Psalms 23:5

23:5 You prepare a feast before me ¹ 

in plain sight of my enemies.

You refresh ²  my head with oil;

my cup is completely full. ³ 

Psalms 36:8

36:8 They are filled with food from your house,

and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies.

Psalms 63:5

63:5 As if with choice meat ⁴  you satisfy my soul. ⁵ 

My mouth joyfully praises you, ⁶ 

Isaiah 25:6

25:6 The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. ⁷ 

At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine –

tender meat and choicest wine. ⁸ 

Isaiah 55:2

55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? ⁹ 

Why spend ¹⁰  your hard-earned money ¹¹  on something that will not satisfy?

Listen carefully ¹²  to me and eat what is nourishing! ¹³ 

Enjoy fine food! ¹⁴ 

[23:5]  ¹ sn In v. 5 the metaphor switches. (It would be very odd for a sheep to have its head anointed and be served wine.) The background for the imagery is probably the royal banquet. Ancient Near Eastern texts describe such banquets in similar terms to those employed by the psalmist. (See M. L. Barre and J. S. Kselman, “New Exodus, Covenant, and Restoration in Psalm 23,” The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth, 97-127.) The reality behind the imagery is the Lord’s favor. Through his blessings and protection he demonstrates to everyone, including dangerous enemies, that the psalmist has a special relationship with him.

[23:5]  ² tn The imperfect verbal form in v. 5a carries on the generalizing mood of vv. 1-4. However, in v. 5b the psalmist switches to a perfect (דִּשַּׁנְתָּ, dishanta), which may have a generalizing force as well. But then again the perfect is conspicuous here and may be present perfect in sense, indicating that the divine host typically pours oil on his head prior to seating him at the banquet table. The verb דָשַׁן (dashan; the Piel is factitive) is often translated “anoint,” but this is misleading, for it might suggest a symbolic act of initiation into royal status. One would expect the verb מָשָׁח (mashan) in this case; דָשַׁן here describes an act of hospitality extended to guests and carries the nuance “refresh.” In Prov 15:30 it stands parallel to “make happy” and refers to the effect that good news has on the inner being of its recipient.

[23:5]  ³ tn The rare noun רְַָויָה (rÿvayah) is derived from the well-attested verb רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated, drink one’s fill”). In this context, where it describes a cup, it must mean “filled up,” but not necessarily to overflowing.

[63:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “like fat and fatness.”

[63:5]  ⁵ tn Or “me.”

[63:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “and [with] lips of joy my mouth praises.”

[25:6]  ⁷ sn That is, Mount Zion (see 24:23); cf. TEV; NLT “In Jerusalem.”

[25:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “And the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will make for all the nations on this mountain a banquet of meats, a banquet of wine dregs, meats filled with marrow, dregs that are filtered.”

[55:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “for what is not food.”

[55:2]  ¹⁰ tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[55:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.

[55:2]  ¹² tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.

[55:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[55:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”