Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar;
Psalms 39:2: “I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.”
The literal meaning is quite clear, David is really trying to keep his tongue in check. He fully recognizes how his speech or speaking out could result in sin. Thus he says he was “dumb with silence.” Sounds a little redundant doesn’t it. I mean if you are dumb you are silent.
Literally this phrase in Hebrew says: “I was dumb, keeping still, being silent.” That makes a little more sense. The word dumb comes from the root “’alam.” This has an original idea of being quiet before God so that you may receive His hidden knowledge. It also has the idea of binding. This quietness before God is meant to bind you to God.
Thus, David is saying that “I stood quietly before God as we bonded together.” As a man and wife bond with each other by sharing secrets with each other, so to, David bonded with God by God sharing secrets with him.
The next word is for silence is “doom.” It does mean death. I would like to say that is where we get the word doom from, but I can not be sure on that one. Doom also means an absolute silence, hence the idea of death. But note in it’s prime state, “doom” has the idea of a gateway for man to the hidden knowledge of God. There is a picture forming here on how David opened a gateway or portal.
The next word is for holding his peace is “chasah” which is in a Hiphil form, he was caused to keep his peace. By being silent before God and allowing God to bond with him, this caused him to “chasad.” Chasad simply means to be still. But in it’s prime state it has the idea of being a part of God’s peace when filled with His presence.
So how did David keep his tongue under wraps. He stood, sat or even laid before God in silence and just allowed God to bond with him. When that happened he was so filled with His the peace from his presence, he had no need to speak out and say the stupid things he was planning to say.
Follow the daleth.
For those following the daleth, here is your daleth word: “doom.” This absolute silence will open a portal to His divine presence and peace. Somehow we get the idea that we must always say something when we go before God. Running out of things to say, or being silent before God creates almost a panic, sort of like your first date where you had to keep talking out fear that if you kept quiet the person would get up and leave. To some, silence is like a sewer that needs to be clogged (A rabbi told me that one).
Don’t be afraid of silence. The sages taught that you can hear the suffering and pain of the world in silence. Offer yourself as a living sacrifice unto God, just stand, sit or lay before Him and say, “Here I am, God, do what you want. Then just shut up and lay there. If you fall asleep, maybe He will speak to you in a dream. But I can assure you of one thing. In Psalms 39:2, David is clearly telling us that when you kept silent before God you will know His voice as He bonds with you.
Recent Comments