Psalm 11 is the eleventh psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "In the put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?" In the slightly different numbering of the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, it is Psalm 10, "In Domino confido". Its authorship is traditionally assigned to King David, but most scholars place its origin some time after the end of the Babylonian captivity.Morgenstern, Julian. "Psalm 11." Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 69, no. 3, 1950, pp. 221–231.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It was set to music by composers including Heinrich Schütz, Joseph Stephenson and Benjamin Cooke.

Structure The shape of this psalm differs from the usual scheme,Hermann Gunkel, Die Psalmen. vol 6. (Auflage, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1986), p 40. for which the Old Testament scholar Hermann Gunkel finally assigns as a "confidence Psalm in the form of conversation". Erhard S. Gerstenberger calls the psalm a "disputierendes prayer" within the genus of Lamentations of an individual., Psalms. Part 1 (Ps 1–60) with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry. (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1988), p.78. has the psalm as a song of prayer.Hans-Joachim Kraus,Psalmen 1–59. 7. Auflage, (Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn 2003), p. 228.

Usually, the Psalm is organized as follows:Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalmen 1–59. 7. Auflage, (Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn 2003), p229. Verse 1a: trust in YHWH Verse 1b-3: Rejecting the advice of well-meaning friends Verse 4-7: YHWH as fair judge and legal helpers of the persecuted A division into verses is sometimes not done.Oswald Loretz, Psalmstudien. Kolometrie, Strophik und Theologie ausgewählter Psalmen. (de Gruyter, Berlin 2002), p. 106

Text The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions.A 1917 translation directly from Hebrew to English by the Jewish Publication Society can be found here or here, and an 1844 translation directly from the Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton can be found here. Both translations are in the public domain. In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 10. #HebrewEnglishGreek 1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? 2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? 4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

Interpretation The psalm is strongly individual. calls this the personal testimony of persecution, who have opted for the legal process.Klaus Seybold: Die Psalmen Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 1996, p 60. Hermann Gunkel agrees calling it the "subjective response of a single poet to an involuntary emergency". sees the psalm as "a product of post-exil scriptural scholarship that seeks to modernise traditional text" "ein Produkt nachexilischer Schriftgelehrsamkeit, die die Texte der Tradition modernisieren will").Erhard S. Gerstenberger, Psalms. Part 1 (Ps 1–60) with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids 1988, p78f.

The psalm leads off with a question which is put to the writer's soul: 'Why should I flee like a bird to the mountains?' Barnes and many others see the fleeing as negative and running away rather than trusting God. The Psalmist instead resolves to trust God. There is an irony in that David often did flee from Saul to the mountains, but in the long run became King in Jerusalem in 1 Sam chapters 21 through 23. Additionally there is a contrast with Psalm 7: the wicked shoot arrows at the righteous in Psalm 11, but in Psalm 7 God readied his bow and arrows for the wicked. There is also a tension: God is felt to be far away and unresponsive - but He is not and that tension also appears in other Psalms, such as in Psalm 22.

Uses Catholicism According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530AD), Psalm 1 to Psalm 20 were mainly reserved for Office of Prime. This psalm was traditionally performed at the Office of Prime on Wednesday.traduction par Prosper Guéranger, Règle de saint Benoît, (Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, réimpression 2007) p46.

In the current liturgy, Psalm 11 is, most solemnly recited or sung during vespers on Monday of the first week.The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes place over four weeks.

Book of Common Prayer In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the second day of the month.Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 202-203

Music Heinrich Schütz set a metred hymn paraphrasing Psalm 11 in German, "Ich trau auf Gott, was soll's denn sein", SWV 107, included in the Becker Psalter. Joseph Stephenson included a paraphrase in English, "Since I have plac'd my trust in God", in his 1757 collection Church Harmony, Sacred to Devotion. Benjamin Cooke wrote a setting of a metred paraphrase in English of verses 1–3, "On God My Steadfast Hopes Rely", published in 1794.

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References

External links

in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre Text of Psalm 11 according to the 1928 Psalter For the leader. Of David. / In the LORD I take refuge text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Psalm 11:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com Psalm 11 – The Answer of Faith to the Advice of Fear enduringword.com Psalm 11 / Refrain: The Lord’s throne is in heaven. Church of England Psalm 11 at biblegateway.com Hymns for Psalm 11 hymnary.org