“How great were your works, JAHWEH! Your plans have been very deep!”

(Psalm 92: 6, own translation, daily motto (lot) of the Moravian Brethren)

 

מה-גדלו מעשיך יהוה מאד עמקו מחשבתיך

 

ma-godlu maasseicha YAHWEH meod omku machschwoteicha

 

 

In the grammar aid of the Hebrew dictionary, “godlu” and “omku” are given in Present Perfect tense, i.e. in the “before-present”. But all Bible translations use the present tense. I’ve got used to translating as close to the original text as possible, which sometimes seems offensive. JAHWEH, as the creator of time and eternity, naturally stands above tenses. Every “iota” is to be taken seriously. So, what could be meant by the Present Perfect tense?

 

 

JAHWEH is not tied to time or eternity. There are no coincidences with HIM. HE made HIS plans before the Big Bang and made the “law” of chance. I find it wonderful that my baptismal scripture verse appears a few verses after the daily motto (lot) in Psalm 92:

 

13 The righteous (tzadik) will sprout like a palm tree,

he will grow like a cedar tree in the Lebanon.

 

14 which are planted in the house of the Lord,

they will flourish in the courtyards of our God;

 

15 they still bear fruit in old age,

are juicy and fresh

 

(Translated from the German: Schlachter Bibel 2000)