabbath. The title of the psalm is

A psalm. A song for Shabbat: CJB

The first line reads:

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: Ps 92:1

This psalm is a song of praise, joy and faith in YHVH. It is certainly beautiful, but there is more to this psalm than meets the eye of the casual observer on first reading.

The psalmist took this psalm and moulded it beyond the words and their meaning. Hidden beneath the Hebrew poetic lines is a numerical structure that underscores the author's theme and elevates the words to another realm of praise and honour.

As mentioned in its title, Psalm 92 is a song for the Sabbath Day. The Sabbath is the 7th day in the biblical context, and so the number seven has a literal and symbolic connection to this psalm.

To emphasise this connection, the psalmist has mentioned the name YHVH seven times

As scholars such as Casper Labuschagne and others have noted, some sections of Scripture, particularly the Psalms, are written according to the Menorah pattern, with the central verse often being significant. In this psalm, this pattern takes the form of a 7+1+7 verse structure. Here, too, the number seven takes centre stage

The structure of the psalm is reinforced by the central mention of the name YHVH in V.8. His name appears three times in the first seven verses and three times in the last seven verses

3+1+3 = 7

Apart from the structure of the verses and the use of the name YHVH in the psalm, we also see a pattern in the number of words and letters in the passage. The first seven verses consist of exactly 52 words

52 = 2*26

and the last seven verses also have 52 words.

This is again another way of honouring the ‘name’ YHVH, because the Hebrew letter value of the name YHVH is 26

YHVH
יהוה
10. י Yud 10
5. ה He 5
6. ו Vav 6
5. ה He 5
∑ 26


Scholars who study the logo-technical (sign-technical) aspects of the Hebrew text have described how some of the authors of the OT used the number of words or letters, the verse structure and the use of names to mark or label passages of the OT with a kind of G-dly stamp. The psalmist here in Psalm 92 does this in a most elegant way.

The following table shows the numerical arrangement of the verse, word and letter structure of the passage

Finally, it is the letter structure with which the psalmist leaves no doubt about the focus of this psalm. There are a total of 443 letters in the 108 words of this psalm. This means that a single letter, the 222nd, is the exact numerical centre of this psalm. This focal point, or pin if you will, is the letter Vav in the name YHVH in V.8. There are 221 words before this letter and 221 after it

443 = 221+1+221

It is worth noting that the letter Vav has the meaning of hook, peg, nail or pin. In other words, the numerical placement of this letter could be seen as the means by which the psalmist connected the structure of the psalm and focussed his numerical and literary artistry on the holy name YHVH

 

[Benaiah468]

Psalm 22:1 is a prophecy about the suffering of the Messiah

My G-d, my G-d, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Ps 22:1a
אֵלִי אֵלִי לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי רָחוֹק מִישׁוּעָתִי דִּבְרֵי שַׁאֲגָתִי

The greatest proof of our faith, of course, is found in the chapter itself and in the NT portion of the Bible, where we learn that Jesus, while suffering for our redemption on the cross, spoke these words, revealing to us that they were to be fulfilled

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My G-d, my G-d, why hast thou forsaken me? Mt 27:46

Another amazing piece of evidence comes from a particular method of biblical interpretation called gematria, the process of assigning specific numerical values to the Hebrew letters of the alphabet, which, when added up to a total, tell us more about the hidden meaning of a word or passage.

In the ordinal gematria, the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet were assigned numerical values according to their alphabetical order from 1 to 22, from the first letter Alef to the last letter Tav

1. א Alef
2. ב בּ Bet/Vet
3. ג Gimel
4. ד Dalet
5. ה He
6. ו Vav
7. ז Zayin
8. ח Chet
9. ט Tet
10. י Yud
11. כ כּ Kaf/Khaf
12. ל Lamed
13. מ Mem
14. נ Nun
15. ס Samech
16. ע Ayin
17. פ פּ Pey/Phey
18. צ Tsadik
19. ק Quph
20. ר Resch
21. שׂ שׁ Shin/Sin
22. ת תּ Tav/Sav

After assigning the ordinal numbers to the individual letters in verse 2, the total sum is 391


אלי 23
אלי 23
למה 30
עזבתני 71
רחוק 53
מישועתי 98
דברי 36
שאגתי 57
Σ 391

What kind of number is that?

It is the gematria of the Hebrew name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, which is the name of the Messiah

Yehoshua
יְהוֹשׁוּעַ
10. י Yud 10
5. ה He 5
6. ו Vav 6
21. שׂ שׁ Shin/Sin 300
16. ע Ayin 70
∑ 391

Jesus is the one in whom the words of G-d spoken through the prophet were fulfilled.

Another method is the so-called small gematria, in which all zeros are removed at the end of each of the standard values for the Hebrew letters before everything is added up

א Alef 1
ב בּ Bet/Vet 2
ג Gimel 3
ד Dalet 4
ה He 5
ו Vav 6
ז Zayin 7
ח Chet 8
ט Tet 9
י Yud 1
כ כּ Kaf/Khaf 2
ל Lamed 3
מ Mem 4
נ Nun 5
ס Samech 6
ע Ayin 7
פ פּ Pey/Phey 8
צ Tsadik 9
ק Quph 1
ר Resch 2
שׂ שׁ Shin/Sin 3
ת תּ Tav/Sav 4

The small gematria for Psalm 22:2 is 112, which corresponds to the name of G-d (LORD G-d) and makes it clear to us that this was spoken by none other than the Creator Himself. The promised Messiah, foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world

5+5+12+26+17+26++9+12 = 112

YHVH (LORD)
יהוה
10. י Yud 10
5. ה He 5
6. ו Vav 6
5. ה He 5
∑ 26

elohim (G-d)
אֱלֹהִ֑ים
1. א Alef 1
12. ל Lamed 30
5. ה He 5
10. י Yud 10
13. מ Mem 40
∑ 86

26+86 = 112


All glory be to Christ!

 

[Benaiah468]

Acrostic poems draw attention to the first letter of each line, and in Proverbs 31:10-31 the first letter of each verse begins with a subsequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verse 10 begins with Alef, verse 11 with Bet/Vet and so on through the 22 letters to verse 31, which begins with the last letter Tav.

Most commentators regard Proverbs 31:10-31 as an acrostic about an ideal wife. It is true that the passage portrays an exemplary woman, a model of diligence and excellence. In the context of the entire book, the passage most likely describes the woman Wisdom.

It is very likely that this literary work was about Hebrew womanhood and her contribution to the success or failure of the family and the nation as a whole.

The destructive nature of a quarrelsome and lazy woman did not go unnoticed by the sages of the Hebrew nation. They never missed an opportunity to warn the youth of the dire consequences of a union with such a woman (cf. Prov 11:22; 21:9 .19; 25:24). However, the happiness that a wise wife brings to her husband was associated with the favor of the Almighty, and the youth were admonished to seek such wives (cf. Prov 18:22; 19:14).

The diligent woman of Proverbs 31:10-31 was created by a poet with these qualities, which were enumerated by the sages and prophets over the years. She was presented at the end of the book of Proverbs as a standard worthy of imitation for all women of the Hebrew nation.

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
אֵֽשֶׁת־חַ֭יִל מִ֣י יִמְצָ֑א וְרָחֹ֖ק מִפְּנִינִ֣ים מִכְרָֽהּ׃
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
בָּ֣טַח בָּ֭הּ לֵ֣ב בַּעְלָ֑הּ וְ֝שָׁלָ֗ל לֹ֣א יֶחְסָֽר׃
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
גְּמָלַ֣תְהוּ ט֣וֹב וְלֹא־רָ֑ע כֹּ֝֗ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּֽיהָ׃
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
דָּ֭רְשָׁה צֶ֣מֶר וּפִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַ֝תַּ֗עַשׂ בְּחֵ֣פֶץ כַּפֶּֽיהָ׃
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
הָ֭יְתָה כׇּאֳנִיּ֣וֹת סוֹחֵ֑ר מִ֝מֶּרְחָ֗ק תָּבִ֥יא לַחְמָֽהּ׃
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
וַתָּ֤קׇם ׀ בְּע֬וֹד לַ֗יְלָה וַתִּתֵּ֣ן טֶ֣רֶף לְבֵיתָ֑הּ וְ֝חֹ֗ק לְנַעֲרֹתֶֽיהָ׃
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
זָֽמְמָ֣ה שָׂ֭דֶה וַתִּקָּחֵ֑הוּ מִפְּרִ֥י כַ֝פֶּ֗יהָ (נטע) [נָ֣טְעָה] כָּֽרֶם׃
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
חָֽגְרָ֣ה בְע֣וֹז מׇתְנֶ֑יהָ וַ֝תְּאַמֵּ֗ץ זְרוֹעֹתֶֽיהָ׃
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
טָ֭עֲמָה כִּי־ט֣וֹב סַחְרָ֑הּ לֹא־יִכְבֶּ֖ה (בליל) [בַלַּ֣יְלָה] נֵרָֽהּ׃
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
יָ֭דֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָ֣ה בַכִּישׁ֑וֹר וְ֝כַפֶּ֗יהָ תָּ֣מְכוּ פָֽלֶךְ׃
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
כַּ֭פָּהּ פָּֽרְשָׂ֣ה לֶעָנִ֑י וְ֝יָדֶ֗יהָ שִׁלְּחָ֥ה לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
לֹא־תִירָ֣א לְבֵיתָ֣הּ מִשָּׁ֑לֶג כִּ֥י כׇל־בֵּ֝יתָ֗הּ לָבֻ֥שׁ שָׁנִֽים׃
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
מַרְבַדִּ֥ים עָֽשְׂתָה־לָּ֑הּ שֵׁ֖שׁ וְאַרְגָּמָ֣ן לְבוּשָֽׁהּ׃
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
נוֹדָ֣ע בַּשְּׁעָרִ֣ים בַּעְלָ֑הּ בְּ֝שִׁבְתּ֗וֹ עִם־זִקְנֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
סָדִ֣ין עָ֭שְׂתָה וַתִּמְכֹּ֑ר וַ֝חֲג֗וֹר נָתְנָ֥ה לַֽכְּנַעֲנִֽי׃
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
עֹז־וְהָדָ֥ר לְבוּשָׁ֑הּ וַ֝תִּשְׂחַ֗ק לְי֣וֹם אַחֲרֽוֹן׃
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
פִּ֭יהָ פָּתְחָ֣ה בְחׇכְמָ֑ה וְת֥וֹרַת חֶ֝֗סֶד עַל־לְשׁוֹנָֽהּ׃
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
צ֭וֹפִיָּה (הילכות) [הֲלִיכ֣וֹת] בֵּיתָ֑הּ וְלֶ֥חֶם עַ֝צְל֗וּת לֹ֣א תֹאכֵֽל׃
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
קָ֣מוּ בָ֭נֶיהָ וַֽיְאַשְּׁר֑וּהָ בַּ֝עְלָ֗הּ וַֽיְהַלְלָֽהּ׃
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
רַבּ֣וֹת בָּ֭נוֹת עָ֣שׂוּ חָ֑יִל וְ֝אַ֗תְּ עָלִ֥ית עַל־כֻּלָּֽנָה׃
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭חֵן וְהֶ֣בֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל׃
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
תְּנוּ־לָ֭הּ מִפְּרִ֣י יָדֶ֑יהָ וִיהַלְל֖וּהָ בַשְּׁעָרִ֣ים מַֽעֲשֶֽׂיהָ׃
Proverbs 31,10-31

 

[Benaiah468]

The Book of Wisdom calls G-d the author of beauty

With whose beauty if they being delighted took them to be gods; let them know how much better the Lord of them is: for the first author of beauty hath created them. Wisdom of Solomon 13:3 KJVAAE

A sense of beauty, of the appropriate measure, of design, of form and presentation can be recognized everywhere in Scripture.

The Psalms and Proverbs are poetically shaped.

Psalm 86 reads

Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my G-d, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.
Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.
Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.
All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art G-d alone.
Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
I will praise thee, O Lord my G-d, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
O G-d, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.
But thou, O Lord, art a G-d full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.


הַטֵּֽה־יְהוָ֣ה אָזְנְךָ֣ עֲנֵ֑נִי כִּֽי־עָנִ֖י וְאֶבְיֹ֣ון אָֽנִי
שָֽׁמְרָ֣ה נַפְשִׁי֮ כִּֽי־חָסִ֪יד אָ֥נִי הֹושַׁ֣ע עַ֭בְדְּךָ אַתָּ֣ה אֱלֹהַ֑י הַבֹּוטֵ֥חַ אֵלֶֽיךָ
חָנֵּ֥נִי אֲדֹנָ֑י כִּ֥י אֵלֶ֥יךָ אֶ֝קְרָ֗א כָּל־הַיֹּֽום
שַׂ֭מֵּחַ נֶ֣פֶשׁ עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֥י אֵלֶ֥יךָ אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י נַפְשִׁ֥י אֶשָּֽׂא
כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה אֲ֭דֹנָי טֹ֣וב וְסַלָּ֑ח וְרַב־חֶ֝֗סֶד לְכָל־קֹרְאֶֽיךָ
הַאֲזִ֣ינָה יְ֭הוָה תְּפִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבָה בְּקֹ֣ול תַּחֲנוּנֹותָֽי
בְּיֹ֣ום צָ֭רָתִ֥י אֶקְרָאֶ֗ךָּ כִּ֣י תַעֲנֵֽנִי
אֵין־כָּמֹ֖וךָ בָאֱלֹהִ֥ים׀ אֲדֹנָ֗י וְאֵ֣ין כְּֽמַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ
כָּל־גֹּויִ֤ם׀ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֗יתָ יָבֹ֤ואוּ׀ וְיִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לְפָנֶ֣יךָ אֲדֹנָ֑י וִֽיכַבְּד֣וּ לִשְׁמֶֽךָ
כִּֽי־גָדֹ֣ול אַ֭תָּה וְעֹשֵׂ֣ה נִפְלָאֹ֑ות אַתָּ֖ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים לְבַדֶּֽךָ
הֹ֘ורֵ֤נִי יְהוָ֨ה׀ דַּרְכֶּ֗ךָ אֲהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּאֲמִתֶּ֑ךָ יַחֵ֥ד לְ֝בָבִ֗י לְיִרְאָ֥ה שְׁמֶֽךָ
אֹודְךָ֤׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י אֱ֭לֹהַי בְּכָל־לְבָבִ֑י וַאֲכַבְּדָ֖ה שִׁמְךָ֣ לְעֹולָֽם
כִּֽי־חַ֭סְדְּךָ גָּדֹ֣ול עָלָ֑י וְהִצַּ֥לְתָּ נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מִשְּׁאֹ֥ול תַּחְתִּיָּֽה
אֱלֹהִ֤ים׀ זֵ֘דִ֤ים קָֽמוּ־עָלַ֗י וַעֲדַ֣ת עָ֭רִיצִים בִּקְשׁ֣וּ נַפְשִׁ֑י וְלֹ֖א שָׂמ֣וּךָ לְנֶגְדָּֽם
וְאַתָּ֣ה אֲ֭דֹנָי אֵל־רַח֣וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַ֝פַּ֗יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת
פְּנֵ֥ה אֵלַ֗י וְחָ֫נֵּ֥נִי תְּנָֽה־עֻזְּךָ֥ לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝הֹושִׁ֗יעָה לְבֶן־אֲמָתֶֽךָ
עֲשֵֽׂה־עִמִּ֥י אֹ֗ות לְטֹ֫ובָ֥ה וְיִרְא֣וּ שֹׂנְאַ֣י וְיֵבֹ֑שׁוּ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֥ה יְ֝הוָ֗ה עֲזַרְתַּ֥נִי וְנִחַמְתָּֽנִי


86 is the gematria for elohim!

elohim
אֱלהִים
1. א Alef 1
12. ל Lamed 30
5. ה He 5
10. י Yud 10
13. מ Mem 40
Σ 86

The number of letters in the psalm is 576

29+41+24+27+30+34+20+27+44+31+37+33+32+45+36+36+50 = 576

The square root of 576 is 24

√576 = 24


Psalm 86 can therefore be formatted as a square.

The area is equal to a*a

The Greek alphabet today comprises 24 letters. Christ describes himself as the

i.e. the entire alphabet


I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Rev 22:13


His name

also corresponds to this sum


8+8+8 = 24


The square can be perfectly divided into 9 smaller squares with 8*8 letters each

The number 9 stands for the divine secret


8*8*37 = 2368

But what divine secret is hidden in this psalm of G-d?


This is the Psalm in Hebrew as a square of letters (I have entered each letter in a grid and later converted the soft letters into normal letters. In Hebrew there are five letters that are written differently at the end of a word than in the middle or at the beginning, they are the so-called sofit letters or end letters)

By becoming man in Jesus, G-d reconciled mankind, which had fallen through sin, with himself again


Who, being in the form of G-d, thought it not robbery to be equal with G-d: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Phil 2:6-8


The 888 pattern that makes up each side of the square shows a cross on the inside

The sum of the ordinal values of all the letters in it is 3168

 

[Benaiah468]

John Elias is another scholar in the field of biblical numerics. The subject of this study is some of his impressive research into the deep numerical structure of the Bible.

While a triangle has a clear Trinity reference in the context of the Bible, the underlying meaning of a square becomes apparent when one looks at the gematria of two basic words in Hebrew and Greek, emeth and alétheia.

Both words, aletheia in Greek and emeth in Hebrew are the strongest words for truth in their respective languages. Mathematically, they have a very important property, as they are both square numbers


emeth (truth)
אֶמֶת
1. א Alef 1
13. מ Mem 40
22. ת תּ Tav/Sav 400
Σ 441
√ 441 = 21
21^2 = 441

aletheia (truth)
ἀλήθεια
1. Αα Alpha 1
12. Λλ Lambda 30
8. Ηη Eta 8
9. Θθϑ Theta 9
5. Εεϵ Epsilon 5
10. Ιι lota 10
1. Αα Alpha 1
Σ 64
√64 = 8
8^2


In the context of biblical gematria, a square always means truth. The stonemasons who built the temple used a square to correct their work, just like a carpenter today. They are tools to make things come true.

Looking at the Psalms in the light of biblical numbers shows that the Psalm numbers have a very clear connection with the biblical gematria. To illustrate this, here are a few examples.

Psalm 7 consists of 529 letters
√529 = 23
23^2 = 529

Psalms 3 and 7 have 777 letters. The numbers 3 and 7 are the basic mathematical signature of the Divine and the greatest mystery of history.

Psalm 52, the number corresponds to the Hebrew ordinal value for Messiah, consists of 289 letters
√289 = 17
17^2 = 289


According to this logic, we can assume that Psalm 86, being in this light the Psalm of G-d, should have a strong mathematical basic pattern, which it does.


The 576 letters of Psalm 86 correspond to the gematria of the Greek word pneuma, spirit, the word for the Ruach HaKodesh

pneuma (spirit)
πνεῦμα
17. Ππ Pi 80
14. Νν Nu 50
5. Εεϵ Epsilon 5
22. Υυ Upsilon 400
13. Μμ Mu 40
1. Αα Alpha 1
Σ 576

576 = 24*24


The number of spaces in the cross of Psalm 86 is 320

The ordinal values of Jesus and Christ in Hebrew are (left column)


Yehoshua
יהושע
10. י Yud 10
5. ה He 5
6. ו Vav 6
21. שׂ שׁ Shin/Sin 300
16. ע Ayin 70
∑ 58

HaMashiach
המשיח
5. ה He 5
13. מ Mem 40
21. שׂ שׁ Shin/Sin 300
10. י Yud 10
8. ח Chet 8
∑ 57

58+57 = 115


The ordinal values of Jesus and Christ in Greek are (left column)



Ιησουϛ
9. Ιι lota 10
7. Ηη Eta 8
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
15. Οο Omicron 70
20. Υυ Upsilon 400
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
Σ 87

χριστός
22. Χχ Chi 600
17. Ρρ Rho 100
9. Ιι lota 10
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
19. Ττ Tau 300
15. Οο Omicron 70
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
Σ 118

87+118 = 205


115+205 = 320!!!


The 3 squares in the center of the cross reveal a Greek message

η 8
θειοτης 602
Σ 610 (The deity)

παρα 182
θεου 484
Σ 666 (of G-d)

ο 70
μεσσιας 656
Σ 726 (the Messiah)


People may wonder why G-d puts Greek codes in the Hebrew Scriptures. This is a perfectly legitimate question, because we see this kind of pattern of Greek in Hebrew and Hebrew in Greek all over the Scriptures. The simple answer that John Elias gives as to why G-d hides Greek codes in Hebrew texts is that He hides the codes from the Hebrew readers.

The essential thing about a code is that it is a code.

And what is a code?

It is a secret language that hides its secret from the public gaze. The public gaze here is the Hebrew reader.

Jewish scholars have combed their sacred writings for centuries for patterns and hidden codes. No doubt some of them are aware of the squares in the Psalms, but unless they are practicing Greek gematria, they cannot make sense of the stories of the numbers.

That is why these codes have remained hidden all this time. The Greeks only looked for Greek codes and the Hebrews only looked for Hebrew codes. Only when you have both is the key of David revealed.

 

[Benaiah468]

A common refrain in the Psalms, especially in the Psalms of David, is the call on the name of the Lord. Psalm 8 begins and ends with this refrain

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Ps 8:1 .9

The number 8 in David's psalm can be understood as a reference to Lord Jesus, because the sum of the numbers of Jesus' name in Greek comes to 888

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Ps 8

יהוה אדנינו מה אדיר שמך בכל הארץ אשר תנה הודך על השמים מפי עוללים וינקים יסדת עז למען צורריך להשבית אויב ומתנקם כי אראה שמיך מעשי אצבעתיך ירח וכוכבים אשר כוננתה מה אנוש כי תזכרנו ובן אדםכי תפקדנו ותחסרהו מעט מאלהים וכבוד והדר תעטרהו תמשילהו במעשי ידיך כל שתה תחת רגליו צנה ואלפים כלם וגם בהמות שדי צפור שמים ודגי הים עבר ארחות ימים יהוה אדנינו מה אדיר שמך בכל הארץ

The psalm contains

43+47+40+28+31+29+23+27+26 = 294 letters.

294 in turn is the ordinal number of kurios Iésous Christos


κύριος
10. Κκϰ Kappa 20
20. Υυ Upsilon 400
17. Ρρ Rho 100
9. Ιι lota 10
15. Οο Omicron 70
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
Σ 89

Ἰησοῦς
9. Ιι lota 10
7. Ηη Eta 8
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
15. Οο Omicron 70
20. Υυ Upsilon 400
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
Σ 87

Χριστός
22. Χχ Chi 600
17. Ρρ Rho 100
9. Ιι lota 10
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
19. Ττ Tau 300
15. Οο Omicron 70
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
Σ 118

87+89+118 = 294

The 294 letters can be represented as a cross of 6 squares of 7*7 letters each

G-d's final devotion to humanity took place in the sending of his Son, who is the face of the Father.

In view of this 294-cross drawing, which was made after the name of Lord Jesus Christ, one can assume that David's plea was ultimately a G-dly reference to his coming incarnation.

 

[Benaiah468]

A central and crucial theme of Psalm 110 is to emphasize the supremacy of the Messiah over David, i.e. the coming anointed King who is far greater than his human ancestor.

The Psalm contains, as we shall see, the invisible fingerprint of the Triune G-d.

The creation verse of the Torah

In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth Gen 1:1
בראשית ברא אלהים את השמים ואת הארץ

has the gematria 2701.

2701 = 37*73

The psalm is related to both factors of the verse in two different ways

110 = 37+73

The actual psalm consists of 63 words

נְאֻ֚ם יְהֹוָ֨ה לַֽאדֹנִ֗י שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י עַד אָשִׁ֥ית אֹֽ֜יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ
במַטֵּ֚ה עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֖הֹוָה מִצִיּ֑וֹן רְ֜דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹֽיְבֶֽיךָ
געַמְּךָ֥ נְדָבֹת֘ בְּי֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ךָ בְּהַדְרֵי קֹ֖דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר לְ֜ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽךָ
דנִשְׁבַּ֚ע יְהֹוָ֨ה וְלֹ֥֬א יִנָּחֵ֗ם אַתָּה כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם עַל דִּ֜בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי צֶֽדֶק
האֲדֹנָ֥י עַל יְמִֽינְךָ֑ מָחַ֖ץ בְּיוֹם אַפּ֣וֹ מְלָכִֽים
ויָדִ֣ין בַּ֖גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת מָ֥חַץ רֹ֜֗אשׁ עַל אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה
זמִנַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה עַל כֵּ֜֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ

63 = 3*7*3

logos (word)
λόγος
12. Λλ Lambda 30
16. Οο Omicron 70
3. Γγ Gamma 3
16. Οο Omicron 70
20. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
Σ 373


The product of the two factors 3 and 7 is

3*7 = 21


And G-d said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. Ex 3:14
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל משֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם


ehye (I Am)
אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה
1. א Alef 1
5. ה He 5
10. י Yud 10
5. ה He 5
Σ 21


The 21st prime number is 73

Primes
2 3 5 7 11 13 17 19 23 29 31 37 41 43 47 53 59 61 67 71 73

and forms a perfect triangle

The psalm, in turn, can be configured in a trinity of triangles, each consisting of 21 letters

The Psalm alone contains 232 letters.

This is extremely relevant, as 232 is one of the best-known numbers in the biblical gematria.

For example, the two expressions


the word of the LORD
דבר יהוה


YHVH dabar (the word of the LORD)
דבר יהוה
4. ד Dalet 4
2. ב בּ Bet/Vet 2
20. ר Resch 200
10. י Yud 10
5. ה He 5
6. ו Vav 6
5. ה He 5
Σ 232


and


he that hath the key of David Rev 3:7b
ο εχων την κλειδα του δαβιδ


he that hath the key of David
Ο εχων την κλειδα του Δαβιδ
15. Οο Omicron 70
5. Εεϵ Epsilon 5
22. Χχ Chi 600
24. Ωω Omega 800
13. Νν Nu 50
19. Ττ Tau 300
7. Ηη Eta 8
13. Νν Nu 50
10. Κκϰ Kappa 20
11. Λλ Lambda 30
5. Εεϵ Epsilon 5
9. Ιι lota 10
4. Δδ Delta 4
1. Αα Alpha 1
19. Ττ Tau 300
15. Οο Omicron 70
20. Υυ Upsilon 400
4. Δδ Delta 4
1. Αα Alpha 1
2. Ββϐ Beta 2
9. Ιι lota 10
4. Δδ Delta 4
Σ 232


the ordinal number 232.

The key of David is not only a reference to Christ, who possesses this key, but also to the numbering system of the biblical gematria. The key to deciphering this psalm lies in the name of Jesus, whose name is of fundamental importance for the two numbers 3 and 7.

Jesus' original Hebrew name is Yehoshua

Yehoshua
יהושע
10. י Yud 10
5. ה He 5
6. ו Vav 6
21. שׂ שׁ Shin/Sin 300
16. ע Ayin 70
Σ 58

with the ordinal number 58

3^2+7^2 = 58.

58*4 = 232.


The 232 letters can be used to geometrically draw an octagon of four sides each with 3*3 and 7*7 letters

The 110th Psalm is probably quoted more often in the NT than any other scripture from the OT And the Lord of David Himself made it unequivocally clear that this Psalm refers to Him, and that David wrote it down under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

When the church confesses Jesus as her Lord, she expresses it:

He is Lord over all human lords, for none is equal or even superior to Him. He is Lord over all the powers and authorities of nature, for even the sea must obey Him. And He is Lord even over death, for His resurrection bears witness to this.

The most important question for everyone personally is:

Can I confess with Thomas, one of Jesus' first disciples:

My G-d and my Lord?

Adoniyyahu (My Lord (Adoni) is YHVH!)