Read Psalm 8 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph:
6:1-10 {p} Because we are in covenant, God who is majestic above the heavens, remembers man.
The Chiastic Structure:
God is great and glorious, thus the Psalmist’s question: Why are You mindful of man? Why do you think of man? The Hebrew Root Words are:
To be mindful is Strong’s H2142 זכר zakar, a primitive root meaning, “to remember.” The 3-letter root is zayin + kaph + resh.
zayin ז = the mattock, thus tool, food, cut, nourish
kaph כ, ך = the open palm, thus bend, open, allow, tame
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
The story is of the covenant cut (zayin) wherein the open palm (kaph) of blessing was laid upon the head of the man (resh). The pictographs specifically identify that the remembrance is because of the covenant.
To think is Strong’s H6485 פקד paqad, a primitive root meaning, “to visit, to reckon.” The 3-letter root is pey + quph + dalet.
pey פ, ף = the mouth, thus open, blow, scatter, edge
quph ק = sun on the horizon, thus condense, circle, time
dalet ד = the door, thus enter, move, hang
The various translations translate paqad as “remember,” “visit,” “take care of,” “come help,” “come to your aid,” “attend to.” Quite a variation! One of the derived nouns from this root is a riverbank. To understand why this is so, notice that a river is edged (pey) by the bank which keeps the river condensed (quph) to its channel instead of flowing out willy-nilly. Just as the river is compassed by the bank to keep it on its path, so Israel is compassed by YHVH God to keep them whither they go to and fro (dalet, as the door swings back and forth). Isn’t that beautiful? ♥
We don’t deserve God’s goodness, but He pours it out on us anyway!
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