Two Yamim Noraim Psalms - #27 and#130; What Do They Convey about Human Nature and Hope?

Division of Psalm 27: 1-6, 7-12, 13-14

Part I: confident [R.Alter: "...begins with a confident affirmation of God as the source of help under all grave threats."], in 3rd person, bitahon is central theme (end of v.3), enjoys protective shelter (v.5) in God's tent, concludes exultingly with sacrifices and songs of joy.

Problem verse 4: this seems to be inconsistent with vv. 1-6.

Part II: dramatic shift in tone to petition for God's mercy - "Hear O Lord when I cry aloud" - 2nd person direct address/appeal to God for his protection which is not assumed, distant from God (9: "Do not hide Your face from me," [R. Alter: "The speaker desperately seeks God's face (a privilege denied Moses). The practical manifestation of God's turning away His face would be abandoning the person to his enemies."], although parents might abandon psalmist, God will (hopefully) sustain his relationship (comp. Isaiah 49:15: הֲתִשְׁכַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ עוּלָ֔הּ מֵרַחֵ֖ם בֶּן־בִּטְנָ֑הּ גַּם־אֵ֣לֶּה תִשְׁכַּ֔חְנָה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א אֶשְׁכָּחֵֽךְ׃/ Can a woman forget her baby, Or disown the child of her womb? Though she might forget, I never could forget you.), word play on root str (to shelter, protect, hide) in vv. 5 and 9, psalmist threatened by all sorts of enemies, whether violent military attacks or false witnesses (v.12)

Problem verse 11: is this a request for guidance - a straight path back to God's house - or a more philosophical petition, to perceive God's nature?

Part III: the final verses shift from despair to hope; some texts do not have the word "lulai," which shifts the verse from an affirmation of faith (Part I) - "I DO affirm that I will see the reward of the righteous in the future" - to a question regarding the ultimate revelation of justice (Part II) - "If I did not believe (assume) that I would see the ultimate reward of the righteous, I would.... The dots on the word "lulai" indicate that Hazal were not sure whether it belonged in the verse, allowing for its ambiguous interpretation which reflects the shift in the first parts of the psalm. The final call for faith could be declared by the psalmist to himself, reflecting what he thinks he must believe, or it could be understood as a call by others to him, that he should trust in God.

Thus, the psalm could reflect a resolution of his crisis, or an affirmation of it. It provides an honest portrait of real people who feel differently about God's protection at different times.

How does it compare to the next psalm we add during this season? Does it also reflect a faith that shifts, or does it declare a static piety and consistency of belief? How real is it?

Interpretations of "song of ascents": there are 15 such psalms, starting with #120, with variations on this header ("to David," "to Solomon," etc.) Most interpret the header to introduce a song of the pilgrims, going up to Jerusalem (or within the Temple). A less known interpretation is that it was a musical notation, especially if the melody is to gradually rise through the psalm.

R. Alter to v.1: "...in Psalms, "the depths" are an epithet for the depths of the sea, which in turn is an image of the realm of death.... This psaslm...is a penitential psalm, focusing not on the evil of Israel's enemies...but on the wrongs Israel has done. It [begins] with a first-person singular that turns into the expression of a collective plea, as the last two verses make clear."

R. Alter to v. 6: "Previous translators render the four Hebrew words...as a simple repetition.... But shomrim can be either a verbal noun ("watchmen") or a plural verb ("watch"). The line becomes more vivid and energetic if the second occurrence is understood as a verb.... The watchmen sitting through the last of the three watches of the night, peering into the darkness for the first sign of dawn, cannot equal my intense expectancy for God's redeeming word to come to me in my dark night of the soul."