Source: http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2331
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 16:54:33+00:00

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This Psalm is for the asylum seeker, those who seek refuge from adversaries, those who yearn for security and stability.
1. The English translation covers up the emphatic and repetitive ‘ak that begins each of these verses. ‘Ak is translated as alone or only (“but a” in v. 9). “Only for God do I wait in silence. Only God is my rock and my salvation.” This important word occurs 7 times in the whole Psalm.
2. Verses 5 and 6 are an exact repetition of verses 1 and 2 with only one exception; “Salvation” in v. 1 becomes “hope” in v. 5.
After this opening expression of trust, the Psalmist turns to others with unapologetic exhortation (v. 8). Clearly, the my does not give the Psalmist exclusive rights to this refuge. God can be your only as well. Trust in him! Lament (“pour out your heart”) before him. One of the most powerful turns is in v. 8b when the individual self-possession of God is transformed into a communal “God is a refuge for us!” The Psalmist’s experience of crisis turns into faithfulness in the only refuge, God, which then turns into exhortatory proclamation that others might trust only in this one, God.
Note elements of the wisdom tradition in vss. 9 and 11. Hebel (translated as “breath”) appears twice in v. 9 and reminds us of Qoheleth’s wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:2, etc. where hebel is translated as “vanity”). The numeric parallelism in v. 11, “Once God has spoken, twice have I heard this,” is akin to wisdom literature found in Proverbs (e.g., Proverbs 30:15-19).

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