Discovery BoxDeuteronomy 33:8
Context33:8 Of Levi he said:
Your Thummim and Urim 1 belong to your godly one, 2
whose authority you challenged at Massah, 3
and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah. 4
Psalms 95:8
Context95:8 He says, 5 “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, 6
like they were that day at Massah 7 in the wilderness, 8
Psalms 106:32-48
Context106:32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered 9 because of them,
106:33 for they aroused 10 his temper, 11
and he spoke rashly. 12
106:34 They did not destroy the nations, 13
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
106:35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways. 14
106:36 They worshiped 15 their idols,
which became a snare to them. 16
106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. 17
106:38 They shed innocent blood –
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed. 18
106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions. 19
106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people 20
and despised the people who belong to him. 21
106:41 He handed them over to 22 the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority. 23
106:43 Many times he delivered 24 them,
but they had a rebellious attitude, 25
and degraded themselves 26 by their sin.
106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented 27 because of his great loyal love.
106:46 He caused all their conquerors 28
to have pity on them.
106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!
Gather us from among the nations!
Then we will give thanks 29 to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 30
106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, 31
in the future and forevermore. 32
[33:8] 1 sn Thummim and Urim. These terms, whose meaning is uncertain, refer to sacred stones carried in a pouch on the breastplate of the high priest and examined on occasion as a means of ascertaining God’s will or direction. See Exod 28:30; Lev 8:8; Num 27:21; 1 Sam 28:6. See also C. Van Dam, NIDOTTE 1:329-31.
[33:8] 2 tn Heb “godly man.” The reference is probably to Moses as representative of the whole tribe of Levi.
[33:8] 3 sn Massah means “testing” in Hebrew; the name is a wordplay on what took place there. Cf. Exod 17:7; Deut 6:16; 9:22; Ps 95:8-9.
[33:8] 4 sn Meribah means “contention, argument” in Hebrew; this is another wordplay on the incident that took place there. Cf. Num 20:13, 24; Ps 106:32.
[95:8] 5 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the following words are spoken by the Lord (see vv. 9-11).
[95:8] 6 sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13, see also Pss 81:7; 106:32). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.
[95:8] 7 sn The name Massah means “testing.” This was another name (along with Meribah) given to the place where Israel complained following the Red Sea Crossing (see Exod 17:1-7, as well as Deut 6:16; 9:22; 33:8).
[95:8] 8 tn Heb “do not harden your heart[s] as [at] Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah in the wilderness.”
[106:32] 9 tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”
[106:33] 10 tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.
[106:33] 11 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[106:33] 12 tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[106:34] 13 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
[106:35] 14 tn Heb “their deeds.”
[106:36] 16 sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.
[106:37] 17 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.
[106:38] 18 sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.
[106:39] 19 tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the
[106:40] 20 tn Heb “the anger of the
[106:40] 21 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[106:41] 22 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
[106:42] 23 tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”
[106:43] 24 tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).
[106:43] 25 tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).
[106:43] 26 tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.
[106:45] 27 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.
[106:47] 29 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
[106:47] 30 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
[106:48] 31 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[106:48] 32 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
[106:48] 33 tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן, ’amen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
[106:48] 34 sn The final verse (v. 48) is a conclusion to this fourth “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and third “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52, respectively).
