Read Psalm 55 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph:
55:1-23 {p} The oppression of the wicked may put the righteous in turmoil, but calling upon God and casting their cares upon Him sustains them.
Psalm 55:1-23 Chiastic Structure:
Evening, and morning, and at noon, I will meditate and murmur, and He will hear my voice. Psa 55:17
Meditating, biblically defined, is not the same as the New Age practice.
To meditate is Strong’s H7878, שיח siyach, “to germinate;” either of plants, new shoots, or of the mind, to consider thoughts and speak them. Per the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, the shin was transposed from an original sin.
sin ס = thorn (grab, hate, protect)
yud י = closed hand (work, throw, worship)
chet ח = wall (outside, divide, half)
The parable being told by the Hebrew Root Word is of taking that which has grabbed hold (sin) within, and throwing it (yud) outside (chet); thus a plant puts forth new shoots, and the mind or heart of a man puts forth or meditates on his thoughts, often with the idea of speaking aloud to himself. As well, a cognate word is “to sweep,” as what is tracked in and accumulates inside, is thrown outside.
To meditate is to mull over, often aloud to yourself, but also, dwelling on a thing with God in the conversation, so some versions translate this word as “pray,” however, that shortchanges this word’s meaning.
The idea is that meditation, throwing your thoughts outside, results in murmuring, which can sometimes be an expressed disquietude of the heart or mind, but is often a positive, contented, or peaceful humming.
To murmur is Strong’s H1993, המה hamah, “to hum,” as the sound of bees.
hey ה = man w/ raised arms (look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath)
mem מ ם = water (chaos, mighty, blood)
hey ה = man w/ raised arms (look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath)
The parable is of looking toward (hey) the water of the sea (mem) as a place of constant movement, similar to the constant in and out of the breath (hey) of a man. The movement of the waves creates the rhythmic sound of the surf which is never quiet. Thus any rhythmic sound can be meant: humming (our English word “to hum” comes from hamah), buzzing of bees, rain pattering outside, rhythmic purring of a cat, even strumming of stringed instruments.
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