PSALM 56:8 (NASB) / PSALM 56:9 (BIBLIA HEBRAICA)

This is my gift to Suzan Jess Wong who posted this beautiful verse in a chat group.

Psa. 56:9 נֹדִי סָפַרְתָּה אָתָּה שִׂימָה דִמְעָתִי בְנֹאדֶךָ הֲלֹא בְּסִפְרָתֶךָ׃

Psa. 56:8 You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book?



This word בְנֹאדֶךָ is translated 'Your bottle' but it is basically 'skin bottle.'

DUMAH - IS IT A PLACE OR DOES IT HAVE ANOTHER MEANING? ISAIAH 21:11-12

Isaiah 21:11 

מַשָּׂא דּוּמָה אֵלַי קֹרֵא מִשֵּׂעִיר שֹׁמֵר מַה־מִלַּיְלָה שֹׁמֵר מַה־מִלֵּיל׃

Isaiah 21:11 

אָמַר שֹׁמֵר אָתָה בֹקֶר וְגַם־לָיְלָה אִם־תִּבְעָיוּן בְּעָיוּ שֻׁבוּ אֵתָיוּ׃

It is interesting that the "Oracles against Dumah" in Isaiah 21:11 is translated as Edom in the New American Standard Bible (NASB). However, we know elsewhere in the Old Testament, Edom is spelt as אֱדוֹם.


So, what exactly is the meaning of דּוּמָה (Dumah)?

According to Barbara Lai in Eng & Fields. Devotions on the Hebrew Bible. MI: Zondervan, 2015 (pages 65-67), the root word for דּוּמָה is  דמם.
We also know that דּוּמָה means 'Silence'.
See below:-

I quote Barbara's beautiful exposition of Isaiah 21:11-12.

"This prophecy against Dumah is short and enigmatic. Understood as the imaginary of a silent question and answer, it betrays a state of subtle but deep emotion. Lacking for answers, Isaiah is frustrated and helpless. Yet in the second portion of his response -- inquired (בְּעָיוּ), return! (שֻׁבוּ), come! (אֵתָיוּ) -- he finds resolve. It is only in such inner dialogue can space be created to resolve such tensions. Isaiah 21:11-12, then, provides us an example of the prophet's inner world as he seeks to fulfill his role as God's appointed watchman."

RUTH 2:4

Ruth 2:4

 וְהִנֵּה־בֹעַז בָּא מִבֵּית לֶחֶם וַיֹּאמֶר לַקּוֹצְרִים יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה׃

Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the LORD be with you. ( יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם)” And they said to him, “May the LORD bless you (יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה)


יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם 


יְהוָה is often pronounced as Adonai ....
עִמָּ 'im is translated as 'with'
כֶם -kem is the suffix you use when you are referring to a second person plural 

יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה

יְבָרֶכְךָ  ye-be-re-ke-kha  literally means 'you be blessed' (or May you be blessed). It comes from the root word 'barukh' (beth-resh-kaf) which means blessed. This is the Aaronic Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26.

יְהוָה God's name is often read as Adonai. 

EXODUS 20:3 FIRST COMMANDMENT

What a wonderful testimony indeed when these three men obeyed the First Commandment given by Adonai

Ex. 20:3

לֹא יִהְיֶה־לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים

עַל־פָּנָיַ

You shall have no other gods before MeYes 

From this verse, we have a little bit more insight into the original text:

(1) We know that God spoke to the Israelites as individuals, rather than as a nation. The hint is in the use of the syllable, ךָ

This syllable is used for second person masculine singular.


(2) Here, we see the two words אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים which explains that the usage of the suffix 'im' ים- here represents plurality. How do we know that Elohim here is plural and elsewhere Elohim is used as a singular noun?

The hint is in the adjective 'other' אֲחֵרִים which also has the suffix '-im' to it. In Hebrew, when the noun is plural, the adjective describing it will always end with '-im' ים- as well. 
Therefore, in this verse, אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים refers to 'other gods.'


END.

PSALM 38:9 (ENGLISH TRANSLATION) BUT PSALM 38:10 (BIBLIA HEBRAICA)

Thank you, Jacqueline for sharing the devotional thoughts from this verse:

Psa. 38:10 אֲדֹנָי נֶגְדְּךָ כָל־תַּאֲוָתִי וְאַנְחָתִי מִמְּךָ לֹא־נִסְתָּרָה׃

Psalm 38: 9 in English translation (in Biblia Hebraica, it is Psalm 38:10)

Lord, all my desire is before You

And my sighing is not hidden from You

Word for today

Verse:              Psalm 38:9

All my longings lie open before You, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from You

- Your every longing and desire is known by the Lord

- Even the longings that you cannot put into words, He knows about

- Even the things we cannot share with anyone else, He knows all about it

- He cares enough about every detail and responds to our heart’s cry

Prayer: Lord, I realise that nothing is hidden from You. You know every detail of my life and You care about each and every issue, challenge and hope. I place all these things in Your wonderful hands. Amen

ECCLESIASTES 3:1

Eccl. 3:1

 לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם׃

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event
 under heaven —

PSALM 24: 7