Read Psalm 33 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph:
33:1-22 {p} We who fear YHVH rejoice in him, for His eye is toward us, as the people of His inheritance
Psalm 33:1-22 Chiastic Structure:
YHVH nullifies the counsel of the nations; He thwarts the plans of the peoples. The counsel of YHVH stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Psa 33:10-11
Scripture is making a Comparison and Contrast between the counsel and plans of the nations which YHVH nullifies, and His own counsel and plans, which stand forever.
Counsel is in Hebrew, Strong’s H6098, etsah, an abstract concept meaning, “counsel, purpose;” from Strong’s H3289 יעץ ya’ats, a primitive verb meaning, “to advise.” The ancient pictographs are yud + ayin + tsadey.
yud י = closed hand, thus work, throw, worship
ayin ע = eye, thus watch, know, shade
tsadey צ ץ = trail, thus a man concealed, journey, chase, hunt
The ayin + tsadey partial denotes a tree, as that which shades (ayin) a trail (tsadey); thus it also can mean firmness or sureness, as a tree stands firmly in its place. The parable being told by the Hebrew Root Word is to grasp (yud, as a hand closes upon something it grasps) surely and firmly (ayin + tsadey). Sound counsel is that which advises the sure way forward.
Plan is in Hebrew, Strong’s H4284, an abstract concept meaning a planned purpose, from Strong’s H2803 חשב chashab, a primitive verb meaning, “to think, meditate, to purpose, to plot.” The ancient pictographs are chet + shin + bet.
chet ח = wall, thus outside, divide, half
shin ש = two front teeth, thus sharp, press, eat, two, again
bet ב = house, thus house, household, family, in, within
The parable is that when a problem or concept is weighed, considered, analyzed, reckoned, and worked out, it is first divided (chet) into its components, and then chewed on (shin) within (bet) the heart and mind.
To thwart is in Hebrew, Strong’s H5106, נוא noo, a primitive verb meaning, “to shake, to cause to waver.” The ancient pictographs are nun + vav + aleph.
nun נ, ן = seed, thus continue, heir, son
vav ו = tent peg, thus add, secure, hook
aleph א = ox head, thus strength, power, leader
Interestingly enough, the nun + aleph particle is found throughout the Hebrew Bible and translated, “I pray you; I ask you.” This was the key to unlocking the parable, for a request is a seed (nun) planted (vav) with someone who has the power (aleph) to fulfill or deny it. Still in our modern day, when we answer a request in the negative, we say “no,” (noo) sometimes accompanied by a shaking of the head.
Try to compile a long list of words in English that begin with “thw,” and prepare to be thwarted in your attempt: there aren’t many, and a goodly portion of those that do exist, such as thwartwise and the now-obsolete thwartsaw, start with thwart itself. Today we mostly use thwart as a verb to mean “to defeat or oppose successfully” but a lesser-known meaning of the word is “to pass through or across.” And it’s that sense that points to the origin of this odd-sounding word. In early Middle English, thwert was an adverb meaning “across” or “transversely,” used to describe how something lies across the length of something else. The verb thwerten came from this adverb and eventually became thwart. The link between the meanings becomes clear if you think of thwarting a plan, effort, etc., as blocking a road or path, thereby impeding another’s progress. – Webster’s
YHVH preserves the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; but He thwarts the way of the wicked. Psa 146:9
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