Sunday, August 3, 2008

יז הָאִירָה פָנֶיךָ, עַל-עַבְדֶּךָ; הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי בְחַסְדֶּךָ

Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; save me in Thy lovingkindness. (Psalm 31:15)

Turn, turn toward, look...
Light, brighten, illumine...
Worker, laborer, slave...
Liberate, deliver, bring victory...
Goodness, kindness, faithfulness...

When I saw "save me" in the verse above I was expecting the Hebrew padah or perhaps ga'al. These are sometimes translated as save or redeem or reclaim or ransom.

But the Hebrew is yasha'. I was expecting to be retrieved from my current condition by my original master. Instead I am to be freed.

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