Author: Administrador

It was a beautiful September day in Iowa and a group of students had gathered on one of the hills near the college. The event was the regular Sunday evening meeting of the Lutheran Student Association (LSA). The LSA met outside during the fall, taking advantage of the beauty of Decorah until the weather turned … Continue reading “Psalm 19 Commentary by James Limburg”

We have a gift in Psalm 19. Bach, Beethoven, Handel, and Haydn expressed their delight with this Psalm through now well-known musical settings of its text. Judaism recites the words of this Psalm at Shabbat and Yom Tov. In his Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis declared Psalm 19 the treasure trove of the Psalter: … Continue reading “Psalm 19 Commentary by Eric Mathis”

Honesty is a core component of living in relationship with others. Whether the good, the bad, the best, or the worst, telling the truth to ourselves and to those with whom we are closest establishes the foundation for the reciprocity that is necessary in any relationship of substance. An Honest, Open Plea In Psalm 17, … Continue reading “Psalm 17:1-9 Commentary by Eric Mathis”

Praying with exclamation points! Before entering into Psalm 17 to consider David’s prayer, we are going to take a detour through the Gospel of Luke to talk about how Jesus instructs his disciples to pray. In Luke 11 when one of the disciples says, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples,” Jesus … Continue reading “Psalm 17:1-9 Commentary by Karla Suomala”

A Response to the First Reading In the First Reading, when Elijah threw his mantle over Elisha to call him, Elisha, who is plowing twelve yoke of oxen, slaughtered his oxen, used the plow to cook them up, fed them to the people, kissed his parents goodbye, and followed the prophet as his servant (1 … Continue reading “Psalm 16 Commentary by Craig A. Satterlee”

Psalm 16 is a very problematic psalm, and for a gaggle of reasons: 1. Most scholars consider this to be a Song of Confidence or Trust like Psalm 23, yet it begins with a very lament-like plea for help in verse 1. Recent scholarship, helpfully, sees this “plea” as a devout desire for continuing protection … Continue reading “Psalm 16 Commentary by Mark Throntveit”

If you are preaching on the Gospel text — and its doom and gloom End Times themes — then there might not be too much to back you up here in Psalm 16. Indeed, it doesn’t matter if you are in the End Times or just plain ol’ Tough Times, Psalm 16 amounts to a … Continue reading “Psalm 16 Commentary by Hans Wiersma”

In recent years, Psalms scholarship has been inclined to attend more carefully to the sequencing of the poems. To be sure, it is not always possible to discern meaningful relationships among neighboring psalms; but the question is worth asking. In the case of Psalm 16, we can say at least that it makes really good … Continue reading “Psalm 16 Commentary by J. Clinton McCann”

Psalm 16 opens with a verse that expresses its main theme: “Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge” (verse 1). The plea for God to “protect me” is common in the Psalter (similar petitions appear in Psalms 17:8; 25:20; 86:2; 140:5; and 141:9). The word translated “protect” is elsewhere translated “keep,” as … Continue reading “Psalm 16 Commentary by Jerome Creach”

“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is yet to come” is a central passage in the Mark text for this week and it could serve as a parallel for Psalm 16. The psalm is one of trust in uncertain times. The … Continue reading “Psalm 16 Commentary by Beth L. Tanner”