102 Th. Booij thrown down beside the rock (cf. 2 Chr 25,12) (37) will be a day of celebration for the people (cf. Isa 1,26; Ps 94,15). It will be a bad day for those who used to profit by their corruption. The time of their pleasant things, their ‘delicacies’ (µhym[nm), is over then; mockery and hostility fall to their share. The revengeful feelings of the crowd will not, however, affect the speaker of our text. As a disciple of the righteous (v. 5), he will seek the restoration of law and justice (cf. Deut 16,18.20); and he will pray. At present his words are not as the ‘workers of mischief’ would like; in their troubles they will hear them as ‘pleasant’ (wm[n, v. 6b). They will find some comfort in his words. c. The close connection between verses 5b and 6 is confirmed by the chiastic structure in this passage: the relation between ‘my words’ and ‘being thrown down’ (v. 6) is the same as that between ‘my prayer’ and ‘their troubles’ (v. 5). * ** The final part of the psalm shows the distress of the community, as well as the speaker’s solidarity with his people and his sense of being in danger. (1) In v. 7, using the 1st person plural, the speaker presents himself as a member of the national community (38). The statement made in this verse is of remarkable complexity. a. In the second stich the imagery is superabundant. The scattered bones symbolize the people’s lamentable condition (cf. Ps 53,6; Ezek 37,1-2.11). The mention of their position redoubles the imagery: ‘at the mouth of Sheol’ they are ready to be swallowed by Death (see e.g. Num 16,30.32; Isa 5,14) (39). b. The simile in the first stich prepares and supports the imagery in the second (cf. Ps 83,15-16; 102,10a). For a clear understanding it is important to note that wmk, ‘as’, does not relate to the subject, but to the situation indicated (40). The verb jlp occurs in qal only here in Biblical Hebrew. In other Semitic languages plh≥ is mainly used as ‘split; till, work; serve’ (41). Because of the mention of Sheol in the second stich, jlp and [qb are likely to be activities in the earth (cf. ≈ra in e.g. 1 Sam 26,7; Isa 40,24) (42). Since in (37) Some understand [ls (‘rock’) as a designation of YHWH; see TOURNAY, “Le Psaume cxli”, 60; “Psaume cxli: nouvelle interprétation”, 324; A. DEISSLER, Die Psalmen (WB.KK; Düsseldorf 1963-1965) III,198; M. DAHOOD, Psalms III, 101–150. Introduction, translation, and notes (AB 17A; Garden City, NY 1970) 313; L.C. ALLEN, Psalms 101–150, 340. HARTMANN, Studie, 29, takes [ls as ‘money’ (ransom) in this text. (38) Cf. e.g. Ps 20,6.8.10; 79,4.8-13; 115,1.3.18. It has been supposed that the 1st person plural refers to a grouping related to the speaker; see e.g. A.F. KIRKPATRICK, The Book of Psalms (Cambridge 1902) 799; J.C. MCCANN, The New Interpreter’s Bible IV (Nashville 1996) 1244. The usage in the psalms does not favour that view. (39) Cf. J.B. BURNS, An Interpretation of Psalm cxli 7b, VT 22 (1972) 245-246, mentioning texts in which Mot (Death) is described as “a monster devouring all who approached his jaws”. (40) A similar case in Ps 74,5; see also e.g. Mark 4,26-27. For the use of the participle see GESENIUS–KAUTZSCH, § 116t; JOÜON–MURAOKA, § 155f. (41) See HALAT s.v., 878b. (42) So splitting wood ‘on the ground’ is less likely to be meant. With that reading, actually, ≈rab does not seem a very meaningful addition.