Psalm 139.17

Anyone who has known me for any real length of time knows that, despite some vague Scriptural prohibition against having favorites, my favorite book of the Bible is the Psalms. I am sure this means I am basically like every other Christian in the world.

When I was in the Psalms in my Bible-in-some-unspecified-period-of-time readings, I came across this gem:

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

I don't know Hebrew at all, except for a few minor details about its grammar. One of the wonderful things about it, though—and, I suspect, one of the most annoying—is the fuzziness of the language. This is, I suspect, best reflected in the poetic works and the Proverbs.

When I read the quoted verse, I wondered to myself whether "to" might be translated "toward." This is, as far as I can tell, a distinction English makes but Hebrew does not. The difference in perspective is subtle but substantial.

In one, we see the Psalmist reflecting on God's thoughts, as he might meditate on the law. But in the second, we rather see the vast sum of God's thoughts bent on the Psalmist.

It is the latter that I prefer—and one I think that is borne out by the context of the Psalm. It is a stunning realization that God is thinking about us all the time, and that all of his thoughts toward us are precious ones. It seems like this was the preferred reading of Matthew Henry and John Wesley as well (see these parallel commentaries).

It is encouraging in my grouchier days to be reminded of God's love and provision...and this is one of the many passages that does.