HEBREW WORD STUDY – EVEN WITH GLORY  –  ‘APH  KEBODI  אפ כבודי  Aleph Pei   Kap Beth Vav Daleth Yod 

 

Psalms 108:1: “O God, my heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise even with my glory.” 

What does that mean to praise, even with my glory.  What is David talking about when he says “his glory.” Have you ever had one of those times when you carry a burden that is just so overwhelming that you can’t “even pray”?  You try to pray, but it is just such an effort, you feel so “weighted” down. Note the word I used, “weighted down.”  You seek a a diversion, watching a football game, going to a movie, a party or even indulging in addictions like alcohol or drugs just to get your mind off that kavod.  You see that is the Hebrew word for glory.  We think of glory as something awesome and wonderful but also means a weightiness or heaviness.

 

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This is the way David felt when he started to write this Psalm.  You read this Psalm and it appears like one of his lighter moments.   He seems so joyful, so happy.  Yet, this first verse gives his true emotions away.

He calls out to God saying that his heart is fixed.  The word for fixed is kon which has the idea of being established or directed. Today we would say his heart was focused.   His heart was not focus on God but on his burden.  He knows, however, that all he has to do is  just change his focus off his kavod and then sing and give praise.

The word for praise that is used here is zamar. It is a song of praise, but it is a very focused praised.  The word also is used for cutting or pruning.  This is a very direct praise, no fluff, no disjointed or meaningless words, but a very specific praise.  The word is also in a piel form with a paragogic Hei.   This makes this a very direct and focused praise.  A praise coming from the very depths of his being, his soul. It is a very intense praise.  David is putting every fiber of his whole being into this praise that cuts through or prunes aways all that kavod.

Then he says: “Even with my glory.”  Let’s take a closer look at this word for glory which is kavod and means heaviness.  It can also mean burdensome or grievous.  For better understanding since we have such a positive view of the word glory  perhaps we could substitute the word glory for burden or grievous. David will give praise even with his burden.

David is overwhelmed with some very heavy burden.  His heart is so fixed on this issue that he can not praise or worship God.  So, he says he will sing a song of praise.  Not just any praise. He could praise God for His power, for His majesty, etc.   David has done this many times, but right now that is not the praise that he can offer.  So, the praise he offers is “even” with his burden.  The word even is aph which is often translated as indeed or furthermore.  “I will praise you indeed with my burden.”  Aph is a demonstrative particle, an exclamation .

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