“Yahweh will make a full end
Of his adversaries.
He will pursue
According to the last of these Hebrew letters, Kaph, Yahweh would not be kind to his enemies. He would put an end to them and pursue them until they lived in darkness, presumably death.
To his wrath.
He poured out
His hot anger.
Yahweh was angry at Jerusalem. Thus he vented his anger when he started a fire in Zion that consumed it down to its foundations. Yahweh, not the Babylonians, set the city on fire. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Kaph in this acrostic poem.
“Yahweh will not
Although he causes grief,
He will have compassion
According to the abundance
Of his steadfast love.
He does not willingly
He does not willingly
This grieving author talks about the compassion of Yahweh, since Yahweh was not going to reject him forever. Yahweh definitely caused him grief, but he is compassionate with his abundant steadfast love. Then in a strange statement that almost contradicts what was said earlier, this author proclaims that Yahweh does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone. In fact, that had been the main complaint earlier in this poem. These three verses start with the Hebrew consonant letter Kaph in this acrostic poem.
“My eyes are spent
My stomach churns.
My bile is poured out
On the ground.
Because of the destruction
Of my people.
In the streets
Of the city.”
Now this poem turns to the author of this work as he was personally weeping. His stomach was churning, so that he was throwing up. He was upset because of the destruction of his people. Infants and babies were fainting in the streets of this desolate city. Once again, we have a personal bleak picture of the wasted city of Jerusalem describing the remaining helpless young people. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Kaph. Each verse after this will use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.
“All her people groan.
They search for bread.
I have become!’”
Once again, we have the shift from a third person description about Jerusalem to a first person singular Jerusalem itself praying directly to Yahweh, the God of Israel. All the people were groaning due to the lack of bread or nourishment. They were trading their treasures for food, which makes sense. They wanted to revive their strength. This verse ends with the first person singular plea to Yahweh. Jerusalem laments how worthless she has become. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Kaph. Each verse after this will use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.
“My soul languishes for your salvation.
I hope in your word.
My eyes fail with watching for your promise.
‘When will you comfort me?’
I have become like a wineskin in the smoke.
Yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
How long must your servant endure?
When will you judge those who persecute me?
Arrogant men have dug pitfalls for me.
They flout your law.
All your commandments are enduring.
I am persecuted without cause.
They have almost made an end of me on earth.
But I have not forsaken your precepts.
In your steadfast love,
Spare my life!
Thus I may keep the decrees of your mouth.”
This psalmist was in a bad situation. He longed for salvation because he hoped in the word of God. His eyes were failing. He wanted to know when Yahweh would comfort him. Even though he was like a smoking wineskin, he still had not forgotten the statutes of Yahweh. He wanted to know how long he had to wait before God would judge and persecute the arrogant men who were setting pitfalls for him. They were flouting the law so that he was persecuted without any real reason. He cried to God for help. They had almost killed him. Despite all this, the psalmist still had not forsaken the precepts of Yahweh. Yahweh’s steadfast love had spared his life. He had the decrees of Yahweh in his mouth. So ends this section on the eleventh consonant letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Kaph.