Psalm 12

Read Psalm 12 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph:

12:1-8 {p} The Contrast of the false and proud words of the wicked with the pure and tried words of YHVH.

Psalm 12:1-8 Chiastic Structure:

The pure and tried words of YHVH from the Hebrew Root Word parables:

Pure is Strong’s H2889 tahowr, an adjective meaning, “clean, pure;” from Strong’s H2891 טהר, taher, a primitive root meaning, “to shine, to be bright.” The 3-letter root is tet + hey + resh.

tet ט = the basket, thus surround, contain, hold, mud
hey ה = the man with upraised arms, thus look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man

Tet can sometimes signify mud, as baskets were most often used to carry mud. The parable is that when mud (tet) or tarnish covers an item, polishing it so that it shines reveals it (hey) as it was at first (resh).

One derived word from this verbal root is prison, the place that contains or holds (tet) the man (resh). The purpose of the prison is to either purify society from lawbreakers, by removing them, or purify the criminal from lawbreaking, by removing his freedom and hopefully cause him to reflect on why he is there; so that he leaves off folly and gains wisdom.

Men are not the only things which endure testing. YHVH’s words are tested as silver is tested in a furnace of earth, so that they are purified seven times.

To try is Strong’s H6884 צרף tsaraph, a primitive root meaning, “to smelt a metal,” that is, to purge gold or silver of the dross which is bonded in the ore, by fire.

tsadey צ, ץ =  the trail, thus a man concealed, journey, chase, hunt
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
pey פ, ף = the mouth, thus open, blow, scatter, edge

To cause that which is concealed (tsadey, as a hunter conceals himself from his prey while he is on the trail) to rise to the top or surface (resh), so that it may be blown away or dispersed (pey).

When gold or silver ore is taken from the earth, other elements are bound to it in the rock. It’s a mixture. The ore is put in a furnace and heated to a high degree. As the silver or gold liquifies, the heat breaks the chemical bonds between the silver and gold, and the other elements mixed with it. Everything “other” that was mixed with it, is called dross, and when the liquid ore is hot enough, the dross rises to the surface where it is skimmed off.  What is left is elementally pure silver or gold. Now the pure molten silver or gold can be poured into ingots or used to make valuable items.

When men are tested, then the word of God is also tested. How? The man may have mentally assented to the truth of God’s word when life was wonderful, but when the rubber meets the road in a time of trial, he must put the full weight of his life upon the truth of that word.

He tests it, like a man putting his weight on a bridge he has not crossed before. When the bridge holds him, he has proved it to be a sturdy structure.