Psalm 12

Interpretation

There is a cry for help amidst evil men: God will cut off flattering lips. Charles Spurgeon vividly describes the finality saying

An answer to the cry for help comes: God will arise and defend the poor. Many writers have pointed out that it is not at all clear where God said "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise". Some suggested some special revelation possibly through David himself, as David claimed "The spirit of God spoke through me" in 2 Samuel 23:2. Other possibilities include Isaiah 33:10, "I will arise", in the context of a greater salvation for Israel, or arising for judgement as in Genesis 18:20-21, where the Lord got up and went down to Sodom because of cries of oppression.

Hope in God's promise that "I will arise and defend the poor" is bolstered by a reminder that God's word is like silver that was purified over and over even 7 times. That help will be apparently deferred in Psalm 13 with cries of 'How long?' David himself, in his final Psalm of blessing for Solomon, urges Solomon to also defend the poor in Psalm 72:4 emulating God.

Man's sinful state is a theme and like the two psalms before it, Psalm 12 ends with an uncomplimentary statement about fallen men in verse 8. The godly man ceases in psalm 12:1, sinful remain in Psalm 14:1-4

The reformation theologian John Calvin, in his commentary on this psalm, interprets the passage as referring to the truthfulness of God in contrast to humanity, saying that the elaboration of God's actions in the psalm reflect promises God had made with the Israelites.

The genre of the psalm is unclear. sees in it most as the "prophetic action liturgy". Hermann Gunkel also speaks of the Psalm as "liturgy". Here "liturgy" means the intention of the performance was for changing voices was in the service.

Structure

Gunkel divides the psalm as follows:

1. Verses 2-2: After a short cry for help, the complaint that falsehood prevails
2. Verses 4-5: desire YHWH may intervene
3. Verse 6: consolation that YHWH salvation appears now
4. Verses 7-9: Answers: praise the word of YHWH

Text

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions.A 1917 translation directly from Hebrew to English by the Jewish Publication Society can be found here or here, and an 1844 translation directly from the Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton can be found here. Both translations are in the public domain. In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 11.

Usage

Judaism

This psalm is recited on Shmini Atzeret and at a brit milah.

Catholic Church

According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530 AD), Psalm 1 to Psalm 20 were mainly reserved for the office of Prime. This Psalm, 11, was recited or sung at Prime on Wednesdays. A number of monasteries still respect this tradition. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 12 is now recited on Tuesdays of the first week during the midday office.

Coptic Orthodox Church

In the Agpeya, the Coptic Church's book of hours, this psalm is prayed in the office of Prime.

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the second day of the month.

Musical settings

In 1523, Martin Luther paraphrased Psalm 12 in a hymn, "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein". Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of it, SWV 108, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a cantata about it, Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, BWV 2 in Leipzig in 1724. Felix Mendelssohn also wrote a cantata on "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein" (MWV A 13), (1832), for baritone, SATB, strings.

Notes

References

References

1. "Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 11".
2. [[Julian Morgenstern. Morgenstern, Julian]]. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/3261644 Psalm 11]." ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', vol. 69, no. 3, 1950, pp. 221–231.
3. Spurgeon, C. H., [https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/spe/psalms-12.html Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible: Psalm 12], accessed 20 July 2020
4. "Genesis 18:20-21 ESV - - Bible Gateway".
5. "Bible Gateway passage: Psalm 72:4 - English Standard Version".
6. "Bible Gateway passage: Psalm 14 - English Standard Version".
7. (1850). "Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 8: Psalms, Part I".
8. Theodor Lescow,''Das Stufenschema''( 1992), p123.
9. Hermann Gunkel, ''Die Psalmen'' (1986), p. 43.
10. Hermann Gunkel, Einleitung in die Psalmen (1985), p. 407.
11. Hermann Gunkel, ''Die Psalmen'', p43
12. "Psalms – Chapter 12". Mechon Mamre.
13. "Psalms 12 - JPS 1917". [[Sefaria.
14. "Psalm 11 - Septuagint and Brenton's Septuagint Translation". Ellopos.
15. The Artscroll Tehillim page 329
16. [[Prosper Guéranger]], ''Règle de saint Benoît'', Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, reprinted 2007, p46.
17. The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes place over four weeks.
18. "Prime". agpeya.org.
19. Church of England, [https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/The%20Book%20of%20Common%20Prayer%201662.pdf Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter] as printed by [[John Baskerville]] in 1762, p. 203