Psalms contains eight alphabetic
acrostics: (eg, in English. A: Authentic Emotions, B: Beautiful lyrics, C: Cry
from the heart, D: David’s songs etc). Four acrostics psalms are found in book
one and four in book five, creating symmetry over the entire book of Psalms.
The role of these acrostics has been variously explained as an artistic device,
a mnemonic tool, or a pattern which implies completeness.
This first acrostic is unique because it spans two psalms. Ps 9 goes from א to כ (11 letters) and Ps 10 continues from ל to ת (11 letters) so that the alphabet is split evenly between the two, even though some of the letters are missing. Ps 9/10 is missing seven of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet ד and מ,נ,ס,ע,פ,צ. I find this fascinating, but if you don't please just enjoy the video.
Try writing an acrostic response of your own to this Psalm.
This first acrostic is unique because it spans two psalms. Ps 9 goes from א to כ (11 letters) and Ps 10 continues from ל to ת (11 letters) so that the alphabet is split evenly between the two, even though some of the letters are missing. Ps 9/10 is missing seven of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet ד and מ,נ,ס,ע,פ,צ. I find this fascinating, but if you don't please just enjoy the video.
Try writing an acrostic response of your own to this Psalm.
More on acrostic structure (Please skip this section if you find the linguistic structure boring)
If you are interested in exploring a possible reason for why the acrostic structure has been disrupted. For greater detail check out this.
To understand why the acrostic is broken precisely at certain letters, we must first review the contents and themes running through it. Generally, the psalm moves between praise of God for past vindications (9:2–13, 16–19, 10:16–18) and request for God to take action, destroy the wicked, and help the lowly and afflicted (9:14–15, 20–21, 10:1, 12–15). The situation is one in which the wicked are in power oppressing the afflicted. The writer is confident that God will help His faithful and remain true to the covenant, and so he urgently requests that God act. One lengthy section that does not fit neatly into the two categories of praise or request is 10:2–11 which goes into the inner thinking of the wicked person and analyzes how he justifies his actions. This reflection is intended to call God’s attention to the wicked person’s evildoing in order to provoke His mercy upon the oppressed. The wicked person thinks that God is not mindful of the world—שכח א-ל (10:11). The next verse (10:12) calls on God to rise up and remember the lowly—אל תשכח ענוים.18
If you are interested in exploring a possible reason for why the acrostic structure has been disrupted. For greater detail check out this.
To understand why the acrostic is broken precisely at certain letters, we must first review the contents and themes running through it. Generally, the psalm moves between praise of God for past vindications (9:2–13, 16–19, 10:16–18) and request for God to take action, destroy the wicked, and help the lowly and afflicted (9:14–15, 20–21, 10:1, 12–15). The situation is one in which the wicked are in power oppressing the afflicted. The writer is confident that God will help His faithful and remain true to the covenant, and so he urgently requests that God act. One lengthy section that does not fit neatly into the two categories of praise or request is 10:2–11 which goes into the inner thinking of the wicked person and analyzes how he justifies his actions. This reflection is intended to call God’s attention to the wicked person’s evildoing in order to provoke His mercy upon the oppressed. The wicked person thinks that God is not mindful of the world—שכח א-ל (10:11). The next verse (10:12) calls on God to rise up and remember the lowly—אל תשכח ענוים.18
It is noteworthy that this lengthy meditation on the warped logic of the wicked falls exactly at the place where six consecutive letters are omitted. This correlation leads us to suggest that the structure of the psalm reflects its message. The alphabetic acrostic represents proper order—the way the world should be when God is present. Mention and discussion of the wicked, who represent a breakdown in appropriate divine order, come at precisely the point where there is a breakdown in the acrostic sequence. In this ten verse long section which delves into the inner thoughts of the wicked, the acrostic breaks down completely and six letters go missing. The acrostic only gets back on track with the call for God to act and punish the wicked—קומה ה' (10:12). Taken from Evil and the Disruption of Order: A Structural Analysis of the Acrostics
in the First Book of Psalms by Ronald Benun.
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