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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Slander

According to the legal dictionary, slander is collectively known as defamation, libel and slander are civil wrongs that harm a reputation; decrease respect, regard, or confidence; or induce disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against an individual or entity. The injury to one's good name or reputation is affected through written or spoken words or visual images.

Psalm 15:3 talks about slandering; nevertheless, I have decided to provide the entire Psalm for good reading and contextual coherency, and it reads as follows:

Psalm 15:1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall sojourn in Thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell upon Thy holy mountain?
Psalm 15:2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh truth in his heart;
Psalm 15:3 That hath no slander upon his tongue, nor doeth evil to his fellow, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour;
Psalm 15:4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honoureth them that fear the LORD; he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;
Psalm 15:5 He that putteth not out his money on interest, nor taketh a bribe against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

References:

JPS Tanakh

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Psalm 22 and Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Psalm 22 is another amazing Psalm from the Hebrew canon. What do you think about when you read it? It reads as follows:


“Psalm 22:1 (22:1) For the Leader; upon Aijeleth ha-Shahar. A Psalm of David. (22:2) My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me, and art far from my help at the words of my cry?
Psalm 22:2 (22:3) O my God, I call by day, but Thou answerest not; and at night, and there is no surcease for me.
Psalm 22:3 (22:4) Yet Thou art holy, O Thou that art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Psalm 22:4 (22:5) In Thee did our fathers trust; they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.
Psalm 22:5 (22:6) Unto Thee they cried, and escaped; in Thee did they trust, and were not ashamed.
Psalm 22:6 (22:7) But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Psalm 22:7 (22:8) All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head:
Psalm 22:8 (22:9) 'Let him commit himself unto the LORD! let Him rescue him; let Him deliver him, seeing He delighteth in him.'
Psalm 22:9 (22:10) For Thou art He that took me out of the womb; Thou madest me trust when I was upon my mother's breasts.
Psalm 22:10 (22:11) Upon Thee I have been cast from my birth; Thou art my God from my mother's womb.
Psalm 22:11 (22:12) Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Psalm 22:12 (22:13) Many bulls have encompassed me; strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
Psalm 22:13 (22:14) They open wide their mouth against me, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
Psalm 22:14 (22:15) I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is become like wax; it is melted in mine inmost parts.
Psalm 22:15 (22:16) My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my throat; and Thou layest me in the dust of death.
Psalm 22:16 (22:17) For dogs have encompassed me; a company of evil-doers have inclosed me; like a lion, they are at my hands and my feet.
Psalm 22:17 (22:18) I may count all my bones; they look and gloat over me.
Psalm 22:18 (22:19) They part my garments among them, and for my vesture do they cast lots.
Psalm 22:19 (22:20) But Thou, O LORD, be not far off; O Thou my strength, hasten to help me.
Psalm 22:20 (22:21) Deliver my soul from the sword; mine only one from the power of the dog.
Psalm 22:21 (22:22) Save me from the lion's mouth; yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen do Thou answer me.
Psalm 22:22 (22:23) I will declare Thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.
Psalm 22:23 (22:24) 'Ye that fear the LORD, praise Him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; and stand in awe of Him, all ye the seed of Israel.
Psalm 22:24 (22:25) For He hath not despised nor abhorred the lowliness of the poor; neither hath He hid His face from him; but when he cried unto Him, He heard.'
Psalm 22:25 (22:26) From Thee cometh my praise in the great congregation; I will pay my vows before them that fear Him.
Psalm 22:26 (22:27) Let the humble eat and be satisfied; let them praise the LORD that seek after Him; may your heart be quickened for ever!
Psalm 22:27 (22:28) All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the LORD; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee.
Psalm 22:28 (22:29) For the kingdom is the LORD'S; and He is the ruler over the nations.
Psalm 22:29 (22:30) All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship; all they that go down to the dust shall kneel before Him, even he that cannot keep his soul alive.
Psalm 22:30 (22:31) A seed shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord unto the next generation.
Psalm 22:31 (22:32) They shall come and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done it.”



Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is also found in the Hebrew canon. What do you think about when you read it? It reads as follows:


Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
Isaiah 52:14 According as many were appalled at thee - so marred was his visage unlike that of a man, and his form unlike that of the sons of men -
Isaiah 52:15 So shall he startle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they perceive.

Isaiah 53:1 'Who would have believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Isaiah 53:2 For he shot up right forth as a sapling, and as a root out of a dry ground; he had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor beauty that we should delight in him.
Isaiah 53:3 He was despised, and forsaken of men, a man of pains, and acquainted with disease, and as one from whom men hide their face: he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isaiah 53:4 Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried; whereas we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded because of our transgressions, he was crushed because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our welfare was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep did go astray, we turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath made to light on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, though he humbled himself and opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb; yea, he opened not his mouth.
Isaiah 53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away, and with his generation who did reason? for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due.
Isaiah 53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich his tomb; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.'
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in restitution, that he might see his seed, prolong his days, and that the purpose of the LORD might prosper by his hand:
Isaiah 53:11 Of the travail of his soul he shall see to the full, even My servant, who by his knowledge did justify the Righteous One to the many, and their iniquities he did bear.
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the mighty; because he bared his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Reference:

JPS Tanakh