Psalm 39:13
תְּהִלִּים לט:יג
שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי יְהוָה, וְשַׁוְעָתִי הַאֲזִינָה-- אֶל-דִּמְעָתִי, אַל-תֶּחֱרַשׁ: כִּי גֵר אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ; תּוֹשָׁב, כְּכָל-אֲבוֹתָי.
Hear my prayer, God. Give ear to my cry, Do not disregard my tears. For I am a foreigner (ger) with you, A temporary dweller Like all my ancestors

Suggested Discussion Questions:

In this text, what do you think it might mean to be a foreigner “with” God? Is this about humans ultimately being placeless or rootless? About our temporal nature? About a sense of alienation from the Divine? Something else? Does this description of human experience resonate with you? Why or why not?

Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)