Notes for
Blessed is the man . . .

1. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (New York/ London: W. W. Norton, 1978) 113-4, 116..

2. Biblical Hebrew verbs do not have tenses. They reflect rather one of two moods. Perfective verbs depict actions that are complete, completed, habitual. Imperfective verbs denote actions that are yet to be completed or episodic.

3. The examples are too numerous to list all here, but see, e.g.,

Deut 5:33 - "Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess."

Deut 10:12 - "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul . ."

Deut 11:22 - "If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him . . ."

Deut 28:9 -"The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways."

Deut 30:16 - "For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess."

4. Derek Kidner, Psalm 1-72 (TOTC; London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973) 47.