Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments... You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. (Psalm 119: 67 and 69)
To learn we must listen. Sharing our own understanding and discussing with others is part of active listening. But the more we talk, the less we will learn.
Careful reading is a form of listening. The writer gives us the opportunity to listen word for word, line by line, and take the time we need to consider context, tone, and connections.
At 176 verses Psalm 119 is the longest in the canon. In the original Hebrew it was organized as an acrostic. There are twenty-two sections, one for each letter in the Hebrew alphabet. In each section the first word of each verse begins with that letter.
This was originally a long song that would have been heard, not read. There is density and complexity to the oratorio that demands careful listening.
The lines above, quoted from the New Interational Version translation, might also be rendered as, "Teach me beauty, taste, and perception, I support your commands... You are pleasant, beautiful, and joyful, teach me what you want me to do."
I wonder which better reflects the intention of the author? I wonder which better reflects the purposes of God?
May God strengthen my ability to hear and understand.
To learn we must listen. Sharing our own understanding and discussing with others is part of active listening. But the more we talk, the less we will learn.
Careful reading is a form of listening. The writer gives us the opportunity to listen word for word, line by line, and take the time we need to consider context, tone, and connections.
At 176 verses Psalm 119 is the longest in the canon. In the original Hebrew it was organized as an acrostic. There are twenty-two sections, one for each letter in the Hebrew alphabet. In each section the first word of each verse begins with that letter.
This was originally a long song that would have been heard, not read. There is density and complexity to the oratorio that demands careful listening.
The lines above, quoted from the New Interational Version translation, might also be rendered as, "Teach me beauty, taste, and perception, I support your commands... You are pleasant, beautiful, and joyful, teach me what you want me to do."
I wonder which better reflects the intention of the author? I wonder which better reflects the purposes of God?
May God strengthen my ability to hear and understand.
posted by Didymus | 6:26 AM
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