Psalms 51:1: “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions”.

 

We move to the next name mentioned in this Psalm.  As indicated in the last study each name tells a story in the Hebrew.  There is a story to be told from David’s name within the context of this Psalms.  We learn that this is a Psalm of David, but in the Hebrew it is a Psalm to David.  Translators, of course, know that this is a Psalm written by David and not someone else. Clearly the whole context of the Psalm is David speaking his heart.  Yet, the Hebrew uses the prefix Lamed before the name of David which is practically always rendered as to or unto.  But then, as I always say, the Classical Hebrew is a very ambiguous language and so the context trumps the traditional use of the preposition.  But does it really?  Not if we look at the meaning behind the name of David.  Then it begins to make a lot of sense why the preposition Lamed or unto is used.  Rather than use simply the name David, let’s use one of the meanings behind the word David which is beloved.  Now we have the rendering: “To the chief musician and unto a beloved.  To me that is oh so powerful.  Here is a man who has committed adultery and murder yet he is still a beloved.  God has forgiven David but yet David still feels overwhelmed with shame and loathsomeness.   Yet he is still a beloved of God.

 

There is the story in the Talmud about a king who had a disobedient son. After continual disobedience and rebellion the king declares that he cannot look upon his son again.  Yet, he tells a servant to make sure that if his son is ever in need or want of anything, he is to give it to his son.  The servant ask: “Why give him anything if he is disobedient?”   The king replied: “I still love my son and I do not want him to be in want of anything, however, I cannot look upon him for his disobedience so you must provide for him for me.

 

This first verse in Psalm 51 practically tells us the whole moral or lesson of this story.  That lesson is that no matter how badly we sin we are still a beloved of God.  My study partner made the comment yesterday that if God gives us a promise the only sin that could keep God from holding back his promise is if we make it impossible for Him to fulfil that promise.   Take for instance a woman who wants to get married. She receives a promise from God that she will have a husband.  Yet she falls into sin and falls in love with a man who is not God’s promise.  But she is so desperate to get married she convinces herself this is God’s promise.  But because of her sin she no longer has discernment of God’s will. So she marries this man who turns out to be a non believer who abuses her and cheats on her.  About this time the man who was God’s promise comes along, but it is too late she is already married so he finds someone else.

 

No matter what our sin, we will always be a beloved of God and He will always fulfill his promises to us.  It is just that our sin makes it impossible for Him to fulfill that promise.

 

Let’s take a closer look at this word for David. It comes from the root word dod. In its Semitic origins it means to agitate, to boil over, to disturb and in the Akkadian language it is used for a cauldron.  You can see how the word reached the point of being defined as beloved.  If someone is a beloved you are just boiling over with love, it agitates your emotions and disturbs your emotions when you beloved walks into a room.  Have you ever been on a date and your date goes to the restroom and goes over to talk with someone.  If that date is a beloved and does not return right away you start to become agitated, disturbed until your beloved returns and then everything feels normal again, you are no longer disturbed or agitated. You relax and are at peace.

 

So we see a little more of this story from the word DavidDavid is so in love with God and God with him that if there is any separation they are agitated and disturbed.  Read this whole Psalm and you will get a feeling that David is very disturbed and agitated over his separation from God.   When David sinned he was separated from God. As a pastor I counseled many couples who were separated. They were still in love but due to some issues they were separated.  Yet still being in love they just could not stand being separated from their mate.  They felt agitated, disturbed, they were like a boiling cauldron.

 

During the separation of God and David they both felt agitated, disturbed, things were no right they just wanted their beloved to be there again.  Once David confessed his sin and God forgave him that relationship was restored and he and God were at peace again.

 

The word beloved has another form yadiyad.  This comes from the root word for David and means beloved friend.  In a literal sense it means hand yad in hand yad.  Often the first physical contact between two potential lovers is a bisexual interdigital relationship (holding hands).  Today we shake hands and think nothing about it.  It has not been too many years ago that a handshake meant something. Business deals were made with a handshake, a show of friendship was made with a handshake.  In ancient times friends would hold hands.  Not for any sexual experience, but simply as a gesture that they were a beloved friend.  When I drive my disability bus, I will often take the hand of an elderly person, especially this time of year when there is snow and ice on the ground.  I just lightly take their hand, it is not enough to ensure that they do not fall, but it is enough to assure them that if they were to stumble, I would be there for them.

 

So too with our relationship with God, it is yadiyad hand in hand.  God gently takes our hand just lightly, not enough to keep us from falling but if we do stumble, He will be there for us.

 

Subscribe to our free Daily Hebrew Word Study for in-depth commentary using Biblical Hebrew!

* indicates required