Psalm 11
MCPC has gone a different route than the OPC/URC proposal for Psalm 11. The OPC/URC proposal includes two options:
a) the Sing Psalms text to “Bourbon” (LM);
b) the RCNZ’s text to “Protection” (11 11 11 11).
I understand that “Protection” has been used in the Dutch tradition with Psalm 11 for a long time, and I think that a tune associated with “How Firm a Foundation” has some good affective connections with Psalm 11. That text, however, could use some further work.
Text: MCPC, 2012 (SM)
1 My refuge is the LORD; how can you say to me:
“Now quickly like a bird escape, and to your mountain flee.
2 The wicked bend the bow; the upright they would shoot.
3 If our foundations are cast down, what can the righteous do?”
4 The LORD in heav’n is throned; his temple is on high;
his eyes behold, his eyelids test, the children of mankind.
5 The LORD will test the just, but men of wickedness
and those who love destructive ways he certainly detests.
6 Upon all wicked men his fiery coals will rain;
and brimstone, fire, and burning wind shall be their heritage.
7 For righteous is the LORD; he loves all righteous ways,
and so the upright of the earth shall all behold his face.
Tune: Festal Song (William Howard Walter, 1894)
Commentary
The title of Psalm 11 is: “To the Choirmaster. Of David.”
Psalm 11 is a Psalm of confidence, as the psalmist flees to the temple and calls upon the LORD to “rain coals upon the wicked” and preserve the righteous. Of course, the point about the temple raises a question regarding Davidic authorship — since the temple had not been built during David’s life. But as we have noted before, “Of David” does not necessarily mean “by David.” It could mean “about David” or “to David.” On the other hand, when the psalmist says, “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven” — that may well be a reference to the heavenly temple. Solomon plainly understood that the earthly temple could not contain God, so there is no reason why David could not have written about God’s heavenly temple.
Of course, the point of Psalm 11’s reference to the heavenly temple is that it is a safe refuge for the righteous! Indeed, the psalmist calls upon the LORD to “rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind” — reminding us of God’s judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah.
Psalm 11 concludes with a reminder that not only is the LORD righteous, but he also loves righteous deeds, and the upright shall behold his face. The same upright who were the target of the wicked in verse 2 are the ones who will see the face of God in verse 7.
Structure:
All three texts provide clear and helpful structure.
Translation Notes:
There are a couple key points to highlight.
First, with respect to the RCNZ text: 1) they use the term “snipers” to refer to the wicked (a sniper uses a rifle, not a bow — it would be like referring to chariots as “tanks”); 2) they replace “children of man” simply with “men”; and 3) they omit “he loves righteous deeds.” In contrast, our text 1) uses “bend the bow”; 2) “children of mankind”; and “he loves all righteous ways.”
Second, the Sing Psalms text often does better than our text, partly because they use 224 syllables in place of our 156. And this is our objection to it — since the ESV only uses 158 syllables. The Sing Psalms text provides several expansions where they repeat the same thing again. I have no strong objections to any of their translations — only to the fact that it takes them so much longer to say it! If you can say it well in six stanzas, there is no reason to use seven stanzas!
Tune Notes:
We struggled a bit to find a good tune for Psalm 11. “Festal Song” is used in the Trinity Hymnal with “Not All the Blood of Beasts” (242) and “Revive Thy Work, O Lord” (370) — and with Psalm 108 in the Trinity Psalter. The opening unison works very well for stanzas 1, 3, 4, and 6 — all of which start with the LORD and his work. It works less well for stanzas 2 and 5 which speak of the wicked — but even there it is true that the wicked bend their bows with confidence — thinking that the righteous are helpless!
If the RCNZ text can be repaired, I have to admit that “How Firm a Foundation” (Protection) has some splendid affective congruity with Psalm 11.
Conclusion
You can hear an organ rendition of “Festal Song” at:
I have not yet preached on Psalm 11.
— Peter J. Wallace
