I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. (Psalm 119: 96)
What does this mean? What do those words organized in that way intend to tell me? How is the first clause related to the second clause? I read it two times and it means nothing to me.
I can imagine a limit to perfection. But is this a limit to human perfection or divine perfection? I can agree that God's commandments cover a broad purpose, but I don't see how that applies to perfection being limited.
I read the context a few times. No clues (at least for me, at least not this morning). I consider the possibility that the author just needed something to complete a stanza. Psalm 119 is really long. But that seems too much a cop-out for both the author and me.
The Hebrew translated here as perfection is tiklah which is less our modern (rather Platonic) understanding of perfect and much more a completion, fulfillment, and ending. There is a double limiting in the first clause.
Broad is a straightforward English translation of rachab. But rachab is closely related and derived from the Hebrew meaning a large and roomy pasture. For some reason that image stirs my synapses.
At this point in the analysis for the first time I consider commandment or mitzvah. The military has a term that I like for understanding mitzvah. Every specific order needs to be considered in terms of the "commander's intent." This is very close to the meaning of mitzvah.
This little study - combined, no doubt, with my own situation - leads me to finally understand the phrase as meaning: I am inclined to see limits to everything even to God, but God's intention is much broader than I can imagine.
May God enliven and empower our understanding.
What does this mean? What do those words organized in that way intend to tell me? How is the first clause related to the second clause? I read it two times and it means nothing to me.
I can imagine a limit to perfection. But is this a limit to human perfection or divine perfection? I can agree that God's commandments cover a broad purpose, but I don't see how that applies to perfection being limited.
I read the context a few times. No clues (at least for me, at least not this morning). I consider the possibility that the author just needed something to complete a stanza. Psalm 119 is really long. But that seems too much a cop-out for both the author and me.
The Hebrew translated here as perfection is tiklah which is less our modern (rather Platonic) understanding of perfect and much more a completion, fulfillment, and ending. There is a double limiting in the first clause.
Broad is a straightforward English translation of rachab. But rachab is closely related and derived from the Hebrew meaning a large and roomy pasture. For some reason that image stirs my synapses.
At this point in the analysis for the first time I consider commandment or mitzvah. The military has a term that I like for understanding mitzvah. Every specific order needs to be considered in terms of the "commander's intent." This is very close to the meaning of mitzvah.
This little study - combined, no doubt, with my own situation - leads me to finally understand the phrase as meaning: I am inclined to see limits to everything even to God, but God's intention is much broader than I can imagine.
May God enliven and empower our understanding.
posted by Didymus | 4:31 AM
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