Psalm 111

1 Hallelujah!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, *
in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.

2 Great are the deeds of the LORD! *
they are studied by all who delight in them.

3 His work is full of majesty and splendor, *
and his righteousness endures forever.

4 He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; *
the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

5 He gives food to those who fear him; *
he is ever mindful of his covenant.

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; *
those who act accordingly have a good understanding;
his praise endures forever.

PSALM 111: 1-5

“This Deep-Down Awe”

1

Halleluyah! Shine Aloud for Wondrous Being!
I’ve cast my heart’s whole hope upon Becoming –
So, come, my intimate companions,
and come, my good straight-talking friends -
we’re all becoming witnesses.

2

Witnesses to deeds and acts entwined,
all coming forth where nothing was before,
wordless, nameless and divine.
Divined by everyone who seeks,
still this holy mystery speaks
our deepest and yet unmet desires.

3

Desires that echo in gentle splendor
the holy dignity of everything that is,
and the majesty of this sacred work:
Work of bringing justice here to stand –
a labor that will never waver or lose heart.

4

Heart of mine, be strong, hold fast
to memories of wonders past:
past but never out of mind,
in the presence of Becoming,
grace-embrace and womb-love giving.

5

Giving itself like a fresh-plucked leaf,
this deep-down awe becomes our all.
All goodness held in memory:
a world of sacred promise, made and kept.

NOTES ON THE TEXT:

Psalm 111 is an “alphabetical acrostic” – the author composed the original poem in 22 lines, each line starting with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order. Trying to reproduce this in English would be clumsy, so I have instead used an “echoing” device, with the first word of each verse playing on the last of the previous verse. The original alphabetical lines are extremely concise; I have unapologetically enhanced them poetically to make the sense clear in English.

Vs. 1 - “Shine Aloud…”: Admittedly experimental and odd-sounding. Rendering “Halleluyah!” is difficult, and it might be left as it stands (the Septuagint and Vulgate both simply transliterate: “Alleluia”). However, the root hll has the sense of both radiance and shouting – so “Shine Aloud!” is not far off, while “Praise!” is rather weak. The theophoric suffix “YAH” is the first syllable of YHWH. This divine name eludes translation, but resorting to a traditional “space-filler” (like “LORD”) is unsatisfactory. In mysticism, YAH is called “The Voice of Wonder” – so “Wondrous Being” is at least a better “stand-in” than “LORD.” A cry of joy and awe is certainly consistent with any understanding of “Halleluyah!”

“I’ve cast my heart’s whole hope…”: The root ydh has the derived sense of thanksgiving, but originates in a gesture of throwing (perhaps tokens of gratitude?). This connotation is strong enough to merit “cast” as a rendering.

“… intimate companions… straight-talking friends…”: The biblical word sod (“secret” in modern Hebrew) denotes intimacy, and also trusted counsel; yesharim (straight) is often a synonym for tsadikim (just) – thus, just-minded people, “straight shooters.”

“…becoming witnesses.”: The word ‘edah (often translated “community”) derives from ‘ed (“witness”). YHWH has the sense of “becoming whomever I am becoming” (see Exodus 3:14). The subject(s) of this verse (“I, with my companions”) are “becoming witnesses” to the presence and action of YHWH – a double entendre that echoes the complex Hebrew idea.

Vs. 2 – “…acts entwined…”: Interestingly, in the Arabic cognate, gdl (“great”) means “to twist a strong cord,” and this sense is preserved in biblical Hebrew in Deut. 22:12, referring to twisted tassels on a garment. Divine deeds are “great” in the sense that they are interwoven, interrelated.

“…coming forth where nothing was…”: I enhance the word ma’asei (deeds) with aspects that are implied in Hebrew. In a real sense, every divine act is a “creation ex nihilo.”

“Divined by everyone who seeks…”: The verb drsh (“seek”) also means “demand.” A peacemaker, in Hebrew, is doresh-shalom, that is: one who seeks and demands peace. In my jeu-de-mot, “to divine” also means to understand, as doresh does in post-biblical usage.

Vs. 3 – “splendor… dignity”: These are renderings of the two nouns in this verse, hod and hadar. I continue the thought in “majesty,” and then draw the verb “work” over into the next verse, as the labor of justice.

Vs. 4 – “…hold fast / to memories…” I read zcr ‘sh as zecher ‘aseh! – “make [it] a memory!”

“…grace-embrace and womb-love…”: The Hebrew hanun ve-rahum (“gracious and compassionate”) is a common description of the divine. The words are so rich that hyphens are almost necessary. The sense of “grace” (hn) is a deep-comfort, and the sense of “compassion” (rhm – the root of “womb”) is a fierce-parental-love.

Vs. 5 – “like a fresh-plucked leaf…”: This is the root sense of the Hebrew trf. The translation “food” is at best far-fetched, since “teref” is by definition not something edible. The “fresh-plucked leaf” reminds us of the olive leaf brought to Noah’s Ark by the dove in Genesis.

“…deep-down awe…”: Translators struggle with the word yir’ah – often they resort to “fear,” although “awe” is much better. This applies also to the famous last verse of this psalm (vs. 10, not rendered here): “The yir’ah of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom” – which I would render, perhaps:

“Deep-down awe for all Becoming:
that’s where Wisdom first is found.”

“… a world of sacred promise…”: The biblical word b’rith is usually translated “covenant” – a word that may have little resonance in today’s English outside of a general “biblese” sense of solemn commitment. The conjunction of “goodness,” with “promise… made and kept” can hopefully convey both the enduring solemnity and the timeless joy of “covenant” in Scriptural theology.